Patent Publication Number: US-2006010563-A1

Title: Disposable glove dispensing apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims priority based upon my copending Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/574,254; filed May 26, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to article dispensers, and, more particularly, to dispensers especially adapted for dispensing disposable gloves.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Disposable gloves are employed for a variety of purposes in a variety of environments. A convenient way of storing and dispensing disposable gloves is to employ a roll of disposable gloves and to pull off from the roll the disposable gloves that are to be used.  
      Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to dispensing articles, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,583,557, 3,958,768, 5,096,089, 6,021,919, and 6,435,388.  
      More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,089 discloses a disposable glove dispenser in which a plurality of gloves are arranged in closely spaced parallel relationship to one another for removal, one at time, from an exit opening in an enclosure. To mechanically place a plurality of disposable gloves in closely spaced parallel relationship to one another may require a complex reciprocating mechanical movement. Rather than require such a complex reciprocating mechanical movement, it would be desirable if a plurality of disposable gloves were placed on a roll. Mechanically placing a plurality of disposable gloves on a roll requires only a simply rotary movement.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,919 discloses a dispenser for sanitary gloves in which gloves are dispensed by hand from a roll of gloves. A user must grasp a glove by a free end and pull on the grasped glove to unroll the roll of gloves. Sometimes it is difficult for a user to manually locate a free end of the roll of disposable gloves. Also, sometimes it is difficult to manually grasp a located free end. In this respect, it would be desirable if a motorized movement device were employed to rotate a roll of disposable gloves to advance the free end of the roll to a location at which a user can easily grasp the desired disposable glove.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,388 discloses an apparatus for donning sterile gloves. The apparatus operates to employ a powered vacuum system to inflate a sterile glove, and a user places one&#39;s hand in the inflated glove and removes the hand and glove from the apparatus. The powered vacuum system employed with this device is complex and expensive. In this respect, it would be desirable if an apparatus for dispensing disposable gloves were provided in which no powered vacuum system is employed.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,768 discloses a package of gussetted bags on a roll. Bags that are dispensed from this apparatus must be dispensed by hand. A user must grasp a bag by a free end and pull on the grasped bag to unroll the roll of bags. As stated above with respect to the discussion of U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,919, it would be desirable if a motorized movement device were employed to rotate a roll of disposable gloves to advance the free end of the roll to a location at which a user can easily grasp the desired disposable glove.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,557 may be of interest for its disclosure of a plastic binding and apparatus for dispensing same.  
      Still other features would be desirable in a disposable glove dispensing apparatus. Disposable gloves are very flaccid and are not rectangularly shaped. As such, is may be difficult to efficiently and conveniently produce a neat roll of flaccid and non-rectangular disposable gloves. To overcome these problems, it would be desirable if each disposable glove were placed on a rectangular backing strip, that is somewhat stiffer than the disposable glove, such that the backing strip can be separated from the flaccid glove at the location at which a user grasps the glove.  
      If a roll of disposable gloves is placed in an outdoor environment in winter, such as near a gasoline pump, the disposable gloves may crack in the cold temperatures. In this respect, it would be desirable to provide a heating apparatus to assure that the disposable gloves to be dispensed are maintained at a suitable temperature to prevent the gloves from cracking.  
      Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use dispensers for dispensing disposable gloves from a roll of gloves, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a disposable glove dispensing apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a plurality of disposable gloves that are placed on a roll; (2) employs a motorized movement device to rotate a roll of disposable gloves to advance the free end of the roll to a location at which a user can easily grasp the desired disposable glove; (3) does not employ a powered vacuum system; (4) provides that each flaccid disposable glove is placed on a rectangular backing strip that is somewhat stiffer than the disposable glove, such that the backing strip is separated from the flaccid glove at the location at which a user grasps the glove; and (5) provides a heating device to assure that the disposable gloves to be dispensed are maintained at a suitable temperature to prevent the gloves from cracking at cold temperatures. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique disposable glove dispensing apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a disposable glove dispensing apparatus which includes an apparatus support and a disposable glove roll holder supported by the apparatus support. A disposable glove roll is retained on the disposable glove roll holder. The disposable glove roll includes a plurality of individual disposable gloves retained on a continuous glove carrier strip assembly. An electric motor is supported by the apparatus support for unrolling the glove carrier strip assembly and for positioning disposable gloves in a glove access region. A motor-actuator button is electrically connected to the electric motor for actuating the electric motor.  
      With one embodiment of the invention, the disposable gloves can be in the form of five-fingered gloves. A strip assembly guide, supported by the apparatus support, is provided for receiving the glove carrier strip assembly and for guiding the glove carrier strip assembly to the glove access region.  
      More specifically, the glove carrier strip assembly can include a base carrier strip. A glove retention strip is supported by the base carrier strip, and glove connectors are connected between the glove retention strip and the disposable gloves. Preferably, the glove connectors are perforated regions between the glove retention strip and the disposable gloves.  
      The strip assembly guide includes a separator edge for separating the base carrier strip from the glove carrier strip assembly and includes a guide edge for separating the glove retention strip from the apparatus support. The apparatus support can be in a form of a counter top. This embodiment is very useful in food preparation venues.  
      With another embodiment of the invention, the disposable gloves are in a form of disposable mitts. The continuous glove carrier strip assembly includes a plurality of disposable mitts linked together in head-to-tail fashion. The linked disposable mitts are linked by perforated regions between adjacent disposable mitts. This embodiment is very useful in gasoline stations to provide disposable mitts for people who pump gasoline.  
      In addition, each of the disposable mitts can include a sealed region spaced apart from the perforated regions. Also, each of the disposable mitts can include a longitudinal perforated line.  
      With this embodiment, the apparatus support is in a form of a housing. A heating unit, housed in the housing, can be provided to prevent the disposable mitts from cracking in cold weather.  
      The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.  
      In this respect, before explaining at least two preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
      As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
      It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.  
      It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.  
      It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.  
      An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such disposable glove dispensing apparatus available to the buying public.  
      Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which provides a plurality of disposable gloves that are placed on a roll.  
      Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus that employs a motorized movement device to rotate a roll of disposable gloves to advance the free end of the roll to a location at which a user can easily grasp the desired disposable glove.  
      Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which does not employ a powered vacuum system.  
      Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus that provides that each flaccid disposable glove is placed on a rectangular backing strip that is somewhat stiffer than the disposable glove, such that the backing strip is separated from the flaccid glove at the location at which a user grasps the glove.  
      Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus which provides a heating device to assure that the disposable gloves to be dispensed are maintained at a suitable temperature to prevent the gloves from cracking at cold temperatures.  
      These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be better understood and the above objects as well as objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view showing a first embodiment of the disposable glove dispensing apparatus of the invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the embodiment of the disposable glove dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the disposable glove dispensing apparatus of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3  thereof.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a roll of gloves removed from the dispenser unit.  
       FIG. 5  is side view of a second embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged front view of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 , taken along line  6 - 6  thereof.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      With reference to the drawings, a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.  
      Turning to  FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown a first embodiment of the disposable glove dispensing apparatus of the invention generally designated by reference numeral  10 . In the first embodiment, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus  10  includes an apparatus support  12  and a disposable glove roll holder  14  supported by the apparatus support  12 . A disposable glove roll  16  is retained on the disposable glove roll holder  14 . The disposable glove roll  16  includes a plurality of individual disposable gloves  18  retained on a continuous glove carrier strip assembly  20 . An electric motor  22  is supported by the apparatus support  12  for unrolling the glove carrier strip assembly  20  and for positioning disposable gloves  18  in a glove access region  24 . A motor-actuator button  26  is electrically connected to the electric motor  22  for actuating the electric motor  22 . Suitably treated opposed longitudinal edges on the roll  16  bordering the strip assembly  20  facilitate positive driven movement of the carrier strip by electric motor  22 .  
      With respect to the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the disposable gloves  18  can be in the form of five-fingered gloves. A strip assembly guide  28 , supported by the apparatus support  12 , is provided for receiving the glove carrier strip assembly  20  and for guiding the glove carrier strip assembly  20  to the glove access region  24 .  
      More specifically, the glove carrier strip assembly  20  can include a base carrier strip  30 . A glove retention strip  32  is supported by the base carrier strip  30 , and glove connectors  34  are connected between the glove retention strip  32  and the disposable gloves  18 . Preferably, the glove connectors  34  are perforated regions between the glove retention strip  32  and the disposable gloves  18 .  
      Alternatively, the glove connectors  34  could be quantities of a contact adhesive between the tops of the disposable gloves  18  and the glove retention strip  32 .  
      The strip assembly guide  28  includes a separator edge  36  for separating the base carrier strip  30  from the glove carrier strip assembly  20  and includes a guide edge  38  for separating the glove retention strip  32  from the apparatus support  12 . The apparatus support  12  can be in a form of a counter top  12 . This embodiment of the invention is eminently adapted for use in food preparation venues, such as fast food restaurants. Such a disposable glove dispensing apparatus would provide improved sanitation and efficiency.  
      To operate the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the disposable glove roll  16  is loaded onto the disposable glove roll holder  14 , and a leading end of the glove carrier strip assembly  20  is threaded into the guide space between the strip assembly guide  28  and the apparatus support  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . When the motor-actuator button  26  is pressed, the electric motor  22  moves the glove carrier strip assembly  20  past the separator edge  36  and to the glove access region  24 . As the glove carrier strip assembly  20  passes the separator edge  36 , the base carrier strip  30  is peeled off of the glove retention strip  32 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The peeled off base carrier strip  30  can be collected in a waste receptacle (not shown).  
      After passing the separator edge  36 , the glove retention strip  32  is moved to the glove access region  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The glove access region  24  can be an open window region in the apparatus support  12 , that is counter top  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The glove retention strip  32  is stopped in the glove access region  24 , and a user can insert one&#39;s hands into the exposed disposable gloves  18 . Then, the user can tighten one&#39;s fists with the disposable gloves  18  thereon and pull upward. When this is done, the disposable gloves  18  are separated from the glove retention strip  32  by tearing the gloves away from the glove connectors  34 , i. e. glove perforations  34 .  
      After the disposable gloves  18  have been detached from the glove retention strip  32 , the glove-free portion of the glove retention strip  32  can be collected in a waste container (not shown).  
      Turning to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a second embodiment  40  of the invention is shown. Reference numerals are shown that correspond to like reference numerals that designate like elements shown in the other figures. With this embodiment of the invention, the disposable gloves are in a form of disposable mitts  48 . Each mitt has a thumb reception digit and another single region for receiving four fingers. The continuous glove carrier strip assembly includes a plurality of disposable mitts  48  linked together in head-to-tail fashion. The linked disposable mitts  48  are linked by perforated regions  42  between adjacent disposable mitts  48 .  
      In addition, each of the disposable mitts  48  includes a sealed region  50  spaced apart from the perforated regions  42 . Also, each of the disposable mitts  48  includes a longitudinal perforated line  52 . The longitudinal perforated line  52  permits each disposable mitt  48  to be easily removed from a user&#39;s hand when the mitt is no longer needed. By tearing the longitudinal perforated line  52 . A split  54  is formed, and the disposable mitt  48  can be easily removed from the user&#39;s hand.  
      Each of the disposable mitts  48  could also include a pull tab (not shown). If desired, gloves or mittens could come with scented fragrances. The apparatus support  12  is in a form of a housing  12 . The housing  12  can be installed on a vertical structure  11  adjacent to a gasoline pump  13 . In this respect, the second embodiment  40  of the invention can be employed in gasoline stations to facilitate persons that pump gasoline to protect their hands from fuel contamination by using disposable mitts  48 . A heating unit  46  is housed in the housing  12  to prevent the disposable mitts  48  from cracking in cold weather.  
      More specifically, to use the second embodiment  40  of the invention, a person presses the motor-actuator button  26 . Then, the electric motor  22  advances one or two disposable mitts  48  from the disposable glove roll  16  out from the bottom of the housing  12 . Then, the user pulls the bottommost disposable mitt  48  off of the disposable glove roll  16  by tearing the perforated regions  42  between the bottommost disposable mitt  48  and the next to last mitt.  
      If desired, near the end of a disposable glove roll  16 , the gloves or mitts can change color, thereby providing a warning that the supply of gloves or mitts is running low.  
      Aside from the venues of food service locations and gasoline stations, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus  10  of the invention could also be used hospital emergency rooms and doctors offices.  
      If desired, the disposable glove dispensing apparatus  10  could be provided as a self-contained unit on wheels or a cart so that a hole in a counter top would not have to be made.  
      The disposable glove dispensing apparatus  10  of the invention could be designated “E-Z Glove” or “EZEE Glove.” 
      The components of the disposable glove dispensing apparatus of the invention can be made from inexpensive and durable metal and plastic materials.  
      As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need be provided.  
      It is apparent from the above that the present invention accomplishes all of the objects set forth by providing a new and improved disposable glove dispensing apparatus that is low in cost, relatively simple in design and operation, and which may advantageously be used to provide a plurality of disposable gloves that are placed on a roll. With the invention, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus is provided which employs a motorized movement device to rotate a roll of disposable gloves to advance the free end of the roll to a location at which a user can easily grasp the desired disposable glove. With the invention, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus is provided which does not employ a powered vacuum system. With the invention, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus provides that each flaccid disposable glove is placed on a rectangular backing strip that is somewhat stiffer than the disposable glove, such that the backing strip is separated from the flaccid glove at the location at which a user grasps the glove. With the invention, a disposable glove dispensing apparatus provides a heating device to assure that the disposable gloves to be dispensed are maintained at a suitable temperature to prevent the gloves from cracking at cold temperatures.  
      Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use.  
      Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification.  
      Finally, it will be appreciated that the purpose of the annexed Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is neither intended to define the invention or the application, which only is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.