Abstract:
A swab dispenser comprising a bin adapted to store swabs, a fluid reservoir, and optionally, a cover. The bin may be compartmentalized. The reservoir ceiling has a depression in its outer surface and an aperture at the low point of the depression. A membrane covers the aperture. The membrane has at least two intersecting slits that allows a swab to be inserted into the reservoir by temporarily deforming the membrane. Preferably, the slits extend completely across the aperture. Preferably, the floor of the reservoir is concave with the low point directly below the aperture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to arts and crafts and health and beauty products, more particularly, to a device for storing swabs and a wetting fluid. 
     2. The Prior Art 
     Cotton swabs are handy tools for applying fluids to small areas, for example, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, or paint. The swabs are stored in one container and the application fluid is stored in a separate covered container. The user removes a swab from its container, removes the cap from the fluid container, wets the swab by dipping it into the fluid, and then replaces the cap. In most cases, the fluid container is substantially deeper than the length of the swab, so the container must be tilted to wet the swab, requiring two hands. Having to manipulate the swab, cap, and fluid container can be awkward and prone to accidents, particularly when putting the cap back on the fluid container while holding a wet swab. There is also the convenience factor of having to deal with two containers which may or may not be stored together. 
     Several solutions to the problem have been posed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,806, the fluid container is fitted with a stopper through which a swab can be pushed for wetting. Although this device substantially reduces the risk of accidental spillage, it does not alleviate the inconvenience of having two separate containers. 
     A different solution is suggested by U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,719. In this patent, the fluid is stored in hollow in the handle of the swab. When wetting is desired, the user pushes the swab onto a pin to prick a hole in the hollow, allowing the fluid to escape and wet the swab. The shortcomings of this device are that it is a one-use-only device that is relatively complicated and expensive to produce. Also, both the swab and the swab container with the pin need to be disposed of after use, no part of the device is reusable. Finally, it is not particularly cost-effective for home use. 
     A third solution is suggested by U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,226. In this patent, the swab is stored in a sealed bag with a smaller burst pouch that holds the fluid. The pouch is burst open while the bag is sealed, and the fluid from the pouch wets the swab within the bag. Then the bag is opened and the swab is removed. Like with the &#39;719 patent above, this is a one-use-only device that is relatively complicated and expensive to produce. The &#39;226 patent does disclose that there may be more than one swab in the bag. They are all wetted at the same time and must either be used or disposed of. Also like the &#39;719 patent, all components of the device need to be disposed of after use, no part of the device is reusable. Finally, this device is not particularly convenient or cost-effective for home use. 
     Thus there continues to be a need for a device to safely and conveniently store swabs and wetting fluid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a swab dispenser with an integral fluid reservoir for safely and conveniently storing swabs and a wetting fluid. 
     Another object is to provide a swab dispenser that is cost-effective for home, commercial, industrial use. 
     A further object is to provide a swab dispenser that only requires one hand to remove and wet a swab. 
     The present invention is a swab dispenser adapted for use with a swab that has a relatively straight, rigid handle with an absorbent material attached at an end thereof. The dispenser has a storage bin for swabs and a reservoir for a wetting fluid. The storage bin is an open top compartment that is optionally separated into compartments. The swabs stand generally vertically. 
     The reservoir holds a fluid for wetting the swab, so the walls of the reservoir must be impervious to the fluid. The only opening to the reservoir is an aperture in the ceiling at the low point of a depression in the ceiling. The depression causes the fluid to flow down the depression surface to the aperture. The reservoir floor is concave, with the lowest point directly below the aperture so that the fluid flows to where it is most convenient for wetting the swab. 
     The aperture is covered by a membrane that minimizes evaporation and spillage of the fluid. The membrane has at least two intersecting slits through which the swab is pushed, causing the membrane to deform inwardly and opening a hole for the swab. The membrane is composed of a material that returns the membrane to its original shape when the swab is removed. Preferably, the slits extend across the entire aperture and the membrane. If the slits are shorter, they may tear with repeated use, increasing the size of the opening and allowing more potential evaporation and spillage. 
     Optionally, the swab dispenser of the present invention includes a clear cover for protecting the swabs from contamination, providing some protection against fluid spills, and further retarding evaporation. 
     Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following drawings and detailed description of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the swab dispenser of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the swab dispenser of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the membrane of FIG. 1 with a swab inserted. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The swab dispenser  10  of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The basic dispenser  10  has a storage bin  12  for swabs and a reservoir  14  for a wetting fluid. The present invention is intended for use with swabs  20  that have a rigid handle  22  with an absorbent material  24 , typically cotton, at one or both ends. 
     The storage bin  12  is preferably an open top compartment where the swabs  20  stand generally vertically. Optionally, the bin  12  is separated into a set of smaller compartments  26  by walls  28 . The compartments  26  provides several functions. If the compartments  26  are relatively small, the swabs remain relatively vertical when there are few swabs in the bin  12  to hold each other up. If there are few swabs in the bin  12 , the swabs tend to fall over. The walls  28  provide a support to hold the swabs up. More than one compartment  26  also makes it easier to separate different types of swabs so that they do not mingle and makes them easier to locate and remove. 
     The reservoir  14  holds a fluid  36  for wetting the swab  20  prior to use. The fluid  36  depends upon the application and may be, for example, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, antiseptic solutions, detergent solutions, plastic model cement, paint, or any kind of fluid that one may wish to apply with a swab. The reservoir  14  must be composed of a material that is impervious to the fluid  36 . Alternatively, the inner walls of the reservoir  14  are coated with a material that renders the walls impervious to the fluid  36 . 
     The reservoir  14  is nearly fully enclosed, with a ceiling  30 , side walls  32 , and floor  34 . The only opening to the reservoir  14  is an aperture  38  in the ceiling  30  through which the swab  20  is pushed for wetting. The aperture  38  is preferably round, but may have any shape. The aperture  38  is at the low point of a depression  44  in the ceiling  30 . The depression  44  is sloped so that most fluid  36  will flow down the depression surface  46  to the aperture  38 . The preferred range of angles of slope of the depression surface  46  depends upon the intended application of the present invention  10 . The more viscous the fluid  36 , the steeper the angle needs to be in order for the fluid  36  to flow down the slope. 
     The aperture  38  is preferably covered by a membrane  40  that retards evaporation and minimizes spillage of the fluid  36 . The membrane  40  has at least two intersecting slits  42  through which the swab  20  is pushed. When there are two slits  42 , they are preferably at approximately a 90° to each other, forming an X, as in FIG.  1 . 
     As a swab  20  is pushed through the slits  42 , the membrane  40  deforms inwardly, as in FIG. 3, opening a hole for the swab  42 . Preferably, the opening is only large enough to allow the swab  20  to fit through easily. The smaller the opening, the less evaporation and spillage of the fluid  36  they can be. 
     It is also preferred that the slits  42  extend across the entire aperture  38  and the membrane  40 . If the aperture  38  is round, the length of the slits  42  is the same as the diameter of the aperture  38  and membrane  40 . If the slits  42  are shorter than the membrane diameter, the slits  42  may tear with repeated use, increasing the size of the opening. And because the tearing will be irregular, the edges of the tear will not match, and the opening will no longer close. With this preferred configuration, the membrane  40  will not actually be a unitary component, but will consist of four 90° sections  48  of membrane  40 , each attached to the edge of the aperture  38 . The present invention does contemplate that the membrane  40  may be larger than the slits  42 , provided that the membrane  40  is composed of a material that resists tearing with repeated use. 
     As indicated above, one use of the membrane  40  is to reduce evaporation and spillage. Another possible use is to wipe excess fluid  36  from the swab  20  as it is pulled from the reservoir  14 . As a swab  20  is pushed through the slits  42 , the membrane sections  48  deform inwardly. As the swab  20  is pulled from the reservoir  14 , the membrane sections  48  tend to deform outwardly. As the absorbent material  24  of the swab  20  passes the membrane sections  48 , pressure from the membrane sections  48  against the absorbent material  24  squeezes off fluid that would most likely drip off the swab  20  prior to use. 
     The membrane  40  is composed of a material that is resilient so that it deforms inwardly when pushed by the swab  20 , and is rigid enough so that it returns to its original state to cover the aperture  38  to retard evaporation when the swab  20  is removed. Preferably, the membrane  40  is composed of a rubber or plastic material. 
     Preferably, the floor  34  of the reservoir  14  is concave, with the lowest point directly below the aperture  38 . With a flat floor, as the level of the fluid falls, the user typically needs to tilt the reservoir to wet the swab. The concave floor  34  of the present invention eliminates the need to tilt the reservoir  14  by using gravity to cause the remaining fluid  36  to pool at the lowest point under the aperture  38 , where the fluid  36  is easiest to reach. 
     The figures show a circular reservoir  14  in the center of the circular bin  12 . This arrangement is merely illustrative. Any arrangement of the bin  12  and reservoir  14  is contemplated by the present invention, as long as they are integrated into a single package. 
     The present invention contemplates that the dispenser  10  may be manufactured and sold with the reservoir  14  already filled with a fluid and/or that the reservoir  14  may be refilled from another container. The reservoir  14  would be refilled through the aperture membrane  40 . 
     Optionally, the swab dispenser  10  of the present invention includes a cover  16 . The cover  16  fits in a lip  50  on the outer wall of the integral bin/reservoir. The cover  16  provides several advantages. It protects the swabs  20  from contamination, provides some protection against fluid spills if the dispenser  10  should be knocked over or dropped, and further retards evaporation of the fluid  36 . Preferably, the cover  16  is clear so that the swabs  20  are visible. 
     Thus it has been shown and described a swab dispenser with an integral fluid reservoir which satisfies the objects set forth above. 
     Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.