Device that dispenses and facilitates donning of gloves on hands
View Patent ↗The invention is a compact glove dispenser and gloving device that sanitarily dispenses and dons disposable gloves on hands and is designed for ease of use, low complexity, and low cost. Individual gloves are packaged with glove palm and fingers folded with the open cuff facing the flat surface of the packaging, held open and in place by a frame made of thin material. Multiple glove packets are positioned in cartridges in a storage area, oriented for mechanical transporting to dedicated left and right gloving areas. Once in the gloving area, the glove cuff is held open, presented to the user who pushes hands through the packaging, donning the glove in a single motion.
1. A glove dispensing device, comprising:
a housing having a storage area configured to hold a plurality of individually packaged gloves, wherein each package is a single-glove package that maintains a single glove and comprises a hand insertion portion;
a gloving area; and
a motor mechanism configured to transport a single-glove package from the storage area to the gloving area and to engage a periphery of the single-glove package in the gloving area to present a hand insertion portion of the single-glove package to a user with the glove in the package,
wherein the gloving area defines at least one side opening configured for left and/or right sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area,
wherein the hand insertion portion comprises a set of compressed fingers within the single-glove package at a time of hand insertion,
wherein the gloving area includes a first glove area and a second gloving area,
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area are side by side, and spaced apart by at least a portion of the storage area of the housing,
wherein the first gloving area is oriented for left hand gloving and the second gloving area is oriented for right hand gloving, and
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area each define a C-shaped opening at opposite sides of the housing, each C-shaped opening extending partially into an exterior face of the housing for sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sensor configured to detect presence of a hand to actuate the motor mechanism to transport the single-glove package from the storage area to the gloving area.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the single-glove package includes a tear-away material and the motor mechanism is configured to hold the single-glove package until the gloved hand is separated from the tear-away material.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein, in response to the gloved hand separating from the tear-away material, the single-glove package is automatically transferred from the gloving area.
5. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one sensor configured to detect exit of the gloved hand from the gloving area to cause the motor mechanism to release the single-glove package.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a front of the housing and a back of the housing are parallel to one another and the single-glove package is oriented by the motor mechanism at or near the front of the housing.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gloving area is angled downwardly from a front of the housing to a back of the housing and the single-glove package is oriented by the motor mechanism at or near the front of the housing.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing includes a front and a back and a slit is formed near the front, and
the motor mechanism is configured to deliver the single-glove package through the slit to the gloving area.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gloving area is configured as a channel that fits a gloved hand.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises:
a spring mechanism configured to transport the single-glove package from the storage area to the motor mechanism; and wherein
the motor mechanism is configured to secure the single-glove package and orient the single-glove package in the gloving area to present the hand insertion portion to the user.
11. A glove dispensing device, comprising:
a housing having a storage area configured to hold a plurality of individually packaged gloves, wherein each package is a single-glove package that maintains a single glove and comprises a hand insertion portion;
a gloving area configured as a channel that fits a gloved hand;
a spring mechanism configured to transport a single-glove package from the storage area to a motor mechanism; and wherein
the motor mechanism is configured to engage a periphery of the single-glove package in the gloving area to present the hand insertion portion of the single-glove package to a user with the glove in the package,
wherein the gloving area defines at least one side opening configured for left and/or right sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area,
wherein the hand insertion portion comprises a set of compressed fingers within the single-glove package at a time of hand insertion,
wherein the gloving area includes a first gloving area and a second gloving area,
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area are side by side, and spaced apart by at least a portion of the storage area of the housing,
wherein the first gloving area is oriented for left hand gloving and the second gloving area is oriented for right hand gloving, and
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area each define a C-shaped opening at opposite sides of the housing, each C-shaped opening extending partially into an exterior face of the housing for sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
the housing includes a front and a back and a slit is formed near the front, and
the motor mechanism is configured to deliver the single-glove package through the slit to the gloving area.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein a front of the housing and a back of the housing are parallel to one another and the single-glove package is oriented by the motor mechanism at or near the front of the housing.
14. A glove dispensing device, comprising:
a housing having a storage area configured to hold a plurality of individually packaged gloves, wherein each package is a single-glove package that maintains a single glove and comprises a hand insertion portion; and
a C-shaped portion of the housing including a gloving area configured as a channel that fits a gloved hand, wherein the gloving area defines at least one side opening configured for left and/or right sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area;
a front, a back, and a slit formed near the front; and
a motor mechanism configured to transport a single-glove package from the storage area to the gloving area through the slit and to engage a periphery of the single-glove package in the gloving area to present the single-glove package for hand insertion,
wherein the hand insertion portion comprises a set of compressed fingers within the single-glove package at a time of hand insertion,
wherein the gloving area includes a first gloving area and a second gloving area,
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area are side by side, and spaced apart by at least a portion of the storage area of the housing, and wherein the first gloving area is oriented for left hand gloving and the second gloving area is oriented for right hand gloving, and
wherein the first gloving area and the second gloving area each define a C-shaped opening at opposite sides of the housing, each C-shaped opening extending partially into an exterior face of the housing for sideways exit of a gloved hand from the gloving area.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein a front of the housing and a back of the housing are parallel to one another and the single-glove package is oriented by the motor mechanism at or near the front of the housing.