Medical supplies abstract
RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING MEDICAL SUPPLIES A receptacle for holding
medical supplies is necessary for a caregiver to quickly and efficiently
obtain desired medical supplies within a caregiving room or a caregiving
vehicle, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines,
or ambulances. Caregiving rooms and vehicles can be small and lack
cabinets sufficient to hold certain medical supplies. The present
invention's slim structure can be either mounted on a wall, placed
on a countertop, on a floor, or on a stand of the caregiving room
or vehicle. When the present invention is opaque or clear, the medical
supplies contained therein are visible. The receptacle can also
be a solid color with the contents and their warning indications
depicted on the outer front of the receptacle. A user can conveniently
and expediently extract medical supplies through openings on the
receptacle by using only one hand since the medical supply containers
are restrained by the restraint feature of the receptacle.
Medical supplies claims
I claim:
1. A receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising: a front
wall; a rear wall; a plurality of side walls defining a plurality
of receptacle areas such that each receptacle area is defined by
the rear wall and at least one internal wall and the front wall
to allow medical supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing
purposes such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas
are collinear; a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the
plurality of side walls and to the front wall and rear wall; and
a restraint member that holds a medical supply container while a
user is extracting medical supplies from the medical supply container
held inside the receptacle.
2. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein
the presence or absence of medical supply containers is visible
within the receptacle area.
3. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 further
comprising a top section and a bottom section.
4. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 3 further
comprising: means for accessing medical supplies from the top section.
5. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 3 further
comprising: means for accessing medical supplies from the bottom
section.
6. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein
the receptacle is operable to be mounted on a wall.
7. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 6 wherein
the receptacle further comprises at least one hook.
8. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein
the bottom wall is operable to stand upright when placed on a flat
surface and comprises a non-slip surface area.
9. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein
the receptacle further comprises a stand.
10. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein
the receptacle is made of a material selected from the group consisting
of plastic, metal, glass, stainless steel, wood and cardboard.
11. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein
the receptacle is completely translucent.
12. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein
the receptacle is partially translucent.
13. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein
the receptacle is completely opaque.
14. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein
receptacle has a colored tint.
15. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein
receptacle is a color.
16. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 11 wherein
warning labels on the medical supply containers are visible through
the translucent receptacle.
17. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein
portions of the walls are translucent where warning labels on the
medical supply containers are visible through the translucent portion
of the walls.
18. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein
safety information is indicated on the front wall.
19. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein
contents are indicated on the front wall.
20. A receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising: a front
wall; a rear wall; a plurality of side walls defining a plurality
of receptacle areas such that each receptacle area is defined by
the rear wall and at least one internal wall and the front wall
to allow medical supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing
purposes such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas
are collinear; a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the
plurality of side walls and to the front wall and rear wall; and
a restraint member that holds a cleaning supply container while
a user is extracting cleaning supplies from the cleaning supply
container held inside the receptacle.
Medical supplies description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a receptacle for holding
medical supplies for use in connection with a caregiving facility
or with caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles,
fire engines, or ambulances. The receptacle for holding medical
and cleaning supplies has particular utility in connection with
providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical
or cleaning supplies.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Receptacles for holding medical supplies are desirable for
organizing medical supplies and making them accessible to a caregiver.
[0005] The use of receptacles for holding medical supplies is known
in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,646 to Carter
discloses a medical utility storage assembly for reusable medical
equipment. However, the Carter '646 patent does not provide separate
container areas within the receptacle for holding separate medical
supply containers, and has further drawbacks of being difficult
to mount or place in or near a caregiving facility room or inside
caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles,
fire engines, or ambulances.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,944 to Kraft et al discloses a medication
dispenser system that holds medication units with robotics for manipulating
a selected container to transfer one or more medication units from
the container directly to said package to avoid cross-contamination.
However, the Kraft '944 patent does not depict the contents of each
container area, and additionally does not have a slim shape allowing
it to fit slimly along a wall in or near a caregiving facility room
or in caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles,
fire engines, or ambulances.
[0007] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,249 to Coulombe discloses
a medical supplies container that comprises a base wall, four upright
side walls and a peripheral flange projecting outwardly from the
top edges of the side walls with a few bores for holding a hypodermic
syringe, a needle and a needle holder. However, the Coulombe '249
patent does not provide for various medical supply containers, and
is not designed for use in the same manner as the receptacle for
holding medical supplies of the present invention.
[0008] Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. D303,051 to Steed discloses a holder
for medical supplies or the like to be mounted on the handrail.
However, the Steed '051 patent does not show a medical supply holder
with separate container areas sectioned therein, and has the additional
deficiency of lacking a restraint to hold medical supply containers
in place when extracting medical supplies therefrom.
[0009] While the above-described devices fulfill their respective,
particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents
do not describe a receptacle for holding medical supplies that allows
convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies.
The Steed patent makes no provision for being mounted on a wall
or being operable to stand upright on either the floor or a stand.
[0010] Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved receptacle
for holding medical supplies that can be used for providing a caregiver
convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies.
In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this
need. In this respect, the receptacle for holding medical supplies
according to the present invention substantially departs from the
conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing
so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of
providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical
or cleaning supplies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of receptacles for holding medical supplies now present in
the prior art, the present invention provides an improved receptacle
for holding medical or cleaning supplies, and overcomes the above-mentioned
disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general
purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently
in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved receptacle for
holding medical supplies and method of filling receptacle with desired
medical or cleaning supplies, placing receptacle in or near a caregiving
room or vehicle, reaching through opening of receptacle, and grasping
desired medical supply for use which has all the advantages of the
prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result
in a receptacle for holding medical or cleaning supplies which is
not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by
the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
[0012] To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises
a receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising a front wall,
a rear wall, a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of receptacle
areas such that each receptacle area is defined by the rear wall
and at least one internal wall and the front wall to allow medical
supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing purposes
such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas are collinear,
a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the plurality of
side walls and to the front wall and rear wall, and a restraint
member that holds a medical supply container while a user is extracting
medical supplies from the medical supply container held inside the
receptacle.
[0013] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
[0014] The invention may also include a receptacle that displays
information regarding the contents or warnings of the medical or
cleaning supply containers therein. There are, of course, additional
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and
which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
[0015] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of
presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of
the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment
of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention
is not limited in its application to the details of construction
and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable
of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various
ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not
be regarded as limiting.
[0016] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0017] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that
has all of the advantages of the prior art receptacles for holding
medical supplies and none of the disadvantages.
[0018] It is another object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that
may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
[0019] An even further object of the present invention is to provide
a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that
has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and
labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of
sale to the consuming public, thereby making such receptacle for
holding medical supplies economically available to the buying public.
[0020] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a new receptacle for holding medical supplies that provides in the
apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages
thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages
normally associated therewith.
[0021] Even still another object of the present invention is to
provide a receptacle for holding medical supplies for providing
a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning
supplies. This allows a receptacle for holding certain medical or
cleaning supplies which are most frequently used in or near a particular
caregiving facility or vehicle to be conveniently held together
for convenient and expedient access. The receptacle of the present
invention contains separate container areas within itself in rows
to allow a slim receptacle design operable to be mounted on a wall
or placed on a floor, countertop, or a stand taking up very little
space. This invention also restrains the medical supply containers
held therein while a user is extracting medical or cleaning supplies
from the medical or cleaning supply containers, respectively, inside
the receptacle. The present invention comprises openings which mirror
those on the medical supply containers held therein, which allows
a user to expediently and conveniently extract medical supplies
while using only one hand.
[0022] Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved method of extracting medical supplies from their
containers while held inside a receptacle with a restraint to hold
the medical or cleaning supply containers in place which has openings
that mirror the openings on the medical or cleaning supply containers.
[0023] These together with other objects of the invention, along
with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention,
are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and
forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of
the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects
attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description
makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the
receptacle for holding medical supplies constructed in accordance
with the principles of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a side view of the receptacle for holding medical
supplies of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a overview view of the receptacle for holding
medical supplies of the present invention.
[0028] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout
the various figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS.
1-3, a preferred embodiment of the receptacle for holding medical
supplies of the present invention is shown and generally designated
by the reference numeral 10.
[0030] In FIG. 1, a new and improved receptacle for holding medical
supplies 10 of the present invention for providing a caregiver convenient
and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies is illustrated
and will be described. More particularly, the receptacle for holding
medical supplies 10 has a front wall 12, rear wall 14, a plurality
of side walls 16, with at least one internal wall 18 that forms
separate container areas 20 inside the receptacle 10. A bottom wall
22 connects perpendicularly to the plurality of side walls 16 and
to the front wall 12 and rear wall 14. Medical supply containers
24 holding medical supplies 26 are held inside the container areas
20 and restrained by a restraint member 28 while a user is extracting
medical supplies 26 from medical supply containers 24 held inside
the receptacle 10.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a receptacle 10 that can either be transparent
or translucent or a combination thereof to show the presence or
absence of medical supply containers 24 therein. Receptacles 10
can also be a color or variety of colors with the contents and warning
indications of the medical supplies 26 held inside depicted on the
outer wall of the receptacle 10. Receptacles 10 can have a combination
of color and transparency or translucency, and can hold cleaning
supplies, also.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the receptacle for holding medical
supplies 10. FIG. 2 shows how some of the internal walls 18 can
be vertical to form a shelf 30 inside the receptacle 10 for holding
various shapes of medical supply containers 24. FIG. 2 also shows
the slim design of the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows an overview of the receptacle 10 and how the
plurality of side walls 16 and internal walls 18 form separate container
areas 20 for holding medical supply containers 24.
[0034] The receptacle for holding medical supplies 10 can stand
upright on a floor or a stand, or be mounted to a wall. The receptacle
10 can be made of plastic, glass, metal, stainless steel, wood,
rigid cardboard or other like materials.
[0035] In use, it can now be understood that a receptacle for holding
medical supplies is essential for any room in or near a caregiving
facility or with caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical
Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances to conveniently and
expediently dispense medical supplies.
[0036] While a preferred embodiment of the receptacle for holding
medical supplies has been described in detail, it should be apparent
that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which
fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect
to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum
dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner
of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and
obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships
to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification
are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. For example,
any suitable sturdy material such as metal, stainless steel, glass,
plastic, cardboard, or a variety of wood may be used instead of
the plastic described. Also, the hooks or some other type of mounting
mechanism may be attached to the back or sides of the receptacle
for placement in or near a caregiving facility room or vehicle.
This invention may also comprise a non-slip surface area. And although
providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical
supplies has been described, it should be appreciated that the receptacle
for holding medical supplies herein described is also suitable for
holding and dispensing a variety of objects. Furthermore, a wide
variety of supplies and supply containers may be used. And the receptacle
can be customized to be loaded from the top, sides, or bottom depending
on the needs of the user.
[0037] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications
and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is
not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and
operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications
and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of
the invention. |