A handle

Abstract

A handle 100 has an inner member 120 and a helical structure both extending along a longitudinal axis; and a strip of light emitting elements 130 mountable onto the inner member and arranged to illumi

Description

Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a handle. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a handle which is self-sterilising. Background Handles, in particular door handles, are utilised in public spaces including hospitals. The use of the door handles by many people can lead to the spread of infection, bacteria and diseases through cross contamination, as these handles are not sterilised between each use. Numerous solutions have been proposed for reducing the spread of infection through the touching of handles. One solution has been to use automatic doors in public spaces; however these are expensive to implement in all communal areas and are difficult to maintain. Further they are not suitable for all communal areas due to their size. Other solutions include utilising a handle with moving parts that distribute an antimicrobial agent, such as an alcoholic gel, across the surface of the handle. However, these mechanical systems are prone to failure and can provide a hazard for the users. Additionally, the moving parts may cause delays for users due to waiting for the sterilisation to be complete. Antimicrobial agent or alcohol gel secretion systems for handles are inconvenient and the transfer of chemical agents to the users’ hands when touching the handle can induce skin conditions. Previously ultra-violet (UV) light has been used to sterilize handles. However, solutions in this area so far only use reflection of UV light to sterilize the handles. This technique reduces the intensity of the light and therefore the efficiency of sterilization is reduced. This technique provides further risks to the public as reflected UV light is more likely to deflect into the eyes of the users, particularly with extended light path distance between light source and target illumination area. It is an object of the disclosure to address one or more of the above mentioned limitations. Summary According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a handle comprising an inner member extending along a longitudinal axis; a helical structure extending along the longitudinal axis; a strip of light emitting elements, the strip being mountable onto the inner member; and wherein the light emitting elements are arranged to illuminate the helical structure. Optionally, the helical structure is formed of one or more outer portions, each outer portion being attachable onto the inner member to form the helical structure; wherein each outer portion forms a tapered wall of the helical structure. Optionally, the inner member forms a thread extending along the longitudinal axis. Optionally, the thread is a helical thread. Optionally, the strip of light emitting elements is mounted onto the thread. Optionally, each outer portion has a recess adapted to engage with the thread. Optionally, the light emitting elements are distributed along a length of the strip. Optionally, each outer portion is made of a conical curved section with an outward facing surface, a first width-end edge, a second width-end edge, a first rising length-edge and a second rising length-end edge such that each rising length-edge are parallel to each other and the first and second widthend edges are displaced longitudinally away from each other. Optionally, the helical structure forms a hooded aperture along the helical thread such that the tapered walls can be illuminated by the light emitting elements via the hooded aperture. Optionally, the hooded aperture forms an angle with the longitudinal axis. Optionally, the strip of light emitting elements comprises a plurality of diodes. For example, the diodes may be side-emitting diodes. Optionally, the light emitting elements and the outer portions are arranged to illuminate the tapered walls by direct illumination. Optionally, the strip of light emitting elements comprises a silicon bead strip. For instance, the light emitting elements may sit flush within the silicon bead strip. Optionally, the light emitting elements are adapted to emit ultra-violet light. Optionally, the outer portions are coated with a photo-active material. Optionally, the photo-active material is anatase. According to a second aspect of the disclosure there is provided a system comprising the handle according to the first aspect. For instance, the system may be a door, a shopping trolley, a wheelchair, or a spin bike, among others. Optionally, the handle is coupled to a frame comprises a first end bracket and a second end bracket. Optionally, the system further comprises onboard electronics. For instance, the onboard electronics may include an infra-red sensor, a microcontroller, and an optocoupler. Description of the drawings The disclosure is described in further detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1A is a front-view diagram of a handle as described in the present disclosure; figure IB is a cross-sectional diagram of the handle in figure 1A; figure IC is a cross-sectional diagram of a section of the handle in figure IB; figure ID is a cross-sectional diagram of a section of the handle in figure IB showing how the handle is illuminated; figure 2A is a first perspective view of an outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 2B is a second perspective view of the outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 2C is a third perspective view of the outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 2D is a side view of the outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 2E is a second side view of the outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 2F is a cross-sectional view of the outer portion of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 3 is a diagram of a light emitting element of the handle in figure IC; figure 4A is a front view of a system comprising the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of the system shown in figure 4A; figure 4C is a perspective view of the system shown in figure 4A; figure 5A is an illustration of the inner member of the handle as described in the present disclosure; figure 5B is an illustration showing how an outer portion of the handle is attached to the inner member as described in the present disclosure; figure 5C is an illustration showing how the strip of light emitting elements of the handle are mounted on the inner member as described in the present disclosure. Description Figure 1A and IB are diagrams showing a front-view and a cross-sectional view of a handle 100 as described in the present disclosure. The handle 100 comprises a plurality of outer portions 110 and an inner member 120 extending along a longitudinal axis. The outer portions 110 are attachable to the inner member 120 and, when attached, form a helical structure extending along the longitudinal axis. Each outer portion 110 forms a tapered wall 140 of the helical structure. The outer portions 110 are attached to the inner portion through a rotating action. For instance, the outer portions may be screwed onto the inner member 120. The inner member 120 has a hollow space at the core of the diode mount through which, for example, a stainless steel coach bolt can be fit. Figure IC is a cross-sectional view of section B in figure IB of the handle 100. The handle 100 also comprises a strip of light emitting elements 130 which is mountable onto the inner member 120. The strip of light emitting elements 130 are arranged such that when the outer portions 110 are assembled onto the inner member 120, each light emitting element of the strip illuminates the tapered walls 140 of the helical structure. The inner member 120 forms a thread that is a helical protruding ridge upon which the strip of light emitting elements 130 are mounted. This thread provides a means for attaching the outer portions 110 to the inner member 120. When the outer portions 110 are attached to the inner member, the tapered walls 140 of two consecutive outer portions form a hooded aperture 150 with a hood underside 160 and a hood length L. The strip of light emitting elements 130 illuminate the tapered walls 140 via the hooded apertures 150. The strip of light emitting elements 130 could be, for example, a strip of light-emitting diodes which emit ultraviolet (UV) light for sterilising the handle. The strip of light emitting elements 130 may be a strip of diodes. The strip may be mounted onto the helical thread of the inner member 120 by means of an adhesive. The thread, also referred to as the diode mount, could be made from, for example, metal or plastic. At each end of the strip of diodes 130 there is a hole to allow for a receptacle pin to mechanically pin the strip to each end of the inner member 120. This prevents the strip of diodes from moving unwantedly. Figure ID is also a cross-sectional view of a section B in figure IB of the handle 100 as seen in figure IC. The direction of illumination from the strip of light emitting elements 130 is shown in figure ID. The primary means of illumination of the tapered walls 140 of the outer portions 110 is direct illumination. The design can also utilize reflected illumination, but only does so to further improve the efficiency of sterilisation of the handle. The angle 0 the hood underside 160 makes with the horizontal line H has been chosen such that the UV light rays from the strip of diodes 130 are not blocked to allow for the direct illumination. The angle of the hood underside 160 restricts outward reflections, concentrating radiation back towards the touch surface 110. The length of the hood L formed by the tapered walls 140 of two consecutive outer portions 110 is preferably relatively short compared with the length of the outer tapered wall. The intensity of UV light from the strip of diodes 130 drops off exponentially with distance. Therefore, keeping the length L short keeps the intensity of the light rays higher, hence improving the efficiency of sterilisation. However, the length of the hood also directly impacts the angle 0 that the hood underside 160 makes with the horizontal H. If L is too short, then the underside will make a 0° angle with the horizontal H. In other words, the hood underside 160 would be horizontal which is undesirable as it will not receive any illumination and not be sterilised. In a preferred embodiment of the handle 100, the angle 0 the hood underside 160 makes with the horizontal H should be greater than 0° but no more than a 45° angle. This range of angles allows for the handle to be comfortable when used whilst also reducing the area each light element on the strip of light emitting elements 130 needs to illuminate. This provides for a high sterilisation performance. The hood angle 0 also has the additional benefits of reducing the line-of-sight of the user to the strip of diodes 130 and providing a level of damage protection for the diodes. This increases the user safety of the handle 100 as well as the durability of the handle. Figures 2A - 2C show three perspective views of an outer portion 110 of the handle 100. Each outer portion has a recess 112 and a curved section 114. The recess 112 is adapted to engage with the thread of the inner member 120. The curved section 114 is a conical outward facing surface. The handle 100 is assembled by rotating each outer portion 110 onto the helical thread of the inner member 120 via recess 112. The curved sections 114 of the outer portion 110 form the outer surface of the handle 100 which requires sterilisation. Figures 2D and 2E show two different side views of an outer portion 110 of the handle 100. Each outer portion has a first width-end 118a and a second width-end 118b as well as a first rising length-end 116a and a second rising length-end 116b. Figure 2F shows a cross-sectional view of an outer portion 110. The cross-sectional view was taken along the line X from viewpoint A in figure 2E. Each rising length-end 118a and 118b remains parallel to each other such that the two width-ends 116a and 116b are displaced or shifted longitudinally from each other. The outer portions 110 can be made from a range of materials. For instance, the outer portions may be made from a metallic material, such as aluminum (Al) or brass. However, plastics or foams can also be used. These non-metallic materials can be steralised through the use of UV light alone, but they can also be covered with a surface wrap or a dopant to improve the efficiency of sterilisation. The example materials provided here is not a limiting list of the materials that could be used. The shape of each outer portion, as shown in figures 2A - 2F, can be manufactured by die casting or injection moulding. These manufacturing methods are cost-efficient and provide a smooth surface finish which reduces the likelihood of microbes and bacteria from being trapped, and the handle getting contaminated. The design of the outer portions 110 and their assembly onto the inner portion 120 allows for the maximum coverage from the strip of light emitting elements 130 without the need for moving parts. This is achieved by tangentially positioning the light emitting elements to the touch surface of the outer portions 110 to ensure maximum efficiency and fast sterilization rates. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a section 300 of the strip of light emitting elements 130. The light emitting element 134 is affixed to the strip 132. The light emitting element 134 could be, for example, a side-emitting diode which emits UV light. The side-emitting diode 134 is attached to the top of the strip 132 and is covered with a silicone bead 136. In a preferred implementation, a narrow strip 132 of helical rotations is used with a large frequency of rotations within the strip. This means that there is less material between each rotation and hence more side-emitting diodes 134 can be fit onto the handle 100. This also means that each side-emitting diode 134 has less area of the touch surface to illuminate. This combination of factors leads to faster sterilization of the handle 100. The use of side-emitting diodes 134 rather than traditional surface mount diodes (SMDs) is advantageous, as traditional SMDs would irradiate light normal to the direction of the strip 132 which would require reflectors or lenses to direct the light. In the section 300 shown in figure 3, the sideemitting diode 134 sits directly adjacent to the curved sections or outer surfaces 114 of the outer portions 110 of the handle 100 which requires sterilization. Therefore, a maximum amount of light illuminates these surfaces for the most efficient use of energy and the fastest sterilization rate. The silicone bead 136 has been additionally furnished onto the strip 132 to protect the diode from dust and moisture as well as to add electrical insulation to the strip. The side-emitting diode 134 is positioned relative to the silicone bead 136 such that the window of the diode 134 sits flush with the silicone bead. In that way the silicone bead 136 does not reduce the intensity of the UV light that is transmitted by the diode. The design of the strip of light-emitting elements 130 may be chosen to allow for the assembled handle 100 to be relatively narrow. This reduces the contact area for a person touching the handle, hence reducing the risk of contamination. Figure 4A is a front-view diagram of a system 400 comprising the handle 100 of the present disclosure. The system further comprises a first end bracket 410, also referred to as the top bracket or cover, and a second end bracket 420. The handle 100 is secured to the first end bracket 410 and the second end bracket 420 via the stainless steel coach bolt that can run through the hollow center of the inner member 120. Figure 4B is a cross-sectional diagram of the system 400 in figure 4A. The cross-section is taken along the line Y from viewpoint B in figure 4A. The same labels have been used for the same components. The system 400 also comprises a supporting beam 430 which is coupled between the first end bracket 410 and the second end bracket 420. Figure 4C is a perspective view of the system 400 comprising the handle 100. The handle 100 continues into the top bracket 410 such that light emits from the top bracket to achieve maximum illumination coverage of the touch surface of the outer portions 110. This allows for the most effective sterilisation of the handle. The top bracket 410, second end bracket 420 and the supporting beam 430 allow for the system 400 to be mounted onto, for example, a door, a shopping trolley, a wheelchair, or a spin bike. The applications for which the system 400 can be used is not limited to these examples. The system 400 can be used as the handle for a communal door. The handle 100 uses UV side-emitting diodes as the main form of sterilisation for the touch surfaces. The system may be hard wired to the door. The electronics needed to power the system 400 are stored in the top bracket 410. For the example of a handle for a communal door, the electronics comprise of a passive infra-red (P1R) sensor, a microcontroller, and an optocoupler. The P1R sensor is located in the front end of the top bracket 410 and is used to detect motion. The system 400, when used as a handle for a communal door operates as follows: the diodes are on and the handle 100 is being sterilised. Once the P1R sensor detects movement within proximity of the system 400, the microcontroller turns the diodes off. After a pre-determined length of time where the PIR sensor has not detected any further movement, the sensor indicates to the microcontroller that contamination of the handle 100 may have occurred and the microcontroller switches the diodes on again to resume sterilisation. The motion detection feature is used to provide an additional safety precaution for users to prevent their eyes and skin from being affected by the UV light. The second end bracket 420 in this example embodiment is a structural element used to provide mechanical strength to the system 400 given the high frequency of use of communal doors. The handle 100 and system 400 of the present disclosure presents several benefits. Firstly, there are no additional requirements imposed on the user such as using hand sanitizer before or after using the handle. Secondly, whilst the UV emitting light elements can sterilise the handle, they can also be used in conjunction with antimicrobial films such as anatase to enhance the decontamination effects. A photo-active anatase-based coating can be used on a handle 100 made of metal to provide an antimicrobial effect when the UV light is switched on. Such a coating may also reduce the outward reflections of the UV light towards the users’ eyes and therefore also enhances the safety of use. Thirdly, the multi-modal design of the outer portions 110 allows for the use of the longer wavelength UV light which is less dangerous for users. Fourthly, no chemical agents are transferred from the handle to the user. Figure 5A is a photograph of the inner member 120 showing the helical thread. A single outer portion 110 is shown attached to the inner member 120. The photograph shows the example embodiment where the inner member 120 and outer portions 110 are formed from the non-metallic materials such as foam. Figure 5B is another photograph of the inner member 120. An outer portion 110 is already attached, with a second outer portion 110 being mounted onto the inner member. The arrows indicate the direction of rotation to attach the second outer portion 110 to the inner member 120. Figure 5C shows the inner member 120 with the strip of light emitting diodes 130 mounted to the helical thread of the inner member. The figure also shows a plurality of outer portions 110, arranged as if they are attached to the inner member 120. It will be appreciated that the handle 100 of the present disclosure does not require any struts or windows to support the hooded design of the helical structure. This allows for UV coverage of the touch surface without shadows and avoiding loss in UV transmission strength. This is partly attributed to helical inner member 120 providing access for the light emitting strip 130 to the light emitting strip cavity section of recess 112 from inside of handle 100, alleviating the requirement for any additional retainer system on the external optical aperture 150 in order to prevent the light strip 130 dropping through aperture 150. It will be appreciated that in yet another embodiment the helical structure may be formed integrally as a single complete helix. This single outer portion can also be manufactured through a die cast or by injection moulding. A skilled person will therefore appreciate that variations of the disclosed arrangements are possible without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the above description of the specific embodiments is made by way of example only and not for the purposes of limitation. It will be clear to the skilled person that minor modifications may be made without significant changes to the operation described.

Claims

1. A handle comprisingan inner member extending along a longitudinal axis;a helical structure extending along the longitudinal axis;a strip of light emitting elements, the strip being mountable onto the inner member; andwherein the light emitting elements are arranged to illuminate the helical structure.

2. The handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the helical structure is formed of one or more outer portions, each portion being attachable onto the inner member to form the helical structure; wherein each outer portion forms a tapered wall of the helical structure.

3. The handle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner member forms a thread extending along the longitudinal axis.

4. The handle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thread is a helical thread.

5. The handle as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the strip of light emitting elements is mounted onto the thread.

6. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein each outer portion has a recess adapted to engage with the thread.

7. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein thelight emitting elements are distributed along a length of the strip.

8. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein each outer portion is made of a conical curved section with an outward facing surface, a first width-end edge, a second width-end edge, a first rising length-edge and a second rising length-end edge such that each rising length-edge are parallel to each other and the first and second width-end edges are displaced longitudinally away from each other.

9. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the helical structure forms a hooded aperture along the helical thread such that the tapered walls can be illuminated by the light emitting elements via the hooded aperture.

10. The handle as claimed in claim 9 wherein the hooded aperture forms an angle with the longitudinal axis.

11. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the strip of light emitting elements comprises a plurality of diodes.

12. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the light emitting elements and the outer portions are arranged to illuminate the tapered walls by direct illumination.

13. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the strip of light emitting elements comprises a silicon bead strip.

14. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the light emitting elements are adapted to emit ultra-violet light.

15. The handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer portions are coated with a photo-active material.

16. The handle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the photo-active material is anatase.

17. A system comprising the handle as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the handle is coupled to a frame comprises a first end bracket and a second end bracket.

19. The system as claimed in claim 17 or 18, further comprising onboard electronics.

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