Swab roller with ring guides

Abstract

A swab roller formed from an elongated stem employing ring guides to facilitate rotation of a casing tube placed over a portion of the elongated stem. The casing is constructed and arranged to allow rotation of the elongated stem and maintained over the stem by the ring guides. A covering is formed from an absorbent material such as cotton or foam placed on at least one end of the elongated stem. The swab roller can be constructed from inexpensive components for general use or from medical grade materials for specialty use.

Claims

1. A swab roller comprising: an elongated stem having an outer diameter with a first end and a second end; a casing tube having an inner diameter constructed and arranged to fit over a portion of said elongated stem; a covering securable to said first end; a ring guide positioned between said casing tube and said covering; and an end member secured to said second end of said elongated stem; wherein said elongated stem may rotate within said casing tube allowing said covering to roll over a surface while said casing tube is held in a fixed position relative to said elongated stem.

2. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said end member is a snap member securable to said second end of said elongated tube.

3. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said end member is a defined as a Second covering securable to said second end of said elongated tube.

4. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said covering is formed from an absorbent material.

5. The swab roller according to claim 4 wherein said absorbent material is selected from the group consisting of cotton, foam, nylon and polyester.

6. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said covering is formed from an absorbent material interspaced with a non-absorbent material.

7. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said elongated stem is selected from the group consisting of paper or plastic.

8. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said casing tube is constructed from a hollow plastic tube having a continuous sidewall.

9. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein each said covering is further defined as a tip having a proximal end securable to said elongated stem and a distal end having said covering.

10. The swab roller according to claim 3 wherein said first covering is formed from the same material as said second covering.

11. The swab roller according to claim 1 wherein said elongated stem and said casing tube are constructed from medical grade plastic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the swab roller;

[0028] FIG. 2 is FIG. 1 with hidden lines;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a plane view of a casing tube;

[0030] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the swab roller;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the swab roller with one ring guide; and

[0032] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the swab roller with two ring guides.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0033] Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrated is the swab roller 10 of the instant invention. The swab roller 10 is constructed of an elongated stem 12, which is further defined by a first end 14 spaced apart from a second end 16. The stem 12 is made of either rolled paper or plastic with an outer diameter D1 of about 3 mm. A covering 18 is secured along the first end 14 by either adhesive or frictional engagement. If the covering is made of cotton or the like absorbent, securement is preferably by adhesive. If the covering is made of foam or the like material, securement can be by frictional engagement, wherein the covering can be forced on or adherence is obtained by use of heat, causing the covering and the stem to fuse together.

[0035] A casing tube 22 is positioned between the first end 14 and the second end 16, preferably during the assembly stage. In this embodiment, the casing tube 22 is placed over the elongated stem 12 before the first or second covering 18, 20 is secured to the first or second end 14, 16. The casing tube 22 has a horizontal length L1 that fits over a portion of the stem 12, and a continuous sidewall 26, The casing tube 22 is constructed of thin wall paper or plastic having a thickness of about 0.1 mM to 0.5 mm. Thin wall paper can be made of helically wound plies of paper which are treated to be substantially impervious to fluid. Treated thin wall paper provides an inner surface having a lower coefficient of friction over untreated paper to allow ease of rotation of the stem 12 within the casing tube 22. In one embodiment, the stem 12 is paper and the casing tube 22 is formed of treated paper, providing a most cost effective rolling swab that is environmentally friendly.

[0036] Another embodiment employs a paper stem 12 and a plastic casing tube 22. The use of a plastic casing tube 22 allows for ease of stem rotation due to the inherent low coefficient of friction of a smooth casing tube 22 formed of plastic, Similar to the previously mentioned paper casing tube, placement of the plastic casing tube in position during the assembly stage allows ease of attachment when either the first covering 18 or second covering 20 has yet to be secured.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment, a casing tube 30 is attached to a conventional swab after assembly. In this embodiment, a first and second covering is attached to an elongated stem, and the casing tube 30 is pushed over the elongated stem. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a push on casing tube 30 is formed of thin wall plastic having a first end 32 and a second end 34. In this embodiment, the sidewall 36 is not continuous and includes a first edge 38 spaced apart from a second edge 42, forming a slit 40 therebetween. To allow ease of installation, a first. V-shaped notch 44 is positioned along the first end 32 and a second V-shaped notch 46 is positioned along the second end 46. The V-shaped notch assists in installation, wherein the notch is placed against the stem which results in the slit 40 being made barge enough to side over the outer diameter of the stem. The plastic casing tube 30 maintains a memory, wherein the casing tube 30 captures the stem and returns to an original diameter. The slit 40 formed by the space between the ends 38 and 42 of the tube 30 is preferably placed at an angle to allow ease of stem rotation without the edges 38, 42 engaging the stem.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 4, set forth is another embodiment of the roller swab 50 having an elongated stem 52 having an inner diameter D3 and an outer diameter D4. In this embodiment, a first end 54 is constructed from an insertion tip 56 having a leading edge 58 with a series of directional barbs 60 spaced apart along the outer surface 62 of the insertion tip 56. The insertion tip 56 is driven into the first end 70 of the stem 52. The directional barbs 60 allow a one way insertion of the insertion tip 56 into the stem 52. Alternatively, the insertion tip 56 can be attached to the stem 52 by adhesive or fused together using heat. A covering 72 is attached to the insertion tip 56 in the same manner as previously described. The covering 72 depicted illustrates a variation using material with absorption properties 74 and material with non-absorption properties 76.

[0039] A second end 80 for receipt of a second insertion end 82 operates in the same manner as the first insertion end 54. In this illustration, a foam covering 86 is placed over the insertion tip 82. Casing tube 90 is positioned over a portion of the stem 52, allowing the stem and insertion tips to freely rotate.

[0040] Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a perspective view of a swab roller 100 with a single ring guide 102. In this embodiment the swab roller employs an elongated stem 112, defined by a shank with a first end 114 spaced apart from a second end 116. The stem 112 is made of either rolled paper or plastic with a covering 118 secured along the first end 114 by either adhesive or frictional engagement. If the covering is made of cotton or the like absorbent, securement by adhesive is preferred. If the covering is made of foam or the like material, securement can be by frictional engagement, wherein the covering can be forced on or adherence is obtained by use of heat, causing the covering and the stem to fuse together.

[0041] The ring guide 102 encompasses the elongated stet 112 and is positioned between the covering 118 and casing tube 122. The casing tube 122 having a length shorter than the elongated stem 112 with a distal end extending beyond the length of the casing tube 122 for receipt of an end member, such as a snap cap 124 illustrated in FIG. 5, or a covering 119 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the ring guide 102 and the snap cap 124 secure the casing tube 122 therebetween to provide a surface having reduced friction allowing ease of covering rotation 118. In the preferred embodiment the ring guide 102 is constructed of plastic with an inner surface that engages the stem 112 and a continuous side surface that abuts an end of the casing tube 122. The ring guide 102 providing a low friction bearing surface that allows ease of casing tube 122 rotation.

[0042] While the casing tube 122 is constructed and arranged to allow ease of rotation, with minimal pressure the casing tube 122 can be squeezed to lessen or prohibit rotation. In this embodiment the opposite end of the stem 112 is in receipt of a snap cap 124 having an insertion tab section 126 that interfaces with an inner surface of the elongated stem 112. The snap cap 124 having a smooth leading surface 128 that allows reduced friction to the abutting edge of the casing tube to allow ease of rotation. The snap cap 124 having an outer surface 130 that allows ease of insertion by providing a surface for pressing the snap cap 124 into the elongated stem 112.

[0043] The casing tube 122 has a horizontal length that fits over a portion of the elongated stem 112. The casing tube 22 is constructed of thin wall paper or plastic having a thickness of about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. Thin wall paper can be made of helically wound plies of paper which are treated to be substantially impervious to fluid. Treated thin wall paper provides an inner surface having a lower coefficient of friction over untreated paper to allow ease of rotation of the stem 112 within the casing tube 122. In one embodiment, the stem 112 is paper and the casing tube 122 is formed of treated paper, providing a most cost effective rolling swab that is environmentally friendly.

[0044] Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrated is a perspective view of swab roller 101 using the same components as set forth in FIG. 5 but including a second ring guide 103. In this embodiment the swab roller 101 is constructed of an elongated stem 112, which is further defined by a first end 114 spaced apart from a second end 115. The stem 112 is made of either rolled paper or plastic with a first covering 118 secured along the first: end 114, and an end member comprising a second covering 119 secured along the second end 115, by either adhesive or frictional engagement. The first ring guide 102 is positioned between the covering 118 and a casing tube 122 having a length with a portion of the elongated stem 112 extending beyond the length of the casing tube 122 for receipt of a second covering 119 with a second ring guide 103 positioned therebetween. The ring guides 102, 103 securing the casing tube 122 therebetween and providing reduced friction surfaces allowing ease of covering rotation 118 119. In the preferred embodiment the ring guide 102, 103 are constructed of plastic to provide a low friction bearing surface for ease of covering rotation. The casing tube 122 allows the elongated stem 112 to rotate or, with minimal pressure, the casing tube 122 can be squeezed to slow or prohibit rotation.

[0045] The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements, possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of a device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more features, possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

[0046] All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

[0047] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.