Door opening device for wheelchair-bound persons
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When passing through a doorway, where the door is hinged to the frame on one side and has a latch handle mechanism, for example, on the other side to keep it closed, a pedestrian tends to divert from a straight line direction of travel after unlatching the door and moving it off center. When the door swings away from the individual, he tends to veer off to the side rather than pushing the door fully open to be able to stay on a straight-line path. In the case when the door swings toward the person, he must back-step and then circle around the side of the door. Certainly, extra steps are required, but usually these steps are taken without a moment&#39;s hesitation or any extra effort. 
     This is not the normal procedure for a wheelchair-bound person, though. In the case where a door opens toward an individual in a wheelchair, that person must first maneuver up to the door in order to reach and unlatch the handle. Now that the handle is unlatched, the person must keep a grasp on the handle while backing the wheelchair away from the doorway in order to sufficiently swing the door open wide enough to pass the wheelchair through. Backing away from the doorway in a manual, i.e. nonpowered, wheelchair causes an asymmetric force on the wheelchair due to the use of one arm. Since a person&#39;s reach in a wheelchair is approximately at the location of their footrests, the opened door will always tend to &#34;hug&#34; the chair, thus limiting space to maneuver in. 
     When the door must be opened away from a person in a wheelchair, the task can be equally as difficult. Again, the first step is for the individual to maneuver up to the door to unlatch the handle. Now they must simultaneously push the door open while maneuvering the wheelchair through the door. For one thing, as the door opens, the corner of the wheelchair closest to the hinged edge of the door will be repeatedly blocked by the door until the door is fully opened. Also, as the door opens, the latch edge moves out of reach of the individual thus requiring more and more &#34;stretch&#34; to make the reach or that the person must push on the door nearer and nearer to the hinged edge. Pushing near the hinged edge or stile of the door requires a significantly greater force than pushing on the latch edge or stile due to the shorter moment arm. And, again, whenever the person is in a manual wheelchair, he or she must operate the wheelchair with one arm, again putting an asymmetric load on the operation, something which requires correction for the wheelchair to move along a desired path through the doorway. 
     For the wheelchair-bound person, the solution would be a device that not only assists in unlatching the door, but also allows the user to maintain a relatively straight pathway through the doorway. It would allow the user to minimize unbalanced loads on the wheelchair while simultaneously minimizing the movement of the wheelchair while it is worked through the doorway. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which assists a wheelchair-bound person in unlatching a latch handle, hinged door. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that will simultaneously assist a wheelchair-bound person in unlatching a door and moving it out of the path of the wheelchair. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device that may be retrofitted to existing latch-handle doors or installed on new doors. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a device that when retrofitted to existing latch-handle doors or installed on new doors will not interfere with the operation of the door by pedestrians. 
     These and other objects and advantages will become apparent with the door opening device for wheelchair-bound persons. 
     The device comprises a substantially L-shaped grasping bar hingedly attached to the hinge stile and the latch stile of the door and adjacent the latch handle. In the unused position, the grasping bar will merely hang in a substantially vertical position alongside the face of the door. When it is to be used, the wheelchair-bound person lifts up the grasping bar and forces an upper edge of the attachment portion to activate the latch handle. Once the latch handle has been unlatched, the person uses the outward-extending and angled grasping bar to manipulate the door accordingly. As an alternate embodiment, an extension pin may be fastened to the handle, on the opposite side from the latch. With this embodiment, the latch stile stanchion, or hinge arrangement, is placed on the opposite side of the handle. 
     The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the invention, both as to its organization and methods of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following descriptions in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one face of a door having a lever-action latch with the instant invention installed and with the bar shown in the raised position by phantom lines; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the opposite face of the door of FIG. 1 with the instant invention installed and with the bar shown in the raised position by phantom lines; 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the door and invention taken along lines III--III of FIG. 1 showing the invention with the bar in the raised position; 
     FIG. 4 shows a partially broken away cross-sectional view taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 3 showing the bar in the down, or hanging, position; 
     FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along lines V--V of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the door latch actuating bar of the instant invention; 
     FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 3, of another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 shows a partially broken away cross-sectional view taken along lines VIII--VIII of FIG. 7 showing the bar in the down, or hanging, position; 
     FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view taken along lines IX--IX of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the door latch actuating bar of the other embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, where like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a perspective view of one face, for example, the inside, of a door 13 hingedly fixed in a doorway 11 with the instant invention attached. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the opposite face, for example, the outside, of door 13 with the instant invention attached, To simplify the description of the parts of the door and the invention, for purposes of this section, the letter &#34;a&#34; will be used to designate parts on the inside of the door and the letter &#34;b&#34; will be used to designate corresponding parts on the outside of the door. The latch stile 16 on the inside of the door is shown to the right side of FIG. 1 and the hinge stile 18 on the inside of door 13 is shown to the left side (hinges, as normally known in the art, not shown in FIGS. 1 or 2). In like manner, a lever-action latch mechanism 20, as is known in the industry, is shown attached on latch stile 16, at a standard position on door 13 and has a lever latch handle 22 extending therefrom. The instant invention, a door opening device for wheelchair-bound persons, is referred to generally as 25 in the drawings. 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of door 13, as taken along lines III--III of FIG. 1 and gives a plan view of the instant invention. As can be seen clearly in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, partially broken away and enlarged views of specific portions of the instant invention, in one embodiment, latch mechanism 20 can have an extension bar 23 affixed thereto on the opposite side from latch handle 22, substantially diametrically opposite from handle 22. As will be explained below, in another embodiment of the invention, no latch handle extension is used. Bar 23 can be a steel pin of approximately 1/2 inch diameter, of a length of between 2 to 2 and 1/2 inches long, and can optionally have a plastic, or similar type material, protective sleeve 24 around it. Pin 23 can be journalled into latch mechanism 20 to fix it against movement. 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a latch stanchion, or bracket, 26 is fixed to the face of the door, as for instance with wood screws 27 or other similar fasteners, at a predetermined location adjacent latch mechanism 20 and the edge of door 13. Bracket 26 can be a substantially U-shaped piece with flattened legs 28, or any other convenient solid base, for pivot pin 29. As seen, pin 29 is inserted through the aperture in one leg 28, through the aperture 31 in the tip end of a latch actuator 37, and through the aperture in the second leg 28 where it is then secured against removal by means known in the art. 
     Latch actuator 37, through its pivoting movement about pin 29, uses a load-bearing surface 39 to move latch handle extension 23, as will be explained. Actuator 37 is formed from a 3 inch long section of flat bar stock with an aperture 31 drilled through the tip end. It then has a preselected radius machined into one side, with excess material at the drilled end removed to make that end narrower than free end 40. Finally, the edges near aperture 31 are rounded off to provide adequate clearance from the face of door 13 
     A hinge stanchion, or bracket, 27 similar to bracket 26 is affixed to the face of door 13 in a predetermined location on hinge stile 18 opposite from bracket 26. Bracket 27 also uses a pin 29 to restrict movement of a bar attachment 44. Bar attachment 44 is also made from a 3 inch long section of flat bar stock, or similar material, and has, at about its lengthwise midpoint, an angle in the range of approximately 45 to 60 degrees therein to form a pivoting end 45 and a free end 46. As with actuator 37, free end 46 remains squared off. Further details of this design and construction can be clearly seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     One of the features of door opening device 25 is angled grasping bar 30. Bar 30, used for opening door 13, is formed out of tubular material as a generally L-shaped section with its end sections 35 being swaged to compress the outline of their peripheries to conform to free end 40 of actuator 37 and to free end 46 of bar attachment 44. Bar 30a has a substantially straight section 51 that turns in to an elbow of approximately 60 degrees. On the other end of elbow 39a, an elongated portion 41 continues away and connects with swaged end 35. For better holding purposes, bar 30a may optionally have a knurled surface, as is known. 
     Bar 30b, on the outside of door 11, has a slightly different design, as can be seen in FIG. 3. Instead of a relatively straight portion, as with 51, bar 30b uses a slightly curved portion 52. The radius of curvature of portion 52 will depend on the width of door 13 and the thickness of sash 14, as sufficient clearance is required to push portion 52 through the doorway while it is held in a relatively horizontal position. In either case, grasping bar 30 will simply hang from brackets 26 and 27 in a relatively vertical position alongside the face of door 13 when not in use. 
     FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate a slightly different embodiment, that will now be described. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, of this embodiment. As can be seen, door 13 has an inside, or &#34;a&#34; face, and an outside, or &#34;b&#34;, face. The door opening device 65 consists of a latch stanchion, or bracket, 76 positioned adjacent a lever-action latch mechanism 66 and a hinge stanchion, or bracket, 77 fixed to the hinge stile 18 as have been earlier described. With this embodiment, latch bracket 76 is fixed to latch stile 16 adjacent latch mechanism 66 and immediately adjacent lever latch handle 72. As can be seen by comparing the two embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 7, grasping bar 65a and 65b are designed with a slight &#34;S&#34; bend in the portion of bar 65 that joins to latch actuator 87. Swaged end 85b is formed as has been previously described and is fixedly attached to free end 90. In this embodiment, load-bearing section 89 contacts the underside of lever latch handle 72 directly. With either embodiment, the load-bearing section and the underside of latch handle 72 or of bar 23 both can be covered with a known PTFE coating, or other similar slippery type material to minimize friction. 
     Operation: 
     In the case where door 13 opens in toward a person in a wheelchair, the person first rolls in close enough to the door to grasp bar 25a or 65a. The person lifts bar 25a or 65a high enough, generally to approximately a horizontal position, to disengage latch mechanism 20 or 66 and cause door 13 to be free to swing on its hinges (not shown). As bar 25 is lifted and door 13 unlatched, the person backs away from the door so that the door will clear the wheelchair as opening proceeds. Once the person is sufficiently clear of the door, the wheelchair is braked and opening is commenced. The person pulls on bar 25a adjacent elbow 39 and pulls in a direction perpendicular to portion 41. A person pulling on the bar at this portion is provided with a greater moment arm than would be attained by simply pulling on latch 22 or 72. This greater moment arm results in a smaller force required to continue door movement. As the door is pulled open, the person alternately grasps and pulls the portion 41 which is perpendicular to the door until the door is in reach. At this point bar 25a is left to drop back to the vertical position, the door is pushed aside and the person passes the wheelchair through. 
     An alternate method can be utilized to simutaneously back away from and open the door. As bar 30 is lifted and door 13 unlatched, the person can alternately push on bar 30 along the axis of portion 41 and pull on bar 30 in a direction perpendicular to portion 41. Pushing along the axis of portion 41 drives the wheelchair away from the door which will allow the door to partially clear the wheelchair. Pulling perpendicular to portion 41 will open the door until it contacts the wheelchair. Such actions are alternately performed until the wheelchair has fully moved away from the door and the door is fully open. 
     In the case where door 13 opens away from the wheelchair, the person reaches in and grasps bar 25b or 65b and lifts it to an approximately horizontal position, as before. Once latch mechanism 20b or 66b is opened, bar 25b or 65b is positioned approximately horizontal. In this position, the bar allows the person to utilize a greater moment arm, and consequently smaller force, in opening the door than would be obtained by merely pushing against the door. In addition, since the bar acts as an extension of the door, the wheelchair-bound person can keep the door away from the wheelchair as it is passing through the doorway. 
     Finally, while the door opening device for wheelchair-bound persons has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative as there are numerous variations and modifications which may be made by those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention is to be construed as being limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.