Disposable glove and apparatus for applying a glove to a user's hand

Abstract

The present invention relates to a package of disposable gloves and to a method and an apparatus which can use the package to enable the gloves to be applied to a user's hands. The gloves are stored in a roll and are unrolled and opened by the apparatus so that a user can hygienically insert their hand into a glove without touching the glove. The user, with their hand in the glove can then sever the glove from the roll of gloves by moving their hand downwardly and away from the apparatus. The apparatus can then unroll and open another glove for the user to insert their other hand.

1 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
 a housing having a front opening and a bottom opening which provide access to a hand insertion station;   a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves, so the gloves are presented at the hand insertion station in an orientation so that a cuff portion of each of the gloves faces the front opening;   a glove indexing device for moving a glove from the storage to the hand insertion station so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove through the cuff portion, the package of gloves being in the form of a continuous line of gloves wherein consecutive ones of the gloves are connected together by a respective frangible connection which is breakable to separate one of the gloves from the line, and wherein to locate the glove on the hand and remove the glove from the apparatus, a user inserts his or hand through the front opening into the glove and then moves his or her hand with the glove on his or her hand downwardly through the bottom opening.   
     
     
         47 . An apparatus according to  claim 46 , further comprising a glove opening device for opening a glove so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         48 . An apparatus according to  claim 46 , wherein the indexing device comprises a movable gripping device for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station so that the device can move relative to the line between the insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line at the gripping station so the line is drawn with the device upon return movement from the gripping station to the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         49 . An apparatus according to  claim 47 , wherein the gloves in the line have a first layer and a second layer and the glove opening device comprises a gripper for gripping at least one of the layers, and a gripper moving element for moving the gripper and the at least one of the layers relative to the other layer to open the glove. 
     
     
         50 . An apparatus according to  claim 47 , wherein the glove opening device is arranged to open the glove during movement of the glove to the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         51 . An apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the gripper comprises an inflatable assembly and a sealing formation having one or more than one suction points, wherein upon inflation of the inflatable assembly, at least one of the suctions points of the sealing formation is located against at least one of the layers, and upon deflation of the inflatable assembly, the layer is drawn away from the other layer to thereby open the glove. 
     
     
         52 . An apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein the inflatable assembly comprises a bellows. 
     
     
         53 . An apparatus according to  claim 51 , comprising a piston and cylinder arrangement for supplying air into, and drawing air from, the inflatable assembly to control the rate of inflation or deflation of the inflatable assembly, and further comprising a separate piston and cylinder arrangement for controlling suction of the suction points. 
     
     
         54 . An apparatus according to  claim 47 , wherein the glove opening device comprises at least one inflatable assembly having openings therein through which air can flow, and at least one air supply and vacuum system for supplying air to the inflatable assembly to inflate and thereby locate the openings of the assembly in a position adjacent the glove, for drawing a vacuum through the assembly so a portion of the glove is drawn against the assembly, and for deflating the assembly so the assembly moves a portion of the glove away from another portion of the glove to open the glove to enable the user to insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         55 . An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of a glove on a hand, comprising:
 a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves;   an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station; and   a glove opening device for opening a glove so a user can insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station.   
     
     
         56 . The apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein the storage is a compartment for storing a roll of gloves comprising a continuous line of gloves with the gloves being joined to one another by a frangible connection in the line. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein the indexing device comprises a movable gripping device for movement between the hand insertion station and a line gripping station so that the device can move relative to the line between the insertion station and the gripping station, and can grip the line at the gripping station so the line is drawn with the device upon return movement from the gripping station to the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein the gloves in the line have a first layer and a second layer and the glove opening device comprises a gripper for gripping at least one of the layers, and a gripper moving element for moving the gripper and the at least one of the layers relative to the other layer to open the glove. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus according to  claim 58 , wherein the glove is gripped and opened during movement of the gripper device between the gripping station and the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus according to  claim 58 , wherein the gripper comprises an inflatable assembly and a sealing formation having one or more than one suction points, wherein upon inflation of the inflatable assembly, at least one of the suctions points of the sealing formation is located against at least one of the layers, and upon deflation of the inflatable assembly, the layer is drawn away from the other layer to thereby open the glove. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus according to  claim 60 , wherein the rate of inflation or deflation of the inflatable assembly is controlled by a piston and cylinder that supplies air into, or draws air from, the inflatable assembly, and suction of the suctions points is controlled by a separate piston and cylinder. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein the piston and cylinder assemblies are operable by a linear actuator controlled by a solenoid. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein the indexing device further comprises a pair of rollers, a gear attached to each roller the gears meshing together so the rollers are able to rotate in unison but in opposite directions, the rollers having a groove and rib so that when the groove of one roller engages with the rib of the other roller the line is gripped between the rollers, and so that upon movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station the line is drawn off the package, and upon movement of the indexing device from the hand insertion station to the gripping station the rollers rotate relative to the line during movement of the indexing device until the groove and rib re-engage to thereby grip the line between the rollers. 
     
     
         64 . The apparatus according to  claim 63 , wherein a driver is provided to rotate the rollers only during movement of the gripping device from the hand insertion station to the gripping station. 
     
     
         65 . The apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein the driver comprises a motor for facilitating rotation of the rollers during movement of the indexing device from the hand insertion station to the gripping station. 
     
     
         66 . The apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein the driver includes a clutch to prevent rotation of the rollers during movement of the indexing device from the gripping station to the hand insertion station. 
     
     
         67 . The apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein the driver comprises a rack and gear assembly, with the gear coupled to one of the rollers and the rack fixed and engaging the gear so that when the indexing device is moved from the hand insertion station to the gripping station engagement of the gear and the rack causes rotation of the gear and therefore rotation of the rollers. 
     
     
         68 . An apparatus for enabling hygienic location of the glove on a hand, comprising:
 a storage for storing a package of disposable gloves;   an indexing device for moving the gloves from the storage to a hand insertion station; and   a glove opening device comprising at least one inflatable assembly having openings therein through which air can flow, and at least one air supply and vacuum system for supplying air to the inflatable assembly to inflate and thereby locate openings of the assembly in a position adjacent the glove, for drawing a vacuum through the assembly so a portion of the glove is drawn against the assembly, and for deflating the assembly so the assembly moves a portion of the glove away from another portion of the glove to open the glove to enable a user to insert his or her hand into the glove at the hand insertion station.   
     
     
         69 . A method of hygienically locating a glove on a user's hand, comprising:
 mechanically locating the glove at a hand insertion location;   opening the glove; and   inserting a hand in the glove.   
     
     
         70 . A package of disposable gloves, comprising:
 a plurality of gloves connected to one another in a line by a frangible connection which is breakable to separate one glove from the line;   a glove edge transverse to the frangible connection to form an open cuff of each glove; and   wherein each glove is formed from two layers which are joined together by a join to define the glove.