Finger covers and devices for dispensing finger covers

• US 8,261,938 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael E. Sr. Oradini
• Original Assignee: Michael E. Sr. Oradini
• Inventors: Oradini, Michael E. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/535,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 221/312.A, 221/213, 221/45, 221/51, 206/372, 206/499, 294/1.3, 294/25
• US Class Current: 221/45
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/087 especially for fingers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/08 for dispensing thin flat articles in succession towel dispensers intended for re-use A47K10/24; dispensers for surgical scalpel blades A61B17/3215

Abstract

A finger covering system includes a finger cover dispensing device and a plurality of first and second finger covers. The finger cover dispensing device includes a dispenser body having a face and at least first and second openings disposed in the face, with the first and second openings each being sized to receive at least one finger inserted therethrough, and first and second cavities disposed in the dispenser body extending inward from the first and second openings. The plurality of first and second finger covers are disposed in the first and second cavities, with each of the plurality of first finger covers having an open first end facing the first opening of the dispenser body and a closed second end, and each of the plurality of second finger covers having an open first end facing the second opening of the dispenser body and a closed second end. The plurality of first and second finger covers are disposed in a stacked relationship within the corresponding first and second cavities.

Claims

1. A mitt dispensing device comprising:

a body having an upper surface and first and second openings disposed in the upper surface, the first opening being sized to receive a thumb inserted therethrough, the second opening being sized to receive one or more opposed fingers inserted therethrough, a raised saddle portion spanning the first and second openings;

first and second cavities disposed in the body extending inward from the corresponding first and second openings, the first and second cavities being sized to retain a plurality of stacked finger covering envelopes of a plurality of stacked mitts, the first and second cavities being at least partially defined by spaced apart first and second angled support walls extending inward from the saddle portion; and

at least one flexible retaining feature extending from the upper surface of the body to releasably retain the plurality of stacked mitts within the first and second cavities, such that when fingers of a user'"'"'s hand are inserted into the first and second cavities and received within the finger covering envelopes of an outermost mitt retained in the first and second cavities, the flexible retaining feature permits release of the outermost mitt when the fingers are withdrawn from the first and second cavities.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible retaining feature comprises a radially compressible retainer pin extending from the saddle portion.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lid adapted to be secured over the first and second openings.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second angled support walls comprise compressible surfaces configured to facilitate gripping engagement of the outermost mitt by fingers inserted in the finger covering envelopes of the outermost mitt.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the compressible surfaces of the first and second angled support walls comprise compressible foam pads.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the saddle portion extends outward of the first and second openings.

7. A mitt dispensing system comprising a mitt dispensing device and a plurality of finger covering mitts including first and second finger covering portions connected by a flexible web portion, the mitt dispensing device comprising:

a body having an upper surface and first and second openings disposed in the upper surface, the first opening being sized to receive a thumb inserted therethrough, the second opening being sized to receive one or more opposed fingers inserted therethrough, and a raised saddle portion spanning the first and second openings;

first and second cavities disposed in the body extending inward from the corresponding first and second openings, the first and second cavities retaining the corresponding first and second finger covering portions of the plurality of finger covering mitts in a stacked arrangement, with the raised saddle portion supporting the flexible web portions of the plurality of finger covering mitts, the first and second cavities being at least partially defined by spaced apart first and second angled support walls extending inward from the saddle portion, wherein the first and second angled support walls comprise compressible surfaces configured to facilitate gripping engagement of an outermost mitt by fingers inserted in the first and second finger covering portions of the outermost mitt; and

at least one flexible retaining feature extending from the upper surface of the body to releasably retain the plurality of stacked mitts within the first and second cavities, such that when fingers of a user'"'"'s hand are inserted into the first and second cavities and received within the finger covering portions of the outermost mitt retained in the first and second cavities, the flexible retaining feature permits release of the outermost mitt when the fingers are withdrawn from the first and second cavities.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one flexible retaining feature comprises a retaining pin extending from the saddle portion, the retaining pin being inserted through aligned retaining apertures in the web portions of the finger covering mitts.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first finger covering portion of a first fmger covering mitt of the plurality of finger covering mitts is received in the first finger covering portion of an adjacent second finger covering mitt of the plurality of finger covering mitts, and the second finger covering portion of the first finger covering mitt is received in the second finger covering portion of the second finger covering mitt.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of finger covering mitts are stacked with the first and second finger covering portions in a flattened side-by-side relationship.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second finger covering portions of each of the plurality of finger covering mitts are formed from a covering sheet joined along three edges with a base sheet to form an envelope, wherein a portion of the base sheet spans between corresponding ones of the first and second finger covering portions to form the web portion.

12. A mitt dispensing system comprising a mitt dispensing device and a plurality of finger covering mitts including first and second finger covering portions connected by a flexible web portion, the mitt dispensing device comprising:

a body having an upper surface and an opening disposed in the upper surface;

first and second angled support walls extending inward from the opening to divide an interior of the body into first and second cavities, the first and second cavities retaining the first and second finger covering portions of the plurality of finger covering mitts in a stacked arrangement, with the flexible web portions of the plurality of finger covering mitts being supported in a raised position between spaced apart upper ends of the first and second angled support walls; and

at least one flexible retaining feature extending from the upper surface of the body to releasably retain the plurality of stacked mitts within the first and second cavities, such that when fingers of a user'"'"'s hand are inserted into the first and second cavities and received within the first and second finger covering portions of an outermost mitt retained in the first and second cavities, the flexible retaining feature permits release of the outermost mitt when the fingers are withdrawn from the first and second cavities.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a saddle portion extending between the spaced apart upper ends of the first and second angled support walls.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the saddle portion is defined by the upper surface of the body.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the saddle portion extends outward of the opening to divide the opening into first and second opening portions, the first opening portion being sized to receive a thumb inserted therethrough, the second opening portion being sized to receive one or more opposed fingers inserted therethrough.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the saddle portion and the first and second angled support walls together form a continuous mitt supporting surface.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the flexible retaining feature comprises a radially compressible retainer pin extending from the saddle portion.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second angled support walls comprise compressible surfaces configured to facilitate gripping engagement of the outermost mitt by fingers inserted in the finger covering portions of the outermost mitt.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the compressible surfaces of the first and second angled support walls comprise compressible foam pads.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a lid adapted to be secured over the opening.