Glove Catch Well for Cleaner Disposable Glove Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Disposable gloves often stick together and fall, becoming contaminated and unusable, leading to unnecessary waste and cost due to their inability to be retrieved after falling on the floor.

Innovation Solution

A glove catch apparatus is designed to connect to existing glove dispensers, featuring a frame with an access opening and a well to catch dropped gloves, preventing them from falling on the floor and allowing for retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If gloves are dispensed from a standard glove dispenser, then gloves can be accessed and used, but dropped gloves fall to the floor and become contaminated, leading to waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglove wasteVSAvoidglove dispensing

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The glove catch apparatus is nested onto the existing glove dispenser, with the catch well integrated around the dispensing hole. This allows the catch apparatus to capture dropped gloves without interfering with the normal dispensing operation through the access opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The glove catch apparatus serves as an intermediary between the glove dispenser and the floor, intercepting dropped gloves before they reach the contaminated floor surface. The catch well acts as a intermediate containment space that prevents direct contact between dropped gloves and the floor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of substance

If a glove catch apparatus is added to prevent glove waste, then glove retrieval is enabled, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglove wasteVSAvoiddispenser structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The glove catch apparatus is designed to be universally compatible with existing glove dispensers through a standardized mounting system using holes and flanges that fit over the dispenser structure. This allows the same catch apparatus design to be applied to various dispenser models without custom fabrication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The catch well provides a designated space where dropped gloves are recovered instead of being discarded on the floor. The apparatus enables the recovery and potential reuse of gloves that would otherwise be wasted, directly addressing the glove loss problem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of operation

If gloves fall to the floor, then they are accessible but become contaminated and unusable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglove accessibilityVSAvoidcontamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus converts the harmful effect of gravity (which causes gloves to fall to the contaminated floor) into a beneficial effect by using the same gravitational force to guide dropped gloves into the catch well instead of onto the floor. The weight of the gloves naturally directs them into the containment space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8196775B1Glove dispenser with glove catch well

Publication Date: 2012.06.12 BALLESTEROS FABIAN ALEXANDER

AI summary

The present invention is directed toward a glove catch apparatus configured for connection to an existing glove dispenser. The glove catch apparatus comprises a frame, and access opening configured to permit access to a dispensing hole of the existing glove dispenser, and a well configured to catch dropped gloves dispensed from the glove dispenser. In addition, a glove dispenser, mountable to a wall, is disclosed. The glove dispenser comprises a well configured to catch dropped gloves dispensed from the glove dispenser.