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High-volume package dispenserRelated Patent Categories: Article Dispensing, Concurrent Separation And Distortion Of Flexible Article (e.g., Napkin Holders), Plural Sources, Stacks Or CompartmentsHigh-volume package dispenser description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070210096, High-volume package dispenser. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/781,617 filed on Mar. 10, 2006. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a package dispenser unit for storing and providing protective articles, such as gloves or face masks. BACKGROUND [0003] Conventional containers for protective articles such as glove or facemasks often resemble tissue boxes. Commonly, these tend to be rectangular in shape and oriented largely a horizontally, for instance, with the gloves layered one on top another, alternating cuff and finger direction every few pairs. The opening of the packaging through which one access the protective article is also like that in tissue boxes, simple rectangular or oval slots in the top surface of the container. Conventional glove dispensing containers typically can hold up to about 100 gloves. In laboratory or clinical setting, where gloves are used at a relatively high volume, this means that a box of gloves can be consumed in a short period of time (e.g., a few days to a week). To increasing the count of gloves by making the packaging a deeper box, while keeping the same footprint as conventional dispensers, creates an issue for the user. First, access to gloves towards the bottom, as gloves are used up, is challenging to grab hold. A deeper box forces one to reach deep into the dispenser, and may require a larger opening for one's hand to fit. A larger opening is bad because the opening permits more of the gloves to be exposed to possible contamination from outside of their container. [0004] A need exists for a better packaging dispenser, which can address higher product count in a functional package, such that it can hold a larger volume of gloves as well as reduce the amount of packaging waste. A more economical, high volume pack can have several advantages. For the consumer, a larger package can provide greater convenience to the user, because one would not need to replace cartons as often, as well as lower consumer cost per unit. And, for the manufacturer, a larger package can reduce material and manufacturing cost per unit. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention relates to a packaging system and design. The new design rotates the gloves from a conventional horizontal configuration to a largely vertical position. All of the gloves are orientated in one direction with the cuff side toward the top. The product orientation makes it easier for a user to access and dispense from the package. Whereas conventionally most gloves are dispensed by pulling near the middle of the product, or palm area, the present package design allows a user to grab the glove at the cuff area and avoid physical contamination of the rest of the glove body where a lab work may handle a sample or a healthcare worker may contact a patient. [0006] The package dispenser unit 10 has an opening 2 to access the package contents. The opening is shaped with a narrowing or tapering 4 of the aperture, located in between a first 6 and a second terminus region 8. The first and second terminus regions can be either symmetrical or asymmetrically shaped, such as depicted in accompanying FIGS. 2A-D and 3A. The first can be terminus region is significantly larger in size than said second terminus region. The opening has an outline that is like can being dog-bone or hour-glass shaped, or either a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, tear-drop-like, or a paddle-like shape. [0007] The package can be configured to dispense product from two sides simultaneously, if needed, without needing to flip the package 180 degrees. In certain embodiments, an internal insert or divide 12 separates the overall dispenser into two chambers 14a, 14b, each containing a product count, as well as adds mechanical strength to the package for structural integrity. A tote handle 16 on the top panel 17 of the package carton 10 makes the dispenser portable, and addresses a common issue associated with traveling home-based healthcare nurses and emergency medical technician (EMT) personnel. In certain embodiments, four rounded or chamfered corners 18 add to the overall design look and can help center the protective article for dispensing at the opening. The footprint of the base 20 of a double or multi-chambered package dispenser should be sufficiently large in area to ensure stability of the package; hence, the resulting combined dispensing feature. If the dispenser was single sided, it would tend to be unstable and likely to fall over when product is being dispensed. Or if the base was sufficiently large enough to be stable, yet only single sided, the depth would become too great and not allow for efficient dispensing near the end of the glove supply. Additional features and advantages of the present color indicator system, packaging, and associated methods will be disclosed in the following detailed description. It is understood that both the foregoing summary and the following description are merely representative of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES [0008] FIGS. 1A and 1B is a schematic of a conventional package container for holding protective articles such as gloves or face masks with an opening in a panel that will become the top panel of a box. FIG. 1A shows the components of the container laid out flat and unfolded, and FIG. 1B shows the container properly folded and assembled into a box, with the oval-shaped opening in a top panel. [0009] FIGS. 2A-D depict schematic illustrations of different embodiments of package cartons according to the present invention. [0010] FIG. 3A is another iteration of a carton unfolded and laid flat. [0011] FIG. 3B is a three-dimensional illustration in three-quarter view of the carton of FIG. 3A as assembled. [0012] FIGS. 4A and 4B show an assembled carton according to FIG. 3B with a tote handle projecting from an upper panel of the package, and adapted for ease accessibility for manual carriage. [0013] FIG. 5A is a three-quarter view of a package container according to the embodiment of FIG. 3B, showing a flap or piece of card stock panel that covers the opening, partially detached from the face of a side panel face. [0014] FIG. 5B is a schematic showing a transparent view of a number of gloves arrayed in a largely vertical orientation, with glove cuff up and accessible to a user by taking hold and pulling on the cuff to withdraw a glove from the container. [0015] FIGS. 6A and 6B show a cut-away view of the package carton, with two chambers side-by-side. Each chamber adapted to hold a certain amount of protective articles. As indicated, for instance, on each side, the chamber holds up to about 250 gloves, making a combined total of about 500 gloves. This feature, however, in no way limits other possible permutations and number of articles that may be included within each chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0016] The present invention relates in part to a package dispenser unit that includes has a housing surrounding a chamber with a substantially vertical orientation, unlike conventional package boxes 1, such as shown for comparison in FIG. 1A and 1B, which has an wide relatively opening 1a located in a top panel. The package in certain embodiments includes a double or multi-chambered dispenser unit that can provide within substantially the same footprint as a conventional dispenser container a greater volume of product. The package can store and dispense at least 50%, up to about 200% or greater capacity than conventional dispenser for protective article products. [0017] Each chamber is adapted to contain a plurality of protective articles, such as medical examination gloves or face masks. The chamber has at least an aperture or opening along one side of the housing, so as to access the interior of the chamber from the side. The opening can be shaped having an outline with a narrowing or tapering along a part of the aperture. Desirably the narrow or taper is situated either near the middle or center of the opening, or to one end of the opening; hence, creating for instance, either a generally dog-bone, hour-glass, tear-drop, or paddle-like shapes. The accompanying FIGS. 2A-D present some illustrative examples of the opening shape 2. Each package carton is unfolded, and laid-out flat in two-dimensions showing various designs for the openings through which a user can access the protective articles inside, and other structural parts, such as tabs or flanges and folding zones of the package cartons. FIG. 2A shows an opening having an outline that is a relatively rectangular to trapezoidal shape, with straight and curving major sides narrowing toward each other and shorter rounded or archuit ends. FIG. 2B depicts an opening with an outline that has a generally circular or rounded portion 2a and a tapering, elongated tail-like portion 2b extending away from the rounded portion. FIG. 2C shows an asymmetric hour-glass or dog-bone-shaped aperture 2 with one end substantially larger than the other. A largely hour-glass shaped opening is also illustrated in FIG. 2D; however, part of a panel of the packaging carton is pre-perforated to allow a user to fold or pull out a carry handle 19, which is designed to extend from a top panel once the package carton is properly folded together. [0018] Like the foregoing figures, FIG. 3A depicts the unfolded panels, laid out flat, of another package dispenser design. FIG. 3B shows in three-quarter profile, the same package dispenser when properly assembled. A handle extends from the top of the dispenser. The dispenser box contains two chambers positioned back-to-back. A dog-bone-like or hour-glass-like shape outlines the opening 2, which forms part of the face of a panel on one end of the package. The opening 2, as shown, has one end 2a being relatively wider or larger than the other 2b. The opening, is covered with a perforated card to protect the dispenser contents until ready to be opened for use. The opening, according to the embodiment, has a slightly larger upper end and smaller lower end. An identical opening is situated in the panel face of the box opposite the one shown. [0019] A handle is show projecting from the top panel assembled package, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The tote handle desirably should permit a user to easily pick-up the handle without cutting into the hand of a user, be flexible, and strong enough to carry the weight of a full dispenser package without either tearing the top panel. Typically the handle can be made from either some kind of pliable plastic, hard thermoplastic, woven-cloth fabric, or nonwoven fabric material, or combination of such materials. For instance, the body of the handle can be a cloth or nonwoven fabric, while the anchors of the handle are made from a thermoplastic. Continue reading about High-volume package dispenser... Full patent description for High-volume package dispenser Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this High-volume package dispenser patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like High-volume package dispenser or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Dispensing device for labels, and a holder intended for the dispensing device, and also a flat blank for production of the holder Next Patent Application: Cartridge based dispenser system and method Industry Class: Article dispensing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the High-volume package dispenser patent info. 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