Sanitary Diaper Handling Apparatus

Abstract

A sanitary diaper handling apparatus which is configured so as to fit standard size diaper pails and which will fit over most toilet bowls, in which the diapers are pre-washed. A standard sized diaper pail lid is utilized, the lid having a section of see-through material, and two additional openings, each of the openings having a raised lip so that standard rubber gloves may be securely attached to the lid, the rubber gloves extending below the lid itself. This arrangement allows the user to pre-wash soiled diapers and to place them in the standard diaper pail without touching the diapers with the bare hands.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates primarily to sanitary devices, and more particularly to those kinds of sanitary devices dealing with soiled baby diapers.

The diaper pail is a standard item in the homes of families having infants which use diapers, other than disposable, on a regular basis. Since each diaper is not completely washed immediately as it becomes soiled by the infant, it is the standard practice to first pre-wash the soiled diaper to remove the bulk of the infant's feces or other soil deposited in the diaper and then to place it in a temporary sanitary storage. When the temporary storage is filled, the entire load of diapers or similar articles is thoroughly washed at one time. This temporary storage, which in most cases is the standard, well-known diaper pail, frequently has means to suppress the remaining odor of the diapers and to keep the surrounding area relatively sanitary, until the full pail of diapers is to be washed.

In a typical operation, the person changing the infant's diapers will take the soiled diaper off of the infant, pre-wash the diaper, and deposit the pre-washed diaper in the diaper pail. Typically, the changer will pre-wash the diaper in the toilet bowl, handling the diaper from the changing process through the pre-washing process and into the diaper pail with his/her bare hands.

There are many disadvantages to this type of handling of soiled diapers. First, the close proximity of the soiled diaper to the changer often presents an offensive odor to the changer. Furthermore, bacteria from the changer's hands is often transferred to the diaper when the diaper is extensively handled with bare hands, the bacteria not being eradicated by the washing, and often resulting in a condition called diaper rash. Furthermore, the washing of the diapers in the toilet bowl frequently results in offensive contact with the water in the toilet bowl. Rubber gloves alone do not provide the solution to these disadvantages, as it would still be necessary to remove the lid from the temporary storage with the rubber gloves, possibly resulting in an unsanitary condition. Additionally, it would be necessary to provide a suitable place for storing the gloves.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide sanitary means for handling diapers which is integral with the diaper pail lid.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sanitary diaper handling apparatus in which rubber gloves are securely attached to a diaper pail lid for the handling of soiled diapers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a diaper handling apparatus in which a standard diaper pail lid, integral with a pair of rubber gloves, can be utilized to pre-wash the diapers and place them in the temporary storage without any other handling operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention is a portable lid which is configured so as to be removably matable with an otherwise open top container which is capable of receiving and storing soiled diapers. The lid furthermore is of sufficient size to cover an area which is bounded by the opening of a standard toilet bowl. The lid has defined therein first and second openings to which are attached a pair of flexible, protective gloves, the openings being positioned within the lid such that the gloves depend down into the container or the toilet bowl when the lid is placed thereon. The arrangement of the portable lid and the protective, depending gloves is such that transportation and handling of soiled diapers is permitted by a user between the container and the toilet bowl without direct skin contact between the user and the soiled diapers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more thorough understanding of the invention may be obtained by a study of the following detailed decription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the present invention, slightly tilted to show the underside of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the present invention along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1, the sectional view being shown in conjunction with a temporary storage means.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of that portion of FIG. 3 which shows the means by which rubber gloves are attached to the member shown in FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway elevational view showing the combination of the diaper pail lid of the present invention with a standard toilet bowl.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a lid embodying the present invention for a standard diaper pail is shown both in plan view and tilted elevational view. The diaper pail is a well-known household device, ordinarily used in the bathroom or infant changing area, for temporary storage of soiled diapers, after the diapers have been typically pre-washed in some manner. A standard diaper pail lid is specially modified to accomplish the present invention. However, the standard lid is utilized only because it is a convenient way to manufacture the present invention, and because such a lid is inherently capable of correctly mating with most of the commercially available diaper pails. Thus, the present invention is capable of simply replacing the lids in current use, without the necessity of buying new storage pails. The standard diaper pail lid 10 is circular in plan, the lid having a lip 11 integral with the circular member extending completely around the circumference of the member, substantially normal to the member. The lip extends a sufficient distance from the member such that a sealing can take place between the lid 11, and the storage pail 12 shown in FIG. 3.

A portion of the lid is cut out and replaced with a viewing port 14 of transparent material. The viewing port is inserted into the opening and held in place by some suitable fastener or adherent means. This allows the user of the apparatus to actually see what he is accomplishing when he is using the device. The invention is also provided with two additional openings 17 and 18 into which are inserted standard sanitary rubber gloves 19--19 which may be insulated or not, depending upon the choice of the user. The rubber gloves, after being secured to the openings by means to be explained in the following paragraphs, extend beneath the lid, and when the diaper pail lid is in place on the pail, as shown in FIG. 3, extend down into the pail itself.

Referring to FIG. 4, the structure for securing the individual rubber gloves to the diaper pail lid is shown. A raised circumferential lip 21 is formed completely around each of the openings 17 and 18 for the rubber gloves. A section of the raised lip 21 is shown as it rises normally from the diaper pail lid 10 some minimum distance. The lip then curls outwardly, and slightly downwardly, so that the flexible rubber glove 19 may be fitted around it, the bulbous edge 22 of the typical rubber glove being held securely by the outwardly and downwardly curving portion of the circumferential raised lip 21. A single glove is thus securely fitted around each lip, allowing the user to place and remove his hands into and from the rubber gloves without disturbing the attachment of the gloves to the lid itself.

In actual use, this invention allows the user to handle the diapers from the changing or pre-wash to the depositing of the diaper in the temporary storage, without touching the diaper with the bare hands, thus preventing the exchange of bacteria in both directions between the user and the diaper. After the user has removed the soiled diaper from the infant, the user would, in typical operation, deposit the soiled diaper in the toilet bowl for pre-wash. The diaper pail lid is then removed from its normal position on top of the temporary diaper storage pail, and is placed directly on top of the toilet bowl 30, the two rubber gloves depending insdie from the lid as shown in FIG. 5.

The user then places his hands in the rubber gloves, and proceeds to pre-wash the diaper in the toilet bowl. Placing the lid over the toilet bowl minimizes water splashing and odors reaching the user. The diaper is held by means of the rubber gloves, insulated if necessary to protect against the cold water, and pre-washed sufficiently so that the diaper may be temporarily stored in the pail. The transparent portion of the lid allows the user to see his actions, and to determine when the diaper is sufficiently pre-washed.

At this point, the user removes the diaper from the toilet bowl with the rubber gloves, wrings out the diaper, and deposits it in the temporary diaper storage pail. The diaper pail lid, being integral with the gloves, travels along with this movement without interference with the user's actions. Once the diaper is deposited in the pail, the user, still with his hands in the gloves, simply adjusts the pail lid to fit on the pail, and then removes his hands from the rubber gloves. The diaper has thus been pre-washed and deposited with minimum direct contact between the user and the diaper. Furthermore, there is no storage problem of the apparatus, since it is the lid for the diaper pail, and the gloves simply hang down within the diaper pail itself. If it is ever necessary to change or clean the rubber gloves, they are easily removed from the lip of the openings, and just as easily reinserted.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A sanitary diaper handling apparatus, comprising:

a portable lid-like cover member, which cover member is configured and arranged as to be removably matable with an open-top container capable of receiving and storing soiled diapers, said cover member being of sufficient size to cover an area bounded by the opening of a conventional toilet bowl and having defined therein first and second openings within a portion of the cover member coincident with said area when the cover member is placed on said toilet bowl or said container;

is a pair of flexible, protective gloves; and,

means securing said protective gloves to the perimeter of said first and second openings, said cover member having a cross-sectional shape with said protective gloves depending therefrom that washing of diapers may be performed in said toilet bowl when said cover member is placed thereon, and further permitting transportation and handling of soiled diapers by a user between the container and said toilet bowl, without skin contact between said user and the diapers.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said protective gloves are configured to receive human hands.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portion of said cover member is transparent.

4. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cover member is composed of lightweight flexible material such that transportation of said cover member between the container and said toilet bowl can be conveniently accomplished by a user having his hands inserted into said protective gloves.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said securing means is a raised circumferential lip extending substantially around said first and second openings and projecting normally from said cover member, said lip including an arcuate portion at the free edge thereof to receive an edge of said protective gloves defining an open end thereof.