Telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser

A combination telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser for dispensing individual telephone disinfecting towelettes. The combination includes a plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes each being treated with a disinfectant and in a layered interlocking position with an adjacent one of the plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes. The plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes are positioned within the dispenser. The dispenser includes a cylindrical shell including a sealed bottom side and a top side including a recess therein and a device for releasably sealing the recess. The dispenser further includes a device for dividing the dispenser into first and second sections, hermetically sealing the plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes within the second section whereby a top one of the plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes extends through the dividing device and into the first section where it may be removed from the dispenser through the recess.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to disinfecting devices and, more 
specifically, to a telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser for 
readily providing individual telephone disinfecting towelettes for use in 
disinfecting a telephone, the dispenser retaining unused towelettes 
therein. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Numerous devices for disinfecting objects such as telephones have been 
provided in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,775,801; 
4,837,079; 5,213,884; 5,320,772 and 5,547,601 all are illustrative of such 
prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to 
which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the 
present invention as heretofore described. 
A dispenser for a moist flexible sheet material for medical and similar 
purposes comprising a normally closed container into which the material is 
either inserted in a moist condition, preferably in the form of a roll, or 
into which a treating liquid is poured so as to moisten the sheet material 
while being unwound from a dry roll when it is withdrawn through a narrow 
slot in the container wall and a sheet of the desired length is then torn 
or cut off by a cutting edge or a a cutting blade. 
An antimicrobially active, non-woven web, a wet wiper containing the web, 
and a method of making the web. The method includes the steps of forming 
an unbounded fibrous web; applying throughout the unbonded fibrous web an 
uncured binder and polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride as an 
antimicrobial agent, the antimicrobial active agent being substantively to 
the fibers of the web and to the binder; and curing the binder material to 
bind the fibers together to form an antimicrobially active, non-woven web. 
The present invention relates to a tissue suitable for use in the 
disinfection of hard surfaces, instruments and human or animal skin or as 
a sheet inclusion in a washing process for the purpose of disinfection or 
bleaching. The tissue comprises first and second substrate layers which 
are bonded together with an adhesive polymer. This polymer also retains 
solid particles between the layers, which particles, when dampened with a 
suitable liquid become active and release chlorine. Preferably, the 
adhesive polymer comprises either a copolyester, copolyamide or 
polyethylene hot melt adhesive powder or an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) 
or modified EVA hot melt adhesive powder with a particle size between 0 
and 750 microns inclusive. Preferably also, the chlorine release agent 
comprises sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate which is mixed with the 
adhesive polymer and applied between the substrate layers in coating 
weights between 2 and 35 grams per square meter inclusive to yield active 
solutions of between 10 and 10,000 parts per million available chlorine 
when the tissue is dampened with water. 
A cleaning composition for cleaning the surfaces of edible fresh fruits and 
vegetables. The composition comprises water and a preservative, and 
preferably also a co-solvent with a dielectric constant less than that of 
water, a surfactant, a flavorant, and a buffering agent to maintain the 
composition's pH within the range of 2 to 9. The invention further 
comprises a fibrous wiper impregnated with the cleaning composition for 
wiping the fresh produce, and a dispenser for storing the impregnated 
fibrous wiper. 
A presaturated wipe for cleaning the surface of a surface mount technology 
board, towels or wipes are saturated with a combination of 95 weight 
percent glycol ethers and less than 5 weight percent alcohol, the boards 
are cleaned with the presaturated wipe and do not require a rinse. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to disinfecting devices and, more 
specifically, to a telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser for 
readily providing individual telephone disinfecting towelettes for use in 
disinfecting a telephone, the dispenser retaining unused towelettes 
therein. 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser that will overcome the shortcomings 
of prior art devices. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser which is able to disinfect a 
telephone, eliminating germs deposited by a previous user. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser which is able to retain telephone 
disinfecting towelettes in a moist condition within the dispenser. 
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser including a hermetically sealed top 
for protecting the telephone disinfecting towelettes from air borne 
contaminants while retaining the telephone disinfecting towelettes therein 
from drying out. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser able to dispense telephone 
disinfecting towelettes one at a time. 
A yet further object of the present invention is to a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser including an overlapping membrane 
separating the dispenser into two compartments for enhancing the storage 
ability of the device. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser that is simple and easy to use. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser that is economical in cost to 
manufacture. 
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description 
proceeds. 
A combination telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser for dispensing 
individual telephone disinfecting towelettes is disclosed by the present 
invention. The combination includes a plurality of telephone disinfecting 
towelettes each being treated with a disinfectant and in a layered 
interlocking position with an adjacent one of the plurality of telephone 
disinfecting towelettes. The plurality of telephone disinfecting 
towelettes are positioned within the dispenser. The dispenser includes a 
cylindrical shell including a sealed bottom side and a top side including 
a recess therein and a device for releasably sealing the recess. The 
dispenser further includes a device for dividing the dispenser into first 
and second sections, hermetically sealing the plurality of telephone 
disinfecting towelettes within the second section whereby a top one of the 
plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes extends through the 
dividing device and into the first section where it may be removed from 
the dispenser through the recess. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may 
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 
attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are 
illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific 
construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended 
claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the 
Figures illustrate the telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser of 
the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the 
following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures. 
10 user of telephone 
12 telephone 
14 microphone of telephone 
16 speaker of telephone 
18 handle of telephone 
20 mouth of user 
22 hand of telephone user 
24 disinfectant 
26 disinfectant spray can 
28 dispenser of the present invention 
30 cylindrical midsection of dispenser 
32 top side of dispenser 
34 bottom side of dispenser 
36 cover 
38 hinge 
40 sealing device 
42 recess extending through top side 
44 lip extending around outer periphery of sealing device 
46 latch of cover 
48 skirt extending from cover 
50 protrusion extending around inner side of skirt 
52 telephone disinfecting towelette 
54 first sealing layer 
56 second sealing layer 
58 upper chamber of dispenser 
60 lower storage chamber of dispenser 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 
illustrates a person indicated generally by the numeral 10 using a 
telephone handset 12 in a conventional manner. The telephone handset 12 
includes a microphone 14 into which a user speaks, a speaker 16 for 
listening to a person on an opposing end of a conversation and a handle 18 
connected between the microphone 12 and speaker 14 for holding the handset 
12. 
When in use, a telephone handset 12 will be exposed to germs and other 
contaminants. Such contaminants include germs from the user's mouth 20 on 
the microphone 14, germs from the user's hands 22 on the handle 18 and 
particles and contaminants in the user's hair and on the user's ear and 
face on the speaker 16. In order to sanitize a telephone 12 from the germs 
to which it is exposed, the telephone 12 was normally sprayed with a 
disinfectant 24 from a deodorizing can 26. The problem with this method of 
disinfecting a telephone 12 is that when the disinfectant 24 is sprayed 
towards the telephone 12 the spray can come into contact with both the 
microphone 14 and speaker 16 through holes in the handset housing 
increasing the possibility of damaging the internal components of the 
telephone 12 causing it to malfunction. Furthermore, such disinfectants 
may contain fluorocarbons (CFCs) which cause damage to the ozone layer. 
Thus, the known methods of disinfecting telephones is damaging to the 
telephone itself and is also unsafe for the environment 
FIGS. 3 through 7 illustrate a telephone disinfecting towelette and 
dispenser in accordance with the present invention, the dispenser is 
indicated generally by the numeral 28. The dispenser 28 for dispensing the 
telephone disinfecting towelette includes a cylindrical shell 30 having a 
top side 32 and a bottom side 34 as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom side 34 is 
sealed to prevent access to the cylindrical shell 30 therethrough and aid 
in retaining telephone disinfecting towelettes therein free from germs and 
separated from the surrounding atmosphere to prevent drying out caused 
thereby. The top side 32 includes a cover 36 for sealing the top side 32 
of the dispenser 28 closed. The cover 36 is connected thereto by a hinge 
mechanism 38. The cover 36 includes a skirt 48 extending from the outer 
periphery thereof and a protrusion 50 extending around an inner side of 
the skirt 48. A tab 46 is provided to extend from the cover 36 for lifting 
the cover 36 from its closed position sealing the dispenser 28. 
The cover 36 may be fastened closed via an engagement with a sealing device 
40 connected to the top side 32 and positioned to cover a recess 42 
extending through the top side 32, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The sealing 
device 40 extends from the top side 32 and includes a lip 44 extending 
around a outer periphery thereof. The recess 42 is accessible through the 
sealing device 40. When the dispenser 28 is sealed closed, the protrusion 
50 is caused to be positioned between the lip 44 and the top side 32 and 
engage an underside of the lip 44. Towelettes 52, extend through the 
recess 42 one at a time for removal from the dispenser 28. 
A cross sectional view showing the layered interrelationship between the 
towelettes 52 is illustrated in FIG. 5. As can be seen the dispenser 28 is 
separated into an upper chamber 58 and a lower chamber 60 by a first upper 
flexible layer 54 which forms an overlapping relationship with a second 
lower flexible layer 56. The first upper flexible layer 54 and second 
lower flexible layer 56 are preferably a latex membrane which is flexible 
to allow the telephone disinfecting towelettes 52 to pass therebetween 
when a removal force is applied to the towelette 52. The latex membranes 
54 and 56 return to their rest position sealing the second lower chamber 
60 from exposure to the atmosphere and retaining the telephone dispensing 
towelettes therein with the top telephone disinfecting towelette 52 
partially extending between the membranes and into the first upper chamber 
58. Thus the top telephone disinfecting towelette 52 can be removed by an 
applying an adequate removal force away from the membranes 54 and 56 and 
towards the recess 42. Due to the layered interrelationship of the 
telephone disinfecting towelettes 52 when the top telephone disinfecting 
towelette 52 is removed the telephone disinfecting towelette 52 adjacent 
to and immediately therebelow will be caused to replace the telephone 
disinfecting towelette 52 which was removed. The physical properties and 
characteristics of the membranes 54 and 56 form a hermetically sealed 
lower chamber 60 and thus retain the remaining telephone disinfecting 
towelettes 52 in a moist condition maintaining their disinfecting quality. 
The first and second membranes are preferably made of latex, rubber any 
combination thereof or any material which is able to perform the necessary 
functions of hermetically sealing the telephone disinfecting towelettes 
from exposure to the atmosphere while remaining flexible and able to 
return to its original at rest position after a force applied thereto is 
removed. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the movement of the membranes 54 and 56 as a 
telephone disinfecting towelette 52 is removed from the dispenser 28. FIG. 
6 illustrating a side cross sectional view while FIG. 7 illustrates a top 
view. As can be seen from the figures, when a removal force is applied to 
the top telephone disinfecting towelette, the top membrane 54 is pulled 
towards the recess 42 with the top telephone disinfecting towelette 52 
while the lower membrane 56 remains substantially stationary. The top 
telephone disinfecting towelette 52 is interlayered with a telephone 
disinfecting towelette 52 immediately therebelow and pulls that telephone 
disinfecting towelette 52 partially through the space between the 
membranes 54 and 56. When the top telephone disinfecting towelette is 
removed the top membrane 54 returns back to its rest position, the 
telephone disinfecting towelette 52 pulled partially therethrough now 
positioned between the upper and lower membranes 54 and 56. 
While a preferred form for dividing said dispenser into first and second 
sections and hermetically sealing said plurality of telephone disinfecting 
towelettes within said second section of the dispenser is shown and 
described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art who have read this 
description will appreciate that there are numerous other mechanisms 
dividing said dispenser into first and second sections and hermetically 
sealing said plurality of telephone disinfecting towelettes within said 
second section of the dispenser dividing said dispenser into first and 
second sections, hermetically sealing said plurality of telephone 
disinfecting towelettes within said second section of the dispenser and, 
therefore, as used herein the phrase "means for dividing said dispenser 
into first and second sections and hermetically sealing said plurality of 
telephone disinfecting towelettes within said second section of the 
dispenser" should be construed as including all such mechanisms as long as 
they achieve the desired result of sealing a section of the dispenser 
retaining the towelettes therein, and, therefore, that all such 
alternative mechanisms are to be considered as equivalent to the one 
described herein. 
In operation, the telephone disinfecting towelettes 52 are layered in an 
interlocking fashion and positioned within the lower chamber 54 of the 
dispenser 28. A top one of the telephone disinfecting towelettes 52 
extends between the membranes 54 and 56 of the divider and into the upper 
chamber 58 where it may be accessed through the recess 42. 
In order to retrieve one of the telephone disinfecting towelettes 52, a 
user must release the cover 36 from its engagement with the sealing device 
40 by exerting an upward force away from the dispenser 28 on the latch 46 
of the cover 36. The user now has access to the top telephone disinfecting 
towelette 52. To remove the top telephone disinfecting towelette 52 an 
upward force is applied away from the divider causing the top membrane 54 
of the divider to be raised and top telephone disinfecting towelette 52 to 
be released from between the membranes 54 and 56 of the divider. Due to 
the interlocking relationship between the top telephone disinfecting 
towelette 52 and an adjacent telephone disinfecting towelette 52 the 
adjacent telephone disinfecting towelette 52 is caused to be pulled 
between the membranes 54 and 56 of the divider and extend into the upper 
chamber 58. The top membrane 54 is caused to return to its rest position 
hermetically sealing the remainder of the telephone disinfecting 
towelettes 52 within the lower chamber 60 and the new top telephone 
disinfecting towelette 52 extending between the membranes and partially 
into the upper chamber 58. The cover 36 is now pivoted towards the sealing 
device 40 and pressure is applied to engage the protrusion 50 with the 
underside of the lip 44 to seal the dispenser 28 shut until it is desired 
to remove another telephone disinfecting towelette 52. 
From the above description it can be seen that the telephone disinfecting 
towelette and dispenser of the present invention is able to overcome the 
shortcomings of prior art devices by providing a telephone disinfecting 
towelette and dispenser which is able to disinfect a telephone, 
eliminating germs deposited by a previous user and retain telephone 
disinfecting towelettes in a moist condition within the dispenser. The 
telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser includes a hermetically 
sealed top for protecting the telephone disinfecting towelettes from air 
borne contaminants while retaining the telephone disinfecting towelettes 
therein from drying out. The telephone disinfecting towelette and 
dispenser is also able to dispense telephone disinfecting towelettes one 
at a time. telephone disinfecting towelette and dispenser including an 
overlapping membrane separating the dispenser into two compartments for 
enhancing the storage ability of the device. Furthermore, the telephone 
disinfecting towelette and dispenser of the present invention is simple 
and easy to use and economical in cost to manufacture. 
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or 
more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods 
differing from the type described above. 
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and 
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to 
be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various 
omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and 
details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by 
those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of 
the present invention. 
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of 
the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, 
readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, 
from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential 
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.