Abstract:
A disposable glove dispenser bracket includes a back panel with a magnetic pad attached thereto for supporting the dispenser and lateral side panels with flanges to grip and hold a glove dispenser box. A biasing spring maintains the glove dispenser box appropriately positioned within the dispenser bracket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a disposable glove dispenser bracket capable of holding and properly positioning boxed glove dispensers having a variety of sizes and shapes. 
     Food service workers, healthcare workers, and even garage mechanics often use disposable latex gloves when performing their various tasks. Such gloves protect against injury, dirt, and contamination. Typically such gloves come in cardboard carton packages with a removable, front side panel to facilitate dispensing of the gloves as needed. However, cardboard packages are easily misplaced, or may be relatively fragile and thus torn causing spoilage of the contents. Moreover, disposable glove packages or boxes are available, in various sizes and shapes, depending upon the manufacturer. Further, such glove dispenser boxes have access panels or tear away flaps having distinct configurations and positions with respect to the box construction. Consequently there has developed a need for a device which will safely and efficiently hold such boxes. Any such holder for disposable glove boxes, in order to be appropriately useful, must also have the capability of ease of mounting at an appropriate workstation or place in a work environment. These desires and features, among others, have led to the development of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention comprises a disposable glove dispenser bracket for holding any one of a number of distinctly sized or shaped disposable glove containers or boxes. The dispenser bracket is comprised of a three-sided holder including a generally vertical, planar back side and first and second vertical, lateral sides extending outwardly and optionally converging from the back side. The dispenser is typically made from a metal such as steel or stainless steel. The lateral sides may converge toward each other and, because of the elastic metal construction, may provide a holding or biasing force on a box positioned between the sides. Preferably, the sides are parallel and each include an inwardly extending, integral biasing member or plate. Each of the lateral sides further includes front side and bottom side flanges to facilitate retention of a glove box by vertically supporting the box. The back side panel also preferably includes a biasing member integrally formed therewith. The back side biasing member is comprised of a generally integral, planar section of the back panel which is inclined forwardly from the back panel and includes an end tab or curved end construction which engages the disposable glove box and projects the box forwardly between the lateral sides. Similarly, the lateral sides each include integral, planar portions or sections which project inwardly toward each other to engage and hold a box. The outside face of the back side of the bracket includes multipole, magnetic members typically in the form of a pad or multiple pads affixed to the back side panel. The bracket may be made from stainless steel with the magnetic pad member affixed to the back side of the back panel. Alternatively, the back panel may be formed from a magnetic material to further enhance efficiency of the magnetic pad by providing a means for forming multiple magnetic loops or circuits through the back panel. 
     Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved disposable glove box dispenser holder or bracket. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispenser holder which can accommodate multiple sizes of boxes for gloves. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable glove box holder that is economical, easily movable from site to site as needed, will accommodate multiple sizes of disposable glove storage boxes, will accommodate glove boxes having multiple access panels and access panel positions, and which is rugged. 
     These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows where reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of the disposable glove dispenser package holder of the invention depicting the manner in which a disposable box may be retained. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the back side construction of the disposable glove dispenser package holder of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the back side of the holder of FIG. 2 taken substantially along the line of  3 — 3 ; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the holder of FIG. 1 shown attached to a magnetizable surface with a disposable glove box retained therein. 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention viewed from the front side of the device; and 
     FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the holder of FIG. 5 viewed from the back side. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a first embodiment of the disposable glove dispenser bracket or holder of the invention is comprised of a shaped metal bracket having a back panel or side  10 , a first lateral side  12 , and a second lateral side  14 . The back panel or side  10  has a generally rectangular shape as do the first and second lateral sides  12  and  14 . The first lateral side  12  joins to the back side or panel  10  along a boundary or edge  16 . In a similar manner, the second lateral side  14  joins to the back panel or side  10  along a boundary or edge  18 . In practice, the dispenser bracket is formed from sheet metal such as stainless steel sheet or steel sheet, and is shaped by bending along the boundaries or edges  16  and  18 . Thus a rectangular plate of sheet metal may be stamped and formed as depicted in the figures. A preferred steel is described as ¼ hard steel which has the feature of an appropriate spring characteristic, which enables the formed dispenser to be altered in shape by bending but still exhibit spring forces on a glove container placed in the dispenser. 
     The first lateral side  12  includes a front edge  20  with a flange  22 . The front edge flange  22  extends inwardly toward a coplanar flange  24  on the front edge or boundary  26  of the second lateral side  14 . The lateral sides or panels  12  and  14  are thus generally identical in shape and size and therefore generally congruent one with respect to the other. The first side  12  further includes a bottom edge support flange  28 . The second lateral side  14  also includes a bottom edge support flange  30 . The flanges  28  and  30  are coplanar and project toward one another. 
     The lateral sides at  12  and  14  are each formed with an inwardly extending spring or biasing member  13 ,  15 . Spring members  13 ,  15  extend downwardly and inwardly from the plane of sides  12 ,  14  toward each other so that they can easily engage against a box  41  in the bracket. Alternatively, as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lateral sides  12  and  14  may converge slightly toward one another to grip or grasp a box  41  of disposable gloves  40  fitted in the dispenser bracket. The angle of convergence is in the range of about 5° to 20°. 
     The flanges  22 ,  24 ,  28 , and  30  support a dispenser box  41  and preclude a box  41  from falling downwardly out of the bracket or from being forced forwardly from the bracket. The spring members  13 ,  15  or converging side walls  12  and  14  facilitate maintaining the box  41  snuggly therebetween. Because the flanges  22  and  24  are spaced one from the other, a dispensing opening  42  in the box  41  is exposed when the box  41  is placed within the dispenser bracket. 
     The dispenser bracket further includes one or more keyed openings  50  through the back panel  10  in order to suspend the bracket from a hangar. The back panel or side  10  further includes an inclined biasing or spring member  54  in the form of an inclined planar member which is formed by stamping and bending the planar member  54  inwardly from the plane of the back panel  10  causing it to extend downwardly and forwardly as depicted in the figures. The planar member  54  includes a first depending inclined section  56  (FIG. 3) extending from approximately the midpoint of the back panel  10  downwardly and forwardly or inwardly and in alignment with spring members  13 ,  15 . Importantly, the inclined panel  54  further includes a tab or terminating section  58  (FIG. 3) at its free end which is curved or shaped in a manner which will facilitate positioning thereof against the back side of the box  41  to thereby force the box  41  toward the flanges  22  and  24 . The curved end  58  also allows the empty box to be easily inserted and removed from the bracket. Side spring members  13 ,  15  have similar curved sections  17 ,  19 . Preferably the tab end  58  of member  54  is arcuate in shape and extends generally laterally between the first and second side panels  12  and  14 . The inclined planar member  54 , as do spring members  13 ,  15 , thus provide a biasing means for engaging, guiding and holding the dispenser box  41 . Thereby the dispenser bracket accommodates boxes  41  of multiple sizes, shapes, and capacity. Of course it is possible merely to use one planar biasing or spring member  13  or  15  and adjust the size of the flanges  22 ,  24 ,  28  and  30 . The side panels or lateral sides  12  and  14  extend at preferably right angles from the back panel  100  in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. 
     Thus, in the embodiment, three inwardly projecting planar portions or biasing members  13 ,  15 ,  54  all extend inwardly and downwardly to approximately the mid-point between the top and the bottom edge of the holder. These planar portions  13 ,  15  and  54  serve to center or position a dispenser box  41  between the front edge flanges  22 ,  24 , thus making access to the contents of the box  41  improved. Note that the back panel  10  may include a keyed opening  50  and a bottom slot  51  for attaching the holder to a wall in lieu of using the magnetic pads  60  and  62 . Note also that the planar spring members  13 ,  15 ,  54  extend inwardly and downwardly from the respective sides  12 ,  14 ,  10 . They may however extend upwardly or may be arrayed in a pattern or multiple spring members in the form of fingers may be provided. For example the back side biasing member  54  may extend outwardly and downwardly whereas lateral side biasing members  13  and  15  may extend upwardly and inwardly. Variations of the construction are possible to enhance the universality of the device. 
     A magnetic, multipole pad or pads  60  and  62  are affixed to the outside of the back panel  10 . The pad or pads  60  and  62  are fixed vertically across the entire back side of the panel  10  in one preferred embodiment and in a further preferred embodiment may cover the entire back side. A typical pad material is provided by Polymag, Inc., product no. PM8 with PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive). It is a multipole pad which, in combination with a magnetizable back panel  10 , and a magnetizable mounting surface, such as surface  70  shown in FIG. 4, provides a series of magnetic circuits that will facilitate support of the dispenser bracket and dispenser box  41  on a surface. The pads  60  and  62  are typically attached to the back panel  10  by means of an adhesive. Magnetic forces then attach the bracket to a magnetizable surface  70  such as a tool locker and maintain the dispenser and box  41  on that surface  70 . Of course, the dispenser bracket and its contents may be moved by breaking the magnetic contact with the support surface  70 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second preferred embodiment. In the second embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, a back panel  100  is joined to a first side panel  102  and to a second side panel  104  with forward or front side flanges  106  and  108  extending from the side panels  102  and  104 , respectively. The first and second lateral sides  102  and  104  include inwardly projecting, coplanar bottom edge flanges  110 ,  112  respectively. Back panel  100  includes a forwardly extending planar biasing spring member or section or planar portion  114 , substantially in the form and size described with respect to the first embodiment. With the second embodiment, however, each or at least one of the lateral sides  102  and  104  is converging. The inwardly converging sides  102  and  104  act as elastic or biasing members and facilitate engaging and positioning a glove dispenser box retained within the bracket. 
     The back panel  100  preferably includes openings or slots  130  for hanging the dispenser on a hook or hanger in a wall surface, for example. Preferably, magnetic pads  132  and  134  are provided on the backside of the back panel  100 . In the embodiment depicted, the magnetic pads  132 ,  134  comprise first and second vertically, spaced parallel pads  132 ,  134  positioned on the back panel positioned opposite sides of the forwardly biasing panel member  114 . The embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 preferably includes side panel biasing members  116  and  118  having shaped or arcuate box engaging ends  120  and  122  respectively. Thus, biasing a glove box may be effected by the combination of converging sides  102 ,  104  as well as spring members  114 ,  116  and  118 . 
     Various other alternatives may be incorporated into the design of the invention. The lateral sides  12  and  14  may be discontinuous. The shape and arrangement of the magnetic pads on the back side of panel  10  or  100  may be significantly altered. The number and extent of the spring biasing planar members  13 ,  15 ,  54  ( 114 ,  116 ,  118 ) may be varied. The inward extent and configuration of the flanges  28 ,  30 ,  22  and  24  may be varied. The material utilized to make the dispenser bracket may be varied, though a magnetizable back panel  10  is preferred. The preferred material is, as previously disclosed, a ¼ hard steel which permits the side panels, e.g.  102 ,  104  to be bent to form different angles with respect to the back panel  100 , i.e. diverging, right angles, or converging, thereby accommodating in a gross adjustment sense, a glove box depending upon the size of the box. The spring characteristics of the material coupled with or without the spring members, e.g.  114 ,  116 ,  118 , then provide a holding force customized for the glove box held in the dispenser. The dispenser can therefore be adjusted to match the size and shape of the glove box  41 . Thus, numerous variations and combinations are considered to be within the scope of the invention and the invention is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.