Protective sheath with manipulation tabs

• US 4,934,382 A
• Filed: 07/03/1989
• Issued: 06/19/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard J. Barone Jr
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Barone Jr
• Inventors: Barone, Richard J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cofsky, Lynda M.
• Application Number:
  US07/375,057
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 128/844, 128/849, 128/851, 128/856, 128/842, 604/346, 604/347, 604/349, 604/351
• US Class Current: 128/844
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 42/00 Surgical gloves; Finger-stalls specially adapted for surgery; Devices for handling or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2006/049 with strips to apply the condom
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 6/04 Condoms, sheaths or the like , e.g. combined with devices protecting against contagion

Abstract

A protective sheath of the type supplied with a portion of the protective sheath in a rolled up configuration for application to a member by unrolling the rolled up portion along the member includes application tabs interleaved with the rolled up portion of the protective sheath and available for gripping to pull the application tabs and unroll the rolled up portion along the member and assist in the application of the protective sheath to the member. In some embodiments, the protective sheath includes removal tabs extending along the applied protective sheath and available for gripping to pull the removal tabs and roll up a portion of the protective sheath to assist in the removal of the protective sheath from the member.

Claims

1. An improvement in a protective sheath adapted for application to a generally cylindrical member, along a generally complementary cylindrical surface of the cylindrical member, the cylindrical surface having axially opposite ends, the protective sheath having first and second ends and a tubular wall of relatively thin, rollable flexible material, the tubular wall including an outer surface and an inner surface and capable of being rolled and unrolled between a rolled up state, wherein at least a portion of the tubular wall is rolled up upon itself in a relatively flattened configuration, and an unrolled state, wherein the tubular wall portion extends axially in a tubular configuration, the protective sheath being adapted for application along the generally complementary cylindrical surface by juxtaposing the tubular wall, in the rolled up state, with one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical surface and then unrolling the rolled up tubular wall portion to extend the tubular wall from the rolled up state toward the unrolled state along the cylindrical surface, the improvement comprising:

at least one application tab interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up sate, and juxtaposed with the outer surface of the tubular wall such that the application tab extends along the outer surface of the tubular wall from the first end of the protective sheath toward the second end thereof, the application tab including an application gripping portion extending beyond the rolled up tubular wall portion adjacent the first end of the protective sheath so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the first end of the protective sheath to unroll the rolled up tubular wall portion toward the unrolled state of the tubular wall for application of the protective sheath along the cylindrical surface; and

at least one removal tab interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the inner surface of the tubular wall such that the removal tab extends along the inner surface of the tubular wall from the second end of the protective sheath toward the first end thereof, when the tubular wall is in the unrolled state, the removal tab including a removal gripping portion extending beyond the second end of the protective sheath so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the second end of the protective sheath to roll the tubular wall portion from the unrolled state of the tubular wall toward the rolled up state and effect removal of the protective sheath from the cylindrical surface;

the application tab and the removal tab being integral with one another.

2. An improvement in a protective sheath adapted for application to a generally hollow cylindrical member, along a generally complementary cylindrical inner surface of the cylindrical member, the cylindrical inner surface having axially opposite open ends, the protective sheath having a first end, an open second end and a tubular wall of relatively thin, rollable flexible material, the tubular wall including an outer surface and an inner surface and capable of being rolled and unrolled between a rolled up state, wherein at least a portion of the tubular wall is rolled up upon itself in a relatively flattened configuration, and an unrolled state, wherein the tubular wall portion extends axially in a tubular configuration, the protective sheath being adapted for application along the generally complementary inner cylindrical surface by juxtaposing the tubular wall, in the rolled up state, with one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical inner surface and then unrolling the rolled up tubular wall portion to extend the tubular wall from the rolled up state toward the unrolled state along the cylindrical inner surface, the improvement comprising:

at least one application tab interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the outer surface of the tubular wall such that the application tab extends along the outer surface of the tubular wall from the first end of the protective sheath toward the second end thereof, the application tab including an application gripping portion extending beyond the rolled up tubular wall portion adjacent the first end of the protective sheath so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the first end of the protective sheath to unroll the rolled up tubular wall portion toward the unrolled state of the tubular wall for application of the protective sheath along the cylindrical inner surface of the hollow cylindrical member; and

securing means adjacent the first end of the protective sheath for securing the first end of the protective sheath at one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical inner surface of the hollow cylindrical member, while the tubular wall portion is unrolled from the rolled up state of the tubular wall toward the unrolled state.

3. The improvement of claim 2 including at least two of said application tabs, the application tabs being located essentially diametrically opposite one another, the application tabs each including an application gripping portion extending toward the opposite application gripping portion.

4. An improvement in a protective sheath for application to a generally cylindrical member, along a generally complementary cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member, the outer cylindrical surface having axially opposite ends, the protective sheath having first and second ends and a tubular wall of relatively thin, rollable flexible material, the tubular wall including an outer surface and an inner surface and capable of being rolled and unrolled between a rolled up state, wherein at least a portion of the tubular wall is rolled up upon itself in a relatively flattened configuration, and an unrolled state, wherein the tubular wall portion extends axially in a tubular configuration, the protective sheath being adapted for application along the generally complementary cylindrical outer surface by juxtaposing the tubular wall, in the rolled up state, with one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical outer surface and then unrolling the rolled up tubular wall portion to extend the tubular wall from the rolled up state toward the unrolled state along the cylindrical outer surface, the improvement comprising:

at least two application tabs located diametrically opposite one another and interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the outer surface of the tubular wall such that the application tabs extend along the outer surface of the tubular wall from the first end of the protective sheath toward the second end thereof, the application tabs each including an application gripping portion extending toward the opposite application gripping portion adjacent the first end of the protective sheath so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the first end of the protective sheath to unroll the rolled up tubular wall portion toward the unrolled state of the tubular wall for application of the protective sheath along the cylindrical outer surface; and

at least two removal tabs located essentially diametrically opposite one another and interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the inner surface of the tubular wall such that the removal tabs extend along the inner surface of the tubular wall from the second end of the protective sheath toward the first end thereof, when the tubular wall is in the unrolled state, the removal tabs each including a removal gripping portion extending toward the opposite removal gripping portion so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the second end of the protective sheath to roll the tubular wall portion from the unrolled state of the tubular wall toward the rolled up state and effect removal of the protective sheath from the cylindrical outer surface; and

a web at the first end of the protective sheath, the web extending diametrically across the first end of the sheath to close the first end of the sheath and abut the cylindrical member at the one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member corresponding to the first end of the protective sheath, the removal gripping portions each extending adjacent the web of the protective sheath.

5. The improvement of claim 4 including a bridging portion extending along the web and joining together the two removal tabs.

6. The improvement of claim 4 wherein each application tab is unitary with a corresponding removal tab.

7. In a condom of the type having a closed first end, an open second end and a tubular wall of relatively thin, rollable flexible material, the tubular wall including an outer surface and an inner surface and capable of being rolled and unrolled between a rolled up state, wherein at least a portion of the tubular wall is rolled up upon itself in a relatively flattened configuration, and an unrolled state, wherein the tubular wall portion extends axially in a tubular configuration, for application of the condom along a generally complementary cylindrical surface having axially opposite ends by juxtaposing the tubular wall, in the rolled up state, with one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical surface and then unrolling the rolled up tubular wall portion from the rolled up state of the tubular wall toward the unrolled state along the cylindrical surface, the improvement comprising:

at least one application tab interleaved with the rolled up tubular wall portion when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, the application tab including an application gripping portion extending beyond the rolled up tubular wall portion adjacent the first end of the condom so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the first end of the condom to unroll the rolled up tubular wall portion toward the unrolled state of the tubular wall and apply the condom along the cylindrical state; and

at least one removal tab interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the inner surface of the tubular wall such that the removal tab extends along the inner surface of the tubular wall from the second end of the condom toward the first end thereof, when the tubular wall is in the unrolled state, the removal tab including a removal gripping portion extending beyond the second end of the condom so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the second end of the condom to roll the tubular wall portion from the unrolled state of the tubular wall toward the rolled up state and effect removal of the condom from the cylindrical surface;

the application tab and the removal tab being integral with one another.

8. In a condom of the type having a closed first end, an open second end and a tubular wall of relatively thin, rollable flexible material, the tubular wall including an outer surface and an inner surface and capable of being rolled and unrolled between a rolled up state, wherein at least a portion of the tubular wall is rolled up upon itself in a relatively flattened configuration, and an unrolled state, wherein the tubular wall portion extends axially in a tubular configuration, for application of the condom along a generally complementary cylindrical surface having axially opposite ends by juxtaposing the tubular wall, in the rolled up state, with one of the opposite ends of the cylindrical surface and then unrolling the rolled up tubular wall portion from the rolled up state of the tubular wall toward the unrolled state along the cylindrical surface, the improvement comprising:

at least two application tabs located essentially diametrically opposite one another and interleaved with the rolled up tubular wall portion when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, the application tabs each including an application gripping portion extending toward the opposite application gripping portion, adjacent the closed first end of the condom, so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the first end of the condom to unroll the rolled up tubular wall portion toward the unrolled state of the tubular wall for application of the condom along the cylindrical surface; and

at least two removal tabs located essentially diametrically opposite one another and interleaved with the rolled up portion of the tubular wall, when the tubular wall is in the rolled up state, and juxtaposed with the inner surface of the tubular wall such that the removal tabs extend along the inner surface of the tubular wall from the second end of the condom toward the first end thereof, when the tubular wall is in the unrolled state, the removal tabs each including a removal gripping portion extending beyond the second end of the condom so as to be available for gripping and pulling away from the second end of the condom to roll the tubular wall portion from the unrolled state of the tubular wall toward the rolled up state for removal of the condom from the cylindrical surface.

9. The improvement of claim 8 including a bridging portion extending along the closed end and joining together the two removal tabs.

10. The improvement of claim 8 wherein each application tab is unitary with a corresponding removal tab.