Probably the biggest challenge faced by humanity, is working out how to get through closed doors while carrying two cups of coffee and gripping a bag of tasty snacks in ones teeth.
The two principle types of door handle both offer resistance. First, the round knob-type handle requires that it be firmly gripped and rotational torque applied. Then, while this torque is maintained, the door itself must be moved, usually around an axis perpendicular to the original handle torque when the system is viewed in garden-variety 3D space.
The second system, the lever-type door handle offers a little more hope. Rotation of the door mechanism is afforded mechanical advantage by the addition of a lever. With this system, it's sometimes possible to employ a spare appendage to hook the lever and heroically open the door enough to wedge a foot in. However, often this hope is false, and the door is much trickier. Then, you end up with hot coffee all down your arm. Worse, you may encounter humanity's other great menace: unsightly staining.
Basically, the whole door opening operation is a mess.
I propose a modified lever-type door handle. The mechanism is rotated by an attached lever. However, this is not pressed directly. Instead it attaches via a joint to a second lever. This lever has a tab, attached to an anchored jointed rod. The net result of this is a kind of parallelogram system that allows for the human-interfacing section of the mechanism to remain parallel with the floor, completely removing the rotational component which is the component that tips the coffee all over the place.
The system will be wonderfully over-engineered, available i n two construction types: Brass and mahogany with lignum vitae bearings (or possibly jewel bearings for high stress applications) Or machined titanium with tungsten carbide bits. Those two should cover every possible dwelling type.-- bs0u0155, May 12 2014 Two cups of coffee... difficult to get through doors Two_20Cups_20Of_20Coffee [bs0u0155, May 12 2014] I'm opposed to anything that makes it easier for cats to take over the world, which includes the lever arm door latches, let alone this.-- MechE, May 12 2014 I consider all such door unsafe. We need to revise the building code so that all doors must swing in both direction and be equipped with crash bars on both sides. That way no matter which direction you are traveling with your arm-load of stuff, you can simply put your backside to the door and push it open.
Note that it is often difficult to make good weatherstripping on a door that swings both ways, so the building code should be further revised to require a fancy door sealing method whose requirements are only met by one existing patented system made by a company that I own.-- scad mientist, May 12 2014 //opposed to anything that makes it easier for cats to take over the world,//
How about a simple door-mounted cup holder? So you could rest one cup of coffee on it, open the door and collect the coffee once you're over the worst of the whole opening procedure? perhaps even a small vestibule in the door with a sort of rotating system to allow for access... no, that would be a nightmare if it were closed and you had two cups of coffee..-- bs0u0155, May 12 2014 If you're carrying coffee, why not just start out in the room you intend to be in?-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 12 2014 I'd have to either a: take my desk to the kitchen, b: run a water supply into my office or c: get my personal staff to bring it. Personal staff are difficult to get on the wages I'm willing to pay...-- bs0u0155, May 12 2014 Emergency exit style doors with the push-bar would seem to solve this.
Would these be two cups of the same coffee, or...?-- RayfordSteele, May 13 2014 You could have the entire wall mounted on rollers so you stand still holding your coffee whilst the door and frame passes around you.-- pocmloc, May 14 2014 O.K., but well, they have these doors that slide aside when they see you with motion sensors in airports and some department stores and the like... Just make those cheap and perhaps pickier (like paying attention to RFID badges or your cellphone or keys or something.)-- terryo, May 14 2014 //Personal staff are difficult to get on the wages I'm willing to pay...//
You see, that's where you're making your mistake. By paying personal staff, you start down a slippery slope of rising expectations.-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 14 2014 //how to get through closed doors while carrying two cups of coffee and gripping a bag of tasty snacks in ones teeth.
Surely the door with hinges along the top..optional hard-hat with rollers on the top-- not_morrison_rm, May 15 2014 random, halfbakery