Dry handle swab assembly and unit
DCFirst Claim
1. A sealable, manually openable applicator assembly comprising:
- a swab having an elongated, small diameter stick with an applicator element at one end thereof; and
an elongated, thin-wall hollow sleeve assembled with said swab, said sleeve being integrally formed as a single piece from a relatively rigid plastic material that is manually compressible and severable in thin sections, and having a handle portion at one end, a receptacle portion at the other end, and a transition portion therebetween, said handle portion having an element frictionally engaging the other end of said stick, and said handle portion extending along a substantial part of the length of, and conforming to, said stick and being spaced slightly from the surface thereof, other than at said engaging element, to provide sufficient clearance for facile assembly while minimizing the gap therebetween, said receptacle portion being of substantially larger cross section than said handle portion, and the adjacent components of said receptacle and transition portions at the intersection therebetween cooperatively constituting means for creating stress in said sleeve, said adjacent components being so relatively configured as to assume incompatible configurations upon flattening of said sleeve, to thereby create a significant level of stress therebetween, compression of said sleeve thereat thereby facilitating manual severance of said sleeve at that location, the relative lengths of said stick and said handle portion being such that said applicator element of said swab is contained at least substantially within said receptacle portion of said sleeve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A swab, and a substance to be applied thereby, are contained within a sleeve which can readily be opened by use of manual force. The sleeve provides a handle portion that conforms closely to that of the swab stick, thus offering a secure and natural grip for manipulation of the swab while, at the same time, minimizing the amount of the contained substance that can seep along the length of stick, and an element of the sleeve that remains after opening of the unit also serves a protective function. Because of the form of the sleeve it is easy and inexpensive to fabricate as a fully functional article, using only an internal mold member, and it lends itself to facile assembly with the swab.
153 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A sealable, manually openable applicator assembly comprising:
- a swab having an elongated, small diameter stick with an applicator element at one end thereof; and
an elongated, thin-wall hollow sleeve assembled with said swab, said sleeve being integrally formed as a single piece from a relatively rigid plastic material that is manually compressible and severable in thin sections, and having a handle portion at one end, a receptacle portion at the other end, and a transition portion therebetween, said handle portion having an element frictionally engaging the other end of said stick, and said handle portion extending along a substantial part of the length of, and conforming to, said stick and being spaced slightly from the surface thereof, other than at said engaging element, to provide sufficient clearance for facile assembly while minimizing the gap therebetween, said receptacle portion being of substantially larger cross section than said handle portion, and the adjacent components of said receptacle and transition portions at the intersection therebetween cooperatively constituting means for creating stress in said sleeve, said adjacent components being so relatively configured as to assume incompatible configurations upon flattening of said sleeve, to thereby create a significant level of stress therebetween, compression of said sleeve thereat thereby facilitating manual severance of said sleeve at that location, the relative lengths of said stick and said handle portion being such that said applicator element of said swab is contained at least substantially within said receptacle portion of said sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a swab having an elongated, small diameter stick with an applicator element at one end thereof; and
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17. An applicator unit for a substance, including:
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a swab having an elongated, small diameter stick with an applicator element at one end thereof; an elongated, thin-wall hollow sleeve assembled with said swab, said sleeve being integrally formed as a single piece from a relatively rigid plastic material that is manually compressible and severable in thin sections, and having a handle portion at one end, a receptacle portion at the other end, and a transition portion therebetween, said handle portion having an element frictionally engaging the other end of said stick, and said handle portion extending along a substantial part of the length of, and conforming to, said stick and being spaced slightly from the surface thereof, other than at said engaging element, to provide sufficient clearance for facile assembly while minimizing the gap therebetween, said receptacle portion being of substantially larger cross section than said handle portion, and the adjacent components of said receptacle and transition portions at the intersection therebetween cooperatively constituting means for creating stress in said sleeve, said adjacent components being so relatively configured as to assume incompatible configurations upon flattening of said sleeve, to thereby create a significant level of stress therebetween, compression of said sleeve thereat thereby facilitating manual severance of said sleeve at that location, the relative lengths of said stick and said handle portion being such that said applicator element of said swab is contained at least substantially within said receptacle portion of said sleeve; and a substance contained within said receptacle and transition portions of said sleeve, said sleeve being closed at the free end of said receptacle portion thereof. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification