Arrangement for a protective respiratory mask dispenser.
The present invention relates to an arrangement to permit the piecemeal access to and removal of items from a stack of items enclosed in a pack as the pack is held in an outfeed dispenser.
The principal object of the present invention is, in the first place, to make available a dispenser which permits the simple and reliable piecemeal access to and removal of protective respiratory masks which are held protected in a stack within a common pack, as the pack itself is held in an outfeed dispenser, so that the masks are not contaminated before they are used and do not require to be packed in separate packs for each mask. Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that protective respiratory masks with nose parts are enclosed within a pack, which exhibits a peripheral form which is adapted to the peripheral form of the masks and the dispenser, in that the rotation of the masks relative to the longitudinal axis of the pack is prevented on the one hand, and on the other hand the rotation of the pack relative to the longitudinal axis of the dispenser in question which holds said pack is prevented, so that the nose parts are situated in front of an intended removal opening in the pack and the dispenser, and in that the mask situated lowest in the stack is so arranged, before being fed out from the dispenser, as to rest against and as to be carried by supports distributed along a mask outfeed opening in the dispenser. The invention is described below as a number of preferred illustrative embodiments, in conjunction with which reference is made to the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a dispenser arranged in accordance with the drawings; Fig. 2 shows the introduction phase of a pack into the dispenser;
Fig. 3 shows the initial opening phase of the pack;
Fig. 4 shows the outfeed phase of the mask from the pack and the dispenser; Fig. 5 shows a dispenser viewed at an angle from above;
Fig. 6 shows the dispenser viewed from the rear;
Fig. 7 shows a bottom;
Fig. 8 shows a pack; Fig. 8A shows the cross—sectional form of said pack;
Fig. 9 shows a dispenser during the outfeed phase of a mask;
Fig. 10 shows a diagrammatic section through a dispenser with a mask contained therein; and
Figs. 11—13 show further examples of packs of the kind which may be considered.
An arrangement 1 in accordance with the present invention, intended to permit the piecemeal access to and removal of items in the form of protective respiratory masks 2 from a stack of masks 2 enclosed in a pack 3 and protected against access and against external contamination as the pack 3 is held in an outfeed dispenser 4, comprises both the pack 3 and the dispenser 4 in combination with one another. The masks 2 to which the invention relates primarily are of a kind which consist of a fibre material and which exhibit a nose part 5, which mask 2 is designed to be placed over the mouth and nose -of the user and to be retained by a number of rubber bands 6, etc., passing around the neck, in order to protect the individual from inhaling harmful dust or other undesired particles, for example in conjunction with building work, hobby pursuits and working with the soil, etc.
Said masks 2 are enclosed when in the storage and transport position within a common pack 3, which can exhibit varying form. The peripheral form 3A of the pack 3 is, however, adapted to the peripheral form of the masks 2A and the dispenser
4A, in order to prevent the rotation of the masks 2 relative to the longitudinal axis 7 of the pack in question on the one hand, and on the other hand to prevent the rotation of the pack relative to the longitudinal axis 4^ of the dispenser 4 which holds the pack 3 in question.
Said adaptation of the form of the mask 2, the pack 3 and the dispenser 4 has the obj'ect of causing the nose parts 5 of said masks 2 to be situated at all times in front of an intended removal opening 8, 9 in the pack 3 and the dispenser A.
The mask 2 situated lowest in a stack is so arranged, before being fed out from the dispenser 4, as to rest against and as to be carried by supports 10 situated on the lower part 4B of the dispenser and distributed along the periphery of a mask outfeed opening 11 arranged on the lower part 4B of the dispenser. Said example shows a mask carrying support 10, which is constituted by a perforated bottom part 10 extending inwards towards the inner receiving space 12 of the dispenser, which support is attached around its periphery to the wall 13 of the dispenser.
The dispenser 4 exhibits an opening 14 open towards the top which is suitable for receiving and for the replacement of a pack 3 from above, with the dispenser mounted on a wall or some other suitable support, in the event of it being wished to set up the dispenser to provide easy access to masks for staff and other individuals.
The dispenser 4, the form of which is adapted to the intended container 3, is constituted, as already mentioned, by a receiving space 12 for said container 3 and exhibits a number of angles X, Y ... in relation to adjacent end walls 13^, 132, 13^, 134, 135, 136.
An openable bottom 15 is arranged on the lower part 4B of the dispenser, said bottom 15 preferably being bowl— —shaped and appropriately resembling the form of a mask 2, in order to be of a suitable shape to receive at least one mask 2, and being pivotally mounted about an articulation-16 at the inner
end 15A of the bottom, so that it can be swung in.the direction of the arrow 17 into the open position I against the effect of a spring in order to provide access to the mask 2 in question.
The bottom 15 can exhibit an upward-projecting closing part 18, the form of which is so adapted as to be capable of covering the removal opening 9 in the wall 13 of the dispenser when said bottom 15 is held in the closed position II through the effect of the spring.
The function of the bottom 15 is essentially to protect the masks 2 situated above it against contamination and other external influences, for which reason it is of importance for effective sealing with the dispenser 4 to be achieved along -the periphery of the bottom in the closed position II.
Said preferably pipe—shaped closing part 18 can additionally be provided with a handle part 19 in order to permit simple access to same for manual actuation of the bottom 15.
Said removal opening 9 in the dispenser 4 in its wall 13, which is transformed into the outfeed opening 11 situated at the bottom 15 of the dispenser, is appropriately adapted with regard both to its form and to its position to fit the opening 8 arranged or intended between the transition between the wall 31—38 ancj the bottom 20 of the pack container in question.
Said opening 8 is appropriately so arranged as to be exposed in conjunction with the removal of a detachable bottom 20 of the pack at its lower part 3B by the removal of a part 8A of the wall 31—3** of the pack which is demarcated, for example by perforation or weakening in some other way, as shown in Fig. 3, by gripping around said opening part 8A and bottom 20 and pulling in the direction of the arrow 21, so that the bottom 20 accompanies the part 8A and passes through the opening 11.
The function of the dispenser 4, which can be set up by means of screws 22, for example, may be such that it is opened at the bottom in the manner indicated after the insertion into the intended position in the dispenser 4 in the direction of the arrow 24 of a pack 3 of masks provided with both a bottom 20 and a Lid 23. Thanks to the fact that the nose part-5 of each mask
2 faces towards the opening 8, one mask 2 at a time can be easily gripped through the opening 9 and can be withdrawn by being pulled out through the opening 11. Thanks to the flexibility of the mask, the mask is easily bent together in order to pass through the opening 11, from the position L in which it is carried by the support 10, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 10, into the outfeed position U.
As illustrated in Figs. 8—8A, the container 3 can ' exhibit eight sides 3^—3°>, °f which at least some are irregular, in order to be able to fit a dispenser with six sides 13^—13°, so that masks contained in the pack 3 are positioned with the nose part 5 facing towards the removal opening 9 of the dispenser.
Figs. 11—13 illustrate possible variants of packs 103, 203, 303, which exhibit seven sides 1031-1037, six sides 2031-2036 and five sides 303 -3035, and which can also receive masks with the nose part facing towards an intended opening 108, 208, 308 without the risk of the masks being rotated inside the packs, the form of which is also adapted to the dispenser in question so that the nose parts of the masks adopt the desired position.
When the pack 3 has been emptied of masks 2, the then empty casing is replaced by a full pack 3.
The packs 3 are also easy to manufacture, since they consist of an erectable tube made of paper, for example, with separate lids 20, 23 made of plastic, for example, which are easily pressed into the tube and pulled out of same.
The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.