Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a system for handling of disposable gloves, the system comprises: an apparatus for donning of disposable gloves; a clip for holding of at least one disposable glove.

Background of the Invention

Thin gloves, generally constructed of plastic, have been available commercially for several years. Such gloves are quite inexpensive and are intended to be used by any individual involved in activities where there is a possibility of transfer of disease or infection. Today, disposable gloves are available for free use in many supermarkets. The actual delivery takes place through dispensers from which the customer takes a glove and then applies it to his/her hand.

The typical dispenser consists of a box containing several folded gloves and the costumer/user typically must pull a single glove out through an opening in the box. However, it is quite common to - unintentionally- extract several gloves at a time which commonly results in the unneeded gloves being discarded. As disposable gloves are made of thin plastic, it is often almost impossible for a user to open the glove, to insert his/her hand, without touching the outside of the glove which of course means that pathogenic contaminants can be transmitted from the user to all the objects the glove subsequently comes in contact with. Or worse, users may even be tempted to apply saliva to their fingers to get a better grip, when this happens, contaminants in the form of viruses and bacteria will inevitably be transmitted from the user's mouth to the outside of the glove. After all, it is often a cumbersome and time-consuming procedure to simply put on a pair of gloves on one's hands and therefore users are often tempted to skip this step and simply refrain from using disposable gloves.

In today's technology, disposable gloves are delivered in bundles and these are placed in the dispensers. During this process, the gloves will inevitably be touched by human hands with the risk of transmission as a result.

Object of the Invention

There is a need for a system for handling of disposable gloves where the system facilitates the installation of the glove onto one's hand thereby making the installation of the glove convenient and quick.

Special precautions must be taken to ensure that the gloves are not contaminated by the user as they are being donned and that other stored gloves are not contaminated or touched by the user.

It is desirable to provide an apparatus for donning of gloves that maintains the cleanliness of the gloves until they are utilized, assists a user in donning and prevents contamination of a glove during the donning process, prevents a user's hand from contacting the outer or working surface of a glove.

There is also a need for a solution with which disposable gloves can be loaded into a dispenser / apparatus for donning gloves without touching the gloves.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a solution that solves at least some of the above problems.

Summary of the Invention This is achieved in that: the apparatus for donning of disposable gloves and the clip comprise snap coupling means being mutually adapted such that the clip containing a disposable glove can be attached and removed from the apparatus for donning of disposable gloves.

In another aspect of the invention it relates to an apparatus as recited in claim 7- 12.

Other embodiments of the invention are recited in the dependent claims.

In the description and claims the word “donning” is used. The meaning of donning in this application is to put on the gloves or the process of applying the gloves. “A donning apparatus” is an apparatus which assists in the process of applying or putting on gloves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to exemplary embodiments in accordance with the accompanying drawings, in which: fig. 1 shows in perspective an embodiment of the invention; fig. 2 shows, in perspective and in greater details, the clip shown in figure 1 ; fig. 3 shows in cross view a clip provided with a bundle of gloves; fig. 4 shows in perspective an upper part of a clip; fig. 5 shows in perspective an apparatus for donning of gloves; fig. 6 shows a grabber in its closed position; fig. 7 shows a grabber in its open position. In Figure 1 is shown a clip 1 for use with an apparatus 2 for donning of disposable gloves. In the figure only a part of said apparatus is visible and the clip 1 is holding a stack of gloves 15. Each glove comprises two layers (not shown in the figures), a top layer and a bottom layer, one layer being longer (normally the bottom layer) than the other layer thereby forming a flap 15. Each glove being connected to the flap, such that the glove can easily be torn away from the flap by the user when donning a glove.

In figure 1 is shown a stack of flaps 15 being connected to the clip 1 .

The clip is seen in greater detail in figures 3 and 4.

Figure 3 shows how the clip holds a stack of gloves 15. Normally, the gloves will comprise two sides, one of which is extended into a flap 15 which can be torn along a perforation line 15a (seen in figure 2) when the glove is donned. It is a stack of these flaps that are seen in figure 3 and each flap is provided with two openings through which the hollow projecting connection means 14, 14 ^' penetrates.

To be able to insert gloves in the clip, the clip is divided into an upper part and a lower part. In order to fill the clip with gloves, the two parts are first separated such that the gloves can be inserted, and then reassembled when the gloves are inserted, whereby the two parts lock the gloves to the clip.

The upper part, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4, comprises in the embodiment shown, a middle part 4 and two identical end parts 4, 4 ^"' provided with coupling parts 3, 3 ^' . The lower part comprises a handle 12, 12’ and hollow projecting connection means 14, 14 ^' . The coupling parts 3, 3 ^' are adapted to the hollow projecting connection means 14, 14 ^' such that the coupling parts 3, 3 ^' engage in frictional engagement with the protruding engagement means 14, 14 ^' . In figure 2 it is shown how a clip holds a stack of gloves in their flaps 15 such that the gloves are stretched essentially perpendicular to the direction R, which is the direction of a hand when it is inserted into a glove. The gloves are kept stretched, by the two parts 14, 14 ^' projecting/passing through the flaps 15.

This stretching entails an easy insertion of a hand and thereby also the donning of a glove.

When a bundle of gloves is to be inserted into the clip, this is done by the following steps:

• separating the two parts

• inserting the protruding engagement means through thereto adapted openings provided in the bundle of gloves

• connecting the two parts.

As explained earlier, the gloves usually comprise two sides and one of the sides is extended/connected to a flap which is torn off when the glove is donned. Usually, the flap is torn from the glove by the user moving his or her hand after donning. However, the flap can also be connected to the glove in such a way that the glove with flap is torn away from the clip when the user moves his or her hand after donning.

It is the flap with associated glove opening that is held outstretched - perpendicular to the hand opening - by the clip and the mere fact that gloves/flaps inserted in the clip are kept stretched - as explained - contributes to easy donning of the gloves. The clip can therefore be used as an aid to apply gloves. If the clip - in itself - is used for donning, the user will initiate the donning by inserting a finger of one hand into the upper glove and lifting the sides of the glove such that the other hand can be inserted into the glove after which the hand is moved away from the clip such that the glove is torn off the flap or the glove with flap is torn away from the clip. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it comprises means capable of fastening/fixating the clip. Preferably to an apparatus for donning of gloves. Thereby, a user cannot inadvertently push to the stack of gloves, which the clip holds, this entails the donning of gloves and furthermore it also entails the separation of a glove from the clip, when the gloved hand is move away from the clip.

In figure 1 is shown an embodiment of fastening means for a clip. The clip is preferably made of an elastic material like plastic or steel. The fastening means comprise at least one fixed snap coupling part 10, 11. The fixed snap coupling part is provided on an essentially planar surface 21 and it comprises an elongated body 10, 11 comprising a locking bead 30, 31. The elongated body and the bead are mutually adapted to the clip such that the elongated body can be inserted into the hollow projecting connection means 14 as shown in figure 3 and when the elongate body is inserted into the hollow projecting connection means 14, the bead 23 goes into an elastic snap engagement with a thereto adapted protrusion 22 provided on an inner surface of the hollow projecting connection means 14. The clip comprises a lower part 20, 20 ^' which abuts against the planar surface 21. In the right side of the clip, as shown in figure 3, the lower part of the clip’s hollow projecting connection means 14 is connected to a release handle 12, 12 ^' . When a user presses this release handle 12, 12 ^' downwards, a bending moment will be created, and this bending moment will propagate through the lower parts of the clip to the hollow projecting connection means 14 comprising the protrusion 22. Provided sufficiency, a moment created by pressing the handle 12, will thus be able to bend the elastic hollow projecting connection means 14 such that the protrusion 22 will be forced out of engagement with the complementary protrusion 23. Pressing the handle 12, 12 ^' thus releases an attached clip from the snap coupling means 10, 11 , 23.

Thus, when an apparatus for donning gloves according to the invention is to be filled with gloves, this can be done by simply removing a clip and adding a new clip, which is pre-filled with a bundle of gloves. Normally, each glove is provided with a flap on one side adjacent to a hand opening in the glove and the bundle of gloves are placed in the clip with the engaging means extending through on or more openings in the bundle of flaps. The hollow projecting connection means 14, 14 ^' on the lower part may preferably be including gripping means which lodge the top part 3, 4 in a press-fit relation. In the, in figure 3, shown embodiment, the top part 3, 4 is provided with a locking part 3, which engages in receiving means in the lower part 14, 14.

The upper and lower part may also be connected in a non-releasable way, e.g. by gluing or welding and this is advantageous in those user situations where the user does not want to reuse the clip and instead uses clips that are prefilled with gloves from e.g. the factory. It will also in those situations be advantageous to manufacture the clip in disposable or recyclable materials.

In figure 5 is shown an apparatus 100 for donning of disposable gloves 17. The apparatus comprising a grabber 102 connected to an arm 101 being moveable between a first position in which the grabber is placed in contact with the glove 17 in order to grab and secure a side (normally, the side opposite the side provided with a flap 15) of the disposable glove and a second position in which the grabber has lifted the side to enable a user to easily insert a hand into the disposable glove.

The apparatus for donning of disposable gloves being provided with snap coupling means 10,11 being connectable to complementary snap coupling means 14,14 ^' , 12, 12 ^' provided on a clip 1 for holding at least one disposable glove, the clip and the apparatus for donning of disposable gloves being mutually adapted such that the clip 1 is fixating a disposable glove in the apparatus for donning of disposable gloves such that the disposable glove can be donned by means of the apparatus, when the snap coupling means are engaged. Figures 6 and 7 show an embodiment of a grabber and how this grabber opens and closes. Figure 6 shows a situation where the jaws 104, 105 of the grabber are pressed against each other, as indicated by the arrows c. The two jaws 104, 105 can be spring-actuated such that they - when not affected by other forces - are pressed towards each other. The grabber is provided with an internal mechanism which separates the jaws when the grabber is stopped (hits) by a body (e.g. a glove and/or an apparatus for donning of gloves) and still is affected by a force D in the direction towards the body.

A grabber as described in relation to figures 5, 6 and 7 can be used independently of any clips, apparatuses and systems described in this application. A grabber as explained may accordingly be the subject of a divisional application.

The opening and closing force (spring force) must, of course, be adjusted by the person skilled in the art such that the situations in figures 6 and 7 are achieved when a user uses the apparatus for donning.

In an aspect of the invention, the apparatus is placed on a console comprising a foot pedal operatively connected to the grabber such that the grabber can be moved by means of the foot pedal. By using a foot pedal, any hand contact with the apparatus is avoided, thus reducing the risk of spreading infection. By further providing the apparatus on a console, it is further achieved that the operating means (foot pedal) can be placed at a distance from the gloves which also reduces the risk of spreading impurities / bacteria / viruses to the outside of gloves or from one user to another user.

In an aspect of the invention the grabber is operatively connected to a foot pedal by a rod connection. By connecting the foot pedal to the grabber via a rod connection, a rigid connection is obtained where the foot pedal can force the grabber in both directions. Thereby a very safe and reliable connection is obtained and the risk of unintentional locking of the first grabber is reduced. In an aspect of the invention, the glove is provided with separate sections for each of the fingers and the thumb. Although gloves with fingers are often a little more difficult to put on, they are conversely also very user-friendly as they are similarly easy to hold on the hand. And since the invention solves the problem of applying the glove, the use of the apparatus and finger gloves entails continuous use of gloves.

In an aspect of the invention, the glove is a glove provided with separate sections for each of the fingers and two thumbs, one of them being placed on the right side of the glove and the other being placed on the left side of the glove, when viewed from the palm of the hand with the fingers pointing either forward or backward. One problem associated with the prior art is that it can be difficult to apply gloves to both the right and left hand with the same device / gloves. This is because in all its simplicity, the thumbs face in opposite directions on the human hands, which is why you must rotate one hand if you want to apply gloves to both hands with prior art apparatus and gloves. A thumb placed on each side of the glove ensures that the user can orient the palms of both hands in the same way and still apply gloves to both hands.

In an aspect of the invention, the apparatus is provided with fixation means, which holds the glove such that a section for a finger is kept stretched until a user has inserted his or her hand. When gloves made of soft, thin plastic lies freely, they will easily move and may curl, which is why they can be difficult to apply to a hand. When a section for a finger is held stretched, the movement of the glove is limited and thus also the risk of curling.

In an aspect of the invention, the apparatus is provided with fixation means, which holds the glove such that the section for the middle finger is kept stretched until a user has inserted his or her hand. By holding the glove in the lower opening edge with the second grabber and at the same time keeping the middle finger extended, the glove will have an orientation which to some extent resembles the one it has, when it is applied to a hand where the fingers are stretched. The extended middle finger will thus facilitate the insertion of the hand into the glove.

In an aspect of the invention, the grabber is provided with a repositionable adhesive. Many types of glue can hold items in such a way that these can be put on another item several times and taken off again and still retain its sticky properties. These types of adhesives are known to those skilled in the art. A low- tack pressure-sensitive adhesive on the first grabber allows gloves to be easily attached, removed and new gloves to be attached without leaving residue on the gloves.

In an aspect of the invention, the grabber is provided with a repositionable sticking material, which does not make use of adhesives, such materials may be soft, rubber-like materials with very high friction coefficients. These solutions are attractive as they do not contain chemical adhesive. This means that the entire apparatus, including grabbers, can be cleaned and after cleaning they can be reused and furthermore, that sterilizing cleaning agents can be used, which contain e.g. alcohol, without destroying the grabber's ability to hold gloves.