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US 11,479,432 B1Granted
Barrier envelope dispenser
AssigneeFlow Dental Products, LLC
InventorsWilliam Winters, Terrence McLaughlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispenser of barrier envelopes is formed of a pair of selectively interlocking open-top box-like structures. When interlocked, the pair of structures forms an interior chamber that is configured to store and protect one or more barrier envelopes inside from external contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and/or fungi. The dispenser of barrier envelopes includes a through opening for the purpose of dispensing the one or more envelopes to a user, and a spring in its interior chamber for directing the one or more envelopes toward the through opening.
Claims20
A barrier envelope dispenser configured for use in dentistry, the barrier envelope dispenser comprising:
- a casing defining an exterior of the barrier envelope dispenser and an interior chamber in the barrier envelope dispenser, the casing including an opening therethrough which connects the interior chamber with the exterior of the barrier envelope dispenser;
- and
- an elastic member disposed in the interior chamber and configured to guide one or more barrier envelopes in the interior chamber toward the through opening such that the one or more barrier envelopes can be selectively retrieved from the interior chamber via the through opening,
- wherein the casing includes:
- a first casing component and a second casing component,
- wherein the first casing component has a hollow body with a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end,
- wherein the second casing component has a hollow body with a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end, and
- wherein, when the casing is in an assembled state, the hollow bodies of the first and second casing components overlap one another, and the first closed ends of the first and second casing components, respectively, are arranged at opposite sides of the casing with at least a portion of the overlap between the hollow bodies of the first and second casing components extending therebetween,
- wherein the hollow body of the second casing component includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first and second sides of the second casing component delimiting opposite ends of the interior chamber,
- wherein the elastic member includes:
- a first pusher;
- a second pusher;
- and
- a spring extending between the first and second pushers and between the first and second sides of the second casing component, the spring being configured to be in a compressed state such that the first pusher or the second pusher can direct the one or more barrier envelopes in the interior chamber toward the through opening such that the one or more barrier envelopes can be selectively retrieved from the interior chamber via the through opening.
11 more elements
A method for utilizing a dispenser of barrier envelopes in dentistry, the method comprising:
- providing a dispenser of barrier envelopes;
- accessing an interior chamber of the dispenser;
- and
- inserting at least one barrier envelope within the interior chamber,
- wherein the dispenser includes:
- a casing defining an exterior of the dispenser and the interior chamber in the dispenser, the casing including an opening therethrough which connects the interior chamber with the exterior of the dispenser;
- and
- an elastic member disposed in the interior chamber and configured to guide the at least one barrier envelope toward the through opening such that the at least one barrier envelope can be selectively retrieved from the interior chamber via the through opening.
5 more elements
A barrier envelope dispenser configured for use in dentistry, the barrier envelope dispenser comprising:
- a casing defining an exterior of the barrier envelope dispenser and an interior chamber in the barrier envelope dispenser, the casing including an opening therethrough which connects the interior chamber with the exterior of the barrier envelope dispenser;
- and
- an elastic member disposed in the interior chamber and configured to guide one or more barrier envelopes in the interior chamber toward the through opening such that the one or more barrier envelopes can be selectively retrieved from the interior chamber via the through opening,
- wherein the casing includes:
- a first casing component and a second casing component,
- wherein the first casing component has a hollow body with a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end,
- wherein the second casing component has a hollow body with a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end, and
- wherein, when the casing is in an assembled state, the hollow bodies of the first and second casing components overlap one another, and the first closed ends of the first and second casing components, respectively, are arranged at opposite sides of the casing with at least a portion of the overlap between the hollow bodies of the first and second casing components extending therebetween,
- wherein the hollow body of the second casing component includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first and second sides of the second casing component delimiting opposite ends of the interior chamber, and
- wherein the second casing component includes an elongated spacer protruding from the first side of the second casing component and extending into the interior chamber.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.