Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding – With drive mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-06
2001-04-10
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding
With drive mechanism
C242S563000, C222S192000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213424
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
“Not Applicable”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present application relates generally to sheet or web dispensers, and more particularly to a dispenser apparatus for use in dispensing antiseptic, pre-moistened towelettes that are stored in either web or sheet form.
Infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death, world-wide, and the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Voluminous authoritative research, conducted during the last 150 years, by an array of pertinent disciplines, agencies and industries concur that frequent hand washing is the single-most reliable means for preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Unfortunately, voluminous authoritative research also continues to reveal an abhorrent failure in compliance with this seemingly benign edict. Among the most intensely studied contexts—the health care, child care, elder-care, and food service industries, workers have been found to wash their hands in approximately 30% of required instances. Further, studies indicate that 30% of all food poisoning incidents recorded occur in the home, and at least 70% of these are hand-transmitted, person-to-person, fecal-to-oral incidents.
Particularly during the last two decades, the U.S. has been confronted with the following, ongoing, conditions: (1) growing numbers of emergent and re-emergent pathogens which are attacking with greater “stealth” force, and with unprecedented unpredictability; (2) increasing numbers of multi-drug resistant pathogens; (3) swelling populations of vulnerable immuno-compromised patients; (4) indiscriminate use of antibiotics, contributing to their growing impotence; (5) high-load pathogen sites which defy familiar socioeconomic boundaries; (6) an estimated 70% of transmission of pathogenic microbes via hand-transmission, primarily person-to-person, fecal-to-oral route; (7) the dissolution of our own health care infrastructure, such that it is an acknowledged contributor to the emergence and re-emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens; and (8) globalization of infectious diseases previously limited by geographic boundaries.
Prevention of illness, personal responsibility for same, and the concept of wellness have, until recently, lingered about the fringes of health care. Our longstanding health care paradigm has been the medical model. Only the physician knows how to treat illness. Often, treatment addresses symptoms rather than cause. Generally, a “piece” of a patient is treated, without regard for systemic interactive physiology. However, a paradigm shift has been occurring. For example, more Americans have used alterative or complementary medicine in recent years than was previously the case. As such, it appears that Americans are turning to more natural, holistic healing modalities. In reality, at this time, there are no other viable health care alternatives.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus that renders frequent hand cleansing feasible, and that motivates sustained changes in hand washing behavior via integral operant and classical conditioning strategies built into actual products.
Most vital among its multiple uses, the dispensing apparatus of the present invention makes frequent and effective hand washing realistic and practical. In this capacity, the inventive apparatus provides the tools for strategic intervention to “break the chain of contagion” of hand-transmitted infectious diseases. This means, for example, that many food-borne pathogens, which we carry on our own contaminated hands, will be killed before exposure to the bulnerable mucosal membranes of the mouth, nose, and eyes. Hand transmission is one of the major forms of contagion of infectious diseases. In the case of eating, hand transmitted pathogens easily become “food-borne” pathogens. In this common situation, we literally “self-inoculate.”
One of the paramount obstacles to frequent hand washing, using traditional methods, is that they are time and labor intensive. Consequently, hands are far too seldom washed, at all. In addition, incomplete de-contamination, or virtually instantaneous re-contamination, for example, by touching bathroom door hardware while exiting, are common using traditional hand washing methods.
In order to accommodate today's fast-paced and demanding lifestyles, the dispensing apparatus of the present invention provides convenient, quick and easy access to all materials necessary for pleasant, broadly germicidal, fast, effective hand cleansing. The inventive apparatus also protects against both incomplete hand cleansing, and common re-contamination risks.
The inventive apparatus is a compact, durable, safe, reliable, portable, multi-purpose anti-microbial weapon. It dispenses, either at room temperature or warmed, individual, broadly germicidal, biodegradable, sturdy yet soft, soothing, moisturizing and healing, flushable pre-moistened towelettes for sanitary/antiseptic cleaning of skin on hands, face and other parts of the human anatomy as needed. In addition to dispensing pre-moistened, perforated towelettes, the inventive apparatus optionally includes a hand drying assembly, a sanitary disposal compartment for used towelettes and a sensor adopted for use with badges for permitting verification of use of the apparatus by users wearing such badges. As a result, the apparatus is universally adaptable for domestic, business, industrial and institutional use.
The inventive dispensing apparatus differs from traditional hand-washing methods in many significant wants, including the following: (1) Hand cleaning is completed significantly faster; (2) All necessary “ingredients” for antiseptic, moisturizing, healing hand washing are conveniently available in a compact, self-contained unit; (3) Hand cleansing evolves from being a burden, to being easy and pleasurable and habitual; (4) An inclusive system of sanitary disposal of used towelettes prevents unwitting contamination of other sites or persons; (5) Cost in human energy usage regarding self and hand cleansing of children is greatly reduced; (6) Children can more reliably be taught autonomy in disease prevention for self/wellness because the apparatus is easy to use and feels good, providing a positive reinforcement effect; (7) Children and adults are repeatedly influenced to remain aware that their personal hygiene can have a most serious impact on the well-being of others; (9) A great deal of the enormous costs of infectious diseases can be put to far more constructive use, while human suffering and needless loss of lives can be significantly diminished; and (10) An apparatus is provided that is adaptable for use globally.
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Culpepper Kerry S
Rivera William A.
Walsh Donald P.
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