GB2174330A - Urinal - Google Patents

Abstract

A urinal for female use is made by blow-moulding in a rigid plastics capable of being heat treated for sterilisation purposes. The urinal has a main container (10), a forwardly and upwardly tapered neck (11) having an enlarged free end portion (15). The free end portion (15) has an opening (16) surrounded by an inwardly turned flange or lip (17) to provide an enlarged bearing surface for patient comfort and to prevent leakage. The urinal also has a handle (12) extending its full length to provide rigidity. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Urinal This invention relates to a urinal and specifically to a urinal for female use.

For many years, urinals for use by female patients were made of earthenware but this material has its disadvantages. It is heavy, prone to cracking, chipping and breakage and it is difficult to keep in a suitably hygenic condition for a long period and to sterilise.

Plastics material urinals have been proposed for long term use but these too have not been wholly acceptable, although they are light, unbreakable and hygenic.

The main problem with female urinals of plastics materials has been that of discomfort in use. The manufacturing method used has resulted in a relatively sharp edge of the plastics material abutting the pubic region. The bottle-like shape required cannot readily be made by injection or compression moulding and has therefore been made as a blow-moulding from a plastics parison or preform in a plastic state. When the blow-moulding has been formed, the now hardened plastics material is cut to provide the necessary opening, leaving a thin, relatively sharp and possibly rough edge.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved urinal which overcomes or reduces some or all the disadvantages of previous female urinals and to provide a method of making such a urinal.

According to the present invention, there is provided a urinal of plastics material for use by female patients, the urinal having an opening at least the greater part of which is surrounded by a flange or lip to afford an enlarged contact area between the urinal and the pubic region of the patient.

The flange or lip is preferably inturned relative to the opening.

The urinal may comprise a main container and a neck extending upwardly and forwardly from one end of the container, the neck having a concave, generally elliptical opening surrounded by said flange or lip.

The urinal may additionally have an integrally formed handle. The handle may extend from one end of the main container to one end of said opening.

The main container may have one or more generally flattened surfaces on which it can be stood. Where more than one such surface is provided, they may permit the container to be stood with its general axis horizontal or vertical.

The invention also provides a method of making a female urinal of plastics material comprising the steps of forming a hollow moulding of a plastics material between dies which define a main container, a neck extending forwardly and upwardly from the container and a stepped formation surrounding at least the greater part of the periphery of the moulding adjacent the neck, the stepped formation defining a flange or lip, the method including the further step of cutting the moulding so formed to remove the material of the stepped formation on the side of said flange or lip remote from the container.

The moulding may be made by a blow-moulding operation.

A urinal and a method of making the urinal will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a urinal for female use, FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the urinal on the arrow 2 in Figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the urinal, FIGURE 4 is a detail view of part of a blow moulded preform from which the urinal is made.

A urinal for use by a female patient comprises a main container 10, a forwardly and upwardly directed neck 11 which tapers from one end of the container 10, and an integrally formed handle 12 which extends from end to end of the container and is integrally connected to the neck 11.

The container 10 has a flattened under surface 13 and a flattened end 14, either of which can be used for standing the urinal on a level surface. However the urinal will be described principaily for use by a bed ridden patient and in this case it will be supported on its under surface 13. Where terms such as "upwardly" or "forwardly" are used, they should be understood in the context of the urinal standing on this under surface 13, unless the context requires otherwise.

The neck 11 has an enlarged free end portion 15 which terminates in an opening 16 having a concave profile as seen in side elevation in Figure 1 and being generally eliptical as seen in end elevation in Figure 2.

The opening is surrounded by a flange or lip 17 which, in the example shown, is inwardly turned to afford an enlarged bearing area surrounding the opening 16. It may be possible to provide an outwardly turned flange or lip and it should be understood that the invention includes both inwardly and outwardly turned lips.

However an inwardly turned flange or lip 17 is preferred since it tends to restrict the opening 16, to reduce the risk of spillage or urine from the container.

The inwardly turned flange or lip presents a large bearing area which permits the urinal to be comfortably pressed against the patients body for use and which assists in providing an efficient seal against splashing. Additionally, the inner face 18 of the neck is so shaped as to provide a flow surface so that urine passed into the urinal has a reduced tendency to splash.

In order to manufacture the urinal, a durable and strong plastics material such as polypropylene is blow moulded between a pair of dies. The plastics material is in the form of a parison or preform in a softened plastic condition and is allowed to fall in the form of a tube into a space between the dies, which are then pinched together. The plastics material is then subjected to an air blow.

A portion of the plastics material between the main container 10 and the handle 12 is completely pinched out to leave the handle opening 19 and the dies clamp together at the handle part of the moulding so as to prevent air from entering. The dies define the relatively narrow neck 11 which has increased stiffness and rigidity compared with the main container 10. The main container 10 is enlarged by the air blow.

From Figure 4, the blow moulded preform will be seen to have a stepped formation 20 which includes the inwardly directed flange or lip 17. The preform also includes a bulbous formation 21 through which the air blow takes place.

On solidification of the plastics material, the dies are opened, any material still held within the handle opening 19 is removed and the bulbous formation 21 is cut off, leaving only the flange or lip part 17 of the stepped formation 20.

During the moulding process, the handle 12 is pinched as described so that no air passes into it.

However at the position where the handle 12 meets the neck 11, immediately within the free end portion 15 of the neck, air pressure within the dies tends to form a hollow which again assists in providing the flow surface on the inner face 18 which has already been referred to.

Although the preferred method of manufacture is by blow-moulding, it may be possible to use rotary moulding or even vacuum-moulding instead.

Although the flange or lip 17 is shown as completely surrounding the opening 16, it may in some circumstances only partly surround the opening. This will still have the effect of providing an enlarged bearing area for patient comfort but may not provide as effective a seal as where the flange or lip completely surrounds the opening 16.

The handle permits the urinal to be carried without difficulty and also adds to be rigidity of the structure. When the urinal is stood on its end 14, the projection of the handle increases it stability.

The urinal may be a reusable item which can be made in a plastics material capable of sterilisation in an autoclave. Alternatively it may be made for a single use. The container 10 would normally be provided with graduations so that the quantity of urine passed can be noted by nursing staff. For this purpose, the urinal would normally be stood on its end 14 to read the graduations.

The urinal can also be used in this upright position if necessary since the generally elliptical opening 16 is substantially symmetrical. It can be used by a patient in a sitting, standing, or squatting position or lying down and can be held to the patient from the front or the rear.

The invention provides a urinal which is comfortable for female use as well as being effective and capable of being maintained in a hygenic condition.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A urinal of plastics material for use by female patients, the urinal having an opening at least the greater part of which is surrounded by a flange or lip to afford an enlarged contact area between the urinal and the pubic region of the patient.

2. A urinal according to claim 1, wherein the flange or lip is inturned relative to the opening.

3. A urinal according to claim 1 or claim 2 which comprises a main container and a neck extending upwardly and forwardly from one end of the container, the neck having a concave, generally elliptical terminal opening surrounded by said flange or lip.

4. A urinal according to any preceding claim and having an integrally formed handle.

5. A urinal according to claim 4 wherein the handle extends from one end of the main container to one end of said opening.

6. A urinal according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the main container has one or more generally flattened surfaces on which it can be stood.

7. A urinal according to claim 6 wherein more than one such flattened surface is provided, to permit the container to be stood with its general axis horizontal or vertical.

8. A method of making a female urinal of plastics material comprising the steps of forming a hollow of a plastics material between dies which define a main container, a neck extending forwardly and upwardly from the container and a stepped formation surrounding at least the greater part of the periphery of the moulding adjacent the neck, the stepped formation defining a flange or lip, the method including the further step of cutting the moulding so formed to remove the material of the stepped formation on the side of said flange or lip remote from the container.

9. A method according to Claim 8 wherein the hollow moulding is formed by blow-moulding.

10. A urinal for female use, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of making a urinal for female use, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.