WO2005052895A1

WO2005052895A1 - Manual room indicator order

Info

Publication number: WO2005052895A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/006425
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mohamed Atta
Original assignee: Mohamed Atta
Priority date: 2003-11-21
Filing date: 2003-11-21
Publication date: 2005-06-09
Also published as: AU2003296854A1

Abstract

The invention described herein relates to a manual device for indicating the status of a hotel room, hotel apartment or the like, such as for indicating certain requirements of a hotel guest to hotel staff or others, and more particularly to a manual device which replaces the conventional 'Do not disturb' and 'Please make up the room' or 'Housekeeping' paper signs in hotel guests rooms.

Description

Manual Room Indicator Order

The invention described herein relates to a manual device for indicating the status of a hotel room, hotel apartment or the like, such as for indicating certain requirements of a hotel guest to hotel staff or others, and more particularly to a manual device which replaces the conventional "Do not disturb" and "Please make up the room" or "Housekeeping" paper signs in hotel guests rooms.

People who stay in hotels and motels are familiar with what are commonly known as "Do not disturb" signs. Such signs are typically small rectangular papers or plastic signs which may be hung on the outside handle or doorknob of the door of a hotel guest room to indicate that the guest staying in that room desires privacy. Typically one face of such a sign will be the words "Do not disturb", or something to that effect, and may be a symbol representing this disposition. Similar signs or the opposite face of the same sign might be called "Maid service" or "Housekeeping" signs which, when placed on the outside of the hotel room door, indicate to the housekeeping staff of the hotel that the guest desires the room to be "made up". Such a sign is often hung out by the guest upon leaving the room for an extended period of time so that the room might be made up before he or she returns to the room.

While such signs have been used in hotels for decades, they have certain disadvantages which the invention described herein overcomes. One such disadvantage is that such signs may be lost or misplaced, so that the guest may not be able to hang it outside of the door when desired. Such signs also may become damaged and thus require periodic replacement at considerable expense and are baneful to the environment when replaced every two months. Such signs also require that the hotel door has to be opened to hang the signs outside the door. It may in fact be inconvenient for the guest, or otherwise undesired by the guest to open the hotel room door to hang the sign outside especially when the guest is seeking privacy or is not correctly dressed to open the door. Furthermore, the hotel guest has to hang the sign carefully so that the desired side of the sign is visible from outside. A further disadvantage of the current "Do not disturb" signs is that they are subject to being interfered with by vandals or jokesters. A sign displaying "Do not disturb" can be changed to "Make service please", or completely removed by a stranger as a joke or act of vandalism, without the knowledge of the occupant of the room, with the result that the hotel guest will likely be disturbed.

The present invention provides a mechanical device which can be mounted at a hotel room door for indicating the status of a hotel room to hotel staff or others. The device comprises a selecting means allowing a hotel guest to select a message or order to be conveyed to a recipient. The selecting means is accessible to the hotel guest within the interior of a hotel room, whereas the message or order is viewable from inside and outside of the door. The device of the invention can be retrofitted with existing doors in order to upgrade existing doors.

The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts have the same reference signs, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a list of possible orders by words and/or symbols,

Fig. 3 is an outside view of a hotel room door with a mounted device according to the present invention,

Fig. 4 is an outside door cover with a window,

Fig. 5 is an internal slide of the outside door cover for ordering by words and/or/symbols,

Fig. 6 is the inside door cover with a window, Fig. 7 is the internal slide of the inside door cover for ordering by words and/or symbols, and

Fig. 8 is a main pillar tube or rod which holds all parts, turns the order, and may include an eye zoom or spy-hole.

The device according to the present invention preferably comprises at least five pieces which are shown in the attached drawings Fig. 4 to Fig. 8, to assign the order which is needed or desired.

The selecting means comprises at least two rotatable internal slides 1 with different orders 3 printed on different portions of these internal slides 1. One internal slide is mounted at the outside and the other one at the inside of the door 5. Above the internal slide an outside door cover 2 is attached, which comprises a window 6 so that only one of the different portions of the inside slide 1 with the orders 3 printed on it by words and/or symbols is viewable. The two internal slides 1 mounted inside and outside the door 5 are substantially similar and the inside and outside door covers 2, which are substantially similar, cover both internal slides 1. The two internal siides 1 are mechanically connected to each other through the door by a main pillar tube 4, which is adapted to the following tasks.

The main pillar tube 4 holds all parts, i.e. the internal slides 1 of the outside and inside door sides, and the inside and outside door covers 2. Furthermore, the main pillar tube 4 is rotatable so that by turning the pillar tube 4 or the inside slide 1 at the inside of the door 5, the inside slide 1 at the outside door will also turn. Furthermore, the main pillar tube 4 may be hollow and may include an eye zoom or a spy-hole, which allows the hotel guest to look outside without opening the door.

If the hotel guest wants to change the status of the room or wants to order something he just turns the main pillar tube 4 from inside by rotating and therefore rotates the internal slides 1 inside and outside of the door simultaneously. The same order is viewable from inside and outside. There are several advantages of the present invention, as there is no need for the hotel guest to open the door since the guest is able to change the signs from inside of the room. There is no need to hang the sign carefully at the right side and there is no sign which can fall down on the ground. With the present invention the waitress or the room maid or the staff member of the hotel will always see the right order demand. Since the change of the order is only accessible from inside, no one can joke and change the order from outside. Moreover, the hotel guest can see the order required easily without opening the door to prevent forgetting the order required.

There are also several advantages for a hotel since the device has a long-life time of at least 10 years, i.e. the hotel will save money as there is no need to renew the device every two months, since the device may not be destroyed or lost. Furthermore, the device according to the present invention is not baneful to the environment and will not cause problems to the guest. The device may be subsequently mounted on existing hotel doors.

List of reference signs:

1 Internal slide of the door for orders by words and/or symbol 2 Door cover or Metal circle 3 Different orders by words and/or symbols 4 Main pillar tube with or without eye zoom or spy-hole 5 Room door 6 Window

Claims

1. A manual room indicator device, particularly for hotels, which includes different orders in words and/or symbols.

2. The room indicator device according to claim 1 , comprising at least two inside slides with orders printed in words or symbols, wherein one inside slide is inside of the door and the other inside slide is outside of the door.

3. The room indicator device according to claim 2, wherein each inside slide is covered by a door cover having a window, wherein only one order of each inside slide is viewable through the window of said cover.

4. The room indicator device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the two inside slides are connected with a pillar tube.

5. The room indicator device according to claim 4, wherein the pillar tube accesses and holds the slides.

6. The room indicator device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the pillar tube and the inside slides are rotatable simultaneously.

7. The room indicator device according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the pillar tube includes an eye zoom or spy-hole.