Mobile healthcare product dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing healthcare products comprising at least one dispenser section having at least one dispensing orifice and one disposal section having a disposal opening. The disposal section has fully compressed and fully uncompressed positions and is capable of remaining positioned in any position between the fully compressed and uncompressed positions.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION[0001]This invention relates generally to the field of healthcare product dispensing, and more particularly is a mobile and convenient dispenser and disposal unit for use in providing a supply of healthcare products to be used by people.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In the past, people have typically obtained their healthcare supplies from units that only dispense, such as tissues dispensed from cardboard boxes. These dispensers do not typically include a disposal unit, thereby necessitating use of the dispenser supplies near a trash receptacle or requiring the user to carry the used, and possibly unsanitary, healthcare products, such as tissues. Also, some users may simply leave the used supplies next to the dispenser resulting in unsanitary, messy and unsightly conditions. To alleviate this problem, others have created dispensers that are attached or incorporated with the dispenser; however, joint units are bulky.[0003]A number of devices have been designed fo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention is a dispenser comprised of a healthcare product dispenser section and a disposal section to permit convenient disposal of the waste products. The disposal section is constructed such that it may be almost entirely collapsed, fully expanded or opened to an intermediate position. As a result of the device, people can use and dispose of healthcare products with a single dispenser, thereby permitting greater cleanliness and convenient use of the invention in a variety of environments.

Problems solved by technology

These dispensers do not typically include a disposal unit, thereby necessitating use of the dispenser supplies near a trash receptacle or requiring the user to carry the used, and possibly unsanitary, healthcare products, such as tissues.

Also, some users may simply leave the used supplies next to the dispenser resulting in unsanitary, messy and unsightly conditions.

To alleviate this problem, others have created dispensers that are attached or incorporated with the dispenser; however, joint units are bulky.

These devices are bulky and require additional space since they have fixed dispensing and disposal volumes; thereby rendering them less likely to fit in small areas and requiring more space on retailer shelves.

In addition to the fixed volume problems mentioned above, this approach is problematic because the volume emptied by the removal of such supplies is not likely equal to the volume required to dispose of the used supplies.

Accordingly, used supplies either do not fit into the disposal section, or more likely, additional volume must be allowed for in the design of the device, thereby resulting in a larger device that creates space problems.

One device described by McPherson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,302 addresses these concerns by adding a collapsible disposal unit; however, this addresses only the marketing shelf space issue and upon expansion of the fixed volume disposal section the same space issues and problems arise as with the fixed volume dispensers.

As mentioned, healthcare product dispensing technologies, namely tissue dispensing technologies, are fairly well developed; however, existing technologies do not maximize the effective use of such technologies.

Further, existing dispensers do not provide convenient and space efficient disposal mechanisms.

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