Disposable doorknob cover with dispenser

Abstract

A hollow body disposable knob cover is made of a flexible piece of material with an opening sewn of elastic to form fit over the knob down in the projection stem area of knob, upon releasing the disposable knob cover on knob. This disposable knob cover will provide the reduction of cross contamination from multiple users of such things as a door or faucet with a knob, or any knob which may not be sanitized enough with disinfectants. This disposable knob cover is made with either imposed layer of spunbonded polypropylene or polyethylene in either vacuum formed or molded or threaded form or other material such as plastic foam, film formed of block copolymers of styrene and butadiene or elastomeric films of polyurethane or a paper material or non-porous moisture resistant material. The Art form of existing disposable foot covers for the medical profession will be changed to an Art form of disposable knob covers for use by consumers, hospitals, businesses, and in public places. In addition, a dispenser to hold and dispense disposable knob covers can be utilized for easy access and convenience as well as storing in a box ejecting one at a time.

Claims

1. A one time use disposable knob cover for an exposed knob usually made of such medal, glass, plastic or wood comprising; a hollow body flexible piece of material having an opening to pass through the knob with an elastic sewn on opening for a form fit down to the projection stem area of knob.

2. A disposable knob cover means for positioning over a spherical knob area of the knob within which a spherical knob portion of the knob forming over the dimension and projection such as on a door knob.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 having only one open end large enough to pass through the knob with a sewn elastic around the opening while receiving said knob through said opening end.

8. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 are a hollow body of material, soft, thin, light weight, inexpensive, easy to use, easy to make, environmentally friendly, with no bulk waste.

9. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 easily attach to the knob and have quick release with only a few fingers used with each use and disposed of in an everyday waste basket with minimal effort.

10. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 are to protect from unsanitary and unsterile conditions found in cross contamination of germs.

11. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 are another form of a disposable barrier from a contaminated surface using hands and fingers.

12. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 covering the knob defining an area approximately the standard size of a door knob with a dimension of 1¼ to 1¾ inches to projection of 1½ to 1¾ inches or slightly larger for larger door knobs.

13. The disposable knob cover of claim 1 in which material for disposable knob covers is either a plastic foam, or film formed of block copolymers of styrene and butadiene or elastomeric films of polyurethane or a paper material or a non-porous moisture resistant material or spunbonded polypropylene or polyethylene in either vacuum formed or molded or threaded fiber form or a non-porous and high-elongation thermoplastic elastomer.

14. The disposable knob cover of claim 1 in which hollow body material is made of the general same size or slightly larger to form fit the shape of a knob down in the projection stem areas of the knob.

15. The disposable knob cover of claim 1 in which said hollow material body opening has an opening to pass through the knob with elastic form fitting down in the projection stem area of knob within close proximity to the knob itself for insertion over a knob.

16. A protective disposable knob cover of claim 1 is for use in many areas such as consumer use on interior/exterior door knobs in homes such as bathroom faucet knobs, door knobs, office and hospital interior doors, doctor's offices and glass door knobs, or grocery store bathroom faucet knobs, door knobs and any other knobs that are touched by hands and or fingers containing germs.

17. The disposable knob covers of claim 1 will be used on knobs that may not be able to be continually sanitized for the multitude and frequency of hands touching the knob.

18. The disposable knob covers of claim 1 will be used when spraying of disinfectants can be intermittent and not done enough times with multiple uses of a knob in heavy public traffic or useful in a pandemic virus situation to contain the spread of virus.

19. The disposable knob covers in claim 1 can be stacked in a card board box with ability to extract one at a time for limiting contamination of spreading germs and an economically feasible cost to consumers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, with the following detailed description, where the reference numerals are referred to in each:

[0038] FIG. 1A. Is a side view of a disposable knob cover for use in connection with a knob such as a door knob insertably received over the knob of the door. It shows the sewn elastic opening for form fitting over the projection stem area of the knob.

[0039] FIG. 2A. It is a view of disposable knob cover, with a hollow body of material to form fit down to the projection stem area to the knob with an elastic opening.

[0040] FIG. 3A. This is a view of a hand gripping a door knob which has a disposable knob cover protecting hands while turning handle potentially otherwise would have been contaminated with germs.

[0041] DELETE

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0042] A disposable knob cover will now be detailed to accompany the drawings outlined above.

[0043] As illustrated in the figures above, the following is a description of a disposable knob cover 20 for use on a knob 18, attached to a knob 18 (illustrated on a door knob) of a door 16. The disposable knob cover 20 is hollow, flexible piece of material with a closed bottom 22 with an open end 28 to pass through the knob 18 with elastic type material sewn around opening 28 to attach to the projection stem 12 area of knob 18. The disposable knob cover 20 resembles the material (similar to material used in existing surgical booties in hospitals) formed in a hollow body shaped disposable knob cover 20 to correspond with the shape of the knob 18, it will be associated with. The diameter of the bottom 22 is larger tapering in the shape of a knob wall 26 smaller to the diameter at the open end 28 of the disposable knob cover 20. The diameter of the bottom surface 22 corresponds approximately to the diameter of the knob 18. The size of the disposable knob cover 20 is approximately the size that when applied over the knob 18, it will cover the knob 18 form fitting, and a portion of the knob 18, projection stem area 12, offering a complete barrier between the skin of a hand 24 and fingers 24 of a hand 24 with the surface of the knob 18, preventing germs to come in contact with exposed surface of knob 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT INVENTION

[0044] The present invention relates to disposable knob covers. A protector for knobs (a rounded lump or ball at the end or on surface of something) which is usually made of such things as metal, glass, plastic or wood. It relates to hygienic covers to protect from unsanitary and unsterile conditions. The disposable knob cover is a hollow body flexible piece of material with an opening to pass through the knob with an elastic sewn around opening for form fitting over the projection stem area of the knob. This invention is for a disposable protectable knob which can be stored in a dispenser to dispense and hold the same to mount on a wall outside of high traffic areas such as busy hospitals, grocery store bathrooms, or interior doors in and around bathrooms, in homes, at businesses, doctor's offices, and or the disposable knob covers can be boxed in different varying amounts (25, 50, 100). These disposable knob covers can be widely used by consumers with readily using at home to prevent the spread of germs, such as the flu or to prevent the spread in a virus pandemic.

[0045] A disposable knob cover will fit most interior or exterior door knob dimensions and imposes layers of either spunbonded polypropylene or polyethylene in either vacuum formed or molded or threaded, with sewn not glued Elastic opening for form fit down in projection area stem of knob, that is non-conducive, latex free. A sewn opening with elastic to prevent tearing and a secure fit down in projection stem area of knob as the material is handled with grabbing the knob such as a door knob to open. The material can also be a non-porous high elongation thermoplastic elastomer film or even a paper material. It may be a plastic foam since only limited protection from liquids is required for most knobs as opposed to surgical-booties. While various plastic materials may be used, films formed of block copolymers of styrene and butadiene and elastomeric films of polyurethane may also be used. This-disposable knob cover is a simple, inexpensive, easy to use for protecting one's hands from cross contamination of germs. Some of the materials' are already in use with disposable surgical footwear shoe coverings for the medical profession. (i.e., spunbonded polypropylene material).

[0046] This invention is changing the art of the material used in disposable footwear shoe coverings for surgical disposable footwear and creating a new art in a disposable knob cover for a larger usage span (i.e., other than hospitals) including consumers fighting germs to prevent the spread of viruses. This would be an improvement from prior knob covers because at the present time germs are more prevalent in the world with international travel and it will increase the ways to protect the nation starting with each individual.

[0047] The disposable knob cover would cover the knob and offer a barrier between the skin of the fingers or of the hand to the surface of the knob, so no unsterile matter would come in contact with the exposed surface of the hand.

[0048] In addition, a dispenser/container could be used to stack the disposable knob covers for easy pulling one through a hole of a container to then form fit down the projection stem area of the knob upon attaching to a knob such as a dour knob.

[0049] The idea is that the cheap light weight disposable knob cover would be placed on the knob before one turn's the knob to open or moves knob on/off or up/down. One removes the disposable knob cover as one goes into the room with a door knob or turns a knob on/off/up/down and throws the disposable knob cover away. The same protection would be afforded from the inside of a door with a door knob coming back out of a room/bathroom and then discard disposable knob cover in trash. Today, many individuals use a paper towel after washing hands to open the door for preventing germs to come in contact with hands after washed hands to avoid germs with pubic door knobs.

[0050] The present invention is further an additional improvement over the prior art (see all above) in that it permits a real disposable, cheaply made, sanitizing way to prevent germs from spreading on multiple uses of a knob with material already in the industry being used for protection on surgical booty covers. The close proximity of a dispenser to where the knobs are located as seen with previous inventions of hand sanitizer dispensers and or to provide the disposable knob covers in a cardboard box of such varying amounts of as little as 25, 50, 100 count stacked in a box as seen with prior inventions of plastic gloves, will allow for easy domestic affordability and convenience.

Example I

[0051] A disposable knob cover may be made utilizing for the body of the knob a layer of film of 4 mil (0.004 inches) in thickness of a butadiene-styrene copolymer marketed under the Trademark “Kraton 2109” by Shell Chemical Company, New York, N.Y. with an approximate standard to a door knob dimensions of approximately 1¼ to 1¾ inches to within stem of projection of 1½ to 1¾ inches or bigger for larger door knobs.

Example II

[0052] A disposable knob cover may be made utilizing for the body of the knob a layer formed of spun-bonded polyethylene marketed under the designation “Tyvek” by E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, Del., with an approximate door knob dimensions of approximately 1¼ to 1¾ inches to within stem of projection of 1½ to 1¾ inches or bigger for larger door knobs.

Example III

[0053] A disposable knob cover may be made utilizing for the body of the knob a layer formed utilizing an elastomeric polyurethane film material marketed under the designation “Tuftane” by B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company, Cleveland, Ohio.

Example IV

[0054] A disposable knob cover may be made utilizing for the body of the knob a layer formed utilizing an elastomeric polypropylene film material marketed under the designation of Phillips Petroleum Chemists J. Paul Hogan and Robert Banks in 1951 and then, Giulio Natta and Karl Rehn polymerized to a crystalline polymer in 1954. Polypropylene also known a polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer widely produced commodity plastic today.

[0055] While in the foregoing I have disclosed preferred embodiments of the invention in considerable detail for illustration purposes, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

REFERENCES CITED

U.S. Pat. Nos

[0056]

TABLE-US-00001 1,633,988 Jun. 28, 1927 George Jones 2006/0059663 A1 Mar. 23, 2006 Angelo J. D'Ambrosio 4,856,140 Aug. 15, 1989 Frank Visco 4,921,028 May 1, 1990 Nathan Schwartz 5,840,122 A Nov. 24, 1998 Dennis C. Williams 5,713,615 A Feb. 3, 1998 Hsu-Hei Tsai 5,008,551 Apr. 16, 1991 Timothy T. Randolph 3,343,578 Sep. 26, 1967 Morris M. Rubin 6,546,594 B1 Apr. 15, 2003 Steven Wills 2006/001062 A1 Jan. 19, 2006 Kellaher 8,353,085 B2 Jan. 15, 2013 Balzano