WO1994018900A1

WO1994018900A1 - Apparatus for removing and applying elastic flexible gloves

Info

Publication number: WO1994018900A1
Application number: PCT/DK1994/000061
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Erik Vest Hansen
Original assignee: Jan Erik Vest Hansen
Priority date: 1993-02-16
Filing date: 1994-02-14
Publication date: 1994-09-01
Also published as: DK17993D0; DK17993A

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for removing and applying gloves (9) produced in an elastic flexible material without the glove getting in contact with the skin of the user when removed or applied. For removal or application of a glove (9), the volume of a chamber (2) is augmented, creating a vacuum on the outside of the glove (9) causing the glove (9) to be enlarged. The chamber (2) is delimited by an upper edge area (6), a housing (4), in which part of the edge area has the shape of a bellows (5), and a base part (3). By prolonging the bellows (5) and securing the contact ring (8) mounted on the glove (9), the required vacuum is obtained. The contact ring (8) is designed to be placed on a standard glove and to be reusable.

Description

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND APPLYING ELASTIC FLEXIBLE GLOVES

The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing and applying elastic flexible gloves which are intended, in a tightening manner, to be in contact with an edge area of an opening in a chamber in which a vacuum is established by means of a bellows connected to the vacuum chamber and designed to be activated from the outside.

Apparatuses for removing and applying gloves are frequently used in work situations where it is either unhealthy or undesirable for the user's skin to get in contact with the outside of the glove. Examples of this may be the graphics industry, the hairdressing professions, in connection with special cleaning, etc.

These professions work with chemicals which may be unhealthy if they get in contact with the skin of the user. Consequently, an apparatus for removing and applying gloves without their getting in contact with the skin will help to ease work routines and result in an improvement of the work environment in workplaces where the apparatus is installed and used.

Apparatuses of this type are known, which allow the same glove to be reused several times with the outside of the clove getting in contact with the skin of the user during application and possibly also during removal.

An apparatus for applying surgical gloves is known from the U.S. Patent No. 1,938,685. The apparatus has a chamber with a fixed volume for either glove. At the upper edge area either chamber is provided with a surgical glove manufactured from an elastic flexible material. Securing the surgical glove is obtained by the fact that the edge area has a larger radial extension than the surgical glove when the latter is in a relaxed position.

Below the chambers is a member which has the shape of a bellows and is in contact with the chambers. The bellows is held in a compressed condition here by means of springs. When the bellows is extended, the volume will increase which causes a vacuum to be created inside the bellows and the chambers. This causes the elastic flexible surgical glove to be enlarged, and applying the glove is thus facilitated.

This apparatus is disadvantageous in that it has a relatively great installation height because of the position of the bellows underneath the chambers. Besides the apparatus can only be used for applying, not for removing gloves. This means that the gloves are only for one-time use. The apparatus must have a voluminous bellows in order to ensure that a sufficient vacuum may be created in the total volume of the chamber and the bellows.

U.S. patent No. 3,695,493 describes an apparatus for removing and applying gloves. The glove is integral with a contact ring and the contact ring is positioned at the glove's application aperture. The contact ring of the glove is in contact with the upper edge area of the chamber.

Under each chamber is a member in the shape of a bellows which is in connection with the chamber lying on top. The bellows is kept in a compressed condition by means of an internally positioned coil spring. When the bellows is extended, a vacuum will be created inside the bellows and the chamber on top of it, which will facilitate the removal and application of the glove.

This apparatus is also disadvantageous in having a great installation height. Besides, the only gloves which may be used with apparatus are specially manufactured ones having an integral contact ring which is airtightly adapted to the upper edge area of the chamber. Finally, the apparatus is complicated, which causes servicing and manufacture to become troublesome and expensive.

It is the object of the present invention to disclose an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction which makes it possible to use standard gloves, and which also has a low installation height, and which is easy to manufacture. This object is achieved by an apparatus which is characterized in that the chamber is composed of the inside of a substantially cylindrical housing which is delimited in one end by the upper edge area and which is composed wholly or partly of the bellows and has at its other end a closed base part, that in its relaxed position the housing with the bellows has substantially the same height as the glove, and that the apparatus comprises a detachable contact ring designed for contact with the edge area and intended for being mounted at the application aperture of the glove in order to maintain the glove between the ring and the edge area.

The apparatus makes it possible for standard gloves to be used more than one time, thus keeping costs low. Furthermore, the apparatus has a small installation height as the bellows and the chamber are wholly or partly overlapping.

An apparatus according to the invention has the extra advantage that any chemical drops falling from the glove while not in use will be collected in the chamber. This chamber may easily be replaced during servicing as it is assembled into a singular unit. Thus it is ensured that the chemicals contained therein continue not to get in contact with the skin and a possible special handling of the collected chemicals may be achieved.

Because of its low installation height such an apparatus, if manufactured in a more simple embodiment, could be used for ordinary cleaning, i.e. cleaning without the use of unhealthy substances where, in consideration of work routines, it should be mounted on cleaning carts or the like. The apparatus will thus help to facilitate the work routine and will make it easier for cleaning staff to apply and remove gloves and thus easier to protect their hands against the unnecessary and frequently occurring moisture influences.

The invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the attached drawing, in which

fig. 1 shows a floor model of an apparatus according to the invention seen from the side, fig. 2 shows a wall model of an apparatus according to the invention seen from the side, fig. 3 shows the wall model of fig. 2 seen from above, fig. 4 shows a wall model of an apparatus according to the invention seen from the side, fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a contact ring according to the invention, and fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of a contact ring according to the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a floor model of an apparatus 1 according to the invention for removing and applying a glove 9 (see figs. 5 and 6). The apparatus 1 comprises a chamber 2 which is provided with a closed base part 3 at its lower end. Over the base part 3 the chamber 2 has a housing 4 with a bellows 5. The housing 4 is in turn provided with an upper edge area 6. On the upper edge area 6 of the chamber 2 there is a recess 7. At its upper edge area 6 the chamber 2 is mounted on a frame 10 which ends in a footing 10' on a floor 13.

Together with a contact ring 8 mounted with the glove 9, the recess 7 is able to keep the amount of air in the chamber 2 constant. This is an important prerequisite for the apparatus 1 to function as intended since this ensures an adequate vacuum in the chamber 2. The vacuum in the chamber 2 produces an enlargement of the glove 9, which is manufactured in an elastic flexible material, and thus reliable, convenient and quick removal and application of the glove is ensured.

Alternatively, a separate intermediate ring may be mounted in the upper edge area 6 reducing the aperture of the chamber 2 so that it is made possible to use gloves 9 which have very different dimensions at their application apertures. In this case it is necessary in order to obtain sufficient vacuum and easy operation that the intermediate ring is inserted tightly and firmly. Thus, it will be necessary to make a recess 7 at the through-hole of the intermediate ring. This recess 7 must be adapted to the diameter of the smaller contact ring 8. The area shaped as s bellows will normally extend throughout the length of the housing 4. The vacuum is obtained by a prolongation of the bellows 5, increasing the volume of the chamber 2 while the amount of air in the chamber 2 is being held constant. The volume increase is obtained by activating the base part 3 by means of an activating device 11 connected to a foot pedal 12. At its other end the pedal 12 is secured to the footing of the frame 10.

It is desirable that the chamber 2 has in its inside extension (the height/width relation) the same dimensions as the glove 9 when the latter is mounted on the contact ring 8 because in this manner the least possible movement of the base part 3 is obtained as the amount of noxious space is minimized. When the movement of the base part is minimized, it is ensured that the apparatus will have the least possible installation height and it is possible to meet special consumer demands, e.g. special mounting requests.

The bellows 5 must retain its radial extension under axial pressure. This is very essential in order to ensure that the chamber 2, when adapted to the dimensions of the glove 9, will not squeeze the hand while it is inside the glove during removal and application.

In order to obtain low production costs, it is desirable to use standard products for manufacturing the apparatus 1. E.g. this means that the bellows 5 will mostly have a cylindrical shape as this embodiment already exists and is used for other products for ventilation etc.

In those cases when the gloves used are manufactured in a particularly elastic and flexible material, a powerful bellows may be necessary. The bellows always has sufficient pull-back ability, even after heavy influences of force and after many times' use. This may be achieved by placing a spring between the upper edge area 6 and the base part 3, which will ensure that the bellows is always compressed in its resting position. For purposes of e.g. servicing a coil spring moulded in the wall of the bellows 5 would be most suitable. An ideal design for the chamber 2 would be to manufacture it in one piece in order to reduce the production costs and avoid the leaks which may occur when assembling the upper edge area 6 to the housing 4 with the bellows 5 and the base part 3.

The apparatus 1 has the further advantage that with each removal and application the gloves 9 are controlled for the existence of holes. This is because the glove 9, if it has a hole, will not be enlarged when there is a vacuum in the chamber 2.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of an apparatus 1 for removal and application of gloves 9. The illustrated model is a simple wall model in which the production prices of each part are minimized. The frame 10 is intended for mounting on a wall 14. The apparatus 1 is shown here with a base part 3 which is provided with a simple activating device 11, here designed as a ball. The activating device 11 might also be designed as a cylindrical ring-shaped body or the like.

The illustrated simple wall model will normally not be used in connection with chemicals which may be unhealthy in contact with the skin. This is because the apparatus 1 in its simple design with an activating device 11 , integrally built into the base part 3, will prevent the user from quickly (visually) orienting and using the correct activating device 11 when removing and, respectively, applying the gloves 9.

In order to avoid that any chemical gets in contact with the skin, the same activating device 11 must be used during both removal and application.

Fig. 3 shows the simple wall model of fig. 2 seen from above. It is seen that the recess 7 is placed in the upper edge area 6. In a special embodiment the recess 7 and the contact ring 8 may comprise marks/indications in the form of arrows, projec¬ tions/notches, ensuring that the gloves 9 will always have the same orientation. This will facilitate the application of the glove 9.

Fig. 4 shows a different type of wall model than the one illustrated in figs. 2 and 3.

In this wall model the frame 10 and the activating device 11 are manufactured in one piece. Here the activating device 11 is not mounted directly in extension of the base part 3 but mounted just over the base part 3.

In this position it is possible for the user quickly (visually) to find and use the right activating device 11 for removal and application of the gloves 9, respectively. The activating device 11 may be provided with colour codes or the like indicating which portion of the activating device 11 to be used for the process in question (removal or application).

In this figure the recess 7 is marked by a broken line in order to demonstrate how it is positioned when the apparatus is seen from the side.

Figures 1-4 indicate two methods of activating the closed base part 3 so that the volume of the chamber is increased. This is obtained by applying a force to the activating device 11 by means of either a foot or a hand. Alternatively, the activating device may be designed to be used by means of a knee, an elbow, a thigh, etc. The activating device 11 may further be operated by electrical or mechanical means. These means may be activated e.g. by pneumatics or electromagnetics. In such cases one would often use a push-button switch activated by the foot.

Fig. 5 shows a contact ring 8 consisting of two parts, an upper part 15 and a lower part 16. The glove 9 is placed between the upper ring 15 and the lower ring 16 so that the upper ring 15 is located on the inside of the glove 9 while the lower ring 16 is located on the outside of the glove 9. This means that the lower ring 16 is the part of the contact ring 8 that gets in contact with the upper edge area 6.

A contact ring 8 consisting of two parts ensures that the contact ring will remain on the glove 9 during use, that production costs are kept low, and that mounting is facilitated when it is necessary to attach a new glove 9. The production material for the upper part 15 and the lower part 16 will primarily be plastic having mechanical properties which mean that the contact ring 8 will not substantially change its radial extension when a glove 9 is secured. Using a contact ring 8 of this type, it is possible to mount any elastic flexible glove 9 existing in the trade. This keeps day-to-day operation costs at a minimum.

Fig. 6 shows a different type of contact ring 8 also consisting of two parts, an inner part 18 and an outer part 17. The glove 9 will in this case be situated between the outer part 17 and the inner part 18. This means that the glove will be situated between the upper edge area 6 and the contact ring 8.

The production materials for the outer part 18 and the inner part 17 must have different mechanical characteristics. It is important here that when mounting the glove 9, the inner part 17 will, by means of the outer part 18, retain its radial extension in order to obtain an airtight fit between the upper edge area 6 and the contact ring 8. The outer part 18, on the other hand, must have substantially the same characteristics as a rubber band, i.e. the outer part 18 ensures in this case that the glove 9 and the contact ring 8 remain assembled during use. As such an outer part 18 already exists in the trade, this embodiment will also help to keep production costs low.

It is noted that the contact rings 8 shown in figs. 5 and 6 are reusable and that replacement thereof may be done when the chamber is replaced.

The contact ring 8 may alternatively be produced in other ways than those shown in figs. 5 and 6 in order to ensure that the glove 9 remains secured during use. The glove 9 may be secured in the manner that on the outside of a contact ring (not shown) an attachment layer is provided which ensures the fixation of the glove 9 in relation to the contact ring 8. This attachment layer might for example be double-gluing tape or the like.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for removing and applying elastic flexible gloves (9) which are intended, in a tightening manner, to be in contact with an edge area (6) of an opening in a chamber (2) in which a vacuum is established by means of a bellows (5) connected to the vacuum chamber (2) and designed to be activated from the outside, characterized in that the chamber (2) is composed of the inside of a substantially cylindrical housing (4) which is delimited in one end by the upper edge area (6) and which is composed wholly or partly of the bellows (5) and has at its other end a closed base part (3), that in its relaxed position the housing (4) with the bellows

(5) has substantially the same height as the glove (9), and that the apparatus comprises a detachable contact ring (8) designed for contact with the edge area (6) and intended for being mounted at the application aperture of the glove in order to maintain the glove between the ring and the edge area.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the volume of the chamber (2) is substantially equivalent to the volume of the glove (9).

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the bellows (5), the edge area (6) and the contact ring (8) have a substantially oval cross section.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (4) retains its radial extension when exposed to an axial pressure.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the chamber (2), consisting of the edge area (6), the housing (4) and the base part (3), is provided in one piece.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact ring (8) is tightly fitted to the open end of the chamber (2).

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact ring (8) consists of two pieces (15, 16; 17, 18), between which the glove is secured.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a spring is built into the bellows (5) in the housing (4).

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper edge area (6) is provided with a separate intermediate ring having an inside diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the upper edge area (6), and that the intermediate ring is provided with a recess (7).