Interfolded Glove Assembly for Single-Glove Multi-Direction Dispensing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glove dispensers inefficiently dispense elastic gloves one at a time, often causing adjacent gloves to be pulled unintentionally, limiting removal direction to perpendicular and requiring users to manually correct for excess gloves.
Innovation Solution
A glove dispensing assembly with interfolded gloves in an S-like configuration, allowing for dispensing in both perpendicular and lateral directions, preventing accidental pulling of additional gloves and enabling flexible removal from any side or top/bottom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gloves are folded with fingers on top of fingers and overlapped in traditional dispensers, then gloves can be dispensed cuff first by pulling perpendicular to the fold, but adjacent gloves are pulled through the dispenser along with the intended glove
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is segmented into three distinct portions (cuff portion, intermediate portion, finger portion) through two folds, creating an S-like configuration that separates the glove into manageable sections. This segmentation allows the glove to be dispensed in a controlled manner where only the intended glove is removed, preventing adjacent gloves from being accidentally pulled.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove portions are nested within each other in an S-like folded configuration where the cuff portion, intermediate portion, and finger portion are arranged in a nested manner. This nesting allows the glove to be compactly stored while enabling controlled dispensing where pulling the cuff portion retrieves only that specific glove without disturbing adjacent gloves in the stack.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gloves are stacked with overlapping fingers in traditional dispensers, then gloves can be dispensed in a perpendicular direction, but gloves can only be removed from top or bottom of the dispenser
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional single-fold configuration is transformed into a two-fold S-like configuration that adds dimensional complexity to the folding pattern. This S-like arrangement creates multiple accessible ends (cuff end and finger end) that can be pulled in different directions, enabling gloves to be dispensed from top, bottom, or sides of the dispenser, thus adding directional versatility.
3Productivity
If gloves are pulled in a motion perpendicular to the fold in traditional dispensers, then gloves can be dispensed one at a time, but the amount of overlap causes adjacent gloves to be pulled through the dispenser
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is pre-folded into an S-like configuration with two folds that create distinct portions before dispensing. This preliminary folding action establishes the structural framework that ensures when the cuff portion is pulled, the intermediate portion acts as a barrier preventing adjacent gloves from being retrieved, thus ensuring reliable single-glove dispensing.
Data Source
AI summary
A glove dispensing assembly includes a stack of interfolded gloves. In particular, the gloves are folded in an S-like arrangement including a first fold and a second fold. The finger portion of a leading glove is folded in between a cuff portion and an intermediate portion of a subsequent glove. The manner in which the gloves are folded allows for the gloves to be dispensed in a perpendicular direction or a lateral direction.