EP4183954A1 - Hygiene-optimized door system for sanitary rooms - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to hygiene-optimized door systems for sanitary facilities and sanitary cubicles, in particular for semi-public and public toilet facilities, with pivoting doors closing the sanitary facility, which are first moved into an open position and then inevitably into an occupied position that can be locked without hand contact and through by a push process that takes place solely in the direction of entry a push process that takes place solely in the exit direction into an open position and from this inevitably be transferred back into the closed position.

Description

The invention relates to a hygiene-optimized door system for sanitary rooms and toilet cubicles, in particular for semi-public and public sanitary and toilet facilities.

A generally accepted finding from the corona epidemic is that so-called contact infections can not only be reduced or avoided by washing hands frequently, but that the number or frequency of touches, especially palm touches, of non-disinfected surfaces and objects must be minimized must be successively touched and/or actuated by a plurality of people during the normal course of the day.

A particularly critical area with regard to the risk of virus transmission through contaminated or virus-infected contact surfaces is semi-public or public sanitary and toilet facilities, since their use inevitably requires a large number of hand contacts, which are not up-to-date from a hygienic point of view and are also considered extremely by the users of these facilities uncomfortable but unavoidable.

A typical sanitary facility includes an anteroom with washbasins, which is entered through a door and from which you can reach the cabin space through a second door, from which the respective individual cabin, i.e. the actual purpose of use, is entered via another door. Apart from the fact that the purposeful sequence of movements from entering to leaving the facility is frequently interrupted by repeated stops and changes of direction to open and close the successive doors, from entering to To leave the system, a total of twelve hand contacts are required to operate the handles and two more hand contacts when using the cabin lock. This cumbersome sequence of movements and the large number of hand contacts are no longer hygienically acceptable.

The object of the invention is therefore to optimize semi-public and public toilet facilities and sanitary cubicles in particular from the point of view of hygiene and to enable their use with as little hand contact as possible and to simplify the sequence of movements during use.

To solve this problem, the invention shows two alternative ways, one alternative being based on the use of a specially designed swing door and the other alternative being based on the use of an angled door.

The first variant defined in claims 1 to 6, which is also suitable in particular for a corona-compliant renovation of existing toilet facilities, is characterized in that the swing door is installed at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cabin in such a way that the functional gap opposite the opaque joint gap defines a line of sight directed into the adjoining interior wall of the cabin and preventing a view into the interior of the cabin.

The open gaps on the two vertical longitudinal edges that are necessary for the function of a swinging door have so far prevented the use of these doors in toilet facilities because these open gaps allow a view into the cabins.

According to the invention, each of the two open vertical longitudinal gaps is specifically modified in such a way that it is no longer possible to look into the cabin and the view from the inside to the outside is also blocked, which promotes the emotional security of the respective user.

The opaqueness of swing doors made possible by the invention, which, as is well known, do not have any door handles, makes the swing door ideal for use in toilet cubicles, which in particular achieves the advantages that the movement sequence when entering or leaving a toilet cubicle is significantly easier that the swing door can optionally be opened with the shoulder, the upper arm, the hip or the foot, i.e. without hand contact, and that a large operating element of a bolt can be provided for locking the cabin, which can optionally be operated with the wrist or the forearm, the in turn means contact-free, can be operated.

Further details and advantages of this variant solution are explained in connection with the description of an exemplary embodiment.

The second variant of the solution according to the invention uses a two-wing angled door with a wing made of a material that is preferably transparent over the entire surface and a wing made of opaque material, with the transparent wing closing the sanitary room when it is not in use and the opaque wing being opened by pivoting the transparent wing when entering the sanitary room the closed position corresponding to the occupied state is transferred and operating elements for moving the angled door are provided on the inner surfaces of both wings facing one another.

• dass zumindest das dem undurchsichtigen Flügel zugeordnete Push-Element als um eine vertikale Achse begrenzt verschwenkbarer, in einem Türschlossgehäuse am Flügel gelagerter Push-Hebel ausgebildet ist,
• dass im Türrahmen eine axial verschiebbare und unter Federvorspannung stehende Falle vorgesehen ist, und
• dass im Türschlossgehäuse eine mit der Falle zusammenwirkende Sperrklinke vorhanden und mit dem verschwenkbaren Push-Hebel derart gekoppelt ist, dass beim Schließen des undurchsichtigen Flügels ein mechanisches Schließelement automatisch in die Sperrfunktion und durch die zum Öffnen des undurchsichtigen Flügels und zum Verlassen des Raumes erforderliche Push-Bewegung des verschwenkbaren Hebels zwangsläufig eine Aufhebung der Sperrung bewirkt.

It is essential for the invention that the operating elements are designed as preferably vertically running push elements,

• that at least the push element assigned to the opaque wing is designed as a push lever that can be pivoted to a limited extent about a vertical axis and is mounted in a door lock housing on the wing,
• that an axially displaceable and spring-loaded latch is provided in the door frame, and
• that in the door lock housing there is a pawl that interacts with the latch and is coupled to the pivotable push lever in such a way that when the opaque wing is closed, a mechanical locking element automatically switches to the locking function and through the push required to open the opaque wing and leave the room Movement of the pivotable lever inevitably causes a lifting of the lock.

In addition to the advantages of avoiding constant changes of direction when entering and leaving the respective room resulting from the use of an angled door, the use of control elements in the form of vertically running push elements provides a vertical latch which, depending on the selected length, can be the shoulder, hip or foot can be operated comfortably and easily, thus making it possible to avoid any hand contact. The same applies to activation by a rollator or the footrest of a rollator if an accessible cabin is provided. It is also of particular advantage that after the door has been closed, the locking element is automatically locked and the cabin door is closed, and releasing the lock again only requires a simple push actuation of the vertical latch, which is necessary in any case to leave the cabin.

Further special features and advantages of this solution are explained in connection with the description of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Doppel-Sanitärkabine mit Pendeltüren,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung der Funktionsweise der Kabine nach Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Detaildarstellung des funktionsspaltseitigen Teils der Kabine nach Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

eine Detaildarstellung des Gelenkspaltbereichs einer erfindungsgemäßen Pendeltüre mit kontaktfreier Spaltabdeckung im geschlossenen Zustand,

Fig. 5

die Anordnung nach Fig. 4 im teilweise aufgeschwenkten Zustand der Pendeltüre,

Fig. 6

eine schematische Darstellung einer Doppel-Sanitärkabine mit Winkeltüren mit vertikalen Klinken,

Fig. 7

eine schematische Teil-Vorderansicht einer Doppel-Sanitärkabine nach Figur 6 mit sich in vertikaler Richtung erstreckenden Klinken, wobei verdeutlicht ist, dass die Klinkenhöhe je nach Bedarf frei wählbar ist,

Fig. 8

eine schematische Detaildarstellung einer Ausführungsform der bei Winkeltüren verwendeten Verriegelungsmechanik, wobei der verriegelte Zustand gezeigt ist, und

Fig. 9

eine der Darstellung der Fig. 8 entsprechende Darstellung der Verriegelungsmechanik, jedoch im entriegelten Zustand.

In the drawing shows:

1

a schematic representation of a double sanitary cubicle according to the invention with swing doors,

2

a schematic representation to explain the functioning of the cabin 1 ,

3

a detailed view of the part of the cabin on the functional gap side 2 ,

4

a detailed view of the joint gap area of a swing door according to the invention with a contact-free gap cover in the closed state,

figure 5

according to the arrangement 4 when the swing door is partially open,

6

a schematic representation of a double sanitary cubicle with angled doors with vertical latches,

7

a schematic partial front view of a double sanitary cubicle figure 6 with latches extending in the vertical direction, whereby it is made clear that the latch height can be freely selected as required,

8

a schematic detailed representation of an embodiment of the locking mechanism used in angled doors, the locked state being shown, and

9

one of the depiction of 8 Corresponding representation of the locking mechanism, but in the unlocked state.

1 shows two toilet cubicles 11 arranged in mirror image, which are provided with swing doors 12 designed and arranged according to the invention.

The swing doors 12 are attached to frame parts 16 on the articulated side by means of conventional swing door fittings 15 . In the closed state of the swing door provided with a locking unit 14, the free vertical narrow side of the respective door lies opposite the associated frame part 17 and together with this forms a functional gap.

The longitudinal axis of the cabin running in the direction of the depth of the cabin is identified by 13 .

Due to the construction, there are gaps between the respective swinging door 12 and the frame parts 16, 17 assigned to it, which would normally allow an insight into the cabin. According to the invention, however, such a view is achieved on the joint side by a suitable cover 22 and on the functional gap side by an inclined arrangement of the swing door 12 relative to the longitudinal axis 13 of the cabin, which is yet to be explained in detail. This aspect, which is essential for the invention, is illustrated by the schematic illustration 2 explained.

In this 2 the two cabins 11 with the associated swing doors 12 can again be seen. The longitudinal axis of the cabin is denoted by 13 .

In the closed state, the swing door plane does not run perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 13 of the cabin, contrary to the usual installation, but at an acute angle, which is preferably in the range of ≧15 degrees.

In order to achieve this, the frame parts 16, 17 adjoining or interacting with the swinging door 12 are arranged obliquely, ie running at the angle mentioned to the longitudinal axis of the cabin, resulting in a sloping front for each cabin.

In order to achieve the required opacity, which is not normally present when using a swing door, it must be ensured that neither the articulated gap 18 nor the functional gap 19 allows a view of the interior of the cabin.

This can be achieved on the side of the joint gap by means of specially designed, flexible or articulated covers 22 which extend over the height of the respective joint gap 18 . A continuous hinge band serving as a cover 22 can at the same time be designed in such a way that it limits the movement of the swinging door in both opening directions and thus prevents the swinging hinges from being swung over.

The inventive inclination of each swing door 12 relative to the longitudinal axis 13 of the cabin means that a function gap, for example about 3 mm wide, is formed between the swing door 12 and the associated frame part 13 . This functional gap leads to the formation of a line of sight 21 which is directed towards the adjacent side wall 20, ie at most a short part of the front cabin wall 20 is visible, whereas it is not possible to see into the depths of the cabin when the door is closed. In the same way, the view from the inside to the outside, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis 13 of the cabin, is also blocked by the inclined position or 15-degree position of the swing door 12 when closed, which promotes the emotional security of the user.

This function can be optimized by increasing the 15-degree angle and increasing the wall thickness of the door leaf and door frame, or by partially reinforcing only the functional gap.

The required opacity of the cabin is thus guaranteed without any impairment of the function of the swing door 12.

The partial perspective view 3 once again illustrates the principle according to the invention of realizing the opaqueness of the cabin on the functional gap side without the use of any additional components that impair the functionality of the swing door 12.

The inclined position of the swing door according to the invention when it is closed relative to the longitudinal axis of the cabin and the course of the line of sight 21 achieved as a result guarantee the required opaqueness without any impairment of the free mobility of the swing door 12.

The locking unit 14 provided between the swinging door 2 and the frame part 17 can be designed as a simple slide bolt which can be actuated easily with the back of the hand or the fist or the forearm without making contact with the palm of the hand.

The information as to whether the car is "occupied" or "free" is - as usual - signaled with a display field in the locking unit in red or green, clearly visible to every waiting user.

The emergency opening is in the red field through a vertical "penny slot". This means that the bolt can be pushed back from the outside in an emergency and the swing door is free.

In the case of mirror-inverted toilet cubicles, the pivoting angles of the swinging doors 12 of adjacent cubicles are limited either by a hinge or by fixed stops such that the doors always remain at a distance when both cubicles are vacated at the same time.

The sloping or 15-degree position of the swing doors reduces the maximum open door position in front of the cabin front by around 30%. In practice it is This aspect is even more advantageous because the swing door does not have to be opened all the way to exit the cabin.

The door designed according to the invention can optionally consist partially of frosted glass. Frosted glass elements are not transparent, but allow the user to be seen from the outside in the vicinity of the door when they are about to unlock the door and leave the cabin. This represents a further advantage for systems with high frequency.

While the required opaqueness on the functional side is ensured by the formation of a special line of sight, additional elements must be used to create an opacity on the joint side.

It has already been mentioned that this special profile cover strips can be used, but a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is in the figures 4 and 5 shown. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the swing door is attached to the associated frame part by means of swing fittings 15 with pivot points lying outside the plane of the door, and the joint gap 18 is designed to be opaque through the use of V-shaped profile parts 23, 24 that dip into one another without touching, which are attached to the front of the door 12 and are attached to the frame part 16.

As the figures 4 and 5 As can be seen, the movement of the swinging door 12 is in no way influenced or impaired by this type of opaque closure of the joint gap, because the convex projection 23 and the concave recess 24 never come into contact with the two pivoting directions of the door 12, but ensure in the closed Position of the swing door 12 always the required opacity. This solution is particularly - but by no means exclusively - suitable for swing doors with larger hinges and external pivot points, as shown in the illustration. So is the opacity too with a relatively wide hinge gap, for example 10 mm, can be achieved easily and without stress or wear.

On a cabin, such as that in 1 shown, a flat light module can also be placed on the cabins in such a way that the doors are illuminated on the outside and the cabin on the inside. This module can be used to integrate the swing door stops outwards into this element and thus connect them to the cabin structure. Movement-limiting stops for the swing doors are preferably provided on the wall side in the interior of the cabin and can also be designed as a hanging element for items of clothing. The necessary external stops can also be provided on the front of the car and are indispensable in the case of two adjacent swing doors, since they must prevent the adjacent swing doors from colliding when they are opened at the same time.

6 shows in a schematic representation the basic principle of a toilet facility comprising two sanitary rooms and equipped with angled doors, with both rooms being shown in the free, ie unused state.

These angle doors 10 each consist of an opaque wing 8 (privacy wing) and a transparent wing 9 (transparency wing). On their insides, i. H. The sides of the angled door 10 facing one another are provided with actuating elements in the form of push elements, which will be explained in detail in connection with the associated locks.

The basic advantages of such a sanitary system are in the European patent 3 763 898 shown and described by the applicant.

While retaining all the advantages of this angled door solution, the present invention makes it possible to increase the value and operability of the respective system optimize and to implement an automatic locking system that is automatically unlocked or opened by a simple push movement when leaving the sanitary room.

7 shows a schematic partial representation of the use of vertical latches according to the invention, which can extend like a rod in different dimensions up to the entire height of the car door. This vertical latch 1, 1', whose height, as mentioned, can be freely selected depending on the existing requirements, represents the logical solution for an operating option without hand contact.

While the opaque wing 8 according to the invention has a special locking mechanism, the clear wing 9 does not require a locking mechanism. This leaf only has to be fixed in the closed position with a standard door lock. The latch is in the door lock as usual and engages in the striker plate on the frame.

In addition, in practice, the lock associated with the transparent wing has an emergency operating lever on the inside of the door, which can be designed as a simple, fold-out handle. This is used to allow the door to be closed and reopened from the inside when cleaning the inside of the transparent leaf. This also rules out the possibility that a person could be unintentionally locked behind the glass door.

Entering the cabin closed by the transparency wing 9 requires the user to actively move the transparency wing, who can then enter the cabin directly, in the course of which entering the room the opaque wing or privacy wing 8 opens the cabin behind the user closes and the lock of the privacy wing engages automatically. After closing the door, the closing element is thus automatically locked and the cabin door is locked, ie an additional lock is not required or omitted.

Since there is no operating element for the lock on the outside of the opaque wing, this wing cannot be opened from the outside either.

To leave the sanitary room, only a slight push movement of the vertical latch 1, 1' on the privacy wing 8 is required, which opens the lock and the room can be left without stopping. The trailing transparency wing 9 then inevitably closes and then reveals the aesthetics of the cabin again, which ensures the desired social control.

The figures 8 and 9 show an example for the realization of the described functions.

According to the invention, it is of decisive importance that for the privacy wing 8 , in contrast to conventional technology, the latch or spring-loaded catch 6 is arranged in the door frame 7 and the mechanical locking element 2 is fastened to the impermeable wing 8 . Accordingly, there is a reciprocal design or mirrored arrangement of the elements, as they are otherwise provided in the conventional locking architecture.

This is a result of the fact that with the angled door with two leaves, only one direction of movement of the door leaves is necessary when entering and exiting the cabin and therefore the closing element only has to open and close for one closing direction.

The lock associated with the transparent wing 9 is of conventional design and accordingly the strike plate in the door frame has a cut-out for the case of this lock associated with the transparent wing 9, while in the area below the frame-side latch of the impermeable wing 8 associated lock is provided. For this latch, a recess is provided as a free space on the lock of the transparent wing so that the latch on the frame side does not interfere with the closing of the transparency wing 9.

As the 8 shows, the mechanical locking element 2 is designed in such a way that when the transparent wing moves due to a short push movement to enter the cabin and due to this movement the impermeable wing 8 comes to the closed position, the lock automatically engages because the pivoting locking element 4 is always in the closed position without operating the vertical latch. It is therefore not necessary to operate an additional locking unit.

To leave the cabin, again, only a push operation of the pawl 1 is required, which - as in 9 shown - the pivotable locking element 4 releases the catch so that the angled door moves in the exit direction and the cabin can be exited without stopping, the transparent wing in turn closing forcibly and allowing a clear view into the cabin.

According to one embodiment, to facilitate door movement for the respective user, a supporting locking mechanism can be provided for both directions of movement, which can also ensure a safe end position of both wings.

The convenience of use achieved by the invention and the high standard of hygiene achieved represent outstanding advantages compared to known systems, which are of great importance above all - but not only - in times of pandemics.

reference list

1, 1'

push control

2

mechanical locking element

3

door lock housing

4

pivoting locking element

5

locking plate

6

trap or catch

7

door frame

8th

impermeable wing (privacy wing)

9

transparent wing

10

angle door

11

Sanitary room, cabin

12

swing door

13

cabin longitudinal axis

14

locking

15

pendulum fitting

16

articulated frame part

17

functional gap-side frame part

18

joint space

19

functional gap

20

Side or cabin inner wall

21

line of sight

22

joint-side cover

23

convex profile part

24

concave profile part

Claims (10)

Hygiene-optimized door system for sanitary rooms and sanitary cabins, in particular for semi-public and public toilet facilities, with a pivoting door (10,12) closing the sanitary room (10), which can be locked by a push process in the direction of entry, first into an open position and then automatically into a lockable position without manual contact Occupied position and transferred by a solely taking place in the direction of exit push process in an open position and from this inevitably transferred back into the closed position. Hygiene-optimized door system according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the pivoting door is designed as a swinging door (12) and is installed at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis (13) of the cabin in such a way that the functional gap (19) opposite the opaque joint gap (18) is directed towards the adjacent inner wall (20) of the cabin and a viewing axis (21) preventing a view into the interior of the cabin is defined. Hygiene-optimized door system according to claim 2,
characterized,
that the installation angle of the swinging door (12) forming a sloping front of the cabin is selected in the range of preferably about 15 degrees. Hygiene-optimized door system after 2,
characterized,
that for locking and unlocking the cabin on the swing door (2) a large-area, hand contact-free bolt to be operated, in particular a sliding bolt (14), with externally visible position signaling is provided. Hygiene-optimized door system according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that on the hinge side there is a hinge (22) between the door and the frame, which on the one hand optically closes the hinge gap (18) and on the other hand limits the pendulum movement of the door (12) in both directions. Hygiene-optimized door system after 2,
characterized,
that hinges with pivot points lying outside the plane of the door are used as swinging door fittings, and that the joint gap (18) is designed to be opaque by means of V-shaped profile parts (23, 24) that dip into one another without touching and that are attached to the face of the door (12) and to the frame part ( 16) are attached. Hygiene-optimized door system according to claim 1, in which the pivoting door is designed as a two-wing angled door (10) with a wing (9) made of a material that is preferably transparent over the entire surface and a wing (8) made of opaque material, wherein the transparent wing closes the sanitary room (11) climatically when it is not in use or free, and the opaque wing is brought into the closed position corresponding to the occupied state by pivoting the transparent wing when entering the sanitary room, and operating elements (1, 1') for moving the angled door are provided on the facing inner surfaces of both wings (8, 9), characterized, that the operating elements (1, 1') are designed as preferably vertically running push elements, that at least the push element (1) assigned to the opaque wing (8) is designed as a push lever that can be pivoted to a limited extent about a vertical axis and is mounted in a door lock housing (3) on the wing, that in the door frame (7) an axially displaceable and spring-loaded latch (6) is provided, that in the door lock housing (3) there is a pawl (4) which interacts with the latch (6) and is coupled to the pivotable push lever (1) in such a way that that when the opaque wing (8) is closed, the locking element (4) that automatically locks a mechanical closing element (2) by the push movement of the pivotable lever (1) required to open the opaque wing (8) and leave the room is automatically canceled the blocking causes. Door system according to claim 7,
characterized,
that the locking element (4) is pivotably mounted in the mechanical locking element (2) and is biased into the locked position. Door system according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the vertically running push levers (1,1') are designed in the form of rods or bars and are dimensioned in their variants in such a way that actuation by means of a fist, arm, shoulder, hip, knee or foot is possible. Door system according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the angled door (10) is coupled to a locking mechanism effective in both directions of movement, in particular to door closers.

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