US3362776A

US3362776A - Disposable finger wash device

Info

Publication number: US3362776A
Application number: US518228A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis W Knorr
Original assignee: Louis W. Knorr
Current assignee: LOUIS W KNORR
Priority date: 1966-01-03
Filing date: 1966-01-03
Publication date: 1968-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, 1968 w KNORR Q 3,362,776

DISPOSABLE FINGER WASH DEVICE Filed Jan. 3, 1966 -5 183mm PLASTIC 2G 24 INVENTOR 1 LOUIS W. KNORR WWW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,362,776 DISPOSABLE FINGER WASH DEVICE Louis W. Knorr, 25 Bedford St, Forty Fort, Pa. 18704 Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,228 5 Claims. (Cl. 401-8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disposable finger wash device of this invention takes the place of a finger bowl, and is much more serviceable than a finger bowl. The wash device of this invention consists basically of a wrapper of absorbent material, such as absorbent paper, particularly tear resistant wet-proof paper toweling. Enclosed within the wrapper is a rupturable capsule containing a detergent or cleansing liquid. This is the basic invention and it remains dry until ready for use, which is done by merely crushing the capsule within the wrapper between the fingers, thus wetting the wrapper with the liquid. The wetted wrapper is used for cleansing the skin and also lips, cheeks, chin, or other parts of the body. In addition the wrapper with its contained capsule may be secured on the handle for ready manipulation, and the handle is preferably in the form of a disc with a depending frusto-conical flange so that it may be set on a table or other supporting surface with the wrapper out of contact therewith, ready for use by picking it up, holding the handle in one hand, squeezing the wrapper to break the capsule with the other hand, and then rubbing it over the skin area to be cleaned.

Objects of the invention This invention relates to a disposable finger Wash device and has for an object to provide a disposable wash device to be manipulated by a persons fingers to ready it for washing his or her skin, including not only the skin on the fingers and hands, but also on the lips or chin and cheeks of the face as desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable finger wash device which takes the place of a finger bowl but has the advantage thereover that it is brought in dry condition to the user at the time of use, and by finger manipulation, an absorbent, flexible wrapper is wetted by a contained rupturable capsule having cleansing liquid therein so that the wetted wrapper serves in cleansing the skin of the fingers and of elsewhere.

A further object of this invention is to provide an initially dry finger wash device which may be set on the table and remain in dry condition until manipulated for use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable finger wash device intended for table use in airplanes, in restaurants, hospitals, hotels, motels, ships, automobiles, schools, picnics, lunch rooms and elsewhere Wherever food may be consumed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable finger wash device which, basically, is an absorbent wrapper with an enclosed capsule readily rupturable by finger manipulation, which remains dry indefinitely until ready for use, the capsule containing a cleansing liquid such as a detergent dissolved in water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable finger wash device wherein a rupturable capsule containing a cleansing liquid is enclosed in a wrapper, and wherein the wrapper is supported or secured to a base also serving as a handle, and wherein the wrapper may be formed into wings between which the fingers may fit for manipulation, the rupturable capsule with its cleansing liquid being located in the axis of the area from which the wings extend, the base being in the form of a disc with an outwardly flaring rim, a portion of the wrapper extending through a central aperture in the disc and secured thereto on the rim side thereof.

In brief, this invention consists basically of an initially dry wrapper of disposable tear-resistant wet-proof absorbent material, such as absorbent paper or other fabric, with an enclosed rupturable capsule containing a cleansing liquid such as water and detergent, which when finger manipulated, ruptures to wet the wrapper and make it usable to cleanse the skin of the fingers and elsewhere. In addition, a handle base may be provided, the wrapper being secured thereto, so that it may be readily set on a table waiting to be used, and be held thereby in one hand while rupturing the capsule with the fingers of the other hand. The wrapper may extend through an opening in the base and be secured thereto, a rim depending from the base on the side to which the wrapper is thus secured, so that the device may rest on the rim on a supporting surface when not in use. Further, the wrapper may be formed in the shape of a plurality of wings between which the manipulating fingers may be placed, with the rupturable capsule in the central area between the wings, so that, by twisting the wings into a spiral, the capsule is ruptured, the wings are wetted, and the fingers are cleansed.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disposable finger wash device of this invention being manipulated to rupture the enclosed capsule.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the most sophisticated form of this device.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a less sophisticated form of the device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for purposes of explication, marshalled below are the numbered parts of the improved disposable finger wash device;

10.disposable finger wash device 12.wrapper 14.rupturable capsule 16.cleansing liquid 18.handle base 20.-central aperture in 18 22.adhesive 24.outwardly flared rim or flange on 18 26.wrapper extending across 20 28.-wings of wrapper in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 30.cylindrical shape of capsule in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 32.-fingers of right hand 34.right hand 36.fingers of left hand 38.left hand.

There is shown at 10 the disposable finger wash device of this invention which takes the place of a finger bowl and is much more serviceable than a finger bowl, as will hereinafter become apparent. The device 10 consists basically of a wrapper 12 of absorbent material, such as absorbent paper or other inexpensive flexible absorbent fabric. One suitable form of absorbent paper is the wetproof paper towel now on the market, such paper being highly absorbent and very tear-resistant when it is wetted. Enclosed within this wrapper 12 is a rupturable capsule 14 containing a detergent or cleansing liquid 16, such as water containing dissolved soap, synthetic detergent or any other material having suitable cleansing properties for the human skin. This is applicants basic invention; as thus far described, it remains dry until readied for use, which is done by merely crushing the capsule between the fingers, thus wetting the wrapper 12 with the liquid 16, and the wetted wrapper 12 is used for cleansing the skin of the fingers, and also, as desired, the skin elsewhere, as the hands, the lips, the cheeks or the chin. The rupturable capsule is of any suitable construction, and may be of the construction shown in Patents Nos. 2,539,457 and 2,606,121, that is, the capsule that contained the food dye for coloring white margarine which was thus marketed in the 1950s.

In a more sophisticated form of this invention, the wrap-per 12 is secured to a handle base 18 by having a portion thereof extended through a central aperture 20 and secured to the opposite side thereof by adhesive 22. The handle base 18 is of any suitable rigid inexpensive material such as cardboard, sturdy paper as in FIGS. 2 and 3, or inexpensive plastic as in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is preferably circular in outline. In addition, an outwardly flared flange or rim 24 is provided at its circular edge, and serves as a handle when manually manipulating the device, as shown in FIG. 1, or as a support for resting it on a table surface waiting to be used. To prevent the liquid 14 from being lost through the aperture 20, some of the wrapper may be turned back and stuffed therein, as shown at 26.

In operation, the handle base 18 is in the fingers 32 of one hand 34 grasped by the rim 24, and the wrapper 12 is grasped by the fingers 36 of the other hand 38 and the

hands

34 and 38 are twisted to thus break the capsule 14, saturating the wrapper 12 and cleansing the skin of the fingers or of other parts of the human body on which it is rubbed.

In the most sophisticated form of this invention, the Wrapper 12 is shaped to provide wings 28 between which the fingers 36 are placed when manipulating the wrapper 12 and the enclosed capsule 14, which may then be generally cylindrical as shown at and located in the axis of the base aperture 20. As thus formed, the capsule 30 is more readily grasped by the fingers entering between the wings 28, and twisting handle 24 in one hand causes the fingers 36 of the other hand 38 to twist the wings 28 into a wetted spiral to more thoroughly cleanse the sides of the fingers. Such wings 28 are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which also shows a handle base 18 of rigid cardboard; in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wrapper 12 is shown somewhat spherical in shape, and the handle base 18 is shown as being of an inexpensive, disposable rigid plastic.

In either form, it remains dry until used, and thus may be stored indefinitely. It may be brought to the table, instead of a finger bowl and then when needed, it is picked up and manipulated to break the capsule and cleanse the skin.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible wet-proof tear-resistant absorbent wrapper and a rupturable flexible capsule enclosed within said absorbent wrapper, said capsule containing a skin cleansing liquid therein, whereby when said capsule is manually ruptured by finger manipulation, the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapper for use in cleansing a persons skin and a handle base of substantially rigid but inexpensive disposable material to which said absorbent wrapper is secured, the length and width of said base being greater than the corresponding dimensions of the unruptured capsule, the device resting on said handle base when not in use.

2. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible absorbent wrapper and a rupturable flexible capsule enclosed within said absorbent wrapper, said capsule containing a skin cleansing liquid therein, whereby when said capsule is manually ruptured by finger manipulation, the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapper for use in cleansing a persons skin, and a handle base of substantially rigid but inexpensive, disposable material to which said absorbent wrapper is secured, the device resting on said handle base when not in use, said wrapper being formed into a plurality of wings extending outwardly from an axis substantially vertical to said base, said capsule being located at said axis.

3. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible absorbent wrapper and a rupturable flexible capsule enclosed within said absorbent wrapper, said capsule containing a skin cleansing liquid therein, whereby when said capsule is manually ruptured by finger manipulation, the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapper for use in cleansing a person's skin, and a handle base of substantially rigid but inexpensive, disposable material to which said absorbent wrapper is secured, the device resting on said handle base when not in use, said handle base comprising a plane portion having a depending rim, said wrapper extending through an aperture in said plane portion of said base and being secured to said base on the rim side thereof.

4. The device of claim 3, said plane portion being circular, said wrapper receiving aperture being located at the center of said circular plane portion, said rim flaring outwardly from said plane portion and providing a support for said device when not in use, and a handle for said device when in use.

5. The device of claim 4, said wrapper being formed into a plurality of wings extending outwardly from the axis through said wrapper receiving aperture, said capsule being located at said axis, said capsule being rupturable by placing the fingers between said wings and twisting said wings into a spiral.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,259 8/ 1931 Wandel. 2,209,914 7/1940 Gerber et a1. 15-539 2,249,912 7/1941 Oxley 15-209 2,438,037 5/ 1948 Chapman. 2,560,649 7/ 1951 Hornaday 252- 2,624,900 1/1953 Smith 15538 2,695,704 11/ 1954 McGredy. 2,727,515 12/ 1955 Holt. 2,763,885 9/1956 Lyons 15539 XR 2,778,045 1/1957 Bly et al 15539 XR 2,790,982 5/1957 Schneider 15-639 XR 3,055,035 9/1962 Suoselman. 3,060,486 10/1962 Lewis 15539 3,105,989 10/1963 Bell et al 15209 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,302 12/1913 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner, R, I, SMITH, Assistant Examiner,