HYGIENIC SYSTEM AND ARTICLE FOR USE AT AIRPORTS

Abstract

An hygienic system for use at airports includes a TSA security bin defining a hollow rectangular tray having a major axis, a minor axis, a depth, peripheral edges and an open mouth into which articles of passengers are temporarily placed; and an hygienic cover for the tray formed of a cleanable material or disposable material provided with rectilinear score or fold lines which, when folded, closely approximate all interior dimensions of the rectangular tray and dimensions of the peripheral edges of the tray and may then be slip-fit into the tray.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Area of Invention

The present invention relates to a hygienic system for use with security trays associated with airport security.

2. Prior Art

Present day procedures for departing passengers at an airport require that they pass through a so-called Transport Security Authority (TSA) station before they are permitted to enter the departure part of the terminal from which they are to leave. In the United States, a procedure has been established by TSA which requires each passenger to remove one's footwear, all jackets, the contents of one's or her pockets, watches, belts, and other articles that may of interest from a security perspective. After the passenger has passed through a screening sensor or gate, one's articles are typically returned to him. In this process, articles are places in a TSA-provided tray having dimensions of approximately 18″×30″ with a depth of about 6″. These trays are used repetitively, perhaps hundreds of time in the course of a normal day at a large airport. Resultingly, although these trays apparently are cleaned in the evenings after airport operation has slowed or ceased, in the course of a typical day TSA trays can become unsanitary, mainly as a result of the repetitive placement thereinto of shoes and other footwear that have been removed by passengers.

One aspect of this issue, concerning only the hygiene of the feet of the passenger after his footwear has been removed is addressed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0217450 (2005) to Tracy, entitled Foot Frame. The published application to Tracey provides for a continuous roll of paper or other sanitary material to assure that a user standing in front of the TSA sensor, either barefooted or with only socks on one's feet, will be standing on a clean and sanitary area.

To the knowledge of the within inventor, the prior art does not exhibit any solution for the lack of sanitation of TSA trays, as above described, typically used at airports. In a medical context, a suggestion has appeared for a sanitary tray usable in connection with a stretcher or patient transport device, for example, for use with a patient who may be unconscious when admitted to a hospital emergency room. This solution appears in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2005/0121346 (2005) to Cummings, entitled Mountainable Container Apparatus for Patient Transport Device and Methods Regarding the Same. The teaching of Cummings is however inapplicable to the needs, as above described, relative to TSA trays at airports. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2006/0226614 (2006) to Brilliant, entitled Cover for Elongate Handle teaches a sanitary solution for the handles of shopping carts as, typically, are provided at supermarkets. Brilliant teaches the use of an anti-microbial material as a cover adapted to conform to the geometry of the handle of the shopping cart. It however contains no teachings applicable to the hygiene-related needs of TSA trays at airports.

The present invention therefore provides a response to the above set forth long felt need for a more sanitary method of use of security trays at airport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An hygienic system for use at airports, comprising a TSA security bin comprising a hollow rectangular tray having a major axis, a minor axis, a depth, peripheral edges and an open mouth into which articles of passengers are temporarily placed; and an hygienic cover for said tray formed of a cleanable material or disposable material provided with a plurality of rectilinear score or fold lines which, when folded, closely approximate all interior dimensions of said rectangular tray and dimensions of said peripheral edges, permitting the slip-fit insertion of the cover into the security bin.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a system and article to assure more hygienic use of TSA security trays at airports.

It is another object to provide a system and article by which the TSA-provided tray for departing passengers is rendered more hygienic.

It is another object of the invention to provide a system of the above type in which a hygienic cover of the tray may be readily removed and cleaned on a daily or more frequent basis, prior to re-use thereof.

It is a still further object to provide a system of the above type that can additionally serve as an advertising medium.

The above and yet other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a dispenser for providing hygienic covers of the present inventive type.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a flat unfolded cover showing its various regions, rectilinear fold or score lines, and representative indicia that may be placed thereon,

FIG. 3 in its upper part shows the appearance of the unfolded cover of FIG. 2 when folded. The lower part of FIG. 3 shows a representative TSA tray.

FIG. 4 shows a TSA tray after the hygienic cover is installed.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the upper left hand part of the cover shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along Line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the perspective view of FIG. 1, there is shown a hygienic cover dispenser 10 proportioned to dispense hygienic covers 12 for Transport Transit Authority (“TSA”) trays of the type herein described below. It should be appreciated that dispensers of other forms, shapes, or geometries are equally applicable in the use of hygienic covers 12 as taught herein.

In FIG. 2 is shown a pattern for the cover 12 formed of a hygienic material such as a thick paper, plastic, or a plastic coated paper. Although the inventive hygienic cover may be molded or otherwise formed as a unitary piece, it is generally more economic to produce the article in the form of a sheet of paper or plastic which has been provided with score or fold lines (shown as dotted lines) as shown in FIG. 2 such that the article, following dispensing from its storage container such as that shown in FIG. 1, may be readily folded into the geometry of a solid rectangle and the edges thereof readily curled or bent around the edges of a TSA tray 30 (see FIG. 3). Given that all TSA trays are of identical size, shape and geometry, the article shown in FIG. 2 and described hereafter need be produced in only a single size. With further reference to FIG. 2, the score lines may be seen to include a pair of major axis score lines 14 and 16, a pair of minor axis score lines 18 and 20, two pairs of major axis lip score lines 21/22 and 23/24, and pairs of minor axis tray lip score lines 26 and 27/28. Also shown are minor axis flaps 13 and major axis flaps 15 of cover 12.

The unfolded sanitary cover 12 shown in FIG. 2 will, after folding along said score lines, appears as indicated in the upper portion of FIG. 3. A representative TSA tray 30 is shown in the lower portion of FIG. 3. As may be noted therein, the cover 12, when folded along its score lines, is proportioned for slip-fit insertion within the interior void space of the TSA tray as is indicated by arrows 32. Therein is also shown the edge geometry of the tray which includes front or major axis edges 33, a top 34 of minor axis side edge surfaces 38, and bottom surfaces 40 of said edges 38.

In FIG. 4 is shown the TSA tray 30 with cover 12 in place and fold-line 26 folded downward against edge surface 38 and onto bottom edge surface 40 of side edge surface 38 of the TSA tray. This region is shown in FIG. 5 which is an enlargement of the upper left of cover 12 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the underside of the peripheral portion of the hygienic cover along Line 6-6 of FIG. 5. Therefrom, one may note that regions 36 of a semi-permanent glue, similar to an adhesive of the nature used with Post-Its, may be applied outwardly of each of the score lines 21, 23, 25 and 27 (see FIG. 2) of the hygienic covers 12 such that the areas beyond score Lines 22, 24, 26 and 28 are also covered with semi-permanent glue. FIG. 6 is thus representative of but one of four edges of the sanitary cover outwardly of the outer score lines of flaps 13 and 15. The result therefore is a closely fitting cover having a natural appearance in combination with the TSA tray, as is shown in FIG. 4. Therein, cover region 29 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) sticks to edge bottom surface 40 of the tray, while region 31 sticks to side edge surface 38.

It is to be appreciated that various portions, but typically the central elongate rectangular portion shown at the center of the pattern of the cover shown in FIG. 2, may be provided with advertising and, as such, may constitute an advertising medium which may be advantageously employed by airports as a revenue raising measure.

Subsequent to the use of an hygienic cover as described above, the passenger would be urged to then remove the same from the TSA tray and place the same into a barrel or bin. If the cover is formed of a plastic or other durable material, it may be cleaned periodically by maintenance personnel thereby rendering the cover reusable during the following business day. If the advertising aspect of the invention as described above, is successful, the advertising company itself may bear the entire cost of the covers and their cleaning, thus providing a benefit to all parties—the airport, the advertising company, its advertisers, and to passengers.

It is to be noted that the cover, in lieu of a re-usable material, may be formed of a completely disposable material such that no maintenance is associated therewith.

While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claims appended herewith.

Claims

1. An hygienic system for use at airports, comprising:

(a) a TSA security bin comprising a hollow rectangular tray having a major axis, a minor axis, a depth, peripheral edges and an open mouth into which articles of passengers are temporarily placed; and

(b) an hygienic cover for said tray formed of a cleanable material provided with a plurality of rectilinear score or fold lines which, when folded, closely approximate all interior dimensions of said rectangular tray and dimensions of said peripheral edges and is slip-fittable into said bin.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(c) a semi-permanent glue furnished against bottom surfaces of peripheral edges of said cover which fold over said edges of said tray, in which said cover is thereby held in place against said tray.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

(d) advertising indicia applied to a visible outer surface of said hygienic cover.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a dispenser of said hygienic cover situated near to a TSA station at an airport.

5. An article for use in an hygienic system for use at airports with a TSA security bin defining a hollow rectangular tray having a major axis, a minor axis, a depth, peripheral edges and an open mouth into which effects of passengers are temporarily placed, the article comprising:

an hygienic cover for said tray formed of a cleanable material provided with a plurality of rectilinear score or fold lines which, when folded, closely approximate all interior dimensions of said rectangular tray and dimensions of said peripheral edges and is slip-fittable into said bin.

6. The article as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a semi-permanent glue furnished against bottom surfaces of peripheral edges of said cover which fold over said edges of said tray, in which said cover is thereby held in place against said tray.

7. The article as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

advertising indicia applied to a visible outer surface of said hygienic cover.

8. The article as recited in claim 6, further comprising a dispenser of said hygienic cover situated near to a TSA station at an airport.

9. An article for use in an hygienic system for use at airports with a TSA security bin defining a hollow rectangular tray having a major axis, a minor axis, a depth, peripheral edges and an open mouth into which effects of passengers are temporarily placed, the article comprising:

an hygienic cover for said tray formed of a completely disposable material provided with a plurality of rectilinear score or fold lines which, when folded, closely approximate all interior dimensions of said rectangular tray and dimensions of said peripheral edges and is slip-fittable into said tray.

10. The article as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a semi-permanent glue furnished against bottom surfaces of peripheral edges of said cover which fold over said edges of said tray, in which said cover is thereby held in place against said tray.

11. The article as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

advertising indicia applied to a visible outer surface of said hygienic cover.

12. The article as recited in claim 10, further comprising a dispenser of said hygienic cover situated near to a TSA station at an airport.