TITLE HANDLE PROTECTOR FOR SHOPPERS

FIELD

This invention relates to disposable covers for handles of objects used by the public, including handles of shopping / luggage / supermarket trolleys, shopping baskets, and the like for the purpose of protecting against the spread of disease from previous users.

BACKGROUND

Some people are aware that one of life's avoidable risks (in terms of catching a pathogen) is having to touch or hold objects also touched by other members of the public, such as toilet door handles, escalator hand-holds, lift buttons, chairs, and in particular shopping trolley handles where the user is repeatedly selecting food to take home then gripping the trolley handle during a period of up to an hour. The handle may not have been washed in the preceding weeks. We shall refer to "shopping containers" as including supermarket trolleys and the baskets provided in shops for collecting items prior to checking out.

There was a recent (informal) television discussion which rated the shopping trolley handle as the most highly contaminated thing that people come into contact with.

Rheinbaben et al (J Hosp Infect, vol 46(1) pp 61-6 (2000) used a bacteriophage; strain phiX174 as a test pathogen and demonstrated the infection of 14 people one after the other from the same contaminated door handle, and successive transmission from one person to another up to the sixth transmission. Normal hand washing with soap was not an effective control measure.

Bean B et al (J Infect Dis vol 146(1) pp 47-51 (1982)) found that laboratory-grown influenza A and B viruses survived for 24-48 hrs on hard non porous surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel, though transferable amounts of virus may be picked up from shedders for 2-8 hours. (There is a certain interest at this time in the possible development of mutant bird flu viruses capable of being transferred from human to human). Gwaltney et al (Am J Epidemiol vol 116(5) pp 828-33 (1982)) showed rhinovirus transfer from infected tile surfaces over three days. (This is the common cold virus).

Supermarket trolleys are made with a horizontal rod serving as a handle. The rod is typically made of a tubular metal having an outside diameter of 25-30 mm, usually coated with a plastics material that may be coloured or printed with indicia. A handle that is firmly gripped with usually both hands during the process of shopping then unloading offers good opportunities for disease transfer.

Food grasped during shopping is likely to become coated with micro-organisms that are then imported into the home (or restaurant) kitchen environment. Most food is pre-packaged, but some (such as fruit and vegetables, and delicatessen items) are not. Few people in a home would expect that food package exteriors in one's larder are items likely to be contaminated in the sense of being infective, and most evidence is that after one day this is likely.

One solution to the trolley handle problem is to use disposable gloves which the shop might supply. However this would keep one's hands clean but food package exteriors would be no better off.

Trolleys of this general type are used by the public in other shopping applications and for luggage, for example at airports.

Few patent documents have addressed the particular aspect of supermarket trolley cleaning. One document (US 6427707 Morris) describes a trailer-mounted trolley-cleaner intended to give each entire trolley a good cleaning on perhaps a weekly basis. This does not meet the hour-to-hour requirements of relevance.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

To provide a sanitary cover for handles in particular supermarket / shopping / airport trolley handles, so that the health of the population is protected. The invention is also applicable to shopping basket handles, since a person uses the one item for an extended period in a shop, like a shopping trolley. Trolley handles are not the only risk, but they, like baskets, are controllable.

OBJECT

It is an object of this invention to provide covers for surfaces touched by the public, such as shopping trolley handles, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION In a first broad aspect this invention provides a sanitary covering for a handle for a shopping container (trolley or basket); the handle likely to have been held by a plurality of people prior to a present user and thereby become contaminated, wherein the sanitary covering means comprises a freshly provided, impervious and replaceable cylindrical surface covering the handle, .

In a first related aspect, the sanitary covering comprises a replaceable sheet of a clean material having about the same length as the length of the handle and at least the same width as the circumference of the handle and the corners of the sheet are rounded in order to facilitate placement over the handle by serving as lead-ins, as an expanded opening at each end of the slit after rolling; the sheet of material having been rolled into a cylindrical shape that is held as shape memory so that when placed over the handle the sanitary covering is retained over the handle and the user is not able to touch the potentially contaminated handle.

Alternatively, the replaceable single-use cover comprises a cylinder or tube having a normally closed slit opening extending along a side so that the cover can be fitted over an elongated handle which is pushed into the slit, and the material of the cover is then capable of closing over the handle.

Preferably, the sanitary cover is provided with fastening means in order to retain the cover upon the handle during use; the fastening means comprising a releasable adhesive applied to at least a portion of the interior of the cylindrical handle.

Another example fastening means is a fastener capable of making a releasable connection across the slot.

Alternatively, the sanitary cover is comprised of an extruded plastics material, extruded in the shape of a cylinder bearing a lengthways slot and having sufficient strength to retain position and coverage over the handle when in use.

In a second related aspect, the sanitary covering bears indicia, visible to the user, of a promotional or advertising nature which leads to the option that the cost of providing the sanitary covering is borne by a commercial operation rather than by the shopper.

Preferably the sanitary covering is fabricated from a supply of blank sheets shortly before use and is disposable.

In a second broad aspect, the invention provides a mechanical dispenser for a sanitary covering as as previously described in this section, wherein the mechanical dispenser includes (a) means for separating a required amount of sheet material from a stock of material, (b) means for imposing a cylindrical shape on the sheet material, and (c) means for dispensing the cylindrical protector to a user.

Preferably the dispenser is placed adjacent an entry point to a shop or group of shops, for dispensing a sanitary cover to every person who wishes to guard against the transfer of dirt and/or

90 infectious agents when shopping.

Preferably the mechanical dispenser further includes means for shaping the corners of the sheet material prior to imposing the cylindrical shape.

Further, the mechanical dispenser optionally includes means for applying at least some indicia to the sanitary covering at the time of dispensing the sanitary cover.

95 Preferably the mechanical dispenser includes means for receiving topical information for printing on to sanitary coverings prior to dispensing; such information being electronically received.

In one alternative, the sanitary covering is fabricated from a roll of a light cardboard.

Optionally the sanitary covering is fabricated from a roll of a light cardboard impregnated with a waterproofing material.

100 In a third broad aspect the sanitary covering is re-usable and has been cleaned or sterilised after previous use.

In a fourth broad aspect, the sanitary covering comprises a replaceable handle that is the property of the user, and fits into a socket and is held in place by resilient means under compression.

In a fifth broad aspect the sanitary covering means for a handle comprises a multi-layered coating 105 over a handle, wherein each replaceable single-use cover for the handle is made fresh by means of discarding an outer, previously used layer so as to expose a fresh layer beneath, until the multi- layered coating is depleted and must be replaced.

In a sixth broad aspect the cover over the handle may be impregnated with a disinfectant material and/or a perfume.

no PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The description of the invention to be provided herein is given purely by way of example and is not to be taken in any way as limiting the scope or extent of the invention. Use of the words "comprising" or "including" should not be taken as implying a limitation.

DRAWINGS

115 Fig 1 : is a diagram showing a handle of a first proposed type (Example 1). Fig 2: shows a handle of a second proposed type (Example 2)

Fig 3: shows an example dispensing machine in cross section.

Fig 4: shows part of a bulk roll of pre-shaped and partially pre-printed covers.

EXAMPLE 1

120 The overall invention is a sanitary covering means for a handle for a shopping container (shopping trolley or basket, for example) supplied at and used in a retail store. It is expected that such handles are likely to have been held by a plurality of people prior to the present user of the container, and the general intention is to provide cheap yet effective sanitary covering means comprising a fresh impervious surface covering the entire handle. The fresh surface may be

125 substantially sterile, or at least, not have had previous use of this type. It is often held desirable that persons frequenting the shop or other venue should not be compulsorily made to use a cover of this type, so that they can simply hold the handle and use the trolley or basket in the ordinary way without the cover, in many but not all embodiments of this invention.

The sanitary covering means for a handle comprises, in one form, a replaceable single-use cover 130 for a handle. This is made visibly fresh (clean and most probably sterile) by means of replacement with a never previously used cover.

This version of the invention provides a sanitary/hygienic cover for a handle of a device such as a shopping trolley, supermarket trolley, or luggage trolley. This Example relates to an illustrative embodiment that is a tube-like or cylindrical sanitary handle cover made of a stiff paper or light

135 cardboard material. The material tends to remain in a tube-like shape as a result of a pre-forming process. It is desirable that the cover has enough strength to stay closed during use. Each handle has a slot cut along its length with a curved (rounded) or chamfered (straight cut) "entry point" cut at one or both ends, so that the cover can be applied simply in a one-step sliding motion, and removed easily after use. When in use, the user's hands apply force to the trolley through the wall

140 of the sanitary handle cover and hence to the trolley itself. Fig 1 shows the basic appearance. Here, 101 is a horizontal rod or pipe forming a trolley handle, placed transversely across the back of a trolley between supports 102. 100 is an "example 1" sanitary/hygienic cover, as it would appear to a user when ready to be placed over the handle 101. Typically 100 is a cardboard tube as described below. Indicia 103 are shown printed upon the sanitary/hygienic cover - these are not

145 part of the sanitary function but a marketing function may serve to cover the cost of the cover. On the other side, the sanitary/hygienic cover is provided with a lengthways slot 104 and preferably a widened "guiding-in" opening 106 is placed at one or both ends. This allows a user to grab the sanitary/hygienic cover and slide it on to the handle 101 in a single movement. Preferably slot 104

is, when in use, an overlap rather than a gap.

150 Preferably the material of the sanitary/hygienic cover is sufficiently rigid that it retains a "shape memory" as a tube even after the margins of the slot 104 have been separated during the action of sliding the cover over a trolley handle. The intended period of use is a single shopping procedure, and for this the light cardboard option should be adequate. Typical prefabricated cardboard tubing is comprised of a two-ply, glued, spiral wrapped (onto a mandrel) structure, as is well known in

155 the paper arts. A white exterior may be considered aesthetically desirable. In order to manufacture sanitary handle covers, this tubing may be made from long flat strips of 1.5 - 2 mm thick unbleached card, and after the glue had dried, a press would be used to cut the slot and entry points., In a low-cost labour environment this modification can be done with hand tools such as scissors. Adhesive means may be used ensure that the tube remains closed while in use.

160 A "tropical" version may be required for use in hot humid climates where the user's hands are sweaty. This version may include waterproof or water-repellent qualities, such as wax impregnation or a plastic coating.

One variant would be, during use of the press, to deform the basic tube so that it grips the hands more easily and a person does not find themselves pressing against the slot and perhaps causing 165 the slot to gape, which would rather defeat the purpose of the cover. Deformation could also assist in gripping the underlying handle for anti-rotation purposes in particular. On the other hand deformation may render subsequent printing harder to apply. The handle may itself be made such as by extrusion so that it has a non-circular profile, such as a preferred oval or mushroom shape with a wider pushing edge.

170 Another variant suggested in Fig 1 is to apply a relatively light coating of a removable contact adhesive inside the tube, for example opposite the slot (strip 107 shown hatched), so that the adhesive tends to retain the tube in a preferred angle of rotation. Preferably the adhesive has properties such that the cover can be torn off the trolley easily after use, without leaving any remnants. The cross section in Fig 1 shows that the adhesive strip 107 is substantially opposite the

175 slot 104. A user would tend to press over the top of strip 107 hence supporting the adhesive bond. (This diagram has a slightly "exploded" format for clarity).

A further variant includes clip, catch, or fastener means for closing the slot so that after the cover

100 is placed over the handle 101 the fastener is used to maintain the gap closed and the cover is kept in place. Tab 105 in Fig 1 is an example of one such fastener. It may be provided with an

180 adhesive patch beneath the tab so that after pressing down in place, the tab retains the cover over

the handle.

In summary, the most likely variant to be used is a simple one. It consists of a light cardboard tube, rolled up tightly enough to exhibit a shape memory so that after being formed into a tube shape it tends to stay on the trolley handle until deliberately removed, with a lead-in curved cut on one or

185 both ends so that the shopper can pass the tube over one end of the handle and along the handle. The cover will then lie over the handle during a period of use. Such rolling should be made in the preferred "grain" of the fibres within the cardboard, for best shape retention. This version is likely to be shipped to the end user shop in one big roll 400 (see Fig 4) as wide as a handle is long, and optionally pre-printed (401) and pre-shaped with the lead-in(s) 402 so that the position of each

190 eventual cover is pre-determined. This roll is suitable for the dispenser of Example 5.

EXAMPLE 2

Yet another variant, which is shown in Fig 2, is a relatively thin and flexible, although relatively tough sheet 200; preferably paper made impermeable as a result of a coating or impregnation of a glue, wax, or resin. The sheet length is less than the length of the trolley handle, and the sheet

195 height is about 3.14 x the expected handle diameter + 5 mm. As in Example 1, the other side of the sheet may bear printed indicia. A strip of removable contact adhesive 201 (which may not be continuous, in order to save on adhesive) is placed on one surface of the sheet along a line. For use, the strip 201 is stuck by the user along the handle near the top aspect, where it (a) holds the sheet during application, and (b) serves to stop rotation during use, and the paper sheet is then

200 draped over the entire handle. The additional adhesive portions (202) are used to seal the paper cover to itself under the 5 mm overlap so that a a complete cover is formed over the handle as shown in the accompanying cross section in Fig 2 of a handle 101. The adhesive may be similar in properties to that used in the well-known "3M brand Post-it" note pads. Instead of paper, alternative materials include a thin plastics film, such as a clear or coloured (or printed) polyethylene

205 or other plastics films, cellulose, or the like.

Preferably any disposable sanitary cover is easy to remove and discard without raising disposal problems, before the trolley has been made available for re-use by another shopper. This version could be provided with a frangible strip (perhaps like that used in some courier delivery envelopes, though the effect of perforations is adverse) running along the full width so that the cover can be 210 pulled off with a single movement. 203 shows a line of narrow cuts along the cover, which provide a weakened line.

EXAMPLE 3

For a shopping trolley or basket, the entire handle may be constructed as a removable and re- sterilisable option. See Fig 3. This would be likely to comprise a straight rod or pipe 302+ 303,

215 each end of which would fit into a socket 301 attached to a trolley handle support 102 provided with a catch mechanism (not shown; bayonet lock for example) so that it is securely retained during use. For example the removable handle may be held in place by resilient means under compression, such as an internal compression spring 305 and has a telescoping middle section 304. This type of handle is easy to clean and sterilise, perhaps using hot water or steam, once removed

220 after use (lower part of Fig 3). Entire trolleys are not easy to clean and sterilise because of the space that each one occupies. This form of handle could be the property of each shopper. An extruded, stiff plastics cover could also be the property of a particular shopper.

EXAMPLE 4

The inventor is also considering a replaceable multi-layered coating placed over a handle, wherein 225 each layer serves temporarily as a fresh, sterile cover and at the end of use (or perhaps, more preferably, at the beginning, is stripped off and disposed of, thereby exposing a fresh, clean layer. Eventually the multilayered coating is fully depleted and must be replaced.

In one form the multi-layered version may comprise a plurality of layers of an impervious, weakly adhesive tape (with the adhesive preferably facing inwards) each layer comprising an encom- 230 passing unit.

In another form the multi-layered version may comprise a plurality of layers of an impervious, non-adhesive film of a plastics, paper or other cellulosic material, each layer comprising a handle- encompassing unit.

EXAMPLE 5

235 Shop owners may consider that the provision of sanitary covers is warranted on the grounds of enticing more shoppers so that no charge is made. A given supermarket may consider that providing the sanitary covers (which may cost 0.1% of the retail value of the contents of an average filled trolley) is an advantageous point of differentiation from competitors. A charge for each sanitary cover could be applied, imposed either at the point of entry or more preferably at the

240 checkout.

The sanitary handle covers may be dispensed as already finished items at the point of entry into the supermarket (or other public place where trolleys are in use) from a simple wall-mounted dispenser which for Example 1 covers may be an inverted prism shape so that once a cover is withdrawn from the bottom aperture, another falls down to take its place. An even simpler 245 dispenser is a bucket. These dispensers would be suited for pre-printed and already rolled covers and for use in low-volume shops such as dairies, garages or groceries. Example 2 covers may be dispensed from a device like a paper towel dispenser, or from a many-layered pad.

There are a number of commercial advantages, more particularly for high-volume shops such as supermarkets, in using technically more complex dispensers. Suitable dispensers should hold a 250 large number of covers, preferably in compacted form. Assuming that an average supermarket handles 600-1000 shoppers per day, dispensing an about 100 m total length of covers at a rate of at least one per minute is required if all shoppers make use of the covers.

The covers may be pre-printed and may be pre-shaped before being rolled up in a roll for insertion into a bulk dispenser. Pre-printing may be in colour and may include relatively timeless material 255 that the supermarket is paid to include (such as the logos of well-known brands) in order to offset the cost of the covers and dispenser. Justification is that the user of the cover is well exposed to the printed material for a significant period. Pre-printing may also include daily or weekly specials available at each supermarket.

Topical information such as daily or weekly specials, or other notices may also be over-printed on 260 to each cover immediately prior to dispensing. This has the advantages of easier organisation in terms of getting the right printed material to the right place, more timely advertising, and encourages people to look at the advertising, so opening up marketing opportunities.

A floor-mounted version of a machine 300 to dispense and print covers is shown in Fig 3. (A version mounted on a wall or on another support is an option). It would be located at the part of a

265 supermarket where shoppers come in and are about to grab a trolley. The base of the machine holds a bulk roll 301 of a light cardboard or other selected material 301 A for forming covers as per Example 1 (see above). One suitable light cardboard is about 0.2 mm in thickness and a roll would be about 420 mm wide and as heavy (long) as is suitable for lifting by one person (about 20 kg) unless mechanical assistance is provided. A supplementary roll may be included in case the

270 main roll runs out. The machine is provided with a no-touch "start" control, so that a shopper can command the production of a single cover preferably without touching a button (which rather destroys the purpose of the invention). At this point, a coin-operated option should be considered. Photoelectric detectors and proximity detectors are known, so that placing one's hand near a

particular part of the dispenser causes a cover to be produced. Alternatively, one or more finished

275 covers 302 may always be available in a collecting bin 303 and the act of removal of one, detected photo-electrically such as by a "light curtain" or by some other proximity-sensitive means, causes another one to be produced immediately. A shopper should never have to wait for any dispensing process. If the dispenser is to apply indicia (over-print onto a cover) there is a printing time to be allowed for, and possibly an ink drying time (depending on the selected technology) because ink

280 on the cover should not stain a shopper's hands. Inks based on (for example) methyl ethyl ketone solvents should dry quickly. Note that internal printing is an option, not a necessary aspect of the invention.

Within the machine, a likely layout of components is as shown in Fig 3. An array of three (or more) rollers (305, 307 large, 306 small) wherein the large rollers press against the small roller 285 have two functions: to imprint the curved/tubular shape and, because they grip the cover material well, are also suited to draw the cover material from the roller. They or at least one of them are driven by a strong motor. Heating one or more of these rollers may assist in shape imprinting, as well as in drying any wet ink. A cutter 308 follows the array of rollers, so that one cover can be separated from the roll, and the separated cover then falls into the collecting bin 303. An optional 290 printing mechanism is located "upstream" from the array of rollers. Assuming for the sake of illustration that an industrial-quality dot-matrix printing technology is used (and many other technologies known in the art including ink-jet, thermal, and laser printing may be employed), the unrolled sheet of covers is constrained by one or more rollers 309 to pass at a controlled distance under a print head 310 with ribbon which can be driven to and fro across the surface to be printed, 295 while specific pins in the head are actuated in the same manner as used in a computer printer so that characters and other indicia appear on the cover as required. In this case the rollers 305, 306, 307 would be driven intermittently such as by a motor controller 315 to turn or stay still in time with the steps of the printing process. In order to synchronise the printing process with the cover a photoelectric detector or a microswitch 304 is located near the printer in order to detect the pre- 300 cut curved or chamfered edges and hence the leading edge of a new cover as it comes off the bulk roll 301.

A microprocessor 311 within the dispenser controls the printer 310 as well as general functioning of the dispenser. For example a "roll nearly empty" alarm signal may be generated such as by a roll size detector 312 and communicated to the store manager.

305 Preferably the microprocessor is remotely accessible through (for example) an interface 313 to the cellular telephone network or some other data transfer means, so that (A) information to be printed

can be downloaded from a remote point, and (B) dispenser status (such as "jammed" or "low on ink" or "low on covers") can be sent as a text message or otherwise to a responsible person. The interface 313 would be integrated with the microprocessor controller. There may also be a liquid- 310 crystal display 314 showing relevant messages to the shopper.

Variations on the dispenser as shown include: placement of the rollers that impose the curve after the cutter unit,

other variations of placement of rollers, overprinting by fastening a separate printed transparent sheet, held on a separate roll, on to the 315 outer side of the cover,

deletion of any overprinting means,

adaptation for dispensing covers from a stack of flat sheets rather than from a roll, communications in either or both directions using other local-area network or wide-area network protocols and hardware.

320 EXAMPLE 6

Any of the sanitary covers described above may be chemically treated by impregnation or surface treatment with a disinfectant material on one or both sides. This has the effect of further minimising the spread of pathogens from one person to another. One cheap and relatively non- allergenic material is propylene glycol, approved by the FDA as "generally regarded as safe" for

325 ingestion. Propylene glycol is an odourless liquid with a boiling point of 197 deg C so should remain in place for a sufficient period. Other known disinfectants may have an associated perfume, such as some pine extracts, or a perfume may be applied in the absence of an associated disinfectant property. The perfume may be provided within sealed micro-bubbles which are burst at the time that the cover is pressed and used. There is a growing amount of resistance by the public to

330 exposure to chemicals of any type especially by large corporations, and use of propylene glycol among other materials has been criticised.

VARIATIONS

Non-disposable variants may be made in a harder material. For example, a variant of the Example

1 shape is a personally owned, washable and re-usable cover made in a more durable, more expensive, rigid yet "springy" material such as a polyethylene plastics material about 1 mm thick, for use in places where sanitary covers are expected to be not readily available. This may be provided at the time of manufacture with attachment means for (for example) a shopping list (paper or technically advanced device, eg LCD display, or calculator,) and pen.

Variants for use from time to time on other surfaces such as lift buttons, stair and escalator handrails, and washroom door handles can be designed according to the principles described in this specification - noting always that an older solution to that problem is the wearing of gloves. It will be appreciated that it is convenient to treat shopping container handles according to this invention, because there is a one-to-one link between the trolley and the customer whereas there is a one-to-many link between a fixture such as a stair rail and many people who pass by. At least the reduced transfer of dirt and infectious agents will reduce the general level of contamination in a public area, and people will be more aware of the possibility that they can manage this problem.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Scientific studies to prove on a population basis that the epidemiology of infectious diseases such as influenza diseases may be affected (become in effect more infectious) as a result of spread by public handles of one type or another are absent. The economic value to a nation must remain difficult to assess. However the invention does fulfil a long-felt public want at a low cost, especially should an outbreak of influenza begin.

In addition, the invention may be used as a marketing aid. Supermarket advertising people are always looking for novel routes that reach customers. Finally, it will be understood that the scope of this invention as described and/or illustrated herein is not limited to the specified embodiments. Those of skill will appreciate that various modifications, additions, known equivalents, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.