GB1422638A - Personal urinals for female use - Google Patents

Abstract

1422638 Personal urinals DISABLED LIVING FOUNDATION and P T LOWTHIAN 3 Dec 1973 [28 Sept 1972] 44726/72 Heading A5R [Also in Division A4] A personal urinal for continuous or intermittent female use comprises a collecting head 20 and a flexible container bag 30. The collecting head 20 tapers from the front end towards the rear end and includes a support platform 23 surrounding an opening 22 which constitutes the mouth of the urinal. The rearward part of the platform 23 is raised to provide a hollow arched intra-labial extension 21, said opening 22 extending into the intralabial extension. The forward part of the platform 23 is of reduced thickness and is arched downwards to form a bridge 24. This is to provide for transverse flexibility, and also for the escape of air from the collecting bag through the opening 25, formed between the bridge 24 and the body, at a position remote from the urine stream. Two wing shaped projections 26 extend downwards from the sides of the collecting head 20, and contain a groove 28 adjacent to the edge of the platform 23. The wings are used to hold the head during insertion of the intra-labial part, and they also provide support for the head when in position. A projecting tail piece 27 may be included to allow the appliance to rest conveniently on a level surface. The tail piece is flexible enough to bend inwardly when the user is seated, Figure 8 (not shown). A suitable material for the collecting head 20 is ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), which has the necessary elasticity and good fatigue properties. It is also transparent, and it can be sterilised by ethylene oxide. The flexible container bag 30 is made from a self-lubricating plastics material such as polyethylene or EVA, and has an elasticated open end 31 which is passed through the opening 22 from below and rests in the groove 28. Where appropriate the bottom of the bag 30 may be provided with an outlet tube (33), Figures 10 and 11 (not shown). When the appliance is to be worn continuously a belt and harness may be provided. Figure 11 (not shown). In other embodiments, the container bag may be moulded as an integral part of the collecting head, or the container may take the form of a semi-rigid box of rectangular cross section, Figure 13 (not shown). A cushioning pad moulded to follow the contours of the collecting head may be provided.