SANITARY HAND COVERING
A sanitary hand cover includes a fluid impermeable material defining two portions, the first portion for fitment over a portion of a user's hand, the second portion for inversion within the user's hand and first portion to form a pocket. The pocket is lined with an absorbent material to receive and retain liquid deposited in the pocket formed in the sanitary hand covering. The absorbent materials extends from within the pocket at least partially over a transition area between the first and second portions adjacent the finger tips when the hand covering is fitted on a user's hand. The transition area defines a constricted pocket opening bearing the absorbent material as a gasket and wiping mechanism. The hand covering can be inverted following use, e.g., for gland expression during animal grooming, to provide a sanitary package for disposal.
The present invention relates generally to veterinary and grooming sanitary hand coverings, and in particular to a sanitary hand covering for expressing scent glands.
BACKGROUNDVeterinarians and dog groomers routinely express the scent glands of animals as part of their examination or grooming procedures. This can be an unsavory task. It can result in secretion, often unexpectedly, of an often pungent liquid. The preferred practice is to contain or absorb the secreted liquid, typically for disposal and to avoid the need to clean the liquid from the animal. To this end, practitioners often use paper towels, rags, or other absorbent material to perform the expression process. The use of absorbent material, however, can make gland expression more difficult because of loss of sensitivity and dexterity and because the absorbent tissue, towel, or rag is difficult to control. As a result, the liquid often escapes onto surrounding surfaces due to improper positioning of the absorbent material or to inadequate absorption. The absorbent material is often unyielding and thus hampers the cleaning and expression process.
Accordingly, improvements are sought in the safety, hygiene, efficiency, and simplicity in performance of animal scent gland expression.
SUMMARYIt has been discovered that performance of animal scent gland expressions by veterinary technicians, pet groomers, and others can be improved through using a novel disposable sanitary hand covering that offers greater safety, hygiene, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
One aspect of the invention features, in some implementations, a sanitary hand covering, e.g., a mitt or glove, including a fluid-impermeable hand covering including a first portion sized to receive at least two fingers and a thumb to at least the middle knuckles and top knuckle of a hand respectively, and a second portion extending beyond the tips of the fingers and thumb.
In some implementations, the sanitary hand covering further includes an absorbent material extending over a major portion of an exterior of a second portion, the second portion sized to be invertible to a position between the thumb and fingers to create an absorbent pocket therebetween, extending to a depth past the top knuckles of the fingers and thumb.
In some implementations, a sanitary hand covering is made of an absorbent material. In such implementations, the sanitary hand covering can fit over an exam glove having liquid impermeable properties.
In implementations that include a liquid impermeable layer, the absorbent material may extend at least partially onto the first portion of the hand covering to provide a gasket around an opening of the absorbent pocket.
In implementations that include a liquid impermeable layer, the absorbent material may extend substantially onto the first portion of the hand covering to provide a gasket around an opening of the absorbent pocket, and further, to provide an additional absorbent material that can be used to absorb any scent gland expression that was not contained in the pocket.
In some implementations, the first and second portions define a reduced cross-section transition therebetween to provide a reduced cross-section transition between the portions to produce a narrowing at an opening of a pocket formed during inversion of the second portion into the pocketed position. When the hand covering is in the inverted position, the reduced cross section transition becomes an annulus that can be utilized to substantially surround the scent-gland during expression, whereby the expressed fluid is contained in the pocketed area.
In some implementations, the sanitary hand covering has an elastomeric property and may include elastomeric materials. This elastic property is beneficial in the use of the annulus. The user may extend her fingers, thereby expanding the annulus to fit around the scent gland prior to expression. As the user places her fingertips around the scent gland, the annulus contracts. This implementation is advantageous because the annulus, in a slightly expanded position, will fit snugly around the scent gland, preventing any folds or crevices in the hand covering that may allow fluid to escape.
In some implementations, only the reduced cross-section transition has an elastomeric property. Thus, the annulus feature retains its contractile quality, while the remainder of the hand-covering does not have contractile properties. The elastic property may be the result of a thicker layer of latex, a rubber band, or some other means.
In some implementations, the first portion is sized to receive a user's fingers and thumb to at least the respective base knuckles.
In some implementations, the first portion is sized to receive a major portion of a user's hand.
In some implementations, the hand covering further includes a region of the second portion substantially corresponding to the tip of a user's index finger that region being substantially free of any absorbent material.
In some implementations, the hand covering is substantially tubular in a pre-inverted position.
In some implementations, the hand covering further includes at least one of a deodorant, emollient, lotion, gel, disinfectant, or fragrance in or on any absorbent material.
In some implementations, the hand covering includes at least one of latex, rubber, plastic, or vinyl.
In some implementations, the hand covering consists of absorbent material. This hand covering can then be used in conjunction with a standard exam glove that serves as the liquid impermeable layer. One preferred embodiment of such implementations has a cut-out in the area substantially corresponding to the tip of a user's index finger, allowing the exam glove to fit through said cut-out to preserve dexterity and sensitivity.
Another aspect of this application is a method of making a sanitary hand covering. The method includes providing a fluid impermeable material defining a first portion sized to receive at least the tips of at least two fingers and a thumb, and further defining a second portion positionable in either of an extended position beyond the first portion or a pocketed position within the first portion. The method further includes providing an absorbent material on at least the second portion and optionably extending partially onto the first portion such that the absorbent material forms a gasket around an opening of a pocket formed by the second portion placed into a pocketed position with the absorbent material lining a major portion of the pocket.
In some applications, providing the fluid impermeable material comprises dip molding using a form comprising first and second molding sections corresponding to the first and second portions.
In some applications, the first and second molding sections define a reduced cross-section transition therebetween to provide a reduced cross-section transition between the portions to produce a narrowing at an opening of a pocket formed during inversion of the second portion into the pocketed position.
In some applications, providing the absorbent material comprises provision of absorbent material on the reduced cross-section transition between the first and second portions to serve as a gasket about the opening of the pocket.
In some applications, the absorbent material is provided by a second dip molding process. In some applications, the absorbent material is one of material sprayed, coated, flocked, glued otherwise or adhered to the fluid impermeable material.
In some applications, providing the liquid impermeable material includes one of adhering, stitching, and fusing edge portions of one or more liquid impermeable sheet portions to form a hand covering defining the first and second portions.
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and implementations in which the present disclosed teaching may be practiced. Other arrangements and implementations may also be utilized, sand structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed implementations. The various implementations are not mutually exclusive, as some implementations can be combined with one or more other implementations to form new implementations.
This disclosure, and its numerous objects, features; and advantages are made more apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSSecond portion 104 is of a reduced cross-section and diameter relative to first portion 102, thereby accommodating a hand in first portion 102. The reduced cross-section and diameter of second portion 104 facilitates the forming of an annulus at the rim of the pocket to serve as a gasket to better retain secreted liquids.
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While the forgoing represents a description of various embodiment, it is to be understood that the claims below recite the features of the present disclosure, and that other embodiments not specifically described hereinabove, fall within the scope of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A sanitary hand covering for expressing scent glands, said hand covering comprising:
- a hand covering including a fluid impermeable surface having a first portion sized to receive at least two fingers and a thumb to at least the middle knuckles and top knuckle thereof respectively of a hand of a user, and a second portion configured to be positionable in either of an extended position beyond the first portion or a pocketed position within the first portion;
- where an absorbent material is present on at least a major portion of said surface of said second portion, thereby giving said pocket an absorbent layer.
2. The sanitary hand covering of claim 1, wherein said absorbent material is present on a transition between said first and second portions of said hand covering to provide a gasket around an opening of said absorbent pocket.
3. The sanitary hand covering of claim 2, wherein said absorbent material of said second portion defines a region substantially corresponding to the area of a tip of a user's index finger, said region comprising said liquid impermeable surface substantially free of said absorbent material.
4. The sanitary hand covering of claim 2, wherein the hand covering is substantially tubular in a pre-inverted position.
5. The sanitary hand covering of claim 2, wherein the first and second sections define a reduced cross-sectional transition therebetween.
6. The sanitary hand covering of claim 2, further comprising at least one of a deodorant, disinfectant, lotion, ointment, lubricating, topically active substance, or fragrance in said absorbent material.
7. The sanitary hand covering of claim 5, wherein the second portion is of a restricted diameter relative to said first section.
8. The sanitary hand covering of claim 5, wherein the second portion is of a restricted diameter relative to said first section, further comprising at least one of a deodorant, disinfectant, or fragrance in said absorbent material.
9. The sanitary hand covering of claim 5, wherein said absorbent material of said second portion defines a region substantially corresponding to the area of a tip of a user's index finger, said region comprising said liquid impermeable surface substantially free of said absorbent material.
10. The sanitary hand covering of claim 6, wherein said absorbent material of said second portion defines a region substantially corresponding to the area of a tip of a user's index finger, said region comprising said liquid impermeable surface substantially free of said absorbent material.
11. The sanitary hand covering of claim 7, wherein said absorbent material of said second portion defines a region substantially corresponding to the area of a tip of a user's index finger, said region comprising said liquid impermeable surface substantially free of said absorbent material.
12. The sanitary hand covering of claim 8, wherein said fluid-impermeable surface of said hand covering comprises at least one of latex, rubber, vinyl, and plastic.
13. The sanitary hand covering of claim 9, wherein said fluid-impermeable surface of said hand covering comprises at least one of latex, rubber, vinyl, and plastic.
14. The sanitary hand covering of claim 9, further comprising at least one of a deodorant, disinfectant, lotion, ointment, lubricating, topically active substance, or fragrance in said absorbent material.
15. A method of making a sanitary hand covering for expressing the scent gland of animals, the method comprising:
- providing a fluid impermeable material defining a first portion sized to receive at least two fingers and a thumb to at least the middle knuckles and top knuckle respectively,
- providing a fluid impermeable material defining a second portion positionable in either of an extended position beyond the first portion or a pocketed position within the first portion, and
- adhering to at least a substantial portion of said second portion an adsorbent material.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein an absorbent material is provided that extends over at least a major portion of said second portion of fluid impermeable material.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the absorbent material is provided on the second portion and extending partially onto the first portion, such that the absorbent material forms a gasket around an opening of a pocket formed by said second portion in said pocketed position with said absorbent material lining a major portion of said pocket.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the absorbent material comprises provision of absorbent material on a reduced cross-section transition between said first and second portions to serve as a gasket about the opening of said pocket.
19. The method of claim 15 where in the step of adhering to at least a substantial portion of said second portion an adsorbent material is chosen from the group consisting of gluing, flocking, thermal adhering, and sonic bonding.
20. The method of claim 18 where in the step of adhering to at least a substantial portion of said second portion an adsorbent material is chosen from the group consisting of gluing, flocking, thermal adhering, and sonic bonding.
21. A sanitary hand covering for expressing scent glands, said hand covering comprising:
- a hand covering including an elastomeric absorbent material including a first portion sized to receive at least two fingers and a thumb to at least the middle knuckles and top knuckle thereof respectively of a hand of a user, and a second portion configured to be positionable in either of an extended position beyond the first portion or a pocketed position within the first portion;
- wherein said elastomeric absorbent material facilitates movement of the fingers and thumb to form a constricted or relaxed annulus.
Type: Application
Filed: May 14, 2012
Publication Date: May 2, 2013
Inventor: Dan W. Kessel (Alto, TX)
Application Number: 13/471,013
International Classification: A41D 19/02 (20060101); A41D 19/00 (20060101);