Sounds like ground for carpenal tunnel syndrome! Defiantly broken if it's hard to use comfortably.

PS first post I think

Posted by: Uzumaki at April 17, 2007 01:43 AM

You're exhausted (or drunk, I suppose) at 2am, desperate for rest, and you see THIS monstrosity...hmm. I think you're sleeping in the hallway. Unequivocally broken. They're fine on bottles of medicine, but we don't need childproof seals on our hotel rooms. How long have knobs and levers been around? ...no need to reinvent them.

Posted by: =David at April 17, 2007 02:05 AM

I agree with =David. That's just plain stupid. Oh, and this wouldn't cause carpal tunnel. Carpal Tunnel is caused by repetitive motion. Worst that will happen from this is a sore wrist, if that.

Posted by: Haggai at April 17, 2007 08:39 AM

That's odd. I've seen doorhandles just like those before, and you only push on them (or on the other side, pull). They're designed for disabled people, one step in usability above the usual lever -- the doorknob equivalent of a pushbar, and even better on the other side. They work roughly like the exit handles in ATM foyers.

The primary advantage of them is that there's no off-axis effort needed: if you can push or pull on a fixed handle to open a door, you can open a door with that latch.

The moving part is the blue part, and the grey part is fixed to the door. You can see on the enlarged photo that there's no place for it to turn (other than the keyhole, of course, but that's a separate action to unlock the door).

That said, the only places I've ever seen them were in Paris and in a parking garage here in Ottawa, but you have to bite the unfamiliarity bullet somehow.

Posted by: rich at April 17, 2007 09:02 AM

Wow. This is the most broken thing I've seen in MONTHS!!!

Posted by: Maxaxle at April 19, 2007 11:56 PM