U.S. patent application number 13/323872 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-14 for barrier-type protection from exposure to community acquired pathogens.
Invention is credited to Elaine Reyes Kunkleman.
Application Number | 20120148783 13/323872 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46199659 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120148783 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kunkleman; Elaine Reyes |
June 14, 2012 |
Barrier-type Protection from Exposure to Community Acquired
Pathogens
Abstract
A barrier-type protection for the temporary covering over of
handles which are likely to harbor contagions, such as those of
shopping carts, and exercise machines. The barrier can be dispensed
from rolls in which each barrier is separated by a perforation. A
portion of the barrier has an adhesive region that can adhere to an
outer portion of the barrier, so as to secure the barrier over a
handle.
Inventors: |
Kunkleman; Elaine Reyes;
(Boyd, TX) |
Family ID: |
46199659 |
Appl. No.: |
13/323872 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61459457 |
Dec 13, 2010 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/43 ;
428/195.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/15 20150115;
B62B 5/069 20130101; Y10T 428/24802 20150115; B65D 25/36
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/43 ;
428/195.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 65/28 20060101
B65D065/28 |
Claims
1. A barrier protection for covering handles comprising: 1) a
length of substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface,
2) at least one adhesive region of the inner surface that can
adhere to the outer surface, and, 3) at least one non-adhesive
corridor for placement against a covered surface.
2. The barrier protection of claim 1, in which the barriers are
disposable.
3. The barrier protection of claim 1, in which the barriers
dispensed on a roll and separated by perforations.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/459,457 filed Dec. 13, 2010
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not Applicable
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISC
[0004] Not Applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention relates to disposable coverings, and
specifically to disposable barrier protection to prevent the
transfer of pathogens and soiling from one person to another.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In any community setting such as a gym, a grocery store, a
retailer, etc., a person will likely encounter a number of
surfaces, from grocery store cart handles to exercise machine grips
that have been previously handled by any number of people. The risk
of transmitting a pathogen, whether bacterial or viral,
statistically increases with the number of persons handling the
surfaces over a relatively short period of time.
[0007] Many grocers have begun to provide disinfecting wipes at the
store entrance so that consumers may wipe the handles of the
grocery carts before shopping. Likewise, disinfecting wipes are
provided at workout and fitness establishments for the same
reasons.
[0008] Despite recent steps taken to prevent the transmittal of
pathogens from contaminated surfaces to a person, infections caused
by pathogens such as MRSA are on the rise and are referred to as
Community Acquired Infections (CAI). One concern arising from the
use of disinfectants to sterilize a surface is that most
disinfectants, in order to actually disinfect, require wet contact
times of 3-5 minutes on the treated surface which exceeds the
patience of most consumers. Simply applying a quaternary-ammonium
based disinfectant to a surface and immediately wiping clean will
not eliminate surface pathogens. This fact relates to an emerging
epidemiological problem: that of disinfectant resistance.
[0009] While pathogens cannot survive indefinitely on metallic or
vinyl surfaces: they do survive long enough to possibly infect a
person in contact with the surfaces.
[0010] What is needed is a disposable barrier-type protection that
may be readily applied to shopping cart handles, bed rails, workout
equipment handles and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In one aspect of the invention, the barrier assumes a
tubular structure when wrapped over a tubular handle.
[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the barrier may
be wrapped around a tubular handle and the ends connected with an
integrated adhesive that is fused into a material substrate such as
paper or plastic, or any substrate accepting of the adhesive. The
barrier may be disposable and provided on rolls with perforations
for separating the barrier from the roll.
[0013] In another aspect of the invention, the barrier is
re-useable and washable and may be constructed on fabric, vinyl,
plastic, an elastomer, or any suitable material so as to provide
washability and durability.
[0014] In the re-useable aspect, the barrier may have a
longitudinally biased core like that of a spring measuring tape so
as to tensionably coil about a tubular handle. In this case, the
core may possess a protective outer covering made of a flexible
plastic or an elastomer such as silicone.
[0015] In yet another aspect of the invention, the barrier
telescopes to cover an exposed handle.
[0016] In still another aspect of the invention, the barrier is
tubular and constructed of a resilient foam, plastic, or other
material best suited for the intended use, with a longitudinal slit
for application to a handle.
[0017] In either case of re-useable or disposable-type barriers,
the barrier are removable. The material utilized for the barrier
can have antimicrobial properties such as embedded titanium dioxide
or nano-silver. In the case of the disposable-type barrier, the
barrier may be constructed of a paper and may be removed by tearing
the barrier away from the handle in cases where the handle is a
loop, or simply slipping the barrier free of a handle with an
exposed end.
[0018] One object of the present invention prevent
cross-contamination of surfaces.
[0019] Another object of the present invention is assist in
preventing Community Acquired Infections.
[0020] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the
amount of liquid disinfectant being improperly applied.
[0021] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings wherein by way of
illustration and example, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention is disclosed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment according to the present
invention distributed in roll form;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a detail view of 2';
[0024] FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment according to the present
invention for use with hospital bed rails, and distributed in roll
form;
[0025] FIG. 4 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 3 in a typical
use;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
having been separated from the roll;
[0027] FIG. 6 depicts another embodiment according to the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 7 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in a typical
use;
[0029] FIG. 8 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in a typical
use;
[0030] FIG. 9 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in a typical
use;
[0031] FIG. 10 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown in a typical
use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference Listing
[0032] 10' barrier cover [0033] 12 dispensing roll [0034] 14 inner
surface of cover [0035] 14a non-adhesive pull-away strip [0036] 14b
perforations [0037] 15 collapsible folds [0038] 16 outer surface of
cover [0039] 18 adhesive region [0040] 20 longitudinal slit [0041]
22 non-adhesive corridor
[0042] Referring generally to FIGS. 1-9, a barrier for handles to
guard a user against contamination or contact with pathogens is
depicted.
[0043] Referring to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the
barrier is initially shown dispensable in roll form 12 with each
barrier 10' being separated by a perforation 14b. The barriers have
an inner surface 14 and an outer surface 16. The substrate material
of the barrier can be single-ply plastic, foam or paper, or any
combination of plastic, paper or foam, or any other material suited
for its intended purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the outer
surface 16 of the barrier is paper with an inner surface 14 having
an adhesive region 18 which can simply be an adhesive coating
applied by fusing or rolling, and covered by a pull-away
(non-adhesive) strip 14a. In lieu of the pull-away non-adhesive
strip, the inner surface 14 of the roll, apart from the adhesive
regions 18, can be coated with paraffin or any suitable non-stick
surfacing as will suggest itself to those having skill in the art,
so that the adhesive regions do not stick to inner surface of the
roll, but rather, stick to the outer surface of the roll 16 when
the barrier 10' is wrapped around or over a handle. The inner
surface may also be surfaced with thin foam layer to prevent
slippage when installed over a handle belonging to a shopping cart,
a treadmill or free weight handle. The adhesive can be any adhesive
of light or firm tack that may be applied to a substrate.
[0044] Turning to FIG. 4, the barrier is shown in a typical use,
draped over a hospital bed side rail. The dotted lines represent
the adhesive regions on the inner surface now folded against
itself.
[0045] In order to use the barrier, a user (1) tears away a single
barrier from the roll 12, and (2) if the peel-away strip is
included, peels away the strip 14a, and (3) wraps the barrier
around a handle of a shopping cart, exercise machine or the like,
taking care to (4) position portions of the barrier lacking
adhesion over the handle, and wrapping the barrier so that the
cover adheres to itself, forming a barrier covering, and (5) when
the handle is to be cleaned, or another barrier fixed thereto,
quickly and easily removing the barrier by tearing it free of the
handle.
[0046] While it is intended that barriers dispensed from the roll
are disposable, conceivably, the dispensed barriers can be reused
and thereby transferred by a user to another handle if the adhesive
strip possesses low tack and the barrier material is sufficiently
durable. The barrier material therefore, can be paper of sufficient
thickness, plastic, foam, or a composite of the foregoing
materials.
[0047] In lieu of an adhesive region, the barrier can be closed by
means of snap fasteners (not shown).
[0048] The barrier can possess a antimicrobial element such as
silver zeolite which would be coated on, or impregnated into the
inner or outer surface.
[0049] Turning to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the barrier has a
non-adhesive corridor 22 which is runs lengthwise each barrier and
is placed over a top hand hold of a side rail of a hospital bed.
When used with a hospital bed side rail, the barrier is preferably
made of a paper which allows the barrier to be ripped free of the
side rail when performing between-cleaning on the rooms.
[0050] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the basic structure
of the barrier is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5,
excepting the roll form. In this case, the barriers can be easily
re-usable and constructed of any washable and durable material such
as fabric, plastic, vinyl or an elastomer such as silicone. The
barrier may have a core of a biased material such as metal or
plastic (not shown) which causes the barrier to axially curl so
that it can be slipped over a closed or open ended handle. In cases
where the barrier has a bias to cause it to curl over a tubular
handle, an adhesive region 18 may not be necessary to hold the
barrier in place. The barrier can be any size, length or width as
would suggest itself to one having skill in the art and the benefit
of this disclosure.
[0051] Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the barrier is
shown as having an accordion fold that allows it to collapse flat.
The harrier is preferably closed ended and can be constructed of
paper, vinyl, foam or any suitable material able to fold along
crease lines. The material may be re-useable or disposable. The
embodiment is shown with a longitudinal slit 20 that allows the
structure to fit over close-ended handles such as are typically
found on shopping carts. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 with or
without a slit 20, is especially useful with handles having a
terminal end, in which case, the barrier having an accordion fold
may be installed on the handle as shown in FIG. 9.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the barrier is shown in typical uses
covering respectively, a shopping basket, a shopping cart and the
handles of a treadmill.
[0053] While the invention has been described by the embodiments
given, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to
the particular form set forth. For example, although the
embodiments depict a rectangular barrier, it is not intended that
the barrier be limited to a particular shape, and can be any shape
as will suggest itself to those having skill in the art; and as
required to fit over non-cylindrical handles. Accordingly, the
invention is intended to encompass such alternatives,
modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit
and scope of the invention as disclosed.
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