More specifically, this invention refers to a semi- hermetically sealed dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster for medical use.

According to another aspect this invention refers to a procedure for obtaining this device.

This invention can be applied in the industrial sector of pharmaceutical and paramedical products.

BACKGROUND ART The use of ring-shaped elements designed to wind up gauze or adhesive plaster in roll form, applicable on the skin of a patient to fix pieces of dressings covering traumatised areas, is known.

These elements have a tubular cylindrical configuration defined by a shoulder at each longitudinal end.

The central hole of the element is designed to be easily gripped by the user while the gauze or plaster is being unwound.

The ring-shaped element generally has a rigid cover, also ring-shaped, which snaps onto the shoulders and is designed to protect the gauze from external agents in order to keep it sterile and thus immediately usable.

The axial hollow portion of the ring-shaped element allows insertion of the user's thumb in order to rotate the element and extract the gauze. This operation envisages separation of the cover from the ring-shaped element, gripping the free end of the gauze and its subsequent unwinding.

One disadvantage is represented by the fact that the access to the gauze by means of removal of the ring does not guarantee perfect closure, with an evident shortcoming in terms of hygiene; the gauze or plaster can thus become dirty or dusty.

Another disadvantage is represented by the fact that during the extraction of the gauze, it unwinds in a very irregular way, sometimes preventing the closure by means of the ring-shaped cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention proposes to provide a semi- hermetically sealed dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster able to eliminate or substantially reduce the drawbacks mentioned above.

This invention also proposes to provide a dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster which can be easily produced. and is therefore economically advantageous.

According to another aspect this invention proposes to provide a procedure for obtaining such a dispensing device, which can be carried out rapidly and with a minimum outlay of raw materials.

This is achieved by means of a dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster with the features described in the main claim.

The dependent claims describe advantageous embodiments of the invention.

According to another aspect this is achieved by means of a procedure for obtaining a dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster with the features described in claim 8.

The semi-hermetically sealed dispensing device of gauze or adhesive plaster according to the invention comprises a tubular section presenting a shoulder at one of its longitudinal ends, a cup-shaped cover equipped, in the central part of its concave portion, with a bushing which during operation is housed inside the tubular section and equipped with means of coupling to the section, the cover and the section defining a space designed to house gauze or adhesive plaster for medical use in roll form.

According to the invention the free end of the bushing has a raised toroidal border designed, in operation, to snap project from the tubular section thus constituting means of coupling to the section.

According to an advantageous form of embodiment of the invention, the side of the cup-shaped cover presents at least one slit parallel to the axis of the bushing and designed to allow the gauze to pass through so it can be unwound and used.

At least one long side of said slit can be equipped with a blade acting as a cutter and it may be serrated; the blade according to the present invention may be obtained by moulding of the cover and consist of the same plastic material as the cover or according to another form of embodiment of the invention it can be made from

metal and inserted after the moulding.

According to one form of embodiment, the tubular section can consist of a series of fins, integral with the shoulder, which become narrower in width towards their free end.

The configuration of the fins provides the tubular section with an elasticity that is particularly suitable to hold a ring-shaped element on which gauze or adhesive plaster is wound.

The bushing of the cover is slightly conical towards its free end, to make insertion of the tubular section in the cover easier.

The dispensing device, in operation, presents a compact shape suitable to contain gauze or adhesive plaster in roll form in the space between the tubular section and the cover.

Once the end of the roll has been passed through the slit in the cover, the gauze or plaster are protected from the external environment, maintaining a high level of hygiene and health and preventing the gauze or plaster from becoming dirty or dusty.

The cover does not have to be continually removed to access the contents of the gauze-holder, thus making the operations carried out by the user considerably easier.

The procedure for obtaining a gauze-holder according to this invention comprises: - the production by moulding of the tubular section in a single piece with the respective shoulder; - the production by moulding of the cup-shaped cover in a single piece with the respective bushing ; - the wrapping of gauze or adhesive plaster around the

outer part of the tubular section or the positioning on the tubular section of a ring-shaped element holding a roll of gauze or adhesive plaster; the insertion of the cover bushing inside the tubular section, forming a compact and semi-hermetically sealed body enclosing the gauze or adhesive plaster.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become evident on reading the following description of a form of embodiment of the invention, given as a non- binding example, with the help of the enclosed drawings, in which: figure 1 shows an elevated side view, in cross- section of a dispensing device according to the invention; - figure 2 is an elevated front view of figure 1; - figure 3 shows an elevated side view, in cross- section of a tubular section; figure 4 shows an elevated side view, in cross- section of a cup-shaped cover; - figure 5 shows an enlarged detail of figure 4; figure 6 is a plan view of figure 4; figure 7 shows a partial elevated front view of figure 6; figure 8 is a plan view of a tubular section according to another form of embodiment; - figure 9 shows a cross-section view along the line IX-IX in figure 8; - figure 10 is a cross-section view along the line X-X in figure 8;

figure 11 shows a plan view of a cup-shaped cover according to another embodiment; and - figure 12 is a cross-section view along the line XII- XII in figure 11.

DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT With reference first to figures 1 and 2, the reference number 10 indicates in general a dispensing device, in particular a semi-hermetically sealed dispensing device for gauze or adhesive plaster in roll form which comprises a tubular section 11 surmounted by a cup-shaped cover 12.

As can be seen in figure 3, one longitudinal end of the tubular section 11 presents a shoulder 13 which is integral with it and is designed to abut; in operation, against the edges of the cover 12.

The shoulder 13 can be toroidal in shape and slightly thicker than the section 11 having a reinforcement ring 14 around the hole 15 of the tubular section 11. The latter is preferably cylindrical in shape with a uniform thickness.

With reference to figures 4 to 7, the cover 12 comprises a toroidal base 16 with a central and substantially coaxial bushing 17.

The free end of the bushing 17 is equipped with a raised circular border 18 (figure 5) projecting outwards and designed, in operation, to couple with the reinforcement ring 14 of the tubular section 11.

The toroidal base 16 has side walls 19 around its perimeter, substantially at right angles to the base and not projecting to the same extent as the bushing 17.

The inner part of the bushing 17 can have a transverse cross-section that gradually decreases towards its free end, taking on a slightly conical shape.

As can be seen in figures 6 and 7, the side walls 19 have at least one longitudinal slit 20 which extends from the edge of the walls 19 almost as far as the toroidal base 16. This slit 20 is designed to allow the exit of the gauze or adhesive plaster contained inside the dispensing device 10 in the space defined by the tubular section 11 and the cup-shaped cover 12.

This longitudinal slit 20 can present a cutter blade (not shown in the drawings) on at least one long side, designed to cut the gauze or plaster contained inside the dispensing device 10. According to a particular form of embodiment, the blade can have a serrated edge.

According to this invention, the blade can formed directly through the moulding of the cover and be made from the same plastic material, or according to another embodiment it can be made from metal and inserted after the moulding.

The bushing 17 may be slightly conical externally, becoming narrower at the end opposite to the base 16 to facilitate its insertion in the hole 15 of the tubular section 11.

Figures 8 to 12 show another embodiment in which the tubular section 11 and the bushing 17 of the cover 12 present a greater radial elasticity to favour the reciprocal coupling of the parts and facilitate the blocking of a ring-shaped element over the outer surface of the section 11.

As can be seen in figures 8 to 10, the tubular

section 11 consists of fins 21 presenting a base strip 22 integral with the shoulder 13 and a gradually decreasing width at the end opposite to the base strip 12.

The free end of each fin 21 has a raised border 23 projecting outwards and designed to engage a ring-shaped element on which gauze or adhesive plaster is wound.

The shape of each fin 21 provides the tubular section 11 with considerable deformability and radial elasticity particularly indicated in facilitating both the coupling with the bushing 17 and the engagement with the ring- shaped element.

With reference to figures 11 and 12, the bushing 17 has longitudinal slits 24, starting from its free end, designed to ensure good radial elasticity for easy insertion of the bushing 17 in the hole 15 of the tubular section 11.

The semi-hermetically sealed dispensing device 10 can be made from plastic material suitable for moulding.

The procedure for obtaining the semi-hermetically sealed dispensing device 10 according to this invention comprises the following machining stages: - production by moulding of the tubular section 11 in a single piece with the shoulder 13; - production by moulding of the cup-shaped cover 12 in a single piece with the bushing 17; - wrapping of gauze or adhesive plaster around the outer part of the tubular section 11 or the positioning on the tubular section 11 of a ring- shaped element holding the roll of gauze or adhesive plaster; - insertion of the bushing 17 of the cover 12 in the

tubular section 11 thus forming a semi-hermetically sealed compact body containing the gauze or adhesive plaster.

The invention is described above with reference to a preferred form of embodiment.

It is nevertheless clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations within the framework of technical equivalents.