US2810417A - Surgical glove case - Google Patents

Description

Y Oct. 22, 1957 E. G. YERK suRGcAL GLOVE cA'sE' YFiled Aug. s, 1955 mz PM( United States Patent SURGICAL GLOVE CASE Ellen G. Yerk, Bronxville, N. Y.

Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 526,978

2 Claims. (Cl. 150-.5)

This invention relates to a fabric container and more particularly to a surgical glove case.

It `is usual hospital practice to lay out sterilized surgical gloves where they may be readily and conveniently accessible -for use. In order to assure maintenance of sterile conditions, the gloves may be placed in fabric containers or cases which are sterilized with the gloves. The cases containing the gloves are then laid out. When a glove is ready for use, it is manually removed from its case as carefully as possible to assure that it does not become contaminated by contact with unsterilized surfaces.

I have provided a surgical glove case in which a pair of gloves can be stored together in such a way that either or both gloves of the pair may be conveniently removed with no danger of contamination. If only one glove is used, the -remaining glove remains sterile for use at a later time. Whether one r both gloves are removed, my surgical glove case is so constructed and arranged as to assure the greatest safety, since the portions of the case which are grasped to be raised to finally expose gloves -for removal are themselves maintained sterile, the lifting portion associated with each glove being maintained sterile independently of removal of the mating glove.

Accordingly, the invention makes it possible to lay out gloves in pairs, members of the pairs being usable together or independently and contamination being avoided in all cases. Accordingly, the invention simplies the handling of surgical gloves. It is particularly helpful when sizeable numbers of -gloves are sterilized and laid out together with a resulting possibility of confusion between left and right handed gloves.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained through the provision of overlying webs of substantially equal width but different length, the two webs being joined together at their edges and across a transverse seam central to both webs. A lift tab means which may comprise a seam running longitudinally of the short web is also provided, the lift tab means and open edges of the resulting case being covered when the excess length of the long web at each end thereof is folded over the short web.

The objects and advantages of the invention may be more fully brought out by the following description of the presently preferred specific embodiment of the invention, which, by way of example, is described in detail below and in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the embodiment which -is being described -by way of example, and Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views illustrating the use of the surgical glove case shown in Figure 1.

The glove case is made from any relatively close-mesh fabric or equivalent web material which will stand up under continued and frequent subjection to steam and moisture. The illustrated case comprises a long web which is preferably provided with a hem 11 around all four edges, the hem 11 comprising part of a seam overlying web 13 may be abouthalf the length of theV long web 10 and is preferably positioned intermediate the ends of the long web. The wide ends of the overlying web 13 may be finished by providing hems 14.

The web 13 is stitched to the web 10 not only along the seams 12 but also `along a transverse seam or seams 15, thus dividing the compartment or envelope interior defined between the webs 10 and 13 into two sections, generally indicated at 16 and 17. The web 13 is centrally longitudinally seamed to define a tuck or tab strip 18. The outer fold 19 of the tab strip 18 is on the side of the web 13 which is opposite to that portion of the web 10 to which the web 13 is joined. The strip 18 may normally lie rather flat, as indicated in Figure 2, but it may be grasped and slightly raised to act as a tab, as indicated at 20 in Figure 3.

In use, surgical gloves are inserted into the compartment sections 16 and 17, as shown in Figure 2. The two end flap portions 21 and 22 formed by the extensions of the long web 10 are then folded over the short web 13, and the case is placed in the sterilizer, usually along with a number of similarly filled glove cases. After sterilization, the glove case is laid out without unfolding the flaps 21 and 22. If one glove is to be used, the associated flap 21 or 22 is flipped open, exposing the theretofore protected associated portion of the tab strip 18. The tab -strip can then be grasped to raise the associated portion of the web 13, as indicated in Figure 3, and make the glove readily accessible. It will be noted that the other glove of the pair is in nowise disturbed during this procedure. Such remaining glove can then be similarly removed or left in fully protected sterilized condition for use at a later time.

It will be apparent that lthe glove case described above by way of example can be varied in details without departing from the teaching of my disclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the precise details of the Iillustrated example, but is defined lby the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A surgical glove case comprising two overlying web sections of approximately equal width, one of said sections Ibeing substantially shorter than the other section and positioned midway along the length of said other section, whereby the extensions of said other section beyond said one section constitute end flaps, said web sections being permanently joined at the common edges established by their approximately even width, said sections further being joined along a line extending across said sections at the longitudinal midpoint thereof to define two compartments between said web sections separated along said line Iand opened along their end sides, laterally centrally located gripping means associated with each of said two compartments for gripping said one web section adjacent each of said open end sides, each of said end flaps being of sufficient size to cover at least the majority of one of Isaid gripping means when said end flaps are folded over said one web section.

2. A surgical glove case comp-rising two overlying web sections of approximately equal width, one of said sections being substantially shorter than the other section and positioned midway Ialong the length of said otherV section, whereby the extensions of said other section beyond said one section constitute end iiaps, Isaid web sections being joined at the common edges established by their Iapproximately even width, said sections further being joined along a line extending across said sections at the longitudinal midpoint thereof to define two compartments between said web sections separated along 3 said line and open along their end sides, which end sides are covered when said end flaps are folded over said one web section, `a laterally central, longitudinally extending tuk folded ,outwardly 4from said one -web section,

said end aps `being of suicient size to cover at least the 5 majorityA of said tuck when said end aps are folded over said one web section.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 814,205 Hawes Mar. 6, 1906 Graham June 9,

Randall May 27,

Martin Ian. 31,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Bn'tain Feb. 28,

France July 6,

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