Powered dispenser for interconnected strip bandages

• US 20040238559A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nadine Ross
• Original Assignee: Nadine Ross
• Inventors: Ross, Nadine
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/250
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/002 dispensers for web or tape like bandages
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/41912 between two belt like members
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/194 Web supporting regularly spaced adhesive articles, e.g. labels, rubber articles, labels or stamps
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/28 Feeding articles stored in rolled or folded bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/68 in which the articles are torn or severed from strips or sheets

Abstract

A dispenser for individual strip bandages from a rolled elongate bandage supply having the individual strip bandages releasably interconnected between a pair of cover strips defining chambers about each strip bandage. The dispenser provides a feed spindle carrying the bandage supply that is moved to a cover strip separator adjacent to a delivery slot in a casement. The cover strips are removed from a given strip bandage in the separator and pass along waste courses to motor powered take-up devices which move the bandage supply and disperse the given strip bandage through the delivery slot. At least one cover strip waste course has a tension sensor to sense tension in the associated cover strip to control the take-up device moving the associated cover strip to maintain synchronization of the motion of the pair of cover strips on the take-up devices moving them.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispersing a bandage supply having strip bandages carried between a first elongate cover strip and a second elongate cover strip, the apparatus comprising in combination:

a casement;

a bandage support device supported on the casement to disperse the bandage supply responsive to predetermined tensive force;

a cover strip separator device at which the first cover strip and the second cover strip are separated from a given strip bandage;

a first cover strip take-up device supported on the casement and configured to accumulate the first cover strip;

a second cover strip take-up device supported on the casement and configured to accumulate the second cover strip;

a first motor in power-transmitting engagement with the first cover strip take-up device; and

a second motor in power-transmitting engagement with the second cover strip take-up device, wherein;

a main bandage path is defined from the bandage support device to the cover strip separator device;

a first waste path is defined from the cover strip separator device to the first cover strip take-up device;

a second waste path is defined from the cover strip separator device to the second cover strip take-up device; and

at least one waste path having an associated tension sensor carried by the casement to sense tension in the covering strip in the at least one waste path and responsively control the motor in power transmitting engagement with the take-up device carrying the cover strip in the at least one waste path to regulate tension in the said cover strip to a predetermined valve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a manually operable control switch supported by the casement and in controllable linkage with the first and second motors to start and stop said motors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bandage support device is substantially in the form of a reel that is rotatable relative to the casement, and wherein a bandages supply along with the first cover strip and the second cover strip is uncoiled from the bandage support device during dispersion of a given bandage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first cover strip take-up device and the second cover strip take-up device are each substantially in the form of a reel that is rotatable with respect to the casement, and wherein the first cover strip is wound about the first cover strip take-up device and the second cover strip is wound about the second cover strip take-up device during dispersion of a given bandage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the strip bandages are carried between the first cover strip and the second cover strip in an end-to-end orientation.

6. An apparatus for dispersion of strip bandages that are carried between a pair of elongate cover strips, the apparatus comprising:

a casement;

a bandage support device supported on the casement;

a cover strip separator device at which the pair of cover strips are separated from each other, thereby dispersing a given bandage carried therebetween;

at least one cover strip take-up device supported on the casement and configured to accumulate at least one of the pair of cover strips thereon; and

at least one motor in power-transmitting engagement with the at least one cover strip take-up device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the at least one cover strip take-up device is substantially in the form of a flanged spool that is rotatable relative to the casement;

the at least one motor is configured to selectively rotate the cover strip take-up device; and

at least one of the pair of cover strips is wound about the at least one cover strip take-up device responsive to rotation thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the bandage support device is substantially in the form of a reel that is rotatable relative to the casement responsive to predetermined tensive force; and

the pair of cover strips and bandages carried therebetween are unwound from the bandage support device responsive to rotation of the at least one cover strip take-up device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a switch supported by the casement, and in controllable linkage with the at least one motor, whereby the at least one motor can be selectively operated by operation of the switch.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a tension sensor carried by the casement to sense tension in at least one of the pair of cover strips between the cover strip separator device and the at least one cover strip take-up device and responsively regulate the at least one motor to maintain a predetermined tension in the at least one of the pair of cover strips.