Glove box

Abstract

A disposable glove dispense and shipping container has a first box and a second box both having dispense apertures disposed therein for dispensing a right hand disposable glove and a left hand disposable glove respectively. The first and second boxes are hingably attached along the first box top and inner surface junction and the second box top and inner surface junction. In the open or dispense position the inner sides of the first box and the second box are both parallel and touching with the top surfaces having the dispense apertures lying flat and side by side for dispensing purposes. In the closed or ship position, the top surface of the first box and the top surface of the second box fold onto one another creating a third box suitable for distribution and shipping.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container for disposable gloves in general and more particularly to a single container for shipping and dispensing of disposable gloves having separate compartments for left hand and right hand gloves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Relatively thin, disposable polyethylene, nitrile, vinyl, latex, or similar gloves have a variety of uses and applications in the present marketplace and have been available for many years. However, of the major drawbacks to expanding the use or availability of such gloves resides in the manner in which they have been packaged for use or distribution to the ultimate user. Given the intended disposable nature of the gloves and the necessity of maintaining a low cost per glove, ambidextrous gloves, or gloves that are neither right nor left handed but work on either, were developed. With ambidextrous gloves, a box contained a large quantity of gloves that were all the same shape, eliminating the need to search for a right or a left specifically. Although this minimized waste and made packaging simple and inexpensive, many found ambidextrous gloves uncomfortable, as a single shape or profile is seldom satisfactory for everyone as well as thumb placement is a problem with ambidextrous gloves. Ambidextrous gloves do not conform to the natural contours of the reflexive hands. When ambidextrous gloves are worn for extended periods, they tend to promote fatigue due to the pressures placed on the hand, which are better accommodated by hand specific gloves. Those professionals requiring high sensitivity through their hands, such as doctors or surgeons also require both a specific size and also the handed gloves, or one specific right and one specific left hand glove.

A prior means for packaging a large quantity of pairs in a unit for dispensing consisted of a paperboard box containing several pairs of gloves stacked in an alternating right hand, then left hand glove in a folded relationship. Another packaging means for such gloves included a roll of tissue paper carrying pairs of gloves mounted on the paper roll in spaced relationship from one another along the length of the roll.

The first described means has been found less than satisfactory because it is very difficult to consistently retrieve only one pair of gloves at a time. This results in an objectionable percentage of waste as too often a user pulls several gloves out of the box in a single grab resulting in discarding all but the one pair required. Additionally, when only a left or a right glove is needed, it is likely that a full pair will be taken and therefore one glove is wasted. The second means is not satisfactory because manufacturing in a paired/rolled configuration is too costly for most high volume disposable applications. And, as in the stacked pair configuration, when only one glove is needed, an entire pair must be taken from the roll, wasting the unneeded glove.

A further attempt to minimized costs to the ultimate user made separate boxes for left hand gloves and separate boxes for rights. This decreased manufacturing costs as one box design would accommodate both left hand and right hand gloves of all sizes. This requires two boxes for each glove size. In addition, with the rights and lefts being in similar but separate boxes, invariably the user ends up with inventory issues such as two boxes of lefts and no rights or vice versa; or, one box of lefts and one box of rights in different sizes.

There are clear cost and convenience advantages to having disposable gloves packaged such that left hand gloves and right hand gloves of the same size are packaged together in one low cost container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system for packaging and dispensing disposable gloves.

This one-piece folded system has a separate folded compartment, or box, for left hand gloves and a separate folded compartment, or box, for right hand gloves. The two compartments are hingably attached along one side such that the top portions having the dispense aperture of the two compartments fold toward one another until they are parallel and touching. This creates a box with the dispense aperture to the interior of the box, creating a package with an exterior that is ready for shipping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above description and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a foldable dual compartment disposable glove shipping and dispense box (hereinafter “wallet box”) that is constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wallet box of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the open or dispense position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wallet box constructed in accordance with the present invention in the closed or ship position.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the figures, like elements retain their indicators throughout the several views. With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, one embodiment of a one-piece foldable disposable glove box, or wallet box, constructed from paper board in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally by 100 and is illustrated in a flat unfolded condition prior to folding thereof as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 to provide a box for both shipping and dispensing of right hand and left hand disposable gloves.

With reference to FIG. 1, the wallet box 100 in the preferred embodiment is constructed from one piece of paperboard. Other embodiments are contemplated constructing the wallet box 100 from corrugated board (cardboard), a foldable plastic, or any other material that is foldable and sturdy enough to endure shipping. Wallet box 100 is essentially symmetrical about center fold line 115 where to the left of center fold line 115 a first box is folded and formed, and to the right of center fold line 115 a second box is folded and formed. The first box and the second box are hingably attached at center fold line 115. In FIG. 1, all dashed lines are fold lines and all solid lines are cut lines.

The first box to be formed has a first box bottom 104 and a first box top 102 having an oblong first box dispense aperture 126 for dispensing gloves from the first box. A first box outer side 108 is formed by folding wallet box 100 up along second vertical fold line 109 and third vertical fold line 111. A first box inner side 110 is formed by folding wallet box 100 up along fourth vertical fold line 113 and down at center fold line 115. A first end is constructed on the first box by folding up first box first end first tuck flap 114, first box first end second tuck flap 120, and first box first end second section 118 along first horizontal fold line 103. Next first box first end first section 116 is folded along third horizontal fold line 125 such that first box first assembly tab 122 is inserted into first box first end assembly slot 128. First box first end first tuck flap 114 and first box first end second tuck flap 120 are now folded between first box first end first section 116 and first box first end second section 118.

Similarly, a second end is constructed on the first box by folding up first box second end first tuck flap 134, first box second end second tuck flap 140, and first box second end second section 138 along second horizontal fold line 105. Next first box second end first section 136 is folded along fourth horizontal fold line 127 such that first box second assembly tab 142 is inserted into first box first end assembly slot 130. First box second end first tuck flap 134 and first box second end second tuck flap 140 are now folded between first box second end first section 142 and first box first end second section 138.

The first box is closed by folding first box inner flap 106 toward the interior of the first box and along first vertical fold line 107, folding first box first end flap 112 toward the interior of the first box and along first horizontal fold line 103, folding first box second end flap 132 toward the interior of the first box, and folding wallet box 100 along second vertical fold line 109 such that first box top 102 is parallel to first box bottom 104 and first box first end flap 112, first inner flap 106, and first box second end flap 132 are folded toward the inside of the first box. Finally, first box top 102 is held closed by inserting first box first end closing tab 124 into first box first end closing slot 129 and first box second end closing tab 144 into first box second end closing slot 131.

The second box to be formed has a second box bottom 154 and a second box top 152 having an oblong second box dispense aperture 176 for dispensing gloves from the second box. A second box outer side 158 is formed by folding wallet box 100 up along sixth vertical fold line 119 and seventh vertical fold line 121. A second box inner side 160 is formed by folding wallet box 100 up along fifth vertical fold line 117 and down at center fold line 115. A first end is constructed on the second box by folding up second box first end first tuck flap 164, second box first end second tuck flap 170, and second box first end second section 168 along first horizontal fold line 103. Next second box first end first section 166 is folded along third horizontal fold line 125 such that second box first assembly tab 172 is inserted into second box first end assembly slot 178. Second box first end first tuck flap 164 and second box first end second tuck flap 170 are now folded between second box first end first section 166 and second box first end second section 168.

Similarly, a second end is constructed on the second box by folding up second box second end first tuck flap 184, second box second end second tuck flap 190, and second box second end second section 188 along second horizontal fold line 105. Next second box second end first section 186 is folded along fourth horizontal fold line 127 such that second box second assembly tab 192 is inserted into second box first end assembly slot 180. Second box second end first tuck flap 184 and second box second end second tuck flap 190 are now folded between second box second end first section 192 and second box first end second section 188.

The second box is closed by folding second box inner flap 156 toward the interior of the second box and along eighth vertical fold line 123, folding second box first end flap 162 toward the interior of the second box and along first horizontal fold line 103, folding second box second end flap 182 toward the interior of the second box, and folding wallet box 100 along seventh vertical fold line 121 such that second box top 152 is parallel to second box bottom 154 and second box first end flap 162, second inner flap 156, and second box second end flap 182 are folded toward the inside of the second box. Finally, second box top 152 is held closed by inserting second box first end closing tab 174 into second box first end closing slot 179 and second box second end closing tab 194 into second box second end closing slot 181.

To completely close the box for shipping purposes first box top 102 and second box top 152 are folded flat against one another along center fold line 115 with center folding line 115 being the hinge line. The box is secured for shipping or distribution by inserting a closing tab 196 into a receiving slot 148 and held in place by medially deforming the closing tab 196 to create a offset or displacement of the tab along a slot or cut line 198. The displaced slot or cut line 198 is then able to catch or lock to the top of the receiving slot 148.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wallet box 100 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the open or dispense position. The phantom outlines of gloves in FIG. 2 illustrates the concept of having a separate box for a left glove 204 and a separate box for a right glove 202 in hingably attached boxes. When the box is closed, the closing tab 196 is inserted into the receiving slot 148, and held in place by the displacement along the cut line 198 locking with the top of the receiving slot 148. In order to add strength to the closed box to tolerate shipping rigor, it is contemplated that tape could be placed along the seamed junction between the first box and the second box.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wallet box 100 constructed in accordance with the present invention in the closed or ship position.

Wherein the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. A disposable glove container comprising:

a first box having a first top surface having a first dispense aperture disposed therein for dispensing disposable gloves,

a second box having a second top surface having a second dispense aperture disposed therein for dispensing disposable gloves; whereby

said first box and said second box are hingably attached to fold onto one another creating a third box.

2. A disposable glove container comprising:

a first box having a first top surface having a first dispense aperture disposed therein for dispensing disposable gloves, a first inner surface having a first inner surface length edge, a first outer surface having a first outer surface length edge, a first bottom surface, a first inner intersection at said junction of the first inner surface and said first top surface along said first inner surface length edge, and a first outer intersection at said junction of said first outer surface and said first top surface along said first outer surface length edge; and

a second box having a second top surface having a second dispense aperture disposed therein for dispensing disposable gloves, a second inner surface having a second inner surface length edge, a second outer surface have a second outer surface length edge, a second bottom surface, a second inner intersection at said junction of said second inner surface and said second top surface along the second inner surface length edge, and a second outer intersection at said junction of said second outer surface and said second top surface along said second outer surface length edge; whereby

said first box and said second box are hingably attached along said first inner intersection and said second inner intersection such that said first top surface and said second top surface fold onto one another creating a third box.

3. The disposable glove container of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one assembly tab disposed at said first outer intersection extending from said first outer side and perpendicular to said first top surface; and

at least one assembly slot disposed at said second outer intersection; whereby

said assembly tab slides into said assembly slot upon closing of said disposable glove container thereby securing said first box and said second box into one assembly.

4. The disposable glove container of claim 2, wherein the container is constructed from a single piece of paper board.

5. The disposable glove container of claim 2, wherein the container is constructed from a single piece of corrugated cardboard.