GB2046596A

GB2046596A - Applicator for ointments

Info

Publication number: GB2046596A
Application number: GB8012344A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Goolamali S K
Current assignee: Goolamali S K
Priority date: 1979-04-18
Filing date: 1980-04-15
Publication date: 1980-11-19

Abstract

An ointment applicator includes a roller rotatably carried at an extremity of an elongate carrier member which is e.g. 36 cm in length. The roller is non-absorbent and readily removable from the carrier member. Ready removability of the roller and its non-absorbency make it easy to clean. Its length makes for ease of application of ointment to parts of the body difficult for e.g. an arthritic patient to reach. The carrier member may e.g. comprise of two sections which interlock to form the total length of the applicator. Ready separation of the conjoined sections of the carrier member allows for easier carriage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ointment applicator This invention relates to an ointment applicator and to a method of applying ointment particularly though not exclusively intended for the application of medicated ointment to parts of the body that a patient finds it difficult or impossible to reach (e.g.

the back even of a reasonably agile person and e.g.

the lower extremities of an arthritic).

Commonly in such cases the patient has to obtain help from another person who will apply the ointment for him. If no help is available, the patient is liable to suffer hardship. Seemingly self evident expedients such as use of a pad fixed to the end of a stick appear not to be used in practice, presumably because unsatisfactory for one reason or another.

The object of the present invention is to provide an ointment applicator that is economical of ointment, hygenic and can be produced inexpensively.

An ointment applicator according to the present invention comprises a non-absorbent roller rotatably carried by and removable from an elongate carrier member at or near an extremity thereof, the carrier member being (most desirably) not less than 30 or more than 48 cm in length. The carrier member preferably comprises a straight stick or handle and a pivot extension made e.g. of metal projecting from the handle and rotatably carrying the roller by engagement in an axial bore of the latter. The pivot extension may be swan-neck shaped having an extension portion co-axial with the handle and a pivot portion e.g. normal to the axis of the handle, so that the roller axis is transverse to the handle axis and the roller is carried symmetrically with respect to the handle axis.Alternatively the roller could project sideways from the handle with its axis at 900 to the handle axis or inclined thereto at any desired angle. Inclination from the normal of up to 450 would be quite suitable whilst greater inclination or co axialitywith the handle is thought to have disadvantages.

The carrier member is preferably not less than 32 nor more than 42 cm in length, and a length of 36 cm is preferred. Preferably the handle is straight though it may be curved.

In an alternative form the carrier member comprises a straight stick or handle and a pivot extension e.g. of plastics material moulded integrally with the handle. The pivot extension may have an extension portion (whether straight or curved) extending from the handle and a pivot portion rotatably carrying the roller by axial interengagement with the latter. The pivot portion may be forked for interengagement with the roller by a pair of trunnions, a pair of stub pivots being carried either by the roller or by the forked pivot portion, the other of them (be it the forked pivot portion or the roller) having a bore or bores (or other recesses) to receive the pivot stubs.

The roller may be barrel shaped but is preferably a straight sided cylinder. Its width may e.g. be within the range of 2 cm to 7.5 cm, or better within the range 2.5 cm to 6 cm, but preferably 4 cm (+0.5 cm).

Its diameter may e.g. be within the range of 2 cm to 8 cm, better within the range of 3 cm to 6 cm, preferably 3.5 cm (~0.4 cm).

The roller is preferably of hard synthetic plastics material but aluminium or other light weight metal alloy would be quite satisfactory.

The roller may be removable from the carrier member by any convenient means but ready removability is desired. Preferably it is made removably captive by a snap fit. Thus the pivot portion of the extension and the axial bore of the roller may as to either of them have a circumferential projection, and as to the other of them have a circumferential recess, located and dimensioned for snap action fit of the roller rotatably on the pivot portion. In a preferred form the pivot portion has an undercut circumferential shoulder near its free end and an end of the bore of the roller has an inturned lip to engage behind the shoulder.Alternatively the roller could be held to the carrier member e.g. by magnetic attraction (with a magnet in the roller latching onto a free rotatable steel washer captive with the carrier member) or e.g. by a threaded nut (captive in the roller but on which the roller can turn freely, the nut engaging a screw thread at the end of the pivot portion of the extension).

If the pivot portion of the extension is forked, provision for ready removability of the roller may take the form e.g. of making for resilient flexibility of one or both limbs of the fork (possibly by way of a weakened part on either or both of them for this purpose), or spring loading of either or both of the pivot stubs, possibly by appropriate lead-in surfaces or grooves adjacent the bore or bores to help lead the stubs into the bore(s).

A method of applying ointment to the person according to the present invention includes the steps of placing ointment on the roller surface of an ointment applicator as described in any of the preceding paragraphs, and, the person holding the applicator in his hand by its carrier member, rolling the roller thereof along the part of his person to which he requires to apply the ointment. The method is not restricted in its use to the application of medicated ointments for medical treatment but is equally suitable for use with e.g. preparations for personal hygiene and cosmetic preparations (such as skin texturing creams or sun4an creams) to be applied to the back.

A preferred form of ointment applicator and a modified form will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Fig. 1 shows the preferred form of applicator in perspective; Fig. 2 illustrates its carrier member; Fig. 3 depicts its roller in transverse section; Fig 4 is an end elevation of the roller as viewed from the left of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a modified form of applicator in perspective; Fig. 6 is a view of the roller of Fig. 5; and, Fig. 7 shows a further modified form of applicator in perspective.

The applicator shown in Figs 1 to 4 consists of a carrier member generally designated 10 and a roller 12. The carrier comprises a straight stick or handle 14 and a pivot extension generally designated 16.

The pivot extension projects from an end 18 of the handle and comprises an extension portion 20 co axial with the handle and a pivot portion 22 whose axis 24 intersects that of the handle at right angles, the overall shape of the pivot extension being swan-necked as shown. The portion of the handle near its end 26 is intended to be gripped in the use of the applicator. The length of the carrier member 10, i.e. the distance taken along the axis of the handle to form the end 26 to the end 22 plus the distance from the end 22 to the axis 24 of the pivot portion 22 is 36 cm.

The roller 12 has a straight sided cylindrical shell 28 and an axial bore 30 formed in a hub 32 joined to the shell 28 by an annular web 34. The bore 30 of the hub is an easy sliding fit on the pivot portion 22, save for an inturned lip 36 at the free end of the bore (constituting a circumferential projection) which can enter an undercut circumferential shoulder 38 near the free end of the pivot portion (constituting a circumferential recess), to make the roller captive on the pivot portion. The hub 32 has three longitudinal cuts 39 dividing it into three segments 40 along a portion at its lipped end, so that the segments can splay apart, permitting the inturned lip to ride over the free end of the pivot portion before entering the undercut by snap action. When snapped into position, the roller can turn freely.Lead-in canted surfaces 41 near the free end of the pivot portion assist the splaying action to facilitate both the entering and the removal of the roller from the pivot portion. The roller is 4 cm wide and 3.5 cm in diameter.

The roller is essentially an injection moulding of hard plastics material which is not absorbent and which is white in colour. The handle is also of nonabsorbent plastics and the pivot extension 16 is of metal (a shaped aluminium bar) and hence also non-absorbent.

To use the applicator, ointment is smeared on the outer surface of the cylindrical shell 28 and by holding the handle near the end 26 a person is aided to apply ointment to parts of his body which otherwise he may not be able to reach or could reach only with difficulty. By use of an applicator 36 cm in length (i.e.

as described above) normally agile people 5 feet inches tall, 5 ft 9 in and 5 ft 3 in tall were able to reach all parts of their back with the roller and apply ointment by rolling itto and fro on the skin. That an arthritic geriatric would be aided when applying ointment e.g. to an ulcerating ankle when he has difficulty in bending forward is self evident. Avery tall arthritic patient may require a longer applicator whilst a shorter person may find a shorter applicator satisfactory (perhaps as little as 30 cm) depending upon the part of the body to be reached. The roller being non-a bsorbent there is little waste of ointment.

After use, the roller is removed from the carrier member and washed. Because it is non-absorbent it lends itself readily to thorough cleaning. And since it is white in colour, cleanliness (at least in appearance) can readily be observed. Similarly if ointment should have soiled the pivot extension, this too can readily be wiped clean or washed, being of metal and hence non-absorbent. A hand crippled with arth ritis will normally still be able to grip the rollerto pull it off the pivot portion.

Turning now to Figs 5 and 6, the applicator there depicted comprises two plastics mouldings viz a carrier member 50 and a roller 52. The carrier comprises a straight stick or handle 54 and a pivot extension 56.

The latter merges with the handle at an end region 58 of the handle and has a curved extension portion 60 and a pivot portion 62 forked to provide two limbs 64 having aligned bores 66 whose axis is parallel to that of the handle.

The roller 52 is a solid cylinder between 2 and 8 cm long formed with a pair of oppositely axially aligned pivot stubs 68 which fit in the bores 66 in the manner of trunnions. The pivot stubs snap into the bores and are readily removable therefrom (by adoption of any suitable means described earlier in this specification).

Preferably the distance from end 26 of the handle to the remote part of the carrier member is 30 cm to 48 cm (measured as shown from end 26 along the axis of the handle to a line perpendicular to that axis).

The mode of use of the modified form of applicator is analogous to that of the applicator of Figs 1 to 4 and among its advantages may be mentioned its suitability for mass production and ease of application of ointment to the back by side to side rolling movement.

In a yet further alternative form (Fig 7) the axis of the aligned bores 66 (and hence that of roller 52) is perpendicular to that of the handle 54 (as though the pivot portion 62 were turned by 900 about the line 70). Rolling movement in use is similar to that of the applicator of Fig. 1 but the curvature of the extension portion 60 makes for ease of use in some circumstances.

Many modifications can be made to the applicators described above without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example the carrier Fig. 7 could be formed of two parts a distal end 72 to accommodate the roller head and with a proximal end 74 which interlocks with a recess 76 in the other lower part of the handle 54 to form the total length of the applicator. Ready separation of the two parts of the carrier would allow for greater portability. The carrier could also be more pronoucedly curved along its length, may be so as to be semicircular or even U-shaped for use by severely crippled patients. It is thought unlikely that straight handled applicators less than 30 cm in length would be satisfactory in use but nevertheless they are to be taken to be within the inventive concept in its widest sense.

Claims

1. An ointment applicator comprising a nonabsorbent roller rotatably carried by and removable from an elongate member at or near an extremity thereof.

2. An applicator according to claim 1 wherein the carrier member is not less than 30 cm and not more than 48 cm in length.

3. An applicator according to claim 1 wherein the carrier member is not less than 32 cm and not more than 42 cm in length.

4. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier member comprises a straight stick or handle and a pivot extension which projects from the handle and rotatably carries the roller.

5. An applicator according to any of the preceding claims wherein the carrier member comprises of two parts which interlock to form the total length of the applicator.

6. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pivot extension is swanneck shaped having an extension portion co-axial with the handle and a pivot portion so that the roller axis is transverse to the handle axis and the roller is carried symmetrically with respect to the handle axis.

7. An applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the roller projects sideways from the handle with its axis at 900 to the handle axis.

8. An applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the carrier member comprises a straight stick or handle and a pivot extension of plastics material moulded integrally with the handle.

9. An applicator according to claim 8 wherein the pivot extension has an extension portion extending from the handle and a pivot portion rotatably carrying the roller by axial interengagement.

10. An applicator according to claim 9 wherein the pivot portion is forked for interengagement with the roller by a pair of trunnions, a pair of pivot stubs being carried either by roller or by the forked pivot portion, the other of them having a bore or bores to receive the pivot studs.

11. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the width of the roller is within the range of 2 cm to 7.5 cm.

12. An applicator according to claim 11 wherein the width of the roller is within the range of 2.5 cm to 6cm.

13. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the diameter of the roller is within the range of 2 cm toe cm.

14. An applicator according to claim 13 wherein the diameter of the roller is within the range of 3 cm to6cm.

15. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the roller is made of hard synthetic plastics material.

16. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the roller is readily removable from the carrier member.

17. An applicator according to claim 16 wherein the roller is made removably captive by a snap fit.

18. An applicator according to claim 17 wherein the pivot portion of the extension and the axial bore of the roller as to either of them has a circumferential projection, and the other of them has a circumferential recess, located and dimensioned for snap action fit of the roller rotatably on the pivot portion.

19. An ointment applicator arranged and adapted for use and operation substantially as shown in and hereinbefore described with reference to Figs 1 to 4 or Figs 5,6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of applying ointment to a person including the steps of placing ointment on the roller surface of an ointment applicator to any one of the preceding claims, holding the applicator by hand by its carrier member and rolling the roller thereof along the part of his person to which he requires to apply the ointment.