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US 12,173,544 B2Granted
Door opening system and method
AssigneeUniversity of South Florida
InventorKyle Brandon Reed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door opener for a door includes a frame coupled to the door and a wheel rotatably supported by the frame. The wheel, including its position relative to the door and frame, as well as its shape, are configured to convert a downward force applied by a user's foot into a lateral force that opens the door by rotating the wheel in contact with the floor.
Claims20
A door opener for a door, the door opener comprising:
- a frame configured to couple to the door;
- and
- a wheel rotatably supported by the frame, at least a portion of the wheel having a kinetic shape that is configured to convert a downward force applied to the frame by a user into a lateral force to open the door, the kinetic shape having a radius that varies relative to an axis of the wheel so that the wheel defines an outer perimeter surface that includes a curved portion and a flat portion and is configured to contact a support surface.
A door opening assistance device for opening a door, the door opening assistance device comprising:
- a base plate configured to couple to the door;
- a support arm pivotally coupled to the base plate;
- a foot pedal rigidly coupled to the support arm;
- and
- a wheel rotatably supported by the support arm and configured to pivot with the support arm relative to the base plate between an unloaded configuration, in which the wheel is elevated above a support surface, and a loaded configuration, in which the wheel is in contact with the support surface along an outer perimeter surface that includes a curved portion and a flat portion, the curved portion having a radius that varies relative to an axis of the wheel so that the wheel rotates in the loaded configuration in response to a downward force applied by a user to open the door, the wheel further including a secondary wheel that is coupled to the wheel at the flat portion.
2 more elements
A method of opening a door using a door opening assistance device, the method comprising the steps of:
- applying a downward force to a foot pedal of the door opening assistance device that is coupled to the door and is configured to move a wheel from an unloaded configuration, in which the wheel is elevated above a flat support surface, to a loaded configuration, in which the wheel is in contact with the flat support surface in an initial rotational position, and in which at least a portion of the wheel has a kinetic shape that is configured to convert the downward force applied to the foot pedal by a user into a lateral force to open the door, the kinetic shape having a radius that varies relative to an axis of the wheel so that the wheel defines an outer perimeter surface that includes a curved portion and a flat portion and is configured to engage with the flat support surface along the curved portion and the flat portion;
- continuing to apply the downward force to cause the wheel to rotate away from the initial rotational position along a curved surface of the wheel, the rotation of the wheel resulting in the lateral force that opens the door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.