Abstract:
A flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus for protecting the bottom surface of equipment carriers, particularly carriers of medical equipment, from surface contaminants including a housing, a dispensing opening, and a releasably removable end cap to allow rolls of barrier material to be placed within the apparatus. The barrier material feeds outward through a dispensing opening, and features means for tearing or cutting the barrier material. The dispensing apparatus includes flexible attachments to an adjustable retainage system that holds the dispenser to an equipment carrying bag, and is optionally provided with a retainer centering device to hold the dispenser substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the equipment bag. In an alternate embodiment, the dispenser includes bosses to support the ends of the roll of barrier material within the dispenser. In another alternate embodiment, the dispenser includes a receiving housing to continuously accept rolled, used, barrier material.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The invention relates to the field of portable containers specifically for storing, transporting, and dispensing flexible sheet material for creating a contamination barrier for use in a myriad of industries.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    For many years there has been a need for a method to prevent the transportation of contaminants from one location to another via transported equipment. For example, crime scene investigators, emergency medical technicians, workers cleaning contaminated sites, and home health workers face the problem of visiting multiple sites, transporting various pieces of equipment, and the need to avoid cross-contamination of the sites. The prevention of cross-site contamination is a recurring problem for home healthcare workers, who visit multiple different locations during the course of a day&#39;s work. This problem is rapidly growing with the surge in popularity of home healthcare as an alternative to nursing homes and long-term care organizations. Health care workers have been recognized as an important vector of infection transmission since the earliest days of infection control theory.  
           [0003]    Home health workers typically carry various items of patient care equipment in a small hand-carried bag. Home health care organizations generally require precautions designed to minimize the opportunities for contamination of the bag by the environment of the visited site. For example, a typical requirement is that bags must be set on a horizontal hard surface that is capable of being cleaned, after such a surface has been cleaned. Alternatively, if no such horizontal hard surface is available, a disposable barrier may be placed under the bag. At the conclusion of the visit, the bag is removed and the barrier may be disposed of. The purposes of these regulations is, in the absence of a sufficiently cleanable surface, to attempt to minimize the contamination of the bottom of the bag by any of the various pathogenic bacteria and other organisms that may be present.  
           [0004]    In the past various methods have been employed to create such a barrier. Unfortunately, most methods are inconvenient and ineffective and are therefore rarely practiced. For instance, workers often use materials found within the patient&#39;s home, such as newspapers or paper towels, to create the barrier. This method has obvious problems in that the material selected to act as the barrier may already be contaminated, or that no suitable materials will be found within the home and the worker may not meet the requirement for utilizing a barrier.  
           [0005]    Alternatively, some workers carry rolls of paper towels, wax paper, or similar materials to create the barrier. It is typically awkward to create the barrier while still elevating the bag from the surface. The result is often that the worker has to set the bag down prior to unrolling and applying the barrier to the surface, or the worker sets the roll of barrier material down in an effort to dispense and establish the barrier. As a result, contamination of the bag and the roll of barrier material often occurs while attempting to create the barrier.  
           [0006]    What continues to be needed is a lightweight easy to use device that is conveniently transported with a equipment storage bag and one in which a user can dispense a sheet of contamination barrier with one hand while still holding the bag. Additionally, the device should provide a convenient means to store as well as protect the barrier material from damage and contamination. The used sheet of barrier material may be easily and cleanly severable from the unused and clean material. Further, the device must be constructed to withstand damage from dropping and general abuse associated with the use of the device. Additionally, what continues to be needed but is missing from the field of contamination barrier dispensing devices is an apparatus for creating a contamination barrier that is designed for ease of use, mobility, and manufacture. While some of the prior art devices attempted to improve the state of the art of sheet material dispensing devices, none has achieved a cost optimized capability that is easy to fabricate and convenient to use in applying contamination barriers between portable equipment storage bags and various surfaces. With these capabilities taken into consideration, the instant invention addresses many of the shortcomings of the prior art and offers significant benefits heretofore unavailable.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    In its most general configuration, the present invention advances the state of the art with a variety of new capabilities and overcomes many of the shortcomings of prior devices in new and novel ways. In its most general sense, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art in any of a number of generally effective configurations.  
           [0008]    In one of the many preferable configurations, the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus incorporates, among other elements, a housing having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one sidewall, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and at least one end wall. Additionally, the housing is formed with a dispensing opening to allow the flexible sheet barrier to be externally dispensed from inside the housing.  
           [0009]    The apparatus of the present embodiment includes at least one removable housing end cap to releasably engage the housing. The at least one end cap facilitates the loading and unloading of sheet barrier material in roll form. The end cap may releasably engage the housing in any number of methods. In one embodiment the end cap may include a threaded end cap engagement surface to threadedly mate with a housing engagement section. Alternative engagement methods may include latches, snaps, and numerous other mechanical engagement means.  
           [0010]    Additionally, a first housing engagement device is releasably attached to the at least one housing end wall. A second housing engagement device is releasably attached to the at least one removable end cap. Further, the apparatus includes an adjustable retainage system adapted to secure the apparatus to a equipment storage bag.  
           [0011]    The adjustable retainage system may include numerous embodiments and methods to secure the apparatus to the storage bag. The present embodiment of the adjustable retainage system may include a flexible retainer having a proximal end and a distal end. Utilization of an adjustable retainage system allows the barrier dispensing apparatus to flexibly attach to the storage bag without creating mounting stress points, such as rivets or other fixed attachment points, which can serve as focal points of stress damage to the dispenser or the bag. Additionally, a flexible retainer adjuster may be mounted at the flexible retainer proximal end. Further, a first flexible retainer engagement device adapted to releasably engage the first housing engagement device may be mounted to the flexible retainer substantially near the proximal end. Additionally, a second flexible retainer engagement device adapted to releasably engage the second housing engagement device may be mounted to the flexible retainer distal end.  
           [0012]    Additional embodiments of the present invention may include devices for tearing or cutting the barrier material. One such embodiment includes a barrier tearing strip. A barrier tearing strip may be mounted to the housing interior or exterior surface adjacent to the dispensing opening. Additionally, the barrier tearing strip may be mounted to the upper or lower edge of the dispensing opening. The barrier tearing strip is preferably mounted to the interior surface to avoid accidental injury to the user and to the upper edge of the dispensing opening to avoid accidental tearing of the barrier material.  
           [0013]    A further embodiment may include a barrier cutting device. A barrier cutting device may be adapted to be slideably received in the dispensing opening. Such a device may be of the sliding blade or rolling blade variations, or any of the numerous sheet material cutting methods.  
           [0014]    Several embodiments of the present invention vary the method that the roll of sheet barrier material is held in the housing. For example, in one variation the roll simply is slid into the housing and rests on the interior surface of the housing. Alternatively, inwardly extending bosses may be formed in the at least one end wall and the at least one end cap. Such inwardly extending bosses extend into the hollow center of a roll of sheet barrier material and supports the roll from the bosses and do not allow the roll to rest on the housing interior surface. Further, the apparatus may include outwardly extending bosses formed in the at least one end wall and the at least one end cap. Such outwardly extending bosses may be used with rolls of sheet barrier material wherein the tube upon which the barrier sheet material is wound extends beyond the ends of the barrier sheet material defining a tube extension at each end of the roll. Here, the tube extensions rest in the outwardly extending bosses thereby supporting the roll from the bosses and not allowing the roll to rest on the housing interior surface.  
           [0015]    In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus may be configured as a flexible sheet barrier dispensing and receiving apparatus, including a dispensing device and a receiving device, adapted for dispensing and receiving a roll of sheet barrier material and for mounting on a portable equipment storage bag. In this embodiment, a receiving housing is mounted opposite to a dispensing housing, the dispensing housing configured similar to the dispensing apparatus described above, except that the barrier tearing strip or barrier cutting device may be omitted.  
           [0016]    The receiving housing has a proximal end, a distal end, at least one sidewall, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and at least one end wall. The receiving housing has a receiving opening formed in the receiving housing. It also has at least one removable receiving housing end cap to releasably engage the receiving housing, a first receiving housing engagement device releasably attached to the at least one receiving housing end wall, a second receiving housing engagement device releasably attached to the at least one removable receiving housing end cap, and an adjustable receiving housing retainage system adapted to secure the apparatus to the storage bag. A receiving axle having a proximal and a distal end, is removably and rotatably mounted at the proximal end to the at least one receiving housing end wall and at the distal end to the at least one receiving housing end cap. The axle further including a gripping device to releasably grip and retain the sheet barrier material. Additionally, a hand-grippable rotation device drivingly linked to the axle allows the user to rotate the device, and therefore the axle, thus winding the used sheet barrier material around the axle.  
           [0017]    In this embodiment, the barrier material rolls in a continuous fashion between the dispensing housing and the receiving housing. The used barrier material is rolled within the receiving housing, exposing a continuing section of clean barrier material for each use. The used material is thereby collected within the receiving housing for later disposal.  
           [0018]    Any of the preceding embodiments may include a retainer centering device releasably attached to the flexible retainer. The retainer centering device would ensure that the housing is held substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the storage bag. The retainer centering device may be attached to the flexible retainer with a number of commonly available fastening devices, including but not limited to mechanical fasteners and hook and loop type fasteners.  
           [0019]    Additionally, any of the preceding embodiments may include a visual inspection port. The visual inspection port may be located in the at least one end wall, at least one end cap, and the at least one sidewall. The visual inspection port would allow the user to view the roll of sheet barrier material in the housing permitting the user to know when a roll is almost empty.  
           [0020]    These variations, modifications, alternatives, and alterations of the various preferred embodiments, arrangements, and configurations may be used alone or in combination with one another as will become more readily apparent to those with skill in the art with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    Without limiting the scope of the present invention as claimed below and referring now to the drawings and figures:  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus in use with a portable equipment storage bag.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the housing end cap shown separated from the housing.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and a flexible sheet barrier receiving apparatus.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a detailed elevated perspective view, in reduced scale, of a variation of the flexible sheet barrier receiving apparatus shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0029]    Also, in the various figures and drawings, the following reference symbols and letters are used to identify the various elements described herein below in connection with the several figures and illustrations: B, BS, and SB. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]    The flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus of the instant invention enables a significant advance in the state of the art of contamination barrier dispensing tools. The preferred embodiments of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus accomplish this by new and novel arrangements of elements that are configured in unique and novel ways and which demonstrate previously unavailable but preferred and desirable capabilities.  
         [0031]    The detailed description set forth below in connection with the drawings is intended merely as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0032]    With reference now to the accompanying figures and specifically to FIG. 1, in one of the many preferable configurations, the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus  100  incorporates, among other elements, a housing  110  having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one sidewall  118 , an interior surface  112 , an exterior surface  114 , and at least one end wall  119 . Additionally, the housing  110  is formed with a dispensing opening  130  to allow the flexible sheet barrier SB to be externally dispensed from inside the housing  110 .  
         [0033]    The apparatus  110  of the present embodiment includes at least one removable housing end cap  120  to releasably engage the housing  110 . The at least one end cap  120  facilitates the loading and unloading of sheet barrier material SB in the roll form. The end cap  120  may releasably engage the housing  110  in any number of methods. In one embodiment the end cap  120  may include a threaded end cap engagement surface  125  to threadedly mate with a housing engagement section  116 , as illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternative engagement methods may include latches, snaps, and numerous other mechanical engagement means.  
         [0034]    Additionally, a first housing engagement device  150  is releasably attached to the at least one housing end wall  119 . A second housing engagement device  150  is releasably attached to the at least one removable end cap  120 . Further, the apparatus  100  includes an adjustable retainage system  140  adapted to secure the apparatus  100  to an equipment storage bag B, as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0035]    The adjustable retainage system  140  may include numerous embodiments and methods to secure the apparatus  100  to the storage bag B. The present embodiment of the adjustable retainage system  140  may include a flexible retainer  160  having a proximal end and a distal end. Utilization of an adjustable retainage system  140  allows the barrier dispensing apparatus  100  to flexibly attach to the storage bag B, as shown in FIG. 1, without creating mounting stress points, such as rivets or other fixed attachment points, which can serve as focal points of stress damage to the dispenser or the bag. Additionally, a flexible retainer adjuster  170  may be mounted at the flexible retainer  160  proximal end. The flexible retainer adjuster  170  allows the user to increase or decrease the effective length of the flexible retainer  160 . Further, a first flexible retainer engagement device  180  adapted to releasably engage the first housing engagement device  150  and may be mounted to the flexible retainer  160  substantially near the proximal end. Additionally, a second flexible retainer engagement device  180  adapted to releasably engage the second housing engagement device  150  may be mounted to the flexible retainer  160  distal end.  
         [0036]    Additional embodiments of the present invention may include devices for tearing or cutting the barrier material SB. One such embodiment includes a barrier tearing strip  190 , as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3. A barrier tearing strip  190  may be mounted to the housing interior  112 , as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, or exterior surface  114 , not shown, adjacent to the dispensing opening  130 . Additionally, the barrier tearing strip  190  may be mounted to the upper edge  132 , as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, or lower edge  134 , as shown in FIG. 2, of the dispensing opening  130 . The barrier tearing strip  190  is preferably mounted to the interior surface  112  to avoid accidental injury to the user and to the upper edge  132  of the dispensing opening  130  to avoid accidental tearing of the barrier material SB.  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a further embodiment may include a barrier cutting device  195 . A barrier cutting device  195  may be adapted to be slideably received in the dispensing opening  130 . Such a device  195  may be of the sliding blade or rolling blade variations, or any of the numerous sheet material cutting methods.  
         [0038]    Several embodiments of the present invention vary the method that the roll of sheet barrier material SB is held in the housing  110 . For example, referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, in one variation the roll slides into the housing  110  and rests on the interior surface  112  of the housing  110 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, inwardly extending bosses  200  may be formed in the at least one end wall  119  and the at least one end cap  120 . Such inwardly extending bosses  200  extend into the hollow center of a roll of sheet barrier material SB and supports the roll from the bosses  200  and does not allow the roll to rest on the housing interior surface  112 . Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the apparatus  100  may include outwardly extending bosses  210  formed in the at least one end wall  119  and the at least one end cap  120 . Such outwardly extending bosses  210  may be used with rolls of sheet barrier material SB wherein the tube upon which the barrier sheet material SB is wound extends beyond the ends of the barrier sheet material SB defining a tube extension at each end of the roll. Here, the tube extensions rest in the outwardly extending bosses  210  thereby supporting the roll from the bosses  210  and not allowing the roll to rest on the housing interior surface  112 . .  
         [0039]    In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus  100  may be configured as a flexible sheet barrier dispensing and receiving apparatus  500 , including a dispensing device  300  and a receiving device  505 , as shown in FIG. 6, adapted for dispensing and receiving a roll of sheet barrier material SB and for mounting on a portable equipment storage bag B. In this embodiment, a receiving housing  510  is mounted opposite to a dispensing housing  310 , the dispensing housing  310  configured similar to the dispensing apparatus  100  described above and shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, except that the barrier tearing strip  390 , shown in FIG. 6, or barrier cutting device  195  may be omitted.  
         [0040]    Referring now to FIG. 6, the receiving housing  510  has a proximal end, a distal end, at least one sidewall  518 , an interior surface  512 , an exterior surface  514 , and at least one end wall  519 . The receiving housing  510  has a receiving opening  530  formed in the receiving housing  510 . It also has at least one removable receiving housing end cap  519  to releasably engage the receiving housing  510 , a first receiving housing engagement device  550  releasably attached to the at least one receiving housing end wall  519 , a second receiving housing engagement device  550  releasably attached to the at least one removable receiving housing end cap  520 , and an adjustable receiving housing retainage system  540  adapted to secure the receiving apparatus  505  to the storage bag B. A receiving axle  640  having a proximal and a distal end, is removably and rotatably mounted at the proximal end to the at least one receiving housing end wall  519  and at the distal end to the at least one receiving housing end cap  520 . The axle  640  further including a gripping device  650  to releasably grip and retain the sheet barrier material SB. Additionally, a hand-grippable rotation device  660  drivingly linked to the axle  640  allows the user to rotate the device  660 , and therefore the axle  640 , thus winding the sheet barrier material SB around the axle  640 .  
         [0041]    Referring again to FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the barrier material SB rolls in a continuous fashion between the dispensing housing  310  and the receiving housing  510 . The used barrier material SB is rolled within the receiving housing  510 , exposing a continuing section of clean barrier material SB for each use. The used material SB is thereby collected within the receiving housing  510  for later disposal.  
         [0042]    Referring still to FIG. 6, the dispensing housing  310  has a proximal end, a distal end, at least one dispensing sidewall  318 , an interior dispensing surface  312 , an exterior dispensing surface  314 , and at least one dispensing end wall  319 . The dispensing housing  310  has a dispensing opening  330  formed in the dispensing housing  310 . It also has at least one removable dispensing housing end cap  319  to releasably engage the dispensing housing  310 , a first dispensing housing engagement device  350  releasably attached to the at least one dispensing housing end wall  319 , a second dispensing housing engagement device  350  releasably attached to the at least one removable dispensing housing end cap  320 , and an adjustable dispensing housing retainage system  340  adapted to secure the dispensing apparatus  300  to the storage bag B.  
         [0043]    Additionally, one with skill in the art will recognize that the receiving flexible retainer  560 , the dispensing flexible retainer  360 , the receiving flexible retainer adjuster  570 , the dispensing flexible retainer adjuster  370 , the receiving flexible retainer engagement device  580 , and the dispensing flexible retainer engagement device  380 , shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, are equivalent to the flexible retainer  160 , the flexible retainer adjuster  170 , and the flexible retainer engagement device  180 , shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 and described above.  
         [0044]    Any of the preceding embodiments may include a retainer centering device  220 ,  420  releasably attached to the flexible retainer  160 ,  360 . The retainer centering device  220 ,  420  would ensure that the housing  110 ,  310 ,  510  is held substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the storage bag B. The retainer centering device  220 ,  420  may be attached to the flexible retainer  160 ,  360 ,  560  with a number of commonly available fastening devices, including but not limited to mechanical fasteners and hook and loop type fasteners. Further, the flexible retainer  160  may be used as a shoulder strap for transporting the apparatus  100  when not releasably attached to the storage bag B.  
         [0045]    Additionally, any of the preceding embodiments may include a visual inspection port  230 . The visual inspection port  230  may be located in the at least one end wall  119 , at least one end cap  120 , and the at least one sidewall  118 . The visual inspection port  230  would allow the user to view the roll of sheet barrier material SB in the housing  110  permitting the user to know when a roll is almost empty.  
         [0046]    The material and construction of the components of the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus  100  is selected to be a impact resistant and durable material that resists abrasion wear and that can withstand exposure to deleterious fluids and substances, such as, without limitation, biological, and commercial fluids and substances. Some such exemplary substances and fluids include high temperature water, cleaning and disinfecting fluids, petrochemicals, biological fluids, oil, grease, bacteria, fungi, to name a few. In lieu of including a visual inspection port  230 , the apparatus  100  may be constructed of transparent material facilitating visual inspection of the sheet barrier material SB.  
         [0047]    Numerous alterations, modifications, and variations of the preferred embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art and they are all anticipated and contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the instant invention. For example, although specific embodiments have been described in detail, those with skill in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments and variations can be modified to incorporate various types of substitute and or additional or alternative materials, relative arrangement of elements, and dimensional configurations for compatibility with the flexible sheet barrier dispensing apparatus. Accordingly, even though only few variations of the present invention are described herein, it is to be understood that the practice of such additional modifications and variations and the equivalents thereof, are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.