Sanitary collection and disposal device

Abstract

This invention relates to a disposable device for handling, collecting and disposing of odiferous, messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials. More particularly, this invention is directed to a device having a glove portion, a wrist portion and an attached bag portion extending from the wrist portion, adapted for use on either hand of a wearer, affording the wearer an enhanced means of grasping and manipulating odiferous, messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects while avoiding contact with said materials or objects.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Application No: 60/755879 Filed Jan. 4, 2006

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a disposable device for handling, collecting and disposing of odiferous, messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials. More particularly, this invention is directed to a device having a glove portion, a wrist portion and an attached bag portion extending beyond the wrist portion which is adapted for use on either hand of a wearer, affording the wearer an enhanced means of grasping and manipulating odiferous, messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects while avoiding contact with said materials or objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commonly, a glove, mitten or other protective gear is used to protect a wearer's hand when the wearer desires to touch, grasp or manipulate odiferous, messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects such as pet or human waste, oil or gasoline soaked rags, rotted or rotting materials, dirty objects and the like. The wearer grasps the material or object and places the material or object in a bag or other container for disposal.

Disposable gloves or mittens are found in many applications for protecting the wearer's hands. They are commonly seen in gas stations, given out to patrons buying diesel fuel. Dog parks frequently have boxes containing disposable mittens placed strategically so that dog owners are encouraged to pick up droppings.

However, the disposable mittens presently in use are designed for the wearer to pick up the droppings and deposit them into another container or bag. Moreover, the mitten design does not allow the wearer sufficient flexibility to grasp the softer droppings, resulting in a smeared mess and fecal matter left on the ground or ground covering, essentially defeating the purpose for which the mittens were intended, namely to remove the fecal matter entirely.

Gloves used for cleaning are found in many varying configurations. The glove itself commonly fits to the wearer's hand snugly with five appendages for the digits of a wearer's hand. Usually, the wrist portion of the glove is loose, usually to allow the wearer to slip the glove on and off easily. Gloves with an upper portion extending beyond the wearer's wrist are used in the Veterinary field to protect the wearer's arm while the hand is inserted into a larger animal's (bovine's) anus. The upper portion of these gloves is not intended to contain any material which may be withdrawn from the animal. Moreover, the upper portion of gloves presently in use is either form fitting to the wearer's arm or, if loose, tend to flop over onto the glove forcing the wearer to use his or her other hand to adjust the upper portion.

Commonly, an individual faced with the unpleasant task of handling an object such as a dead rodent will use any bag that comes in handy such as a bag commonly used at grocery stores to bag vegetables, inserting his hand into the bag, grasping the object and reversing the bag to capture the object within the bag. The hand is uncovered and the inverted bag is closed off, the upper edges grasped and tied off for easy disposal of the bag and its contents.

However, the common bag does not allow for manipulation of the object. The edges of the bag flop onto the object, causing more mess to adhere to the top of the bag, obviating the protective aspect of the operation. Precise manipulation of the common bag to grasp, contain and enclose a particularly fluid or large volume of undesirable material is not possible. The opening of the bag is large and is not easily gathered at the opening to contain the object. Moreover the lack of control possible with a common bag contributes to spillage, especially in the case of fluid or large volumes of undesirable materials.

A wide variety of gloves and bags for holding materials are known. However, these gloves and bags are not combined in an easily manufacturable, cost efficient and usable way.

The present invention was designed to meet the need for a device which would allow the user to efficiently, conveniently and with confidence collect, manipulate, contain and dispose of a wide variety of undesirable, messy, odiferous or voluminous materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a glove and bag combination (glove bag) allowing for manipulation, containment and disposal of undesirable, unsanitary, odiferous or messy materials such as animal or human fecal matter, rotted or rotting materials, cleaning debris, oil spills or any material that when in any contact with the wearer would produce an undesirable or deleterious effect.

The above object is achieved in the present invention by providing a glove and bag combination comprising a glove portion, a wrist portion and a bag portion, the wrist portion of sufficient size to afford support to and separation of the glove portion from the bag portion, the bag portion extending from the wrist portion to the mid forearm of the wearer, having an open upper portion being of sufficient width and length to allow the ends of the upper portion to be grasped and tied into a secure knot or to allow the upper portion of the bag portion to be looped about itself, forming a secure knot, containing the undesirable materials therein.

The wearer inserts either right or left hand into the glove portion, manipulates and grasps the undesirable object or material and while maintaining a grip on the undesirable object or material, inverts the bag portion over the glove and wrist portion to form a bag within which the glove portion, wrist portion and undesirable object or material is contained. The wearer then withdraws his or her hand from the glove portion and either grasps the opposing edges of the upper bag portion, to tie them together in a knot, or loops the upper portion of the bag portion around itself to form a knot, completely enclosing the undesirable object or material, creating a bag to be conveniently deposited in an appropriate refuse container or receptacle for disposal.

An advantage of the invention is that the wearer's forearm and elbow are protected by the invention, the bag portion of the invention being of sufficient length to cover the wearer's forearm and clothing, limiting contact with undesirable material or materials.

The opening of the upper bag portion has an unadorned edge but the edge may be folded over to enclose a string or other means to draw the bag portion closed, containing the glove portion, the wrist portion and the materials within the bag portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the bag portion may vary in size and dimension according to an intended use. The bag portion may be wide to accommodate the collection of bulky items such as piles of oily or greasy rags. The bag portion may be of a length extending to the wearer's mid forearm, allowing for the containment of small amounts of undesirable materials such as pet fecal matter. The bag portion may be long to afford extra protection for a wearer's arm, possibly extending to the wearer's shoulder for use in applications requiring extraction of materials from deep within a messy area such as a bovine's anus. An object of the invention is that the bag portion must be of a length to allow for the containment of the undesirable materials and tying off the bag portion opening.

In a preferred embodiment, any size glove portion may be paired with any size wrist portion and any size bag portion. For example, a small glove portion may have a small wrist portion and a medium sized bag portion. A large glove portion may have a medium sized wrist portion and a small bag portion, and so on.

In the various permutations of glove sizes and bag portion sizes, one glove portion size may be common to a variety of bag portion sizes.

In a preferred embodiment, the device for handling, collecting and disposing has a five-fingered glove portion which may be form fitting to the wearer's hand extending to the wearer's wrist, form fitting to the wearer's wrist. An object of the invention is that the glove portion allow for manipulation of the undesirable object or materials. The glove portion may be made in a variety of sizes to fit small, medium and large right and left hands. In a preferred embodiment, the bag portion is roughly a square, the body of the bag portion extending outwardly from the wrist portion at an obtuse angle thence forming a wide sleeve, the length of which may extend past the wearer's elbow.

The bag portion size may vary from small to large depending on the ultimate intended use of the invention (i.e. to contain a large mound of fecal matter or to contain the tissues used to wipe a baby's bottom.). In a preferred embodiment, the bag portion forms one seamless piece from the tips of the digits of the glove portion to the upper portion of the bag portion. In a preferred embodiment the opening of the bag portion is wide enough to allow the ends of the opening to be grasped and tied in a knot to contain the undesirable materials in the bag portion. In a preferred embodiment the length of the bag portion is sufficient to allow the upper portion of the bag portion to be wrapped around itself to form a knot which may be drawn tight upon itself to contain the undesirable materials in the bag portion.

A novel feature of this invention is that the five fingers of the glove portion allow the wearer to easily grasp the undesirable materials while allowing the wearer to invert the glove, allowing the undesirable materials to be deposited into and contained by the bag portion.

An additional novel feature of the invention is that the wrist portion conforms to the wearer's wrist, allowing a comfortable fit while affording more space in the bag portion for the storage of undesirable material by lessening the amount of inverted glove material ultimately contained by the bag portion. Most importantly, the form fitting wrist portion provides structure and a support to the bag portion which prevents the bag portion from folding or flopping over the glove portion, interfering with the manipulation and grasping of the undesirable material by the wearer.

A further novel feature of the invention is that the sides of the bag portion are angled away from the wrist portion so as to lend stiffness to the bag portion and to preclude the upper portion of the bag portion from flopping over onto the glove portion. The width of the opening of the upper portion of the bag portion is sufficient to allow the inversion of the glove portion and wrist portion to capture the undesirable object or material while being small enough to not flop over onto the glove portion.

A further novel feature is that after the undesirable object or material is grasped, the bag may be tied to contain the undesirable object or material by grasping the edges of the bag portion and folding the edges over to form a knot, securing the contents within the bag which may then be disposed of.

In another preferred embodiment, the open top portion of the bag portion may have a string, elastic or other means of securing the top edges of the bag portion to the wearer's arm allowing sufficient opening for the inversion of the bag portion over the glove portion and the materials to be contained.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention is made of a disposable material which may be clear or opaque with or without a stamped, self embossed or printed pattern, logo or message in attractive colors or black and white alone or in combination. The invention may be made of materials in differing colors according to the ultimate use (collection of pet fecal matter, household use, medical or veterinary applications, cleaning oil spills, mopping up odiferous or hazardous materials, etc.).

In a preferred embodiment, the material used in making the embodiments of the invention may be, in keeping with the nature-friendly uses of the invention, be made of a completely biodegradable plastic film containing cornstarch.

Embodiments of the invention may be easily manufactured by stamping the outline of the invention onto two layers of commonly available polyethylene plastic, preferably at least 1.25 mil thick forming a seam around the glove portion, the wrist portion and the bag portion, leaving the top of the bag portion open or operable so that the wearer's hand may be inserted. Each layer of commonly available polyethylene plastic may be from 1.25 mil thick up to 2.0 mil thick. The material may have anti-static properties which would inhibit static from building up during the use of the invention and having the undesirable effect of attracting bits of the undesirable materials to the outside of the inverted bag.

The invention may be formed on a roll or packaged in boxes to be extracted one at a time in the same manner as Kleenex tissues. The box packaging may be 13″ long by 6″ wide by 1.5″ high to accommodate a supply of 50 or more individual glove bags of a similar configuration.

A further advantage of the invention is that the wearer does not come in contact with the undesirable substance upon removing the invention from his or her hand. In the case of analogous art gloves used in cleaning, the glove is customarily removed by the wearer grasping the tips of the glove fingers with the wearer's opposing hand and pulling the glove off the wearer's hand. The wearer's opposing hand, if not protected, is exposed to the undesirable materials. If the wearer's opposing hand is protected, the act of pulling the glove off with the opposing gloved hand is clumsy at best.

The invention may be removed with the opposing unprotected hand by grasping the top edge of the bag portion, pulling the top edge over the glove and wrist portions to form a bag enclosing the glove and wrist portions and sliding the wearer's hand out of the glove portion without the wearer touching the undesirable materials enclosed by the bag portion.

If, the wearer chooses to remove the analogous art glove by grasping the edges of the upper portion of the analogous art glove and pulling it to remove the analogous art glove from the wearer's hand while inverting the glove portion, the upper portion of the analogous art glove, commonly fitting snug against the wearer's forearm, is not deep or wide enough to enclose the undesirable material.

A further advantage of the invention is that it is disposable. Once the undesirable materials have been grasped, the top edge of the bag portion pulled over the wrist and glove portions, the wearer's hand removed from the glove portion and the top edge of the bag portion tied in a knot containing the undesirable materials, the entire invention and undesirable materials may be disposed of in a clean and sanitary manner.

Analogous art gloves are ordinarily not disposable. If, the wearer chooses to remove the analogous art glove by grasping the edges of the upper portion of the analogous art glove and pulling it to remove the analogous art glove from the wearer's hand while inverting the glove portion, the analogous art glove must be turned right side out if it is to be used a second time. The disadvantage is that the wearer is forced to touch the surface of the analogous art glove which has come in contact with the undesirable materials.

A further advantage of the invention is that it may be packaged in secondary containers for easy storage and use while shopping, going for a walk (with a pet, a baby, or a small child), traveling, moving from station to station in a hospital, transporting to a crime scene, etc.

A further advantage of the invention is that it may be used to provide added protection for dentists, veterinarians, doctors and other health personnel and persons in occupations such as tattoo and body art artists who make it a priority to avoid contact with blood or other human or animal fluids. The invention may also be used as a secondary glove over any other glove.

A further advantage of the invention is that morticians, surgeons, coroners, crime scene investigators, animal control officers, highway clean-up crews and other such personnel may use the invention to safely grasp, enclose and dispose of articles such as human or animal body parts, soiled clothes or clothing, decomposed or decomposing materials and the like.

A further advantage is that the invention may be used to bag groceries that are wet (i.e. vegetables) or messy (i.e. packaged meats leaking meat juices). The wearer merely puts on the invention, grasps the item and inverts the bag portion of the invention over the glove and wrist portion to contain the item (vegetable, package of meat, etc.) and ties the open edges of the bag portion closed. Ordinary disposable bags found in grocery vegetable sections require that the item be first grasped and inserted into the bag, or if the bag is used as a “glove”, that the item be grasped using the bag as a “glove”. As noted above, the bag over the hand limits dexterity and contributes to spillage.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples while indicting preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

While the invention is directed to the art of disposable gloves and containment bags, and will be described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that this invention may have usefulness in other fields and applications

The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3a shows the invention

FIG. 3b shows the invention in use picking up fecal matter.

FIG. 3c shows the invention being removed from the wearer's arm and hand.

FIG. 3d shows the invention being removed from the wearer's arm and hand.

FIG. 3e shows the invention inverted to form a bag enclosing the wearer's hand and the fecal matter.

FIG. 3f shows the inverted invention tied off.

FIG. 4 shows a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 the present invention having an inner surface 11 and an outer surface 12 comprises a glove portion 1, a wrist portion 2 having a lower edge 3 and an upper edge 4 , and a bag portion 5 having an base portion 6, an upper section 7 and an outer edge 8. In a preferred embodiment, Glove portion 1 having five digits, may be loosely fitted to a wearer's hand, having a size sufficient to allow the wearer to easily manipulate the undesirable materials or objects to be grasped or moved. Embodiments of the invention may include glove portions having fewer than five digits. In a preferred embodiment, the size of the glove portion 1 may be “small”, “Medium” and “Large”, allowing for use by wearers with a range of hand sizes. In a desired embodiment wrist portion 2 may be composed of an elastomeric material to conform to a wearer's wrist. In another desired embodiment, wrist portion 2 may lack elastomeric properties and be composed of the material used to fabricate the glove 1 and the bag 5 portions of the invention, stamped from a sheet of such material. The distance between lower edge 3 and upper edge 4 of wrist portion 2 should be at least one inch and may be as much as three inches or more.

Base portion 6 extends upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge 4 of the wrist portion 2 along the longitudinal axis of the invention 9 at an angle theta to the upper edge of the base portion 6 of the bag portion 5, thence continuing for a sufficient distance to allow for the formation of a bag portion 5 of sufficient size for the intended use. Angle theta must be of a sufficient size to allow for the formation of the bag portion 5 having a sufficient opening 10 to accommodate the materials or objects being grasped. Angle theta may be any angle between 15 and 90 degrees. Angle theta should be chosen to make use of the stiffness of the material used in manufacturing the invention in providing support for the bag portion 5 such that the bag portion 5 does not flop over onto the glove portion 1 when the invention is being deployed for its intended use.

Referring to FIG. 2 the present invention has an inner surface 11 and an outer surface 12. The bag portion 5 encloses a wearer's forearm and upper arm, protecting the wearer's arm and sleeve inserted in the opening 10 as shown also in FIG. 3 b.

Referring to FIGS. 3a through 3f, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown as used for picking up pet fecal matter 13. FIG. 3b shows the wearer inserting his arm into the opening 10, extending his or her hand into the glove portion 1. FIG. 3b shows the wearer grasping the fecal matter 13. FIGS. 3c and 3d show the upper portion 7 of the bag portion 5 being grasped to invert the bag portion 5 and draw the bag portion 5 over the exterior surface 12 of the bag portion 5, the wrist portion 4 , the glove portion 1 and the grasped fecal matter 13. FIG. 3e shows the fully inverted device enclosing the fecal matter with the upper portion 7 of the bag portion 5 being grasped by the wearer. FIG. 3f shows the invention fully tied off by the wearer, fully enclosing the fecal matter for easy disposal.

Referring to FIG. 4, another preferred embodiment of the invention may have a glove portion with less than five digits in any combination depending on the intended use. For example, the glove portion may have the last two digits combined to provide a surface suitable for scraping and containing particularly fluid objects such as moist or diarrhea-like fecal or rotting matter.

Referring to FIG. 5, another preferred embodiment of the invention may have a glove portion 1 with less than five digits in any combination depending on the intended use. For example, the glove portion may have the last two digits combined 14 to provide a surface 15 suitable for scraping and containing particularly fluid objects such as moist or diarrhea-like fecal or rotting material. The bag portion 5 may extend up to the wearer's shoulder.

Claims

1. A device for manipulation, containment and disposal of odiferous messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects having an inner and an outer surface comprising:

a glove portion having one or more receptacles for receiving one or more digits of a human hand and an upper portion;

a wrist portion having an upper portion and a lower portion contiguously attached to said upper portion of said glove portion at said lower portion of said wrist portion; and

a bag portion having a base portion extending upwardly and outwardly at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis along the length of said device, from said wrist portion, and having an upper portion, said upper portion having an opening.

2. The glove portion of claim 1 wherein said glove portion has a single receptacle for the fourth and fifth digit of a wearer's hand having a straight edge suitable for scraping and gathering liquefied materials.

3. The wrist portion of claim 1 wherein said wrist portion is comprised of an elastomeric material fitting a wearer's wrist.

4. The wrist portion of claim 1 wherein said wrist portion is extends a minimum of one half inch from said upper portion of said glove portion.

5. The bag portion of claim 1 wherein said bag portion extends a minimum of six inches from said upper portion of said wrist portion.

6. The angle of claim 1 wherein said angle is at least 15 degrees from said longitudinal axis providing stiffness to said bag portion to prevent said bag portion from flopping over onto said glove portion when in use.

7. The opening of claim 1 wherein said opening is sufficient to allow said bag portion to be reversed upon itself to capture said wrist portion and said glove portion.

8. The opening of claim 1 wherein said opening is sufficient to allow gathering of said upper portion of said bag portion to form compressed strips for tying and for sealing after being reversed to capture said wrist portion and said glove portion.

9. The Bag portion of claim 5 wherein said bag portion has a length sufficient to allow said upper portion of said bag portion to be tied into a knot for sealing after being reversed to capture said wrist portion and said glove portion.

10. The bag portion of claim 1 wherein said upper portion of said bag portion is folded over upon itself to accept a string to allow cinching said opening for containment of said glove portion and said wrist portion and said odiferous messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects within.

11. A glove and bag combination for manipulation, containment and disposal of odiferous messy, unsanitary or undesirable materials or objects having an inner and an outer surface comprising a glove portion, a wrist portion and a bag portion, the wrist portion of sufficient size to afford support to and separation of the glove portion from the bag portion, the bag portion extending upwardly and outwardly from the wrist portion along the arm of the wearer, having an open upper portion being of sufficient width and length to allow the bag portion to be reversed upon itself enclosing the wrist portion and glove portion and undesirable materials and allowing the ends of the upper portion of the bag portion to be grasped and tied into a secure knot or to allow the upper portion of the bag portion to be looped about itself, forming a secure knot, containing the undesirable materials therein.

12. The glove and bag combination of claim 11 being fabricated of a disposable, environmentally safe material.