Handle for baby wipe container

A handle and method of using the handle are described for use with baby wipe containers used to clean infants. The disclosed handle is utilized such that the baby wipe container is secured to the outer face of a user's first hand. The first hand is also used to secure the infant's legs while the user's second hand is used to remove wipes from the wipe container. This allows a user to perform three functions that a single user could not perform at a single time with the prior art containers. The container is secured on the outer surface of a user's one hand which also secures and infant's legs, such that two steps which in the prior art require two separate hands are performed by a user's single hand. This allows the user's other hand to perform the third step, and easily clean an infant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention in general relates to an improved handle for use on a baby 
wipe container that aids a user in cleaning an infant. 
Baby wipes are typically used to clean an infant when changing the infant's 
diapers. One well known type of baby wipe container includes a generally 
cylindrical enclosure having a lid with a slot-like opening at the top 
through which wipes are removed. An example of this type of container is 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,507. The container disclosed in this 
patent is quite beneficial and adequately stores the wipes. 
Problems, however, exist when using this type of container in the cleaning 
of an infant. With this type of container it is normally necessary to use 
one hand to secure the container while pulling a wipe out of the slot. 
When cleaning an infant it is also necessary to use one hand to secure the 
legs of the infant. A single user would, of course, only have two hands, 
but needs three hands (one holding the container, one removing the wipe, 
and one securing the legs of the infant) to perform all the necessary 
steps with cleaning the infant. Thus it is sometimes difficult for a 
single user to use this type of container. 
This is a real problem, since it is difficult to estimate how many wipes 
may be needed in any particular cleaning. Thus, the user may need to 
remove additional wipes while in the process of cleaning the infant. If 
the user is required to release the infant's legs to remove additional 
wipes, the infant may move about, which is undesirable during the cleaning 
process. The infant is usually soiled and by moving about can spread fecal 
or other materials around the area where the cleaning is being performed. 
This is undesirable. 
It would be preferable to disclose a baby wipe container of this sort 
having a handle such that a user could use a single hand to secure both 
the container and the infants legs, while using the other hand to remove a 
wipe from the container. 
The prior art does disclose various types of handles for distinct items. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,423 discloses a removable handle which can be utilized 
with various storage members. The handle is apparently used for 
transporting the member. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,352 also discloses a handle which can be utilized to 
carry distinct types of storage members. This handle is not utilized in 
combination with wipe elements. 
Various other prior art devices are known, including U.S. Pat. No. 
4,536,889 which discloses a device that includes a wipe worn on a user's 
wrist. This device is not disclosed for use in cleaning an infant. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,202 discloses a handle for a liquid container. This 
handle is not used in combination with wipe elements. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,026 discloses a member for feeding premoistened 
towelettes from a dispenser. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,742,279; 4,206,529 and 4,580,695 all disclose various 
items that contain tissues, or other wiping elements and which include a 
handle. 
None of the above-discussed U.S. Patents solve the problem discussed above. 
Prior art baby wipe containers having a slot at the top for removing wipes 
have, in some cases, utilized a handle. The handle utilized on these 
elements is, however, a handle integrally formed with the container and 
utilized for transporting the container. 
It is thus an object of the present invention to disclose a handle for use 
in combination with a baby wipe container, and a method of using such a 
handle and container, to clean an infant. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A method for cleaning an infant is disclosed in which a wipe container has 
a handle placed on it. The wipe container is placed on a first hand of a 
user such that the container is on an outer side of the user's hands. The 
user's first hand is used to grasp an infant by the feet or legs to secure 
the infants legs. The user's second hand is then used to remove wipe 
elements from the container and clean the infant. 
In one embodiment of the present invention, the handle includes a removable 
element including a pair of flexible resilient coaxial cylindrical members 
with a handle portion extending generally parallel to the axis of the two 
cylindrical portions, and interconnecting them. This handle portion is 
also resilient and allows a user's hand to fit between it and the 
container, securing the container to the hand. 
A second embodiment of the present invention discloses a relatively 
resilient handle member attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical 
container. Again, the use of the resilient handle allows the container to 
be secured to the outer face of the user's hand. 
In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handles are 
relatively thin in thickness in comparison to their lateral width such 
that they do not occupy much space on the inner surface of the user's 
hand. This allows the user's hand to adequately grasp and secure the 
infant's legs. 
These and other objects and features of the present invention can be best 
understood from the following specification and drawings of which the 
following is a brief description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An arrangement 20 used for cleaning infant is illustrated in FIG. 1. As 
shown, infant 22 lies on a planar surface and user 24 utilizes wipe 26 to 
clean the infant, as when changing the infant's diapers. 
Wipe 26 is grasped by a user's hand 27. It should be understood that wipe 
26 has been previously removed from wipe container 28. Wipe container 28 
is of the sort having a slot at the top such that additional wipes 30 
always extend through the slot for future removal. 
A problem exists with the prior art since prior art containers generally 
require a first hand to secure the container while a wipe is removed with 
the user's other hand. Since the user must normally use one hand to secure 
the infant's legs, it is difficult to also secure the wipe container 28 
and use another hand to remove a wipe 30. The described manipulation would 
typically require three hands. Thus, in the past, a single user may find 
it difficult to utilize a container of the sort illustrated at 28. 
It is particularly important to secure the infant's legs during cleaning, 
since additional wipes 26 may be required during the process of cleaning 
infant 22. If legs 35 are not secured, as when removing an additional 
wipe, and are allowed to move about, the infant may spread fecal or other 
materials around the area where the cleaning is taking place. This is, of 
course, undesirable 
The present invention discloses handle 32 which allows container 28 to be 
secured to user's hand 34 which at the same time grasps the infant's legs 
35. Thus, user 24 may use one hand 34 to secure legs 35 of infant 22 and 
also to secure container 28. The user's other hand 27 removes wipes 30 
from container 28 for cleaning of infant 22. 
Handle 32 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and consists of two generally 
cylindrical coaxial securing portions 36 and 38. Handle portion 40 extends 
generally parallel to the axis of portions 36 and 38 and connects the two. 
Handle portion 40 is flexible and relatively thin in thickness compared to 
its lateral width. Also, coaxial portions 36 and 38 are preferably 
flexible so that they may conform to the outer surface of various 
containers 28. 
The use of handle 32 on container 28 is illustrated in FIG. 3. Coaxial 
portions 36 and 38 are secured to the outer surface of container 28 at a 
top and bottom surface. Handle portion 40 extends between coaxial portions 
36 and 38 and a user's hand 34 is placed between handle portion 40 and 
container 28. As illustrated, container 28 is placed on an outer side of 
user's hand 34, with handle portion 40 resting inside the user's palm. 
Since handle portion 40 is relatively thin, it does not occupy much space 
and hand 34 may also be used to secure the infant's legs 35. 
The user may now use a single hand 34 to secure container 28 and also 
secure infants legs 35. The user's other hand 27 is used to remove wipes 
30 from container 28. Handle 32 thus allows user 24 to simultaneously 
perform all three required steps in cleaning infant 22. 
A second embodiment handle 44 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, 
container 28 includes upper and lower attachment members 46 and 48 at an 
outer surface. Handle 44 extends between members 46 and 48. 
As shown in FIG. 5, handle portion 44 is relatively thin in comparison to 
its lateral width and defines a space between handle portion 44 and 
container 28 for receiving user's hand 34. 
As shown in FIG. 6, handle portion 44 has notches 50 at each axial end 
which are secured on members 46 and 48. 
A method according the present invention will now be disclosed with 
reference to the drawings. A handle, such as handle 32, is placed on 
container 28 with coaxial cylindrical members 36 and 38 received at top 
and bottom ends. User 24 then places hand 34 between handle portion 40 and 
container 28, such that container 28 is received on an outer side of the 
user's hand 34. The user's other hand 27 may then be used to remove wipes 
30 from container 28 for cleaning the infant. If second embodiment 44 of 
the handle is utilized, it may not be necessary to attach the handle to 
the container 28, since the handle may be sold along with container 28. 
A handle formed integral to the container may also be used to perform the 
method of this invention. Handle 32 is preferably formed of an appropriate 
rubber. Handle 44 is preferably formed of an appropriate plastic. 
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, 
however, a worker in the art would realize that certain modifications 
would come with the scope of this invention and thus the following claims 
should be studied in order to determine the true scope and content of the 
invention.