System and Method of Dispensing Liquid Sanitizer with One Hand

Abstract

A system and method for dispensing liquid sanitizer from a wearable vessel with one hand is disclosed. The invention is comprised of a hollow, flexible vessel with a combination hinged fill cap and dispenser head as well as an external fill bottle. The wearable vessel can be worn on a wrist, arm etc. An object of the invention is to allow sanitizing liquid to be quickly available to a user at any time. Sanitizer is dispensed from the device when a user squeezes the band which dispenses small droplets of the liquid under pressure only when needed from a self-sealing aperture.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to sanitizers. More specifically it relates to a wearable, liquid sanitizer dispenser.

BACKGROUND

The earliest forms of sanitizers emerged from the use of alcohol on wounds. The word alcohol is derived from ‘al kohl’—a term from the ancient Egyptians and was used to treat eye infections over 5,000 years ago. The ancient Greeks used alcohol-based sanitizer thousands of years later and Claudius Galen standardized its practice in surgeries in 300 A.D. While it has been used throughout history, actual scientific evidence for the antimicrobial properties of alcohol did not emerge until the late 1800s. Later in the 1930s alcohol-based sanitizers were mixed with ethanol and surfactants to kill bacteria and viruses. In 1966 a nursing student named Lupe Hernandez from California, discovered that alcohol could be delivered in a gel and this transfer medium became popular. This early sanitizer was only used in hospital settings but later became commercialized by companies like Purell and Gojo in the 1980s. Today, hand sanitizers are used in nearly every part of the world and the industry has been working on wearable dispensers to help users' hygiene. United States Patent No. US20170156454A1 granted to Elias Abadi and Reza Abadi disclosed a wrist-based dispenser; however, this dispenser relies on an actuator to expel sanitizer and cannot be squeezed. United States Patent No. US20120282011A1 granted to Gregory Francois disclosed a wrist-based sanitizer dispenser that incorporates an internal sponge to store liquid sanitizer. United States Patent No. US20150158042A1 granted to Ivonne Parker and Adonica Vickers disclosed a sanitizer pendant that relies on a flexible bladder button to dispense liquids from the wrist or neck. The current invention discloses a simple, flexible device that allows a user to squeeze the entire container when worn about the wrist or arm etc. to dispense sanitizer. Having ample amounts of liquid sanitizer within reach at all times during pandemics is crucial to public health best practices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in the prior art through the disclosure of a device and method of storing and dispensing liquid sanitizer from a wearable device. An object of the invention is to allow a user to store sanitizer on their body. The device is comprised of a hollow, bracelet-shaped vessel with a replaceable fill cap and users can fill it with liquid sanitizer and wear it on their wrist or arm etc.

Another object of the invention is to allow users to dispense only small amounts of liquid sanitizer during a cleaning session. The invention includes a small nozzle in the dispenser head portion made of silicone that flexes open by pressure on the vessel and releases back to a sealed position when the pressure is released.

Another object of the invention is to allow users to dispense sanitizer with one hand. When using the device on a wrist, the user grasps the ends of the vessel with a cupping motion and squeezing. The pressure on the vessel allows the sanitizer to then be forced out of the dispenser head (also located on the hinged cap) and flows into the palm of the hand squeezing the device.

It is briefly noted that upon a reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize various means for carrying out these intended features of the invention. As such it is to be understood that other methods, applications and systems adapted to the task may be configured to carry out these features and are therefore considered to be within the scope and intent of the present invention, and are anticipated. With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements. The objects features, and advantages of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the invention worn on a user.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the invention with the cap open.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a front side view of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a section view of the invention.

FIG. 7A shows a side view of the invention dispensing sanitizer.

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the invention being used.

Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation. Conventional components of the invention are elements that are well-known in the prior art and will not be discussed in detail for this disclosure.

FIGS. 1-3 show perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the invention comprised of a hollow, C-shaped, wearable vessel 1 with hinge cap 3 located proximally on the device. Said hinged cap 3 having a pull tabs 10 a small dispenser head 2 on one side and a plug 9 that engages an aperture 11 on the wearable vessel. Hinged cap 3 also being pivotably connected to wearable vessel 1 by means of a small axle therein. The dispenser head has a cross slit 6 that is cross-shaped that is automatically re-sealable when pressure is released on the device. The invention also includes a conventional fill bottle 7. The wearable vessel 1 and fill bottle 7 are made of a flexible material such as but not limited to molded rubber, silicone and the like. FIGS. 4-6 show various elevation and plan views of the invention having tapered portions near terminal ends of wearable vessel 1 allowing it to expand to fit various-sized user appendages. FIG. 7 shows a section view of the invention being filled with liquid or gel sanitizer 5 (using squeeze bottle 7) allowing the user to insert the pointed tip of bottle 7 into aperture 11 to perform said filling procedure. FIG. 7A showing a small aliquot of sanitizer emanating from the dispenser head 2 located proximally on hinged cap 3. FIG. 8 showing a user squeezing the terminal ends of the device and placing pressure on the sanitizer to dispense onto the user's hand that is squeezing the device there below.

It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing sanitizer comprised of the following parts:

a) a wearable vessel for storing sanitizer;

b) a hinged cap for filling and sealing the vessel;

c) a dispenser head for dispensing sanitizer in small amounts; and

d) a fill bottle.

2. The system for dispensing sanitizer of claim 1 wherein the wearable vessel is hollow for storing sanitizer and has an aperture.

3. The system for dispensing sanitizer of claim 1 wherein the wearable vessel is made of a flexible material for squeezing.

4. The system for dispensing sanitizer of claim 1 wherein the hinged cap having the dispenser head with cross slit, pull tabs, and a plug that engages the aperture on the wearable vessel.

5. The system for dispensing sanitizer of claim 1 wherein the wearable vessel is C-shaped.

6. A method of dispensing sanitizer, the method comprised of the following steps:

a) filling the fill bottle with sanitizer;

b) pulling the hinged fill cap;

c) squeezing the fill bottle and filling the wearable vessel with sanitizer; and

d) squeezing the wearable vessel.

7. The method of dispensing sanitizer of claim 6 wherein the filling a wearable vessel with sanitizer includes the step of inserting the tip of the fill bottle of claim 1 into the aperture of claim 4 and squeezing.

8. The method of dispensing sanitizer of claim 6 wherein the filling a wearable vessel with sanitizer includes the step of resealing the wearable vessel by pushing down on the hinged fill cap until the plug engages the aperture of claim 4.

9. The method of dispensing sanitizer of claim 6 wherein the squeezing a wearable vessel includes the step of grabbing distal ends with one hand and squeezing until sanitizer is dispensed from the dispenser head onto the palm of the hand that is squeezing.