DISPOSABLE GLOVE DISPENSER

Abstract: A disposable glove (10) suitable for the food service industry has front and back layers of plastic sealed along a periphery thereof, forming a finger and a thumb portion in a closed end (18) and an open end (20). A mounting section (28) extends rearwardly from the back layer and includes mounting holes suitable to receive a wicket (56) attached to a portable or permanent support structure (50). The mounting section (28) includes a line of weakness (34) which extends from the mounting holes to the rearmost edge of the mounting section (28)which lines of weakness (34) separate when pressure is applied thereto during donning of the glove (10) mounted onto the wicket (56).

Description: DISPOSABLE GLOVE DISPENSER Field of the Invention The invention pertains to disposable thermoplastic gloves suitable for use in the food service and food handling industries in general, and more particularly to new and improved packages and dispensers having easy-to- don, disposable gloves. Background and Summary of the Invention Disposable hand covers such as gloves or mitts are widely used in the food handling and service industries, as well as in other applications to provide protection for the user and to insure hygiene. Typically, disposable gloves and mitts are formed of two layers of thermoplastic film sealed around the periphery, forming a five finger glove or a multi-fingered mitt. Gloves have separate and distinct portions for each finger, while mitts have one portion for the thumb and a single, separate portion for the other digits. An exemplary disposable mitt of this two-layered type and having a severable header is shown in Grinberg U.S. Patent No. 5,806,099. For the purposes of the following disclosure, it is intended that the term glove includes mitts. Conventional methods of forming two ply disposable gloves or mitts are described in Bradfield U.S. Patent No. 4, 928,322. In many applications, including the food handling and service industries, personnel don gloves and mitts very frequently. Typically, after a single or quite limited use, the disposable glove is discarded and a fresh glove is donned. Clearly, it is desirable that the disposable gloves be inexpensive and that the gloves be constructed and packaged such that they can be easily and quickly be donned efficiently with a minimum effort and without contaminating or compromising the cleanliness of the freshly donned gloves. Known glove packaging arrangements for disposable gloves are shown in McLaughlin U.S. Patent 4,844,293; Hoffrichter U.S. Patent 5,655,682; and Klecena U.S. Patent 5,966,741. Another known method to organize and assist in the donning of disposable gloves and mitts is the use of so- called "wickets". Wickets are commonly used for controlling the dispensing of disposable sandwich and grocery bags and the like, and consist of two or more spaced vertical rods which extend through holes formed in tear-off portions of the items being dispensed. In this manner, items are conveniently stored proximate to a workstation, stacked on the wickets for relatively easy selection and removal from the stack by separation of the usable portion of the item from the tear-off portion. However, when gloves are stacked on wickets, they can be difficult to grasp and put on. Moreover, when stacks of gloves are joined or assembled by staples or connections between severable header portions, the staples and/or the several headers pose contamination threats in a food service environment. The present invention is an improvement in the prior art and provides an inexpensive, disposable glove package having a stack of gloves, without severable headers, supported on wickets mounted on a planar surface forming a wall of a glove package from which the wicketed gloves may be readily donned and removed by a single simple linear motion, i.e. slipping the hand into the glove . Specifically, the present invention embodies a package having a planar support, a pair of wicket posts, hooks, or rings attached thereto or formed integrally therewith, and a stack of two ply disposable gloves formed of juxtaposed relatively short front and relatively long back sheets of plastic film typically heat welded around the peripheral edges thereof and forming closed end with separate portions for each finger and an open end adjacent the wrist portion. At the open end of the glove, the longer back sheet extends beyond the shorter front sheet forming a mounting section which has a pair of "key-hole" mounting holes therein suitable for receiving the wicket. The mounting section includes perforations extending from the holes to the edge portion of the back sheet . In accordance with the invention, the planar support may be an integral wall of a parallel piped package which may be opened and closed as required for accessing and storing a supply of gloves, it may be a free-standing panel which is shrink wrapped with a supply of gloves, or it may be a permanent installation in a countertop or other workplace surface upon which stacks of gloves may be periodically mounted. Additional features and attendant advantages of the new glove package will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the glove of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view, of taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an assembly view of an embodiment of the invention having a stack of gloves and a permanent support . Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention having a stack of gloves mounted to a portable support . Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention having a stack of gloves mounted to a disposable enclosure. Detailed Description of the Invention Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the glove 10 of the present number includes front and back sheets 12, 14 of plastic film which are joined along their periphery 16 to form a closed end 18 and to form an open end 20 with a wrist portion 22. As shown, the front and back sheets 12, 14 can be shaped to form a thumb and finger portions 24, 26 corresponding to the shape of a hand. The back sheet 14 includes a mounting section 28 which extends rearwardly from the open end 20 of the glove 10 in a direction opposite the closed end 18 thereof. Preferably, the mounting section 28 is integrally formed with a dorsal portion 30 of the back sheet 14, which dorsal portion 30 is located to cover the dorsal aspect of the hand, (i.e., the back of the hand) . The mounting section 28 includes a plurality of mounting holes, 32 (or "keyholes") which are suitable to receive, a fastener, such as wickets, for supporting the glove. Lines of weakness 34, in the material forming the mounting section 28, such as perforations, extend from the mounting holes 32 to the rearmost edge 36 of the mounting section 28. The lines of weakness are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 29 of the glove 10 and are aligned substantially toward the closed end 18 of the glove 10. Referring to Fig. 3, a plurality of gloves 10, in a stack, can be mounted on a support structure 38, having a number of fasteners 40. Here the fasteners 40 are in the form of straight wicket posts 44 affixed to a planar table, however, it is intended that other types of fasteners can be employed. The gloves 10 are mounted to the support structure 38 by directing the fasteners 40 through the mounting holes 32 of the mounting section 28 of the gloves 10. Referring to Fig. 4, the gloves 10 can be mounted to a portable planar support 42, such as a disposable piece of cardboard, or the like. Wickets 144 having hook portions 46 can be affixed to the portable support 42 for attaching the gloves 10 to the portable support 42. As shown, the wickets 144 can have an inverted J-shape. The portable support 42 can be affixed to a permanent support, such as a table (not shown), by any suitable manner to hold the support 42 in place during use. Also, the gloves 10 and portable support 42 can be covered, such as by shrink-wrapping or the like, for storage and shipping. Referring to Fig. 5, the portable support 42 can be in the form of a box 48 having a base 50 four side walls 52 and a cover 54. Wickets 56, such as those described with reference to Fig. 4 can be affixed to the base 50 for securing the gloves 10. In donning a glove, a user inserts a hand into the open end 20 of the top glove and urges the glove forward, toward the closed (finger) end 18 of the glove, in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the glove. This applies force to the mounting section 28 of the glove. In response to the force, the lines of weakness 34 in the mounting section 28 separate releasing the glove from the wickets 56. It can be appreciated that since the entire glove 10, is released from the wicket 56, no portion of each used glove 10 remains behind. Also, it can be appreciated that the strength of the material forming the mounting section 28 and the reduction in such strength caused by the lines of weakness 34 can be adjusted to create an optional design. It should be understood, of course, that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

Claims: I Claim : 1. A disposable glove, comprising: (a) a glove body formed of a front layer of plastic sealed to a back layer of plastic around the respective periphery thereof forming a closed end and an open end, and forming a portion for the thumb and one or more portions for the fingers of the user; (b) a mounting section extending from said open end of said glove body, said mounting portion including an edge and at least one mounting hole located between said open end of said glove and said edge, said mounting hole being suitable for receiving a fastener therethrough; and (c) said mounting section including a line of weakness extending from said mounting hole to said edge of said mounting portion, said line of weakness being substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said glove; (d) whereby said glove can be efficiently donned and removed from the fastener by inserting a hand into the glove and applying force to the glove in the direction of donning thereby separating said line of weakness which allows the glove to separate from the fastener. 2. A disposable glove dispenser comprising: (a) a glove support having a base and at least one fastener attached to said base; (b) a glove mounted on said glove support, said glove having (i) a glove body formed of a front layer of plastic sealed to a back layer of plastic around the respective periphery thereof forming a closed end and an open end, and forming a portion for the thumb and one or more portions for the fingers of the user; (ii) a mounting section extending from said open end of said glove body, said mounting portion including an edge and at least one mounting hole located between said open end of said glove and said edge, said mounting hole being suitable for receiving said fastener therethrough; and (iii) said mounting section including a line of weakness extending from said mounting hole to said edge of said mounting portion, said line of weakness being substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said glove; (c) said fastener being directed through said mounting hole and said glove being removable from said glove support by inserting a hand into said open end of said glove and applying force in the direction of donning thereby causing said line of weakness to separate to release said glove from said fastener.

Applicants: GRINBERG DANIEL, GRINBERG, DANIEL
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65H3
IPC codes: A41D19, A41D27