Disposable glove and apparatus for applying a glove to a user's hand
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
- a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves, the package being a continuous line of gloves wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line;
an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station of the apparatus; and
a glove opening device for opening a glove of the package so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station;
wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed rollers for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and wherein the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the line gripping station with the indexing device.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a package of disposable gloves and to a method and an apparatus which can use the package to enable the gloves to be applied to a user'"'"'s hands. The gloves are stored in a roll and are unrolled and opened by the apparatus so that a user can hygienically insert their hand into a glove without touching the glove. The user, with their hand in the glove can then sever the glove from the roll of gloves by moving their hand downwardly and away from the apparatus. The apparatus can then unroll and open another glove for the user to insert their other hand.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
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a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves, the package being a continuous line of gloves wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line; an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station of the apparatus; and a glove opening device for opening a glove of the package so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station; wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed rollers for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and wherein the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the line gripping station with the indexing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
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a housing having a front opening and a bottom opening which provide access to a hand insertion station; a storage for storing a package of a continuous line of disposable gloves in which consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection between a cuff portion of the gloves and a fingertip portion of the gloves and which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line, the storage being for storage of the package so the gloves are presented at the hand insertion station in an orientation so that the frangible connection is substantially horizontal, and with the cuff portion of the gloves facing the front opening; a glove indexing device for moving a glove from the storage to the hand insertion station; and a glove opening device for opening the glove so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove through the cuff portion; wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed rollers for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the rollers from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the gripping station with the indexing device; and wherein to locate the glove on the hand and remove the glove from the apparatus, a user inserts his or her hand through the front opening of the housing into the glove opened by the glove opening device and then moves his or her hand with the glove on his or her hand downwardly through the bottom opening of the housing.
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17. A package of disposable gloves in combination with a glove applying apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove of the package on the hand of a user, the glove applying apparatus comprising:
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a storage for storing the package of disposable gloves, the package being a continuous line of gloves wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a representative frangible connection which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line; an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station of the apparatus; and a glove opening device for opening respective gloves of the package so the user can insert his or her hand into an opened said glove at the hand insertion station; wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed rollers for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and wherein the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the gripping station with the indexing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
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a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves, the package being a continuous line of gloves wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line; an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station; and a glove opening device comprising at least one inflatable assembly having openings therein through which air can flow, and at least one air supply and vacuum system for supplying air to the inflatable assembly to inflate and thereby locate openings of the assembly in a position adjacent the glove, for drawing a vacuum through the assembly so a portion of the glove is drawn against the assembly, and for deflating the assembly so the assembly moves a portion of the glove away from another portion of the glove to open the glove to enable a user to insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station; and wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed roller for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and wherein the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the line gripping station with the indexing device.
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25. A method of hygienically locating a glove on a user'"'"'s hand, comprising:
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providing an apparatus loaded with a package of gloves in the form of a continuous line, the gloves being arranged one after another in the line wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection, the frangible connection being breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line, and the apparatus including an indexing device, and a glove opening device for opening respective of the gloves, wherein the indexing device includes a gripping device comprising a pair of opposed rollers for gripping the line of gloves between the rollers, the indexing device being arranged for movement between a hand insertion station and a line gripping station of the apparatus so that the rollers can move relative to the line of gloves between the hand insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line of gloves at the line gripping station so the line of gloves is drawn with the rollers upon return movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station, and wherein the glove opening device is arranged to move between the hand insertion station and the line gripping station with the indexing device; mechanically locating a said glove at a hand insertion location of the apparatus with said return movement of the indexing device, the glove at the hand insertion location being opened by the glove opening device; and the user inserting a hand in the opened glove, the glove being removed from the line of gloves with removal of the hand from the hand insertion location of the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification