Patent Grant
11912562
The present invention relates generally to the field of personal safety devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel sanitary cover for a gas handle and trigger to obviate the user from making direct contact with the unsanitary gas pump handle and trigger, improving safety and reducing the spread of germs and bacteria. The cover is reusable and flexible and can be removably fitted over a gas pump handle and trigger. The cover has a handle cover portion for covering a handle and a trigger cover portion for covering the trigger. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, gas pump handles at a gas station are used for triggering the flow of gasoline. Gas pump handles are triggered by individuals for refilling gasoline in their vehicles which requires physical contact of a person with the gas pump handle. In fact, millions of vehicle owners in North America fill up their gas tanks daily. As a result, gas pump handles become contaminated, dirty, filthy, and a breeding source for contamination. Touching these contaminated handles can lead to the inevitable spread of dangerous illnesses such flu, COVID 19, and more. In fact, research studies have shown that gas pumps, followed by handles on public mailboxes, escalator rails, and ATM buttons are the top sources for public transmission of pathogens and germs.
Many individuals use ineffective means to prevent exposure to germs including cleaning gas pump handles before use such as using paper towels. Paper towels are difficult to dispose and often, individuals forget to carry paper towels. Often, individuals use a sanitizer before and after using a gas pump handle. However, sanitizers may not be carried by users, and further, sanitizers may not be effective as a user touches the gas pump handle bare handed. Additionally, individuals wash their hands but this is inconvenient as individuals may need to go to a gas station bathroom to wash their hands. Individuals desire a device and method that can prevent contamination of germs and pathogens from gas pump handles and can obviate touching of the gas pump handle.
It is also extremely difficult and time consuming for gas station staff to clean and disinfect individual gas pump handles. Therefore, gas station owners want an effective way of cleaning handles so that both consumers and their staff are protected from illnesses due to contamination.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that obviates a user from touching the gas handle while filling a gas tank. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that is in the form of a sanitary cover designed to use with gas pump handles. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a sanitary cover that enables users to pump gas without worry of directly touching the pump. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that eliminates the risk of spreading germs, viruses, and bacteria through the gas pump handles. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a sanitary device that can be sanitized and reused. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that can cover the gas handle and trigger to prevent a user's direct contact with same and to improve personal safety and illness prevention.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a personal gas handle protective device. The personal gas handle protective device fits over a gas pump handle and trigger for preventing direct contact with the unsanitary gas pump and handle, improving safety, and reducing the spread of germs and bacteria. The sanitary cover features a handle cover portion for covering a portion of the handle of gas pump, a trigger cover portion having a curved portion for covering the trigger, wherein the trigger cover portion extends vertically downward from a bottom edge of the handle cover portion. The handle cover portion functions as a barrier between a palm of a user's hand and the handle of the gas pump, and the curved portion functions as a barrier between a user's fingers and the trigger of the gas pump, thereby preventing direct contact with the unsanitary gas pump handle and trigger to improve safety and reduce the spread of germs and bacteria.
In this manner, the personal gas handle device of the present invention accomplishes all of the foregoing objectives and provides users with a flexible plastic cover capable of fitting over a gas pump handle and trigger. The device enables users to pump gas without worry of directly touching the pump and risking the spread of germs, viruses, and bacteria. The device obviates the washing of hands, cleaning of the gas pump handle and trigger, while improving personal safety and preventing illness.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a personal gas handle protective device. The personal gas handle protective device is in the form of a sanitary cover capable of fitting over a gas pump handle and trigger. The sanitary cover has a one-piece structure and comprises a handle cover portion for covering a portion of the handle of a gas pump, a trigger cover portion having a curved portion for covering the trigger, wherein the trigger cover portion extends vertically downward from a bottom edge of the handle cover portion. The handle cover portion functions as a barrier between a palm of a user's hand and the handle of the gas pump, and the curved portion functions as a barrier between a user's fingers and the trigger of the gas pump, thereby preventing direct contact with the unsanitary gas pump handle and trigger for improving safety and reducing the spread of germs and bacteria. The sanitary cover can be removed and wiped for reuse and can be easily stored and carried.
In yet another embodiment, a reusable and personal sanitary cover for a gas pump handle and trigger to obviate the user from touching the gas handle and trigger is disclosed. The sanitary cover is configured to cover the handle and trigger of the gas pump and is made of flexible plastic enabling the trigger to squeeze with the sanitary cover positioned on the handle and trigger. The sanitary cover is conformed to the shape and size of the handle and the trigger and does not slip while operating the trigger to fill gasoline into gas tanks.
In yet another embodiment, a method for preventing direct contact of a user's hand with gas pump handle and trigger is described. The method includes the steps of: providing a sanitary cover, the cover includes a handle cover portion for covering a portion of the handle of gas pump, a trigger cover portion for covering the trigger; positioning the handle cover portion on the handle to cover at least a portion of the handle; positioning a curved portion of the trigger cover portion to cover the trigger; holding the handle and the trigger by placing the palm on the handle cover portion and fingers on the curved portion; squeezing the trigger; and removing the sanitary cover for wiping and reuse.
In a further embodiment, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved sanitary cover of gas pumps that is capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost in terms of both materials and labor, thereby making such sanitary covers economically available to the buying public.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary cover or personal gas handle that allows easy operation of the gas pump trigger while providing personal safety and preventing illness and contamination to eliminate the risk of spreading germs, viruses, and bacteria.
Numerous benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that obviates a user touching the gas handle while filling gas tank. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that is in the form of a sanitary cover designed to use with gas pump handles. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a sanitary cover that enables users to pump gas without the worry of directly touching the pump. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that reduces the risk of spreading germs, viruses, and bacteria through the gas pump handles. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a sanitary device that can be sanitized and reused. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a protective device that can cover the gas handle and trigger to prevent a user's direct contact and improve personal safety and to help prevent illness.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, a reusable and personal sanitary cover for a gas pump handle and trigger to obviate the user from touching the gas handle and trigger is disclosed. The sanitary cover is configured to cover the handle and trigger of the gas pump and is made of flexible plastic enabling the trigger to squeeze with the sanitary cover positioned on the handle and trigger. The sanitary cover is conformed to the shape and size of the handle and the trigger and does not slip while operating the trigger to fill the gasoline in gas tanks.
Referring initially to the drawings,
A trigger cover portion 114 extends vertically down from the bottom edge 106 of the handle cover portion 102 and preferably has a width about 50% of the width of the edge 106. The trigger cover portion 114 has a curved end 116 configured to be positioned at the bottom surface of a trigger to cover the trigger of the gas pump as illustrated in
The cover 100 can be easily wiped without any damage for reuse and is flexible enabling a user to adjust the curvature of both the handle cover portion 102 and the trigger cover portion 114. Further, the cover 100 is designed specifically to use with the gas pumps to avoid transmission of pathogens and germs. The cover 100 may be made from Polyvinyl Chloride, Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Acrylic, Plexiglass, Flexible High-Density Polyethylene and more. The cover 100 is scratch proof and may come in different sizes and colors.
The curved portion 116 of the trigger cover portion 114 passes through the base of the trigger 204 and wraps around a majority of the trigger 204 such that the fingers of a user using the pump touches the curved portion 116 while being shielded from direct contact with the trigger 204. The cover 100 can be easily installed before using the gas pump 200 and can be removed and wiped for re-use. The curved configuration of the handle cover portion 102 and the curved portion 116 enable the cover 100 to easily conform to the shape and contour of the handle 202 and trigger 204, respectively. The sanitary cover 100 is lightweight and can be easily stored in a pocket for easy carry.
The flexible material of the cover 100 enables the cover 100 to easily extend and retract during operation of the trigger 204. Further, the cover 100 is a non-slip material such that the operation of filling the gas tank is smooth. It should be appreciated that the construction design of the cover 100 is designed specifically to use with gas pumps so that the users are not exposed to contaminates while performing the functions of filling a gas tank with gas.
The sanitary cover illustrated in various embodiments of the present invention may be made from flexible, non-slip, and soft plastic. The sanitary cover may also be water resistant and scratch resistant.
It should be appreciated that the sanitary cover of various embodiments of the present invention effectively helps in better personal safety and illness prevention. The cover prevents direct contact with the unsanitary gas pump and handle, improving safety, and reducing the spread of germs and bacteria.
The personal gas handle cover may be of any suitable size and color to fulfil the needs of the users. The personal gas handle may include a design or pattern to provide additional aesthetic features. These designs or patterns could be brand names, logos, or the like.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “gas pump handle sanitary cover”, “sanitary cover”, “cover”, and “personal gas handle device” are interchangeable and refer to the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the gas pump handle sanitary cover 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/317,028, which was filed on Mar. 6, 2022 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230278854 A1 | Sep 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63317028 | Mar 2022 | US |
