Sponge counter bag

• US 5,048,683 A
• Filed: 05/10/1990
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Kendall Company (Colgate-Palmolive Company)
• Original Assignee: The Kendall Company (Colgate-Palmolive Company)
• Inventors: Westlake, Betsy
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Jimmy G.
• Application Number:
  US07/521,494
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 206/362, 206/363, 206/370, 206/438, 383/38, 383/39
• US Class Current: 206/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0804 Counting number of instruments used; Instrument detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/37 for absorbent articles, e.g. bandages, garments, swabs or towels

Abstract

A sponge counter bag comprising, a backing sheet of flexible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a pair of side edges, and a pair of end edges connecting the side edges. The bag has a plurality of pockets progressively disposed on the front surface of the backing sheet intermediate said end edges, with the pockets comprising a flap of flexible material having a pair of side edges, a lower edge joined to the backing sheet, and an upper edge extending between said side edges, with the upper edge of the flap defining an opening intermediate the flap and backing sheet to receive sponges. The side portions of the flap adjacent its side edges are joined to the backing sheet adjacent the side edges of the backing sheet, and a lower portion of the flap is joined to the backing sheet along a line intermediate the side portions of the flap, with the joinder line having a raised lateral center portion and defining at least one opening to permit passage of fluid through the opening to a lower portion of the flap and capture the fluid beneath the joinder line.

Claims

1. A sponge counter bag, comprising:

a backing sheet of flexible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a pair of side edges, and a pair of end edges connecting the side edges; and

a plurality of pockets progressively disposed on the front surface of the backing sheet intermediate said end edges, said pockets comprising a flap of flexible material having a pair of side edges, a lower edge joined to the backing sheet, and an upper edge extending between said side edges, with the upper edge of the flaps defining an opening intermediate the flap and backing sheet to receive sponges, with a side portion of the flaps adjacent its side edges being joined to the backing sheet adjacent the side edges of the backing sheet, and with a lower portion of the flaps being joined to the backing sheet along with a first and a pair of second joinder lines, the first joinder line extending between and spaced from the opposed side edges of each of the flaps, the second joinder lines extending from the opposed side edges of each of the flaps toward the first joinder line and having ends spaced from the first joinder line to define a pair of opposed openings in each of said flaps to permit passage of fluid between the first and second joinder lines to a lower portion of the flaps, whereby to capture the fluid beneath the joinder lines.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein the side portions of the flaps comprise the side edges of the flaps.

3. The bag of claim 1 wherein the second lines extend downwardly toward the first line.

4. The bag of claim 1 wherein the second lines extend laterally toward the first line.

5. The bag of claim 1 wherein the ends of the second lines are located intermediate the ends of the first line and the raised portion of the first line.

6. The bag of claim 1 wherein the ends of the second lines are located adjacent the ends of the first line.

7. The bag of claim 1 wherein the ends of the first line and second lines are located adjacent a lateral central portion of the flap.

8. The bag of claim 1 wherein the raised portion comprises a lateral central vertical line.

9. The bag of claim 1 wherein the joinder line comprises a pair of opposed third lines extending upwardly from edges of the flap beneath the second lines and having ends spaced from the ends of the first line.

10. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bag has five flaps located progressively along the backing sheet.

11. The bag of claim 1 including a pair of spaced openings adjacent an upper edge of the backing sheet.