US2648335A - Urinal construction - Google Patents

Description

1953 LA. CHAMBERS 2,648,335

URINAL CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

LAURA 4. CH4 MBERS 7mmd wual.

ATTORNEYS.

1953 LA. CHAMBERS 2,648,335

URINAL CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1; I g 55 LAURA A, CHAMBERS gfl J 1*} BY ,1 I h I L l 53 E g ATTORNEYS Aug. 11, 1953 .'A. CHAMBERS URINAL CONSTRUCTION 3 Shee ts-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1951 IN VEN TOR. LAURA OHA MBERS BY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved urinal construction. One embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is particularly adaptable for wear" by ambulatory patients, whereas another embodiment shown, is especially adaptable for use by bed patients.

Each of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and which will be hereinafter described? in' greater detail comprises, generally, a sack unit formed of a relatively pliant liquid-proof material defining a urine reservoir pouch and having a constricted or gathered neck opening in which is disposed a novel funnel and check valve assembly. Each embodiment further incorporates an enlarged mouth opening in com munication with the funnel and check valve assembly and which said mouth opening is adapted for placement adjacent or over the crotch or;

A reinforcing ring genital regions of a user. I a formed of a readily deformable material, such as rubber coated wire, for example, is provided adjacent the mouth opening of the urinal to pre vent collapse of material into the mouth opening and thereby maintainsubstantially free and unobstructed drain passage from the mouth via the funnel and check valve assembly into the interior of the urine reservoir pouch. The reinforcing ring, being made of readily deformable material, can be manually deformed to any de sired shape to permit individual and comfortable fitting of the device over the crotch area of a user.

A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a urinal construction of the character above briefly mentioned which, in

one embodiment or form is particularly suited for wear by'ambulatory patients, and which in another embodiment or form is especially adapted for use by bed patients.

Another object is to provide a urinal of the character mentioned which may be substantially entirely disassembled to permit thorough cleansing of a11 individual component elements comprising the device. 7 In this connection the present construction has an advantage over most conventional types of urinals in that the latter usually incorporate inaccessible interior elements which can not be individually removed and cleansed. As a result, such prior art devices,

dividually adjustably deformed in shape to no over and engage the pubic regions of a wearer, male or female, and which said ring functions to maintain the urine drain passage open and obstructed by preventing collapse or crumpling of the pliant material into the mouth or neck opening of the device.

Another object is to provide a urinal of the My character above briefly mentionedwhich in the case of the embodiment particularly adaptable for wear by ambulatory patients includes a supporting garment having elements arranged to c'o-act with the reinforcing ring to maintain the latter snugly engaged overthe genital organs of the wearer.

Other numerous objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevation view in section of one embodiment of the invention particularly adaptable for wear by ambulatory patients. I

Fig. 2 is anend elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a pouch portion of the urinal shown in Fig.- 1.

Fig. 4' is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the urinal particularly adaptable for use by bed patients and showing some of the parts broken away.

Fig. 5'is a side elevational view in the sectionof the device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 5-6 of Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wire reinforcing frame assembly.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the pattern cutout from which the pouch and front and back pocket sections may be formed. I

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the pattern cut-out'of Fig. 8 may be folded to form thepouch and front and back pocket sections of the device.-

Fig. 1015 a side elevational view showing the device in wear by a bed patient.

The embodiment of the invention which is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1, 2and- 3, and to which reference is now particularly made, is especially adaptablefor wear by ambulatory patients. The device illustrated comprises, generally, a sack unit A, a funnel and check-valve assembly B, a reinforcing ring assembly C, and a supporting garment, indicated generally at D.

The sack unit of the device, hereinabove designated generally at A, is preferably formed from sections of suitable pliant, liquid-proof sheet material, such as sheet plastic, having their contiguous marginal edges stitched, heat-sealed or otherwise joined, as indicated at H, to form a liquidtight receptacle and defining a urine reservoir pouch l0. Preferably the sack is formed with its upper side portions tapered slightly inwardly as indicated at I2, for reasons which will more fully appear hereinafter. Sack A i also preferably provided or formed with an outwardly extending drain port l3 which may be folded over itself and secured with a rubber band or the like, as indicated at [4.

The funnel and check valve assembly comprises, more specifically, a funnel element [6, preferably formed of relatively heavy rubber, which supports a depending check valve ll. Check valve H is shown as comprising an upper supporting ring l8 having an outwardly extending annular flange I 9 adapted for removable insertion within the lower end of funnel i6. Ring 18, in turn, supports depending, hollow, fingerlike element or nipple 2|, circular in cross-section, and having drain aperture 22 formed in its lower end. Element 2| is preferably formed of extremely lightweight and very pliant material, such as thin sheet rubber, which will readily crumple or collapse upon any exterior pressure or force being applied thereto. More specifically, nipple 2| is preferably formed of a material which will readily collapse or bend upon any substantial quantity of urine striking against it from the urine reservoir pouch l and thus prevent any possibility of back-flow of urine upwardly through the funnel and check-valve assembly from the urine reservoir pouch I0. On the other hand, the material is sufficiently resilient to maintain its open tubular shape during ordinary wear thereby defining a comparatively large open drain passage, and for this reason will not clog up due to the presence of possible foreign solid substances such as lint from the patients clothing, or such as small quantities of fecal mater which may find access into the interior of the urinal.

The reinforcing ring assembly, heretofore designated generally at C, comprises an annular wire band 23, insulated throughout its length with a relatively thick casing of rubber or suitable plastic 24. Reinforcing ring C is readily deformable and can be manually deformed into practically any desired shape to comfortably and snugly fit over the genital regions of a user, male or female.

The supporting garment, heretofore designated generally at D, comprises more specifically, an elastic waist band 26 to which is secured an elongated supporting strap, defining front and back sections, 2'! and 28 respectively, and which said strap is formed with an enlarged slit or opening 29 adapted to fit over and support the urinal in a manner to be described.

In the assembly of the device hereinabove described reinforcing ring C is positioned over the upper tapered portions l2 of the sack which are then folded over said ring to maintain the latter within its folds. The funnel and check valve assembly B can then be inserted through the open mouth of the sack and securely maintained adjacent the upper portion of the sack by means of an elastic band 3|. In this connection it is noted that band 3| will serve to gather the sack material tightly around the exterior of the funnel and check valve assembly and establish in effect a constricted neck portion. Supporting ring C, disposed within folds of material [2, will function to maintain the mouth of the sack open and in unobstructed drain communication with the funnel and drain valve assembly.

The urinal may be supported to garment D by slippin slit opening 29 over the sack material into tight circumferential engagement around band 3 I, as shown in Fig. 2.

In actual wear, the device is supported over the urinary organs of a user with front strap 21 extending downwardly around the users lower abdominal portions and with back strap 28 extending downwardly between his buttocks. Because the supporting ring C is made of a readily deformable material the user may adjust the mouth opening of the sack to comfortably fit over and snugly engage the patients crotch area. Once the device has been properly adjusted to the user for wear straps 21 and 28, which engage opposite sides of ring C, as indicated at 21c and 211), will function to maintain the mouth opening of the device in firm and snug engagement against the crotch of the user.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated particularly in Figs. 4 through 8, inclusive, and to which particular reference is now made is especially adaptable for use by bed patients.

This latter embodiment comprises, generally, a liquid-proof sack unit defining a urine reservoir pouch, indicated generally at E, and front and back pocket sections, indicated generally at F and G, respectively. The embodiment further incorporates a funnel and check valve assembly, indicated enerally at H, and a reinforcing frame assembly, indicated generally at I. The pouch and front and back pocket sections may be fashioned from a single rectangular pattern cut-out, such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein it is seen how adjacent sections of the material may be folded over one another and stitched along their contiguous marginal edges to establish the aforementioned pouch and front and back pocket sections. More particularly, and as indicated in Fig. 9 adjacent sections 5| and 52 of the material may be folded along line 53 and stitched or heat-sealed, along their contiguous edges to form pouch portion E. Similarly adjacent end sections 5455 and 51-58 may be folded along line 56 and 59 to establish pocket sections F and G, respectively. Flap members 6| and 62 may be stitched or otherwise secured to opposite sides of section G as separate cutout pattern elements.

The funnel and check valve assembly indicated generally at H is shown as being substantially identical in construction and operation to the funnel and check valve assembly B hereinabove described indetail. The component elements comprising assembly H are designated similarly to corresponding elements comprising assembly B but are sufiixed by the letter a to distinguish them in the drawings.

The reinforcing frame assembly heretofore designated generally at I is shown as comprising a substantially rectangular frame, preferably formed of readily deformable rubber or plastic insulated wire 64, and fashioned with a centrally disposed annular reinforcing ring 65 of the same material. The entire reinforcing frame assembly may be fashioned from a single piece of insulated wire, such as shown in Fig. 7, or obviously the assembly may be fashioned from a plurality of shorter lengths of wire which may be twisted or soldered together as desired to form the completed unit.

In assembly end section 66 of wire frame as is inserted within the pocket opening E, established by sections 5-? and E5 of the sack material. The opposite end section 6? of rectangular frame E3 1 is similarly disposed within pocket G. Positioning of the frame assembly in pockets F and G in the above manner will function to position annular ring 65 closely adjacent the mouth opening 5 of pouch E and thereby prevent collapse of sack material inwardly into the mouth funnel openings and thereby maintain substantially unobstructed open drain communication from the mouth via the funnel and check valve assembly H into the urine reservoir pouch E.

In operation the device may be positioned in assembled relationship on a bed with pocket section G extending beneath the buttocks and lower back portion of the patient, and with the patients legs projecting either side of front pocket sec tion F and pouch E. Positioning of the device in the above manner with respect to the patient will move the mouth opening 53 of the sack its associated reinforcing ring 55 into clos proximity and over the genital organs of the patient. order to prevent the device from becoming displaced from its proper location with respect to the patient and further to prevent as much as possible the leakage of urine outwardly onto the surrounding bed area, complementary snaps it or equivalent fastening elements are provided ad jacent the outer marginal side edges of pocket 1.

sections F and G to permit said pocket sections to be brought together and fastened around the lower trunk regions of the user, shown in 10, leaving only leg openings such as indicated at HI. Prior to fastening the two sections together it is preferable to bring side flaps 6i and E2 up wardly around the sides of the patient and over his abdominal region in order to prevent leakage of urine outwardly between the pocket sections along their line of juncture.

In order to prevent skin rash which may develop upon prolonged direct contact between a patients skin and the waterproof sack material I prefer to provide suitable diaper cloths made of cotton or other suitable absorbent material which may be easily replaced as the patients needs may require.

More specifically, each pocket section F and G may be provided with a ribbon-tie, such as indicated at l2 and 1'55, respectively. The opposite ends of the ties may be projected through suitable openings Hi and '25 formed in the sack material and removably tied to associated portions of the wire frame assembly I. Diaper cloths l6 and "ii may be suspended over the ribbon-ties, as shown in Fig. 5, and thereby prevent any substantial direct contact between the patient and the sack material.

Although the present invention has been described by way of illustration example for purposes of clarity of understanding it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A urinal comprising in assembled condition; a sack unit formed of a relatively pliable liquidproof material having an open top and closed at its sides and bottom, a funnel made of relatively heavy and stiff material disposed within said sack unit below the top opening thereof, the material of the sack unit being gathered about said funnel defining a constricted neck portion, the portion of the sack unit disposed below said constrioted sack portion defining a urine reservoir, asubstantially annular reinforcing element made of a manually deformable nonresilient material and having a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of said constricted neck portion reinforcing the sack opening and defining an outwardly flared mouth opening for the sack unit between said reinforcing element and said mouth opening, a supporting garment comprising a waistband and front and back depending supporting straps removably affixed to and supporting said sack unit adjacent said constricted neck portion.

2. A urinal according to claim 1 and wherein said annular reinforcing element is removably engaged within a loose outward fold of the upper sack unit material.

LAURA. A. CHAMBERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 231,487 Henry et al Aug. 24, 1880 749,382 Henderson Jan. 12, 1964 1,015,905 Northrup Jan. 30, 1912 2,310,505 Blackburn et a1 Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 109,854 Germany Mar. 26, 1898

Images