GB2048074A - A Bottle for Eye Washing - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a bottle for eye-washing comprising a body or container 10 and a head or glass element 12 assembled together; the head element comprises a trough portion 20, a supply tube 22 for feeding a liquid from inside the container into said trough portion and an outlet tube for discharge of the used liquid. The container or body has an angled configuration to allow the application of the head element on an eye of a user in a comfortable way. The trough portion also includes a valve 40 for allowing air into the container to replace the discharged liquid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Bottle for Eye Washing This application relates to bottles or vessels for eye washing. Eye washing bottles at present used comprise a body, generally of resilient flexible material, for holding an eye washing liquid, and a dispensing glass or head mounted on the body mouth or inlet, in communication with the body inside, and a discharge opening, the head having a mouth of special shape substantially corresponding to the eye shape.

The eye washing bottles at present used suffer from the disadvantage of compelling to take a somewhat uncomforatable use position either with raised arms or inclined head when having to correctly apply the glass mouth and spray the washing liquid.

A further disadvantage consists of having an air valve directly communicating with the outside, with possible risk of introducing contaminating material into the washing liquid within the bottle.

It was considered to obviate the above mentioned disadvantages by providing the eye washing bottle according to this application, which bottle is of angled shape, so as to enable to apply the liquid to the eye maintaining a comfortable position both as to the arms and head. The bottle is made of resilient flexible plastic material, so that it can be squeezed and readily resume its original shape after squeezing.

A further feature of the application bottle consists of having one or preferably two longitudinal grooves along the body or part thereof. This enables to position a discharge tube in one groove, said tube extending from the glass, and makes bottle squeezing much easier. A further feature of the application bottle is that the air valve is placed between the bottle inside and a room or space formed between the bottle and relative head, thus reducing the risk of introducing foreign matter into the liquid within the bottle.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the eye washing bottle taken along an axial plane thereof shown by 1-1 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the bottle according to a surface following the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the bottle body taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

An eye washing bottle or vessel according to the present application, designated as a whole at 10, comprises a body or container 11 and a head or glass 12.

The body 11 is generally made of resilient flexible plastic material and from the lower bearing portion 11' is of straight shape with vertical axis in the figure of the drawings; at the top section it is therefore bent or inclined through an angle relative to the axis of the lower straight portion. The angle of bending (z is generally in the range of 30C to 40 , preferably about 35 , while not being limited to such values.At the top the container or body has an engagement zone 14 extending throughout or part of the circumference, then a collar 1 5 preferably of frusto-conical shape and a substantially cylindrical mouth or opening 1 6. The crosssection of the body may be round, ogival or as desired, preferably asymmetrical as shown in Fig.

3, and has opposite grooves 17, 17' extending for a length from the bearing base 1 1'.

Generally, the head 12 is also made of plastic material, the same as or different from that of the holding body and has an outer skirt 18, a trough portion 20 and a positioning means 21, a feed tube 22, a discharge tube 24 and a cover 26.

The skirt 1 8 is substantially tapered and at the enlarged base thereof has an engaging zone 28 for engagement with the engaging zone 14 of the holding body. The engaging zones 14, 28 may be of any desired shape, of which one preferably comprises a groove and the other of which a rib for snap engagement. On the narrowest end of the skirt the trough 20 is secured by a rounded edge 30. In a per se known way, the rounded edge 30 has an approximately elliptic configuration for positioning on an eye edge. At the bottom the trough has an aperture 32, with a sleeve 33 extending therefrom within the positioning cylinder 21.The liquid supply tube 22 is connected to the sleeve and extends nearly to the bottom of container 11, which tube 22 may be substantially straight and flexible, or may be of angled shape corresponding to the angled shape of the holding body 11. Over the aperture 32, the trough is configurated with a relieved portion 34, which on its upper side is perforated or provided with a net. The trough 20 has a further aperture 36 for the connection, in case through a pipe union 37, to said discharge tube 24, which is elongated and flexible, so that it can be arranged in either grooves 17, 17' and retained therein by any suitable means so as to be neither cumbersome nor troublesome in use.

At the bottom, said trough 20 also has an extension 40 comprising an air valve. The extension 40 is also partly contained within the positioning cylinder 21 and has a first hole 41 opening out of the container body 11 in the room or space 43 defined between the body 11, the skirt 18 and the head trough 20, and a second hole 42 opening within the body 11. In a per se known manner, the extension or valve 40 is for the passage within the container of the air intended to replenish the volume of extracted fluid. It will be appreciated that the air thus introduced into the body 11, as coming from the room or space 43 with is relatively protected to the outside, is relatively clean.

At any desired shape, the cover 26 is suitable for engagement at a peripheral edge 26' thereof on an edge of the trough portion 20, and is retained bonded to the skirt 1 8 by a flexible strip 44.

An eye washing bottle is used by hand holding the container 1 1', so that, upon removal of the cover 26, the rounded edge 30 will bear about the eye to be washed. As above stated, this position is particularly comfortable due to the angled shape of the bottle. The washing liquid within the holding body 11 is dispensed by squeezing the latter and passes through the supply tube 22, the aperture 32 and the net 34 in trough 20, while the air for replenishing the volume of the holding body enters therein through the extension 40. The used liquid is collected on the trough bottom and is discharged through the discharge outlet tube 24.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. An eye washing bottle of the type comprising a container or body and a head or grass element assembled together, the head including a trough portion, a supply tube for feeding a liquid from said container to said-trough portion, and an outlet tube for the discharge of the used liquid, characterized in that said body is of angled configuration.

2. A bottle acdording to Claim 1, wherein said head has an outer skirt portion with securing means to said body, said bottle further comprising an air valve element for introducing air into the body to replenish the volume of extracted liquid, characterized in that said air valve-element has an air hole opening into the container body and an air hole opening into an inner room or space of the bottle defined between the said body, the trough portion and the head skirt portion.

3. A bottle according to Claim 2, wherein said -air valve element is integral to said head.

4. A bottle according to Claim 1, wherein said angled configuration of the body is in the range of about 30 40 , preferably 350.

5. A bottle according to Claim 1, characterized in that said body is formed with at least one longitudinal groove extending for a length along the side, said longitudinal groove being of sufficient size to accommodate said discharge or outlet tube.

6. A bottle according to Claim 2, wherein the longitudinal grooves are in number of two at opposite positions on the body.

7. A bottle according to Claim 1, wherein said feeding tube is of angled shape substantially corresponding to the angled configuration of said body.

8. A bottle according to Claim 1, wherein said feeding tube is substantially flexible.

9. A container or body for an eye washing bottle of the type comprising a body and head assembled together, the head including a trough portion, a feeding tube for feeding a liquid contained within said body to said trough portion, and a discharge tube for discharging the used liquid, said body being characterized by being angle curved or bent.

10. A head for an eye washing bottle of the type comprising a body and head assembled together, the head including a trough portion, a feeding tube for feeding a liquid contained in said body to said trough portion, and a discharge tube for discharging the used liquid, the head being characterized in that said feeding tube is angle bent and integrally carries a valve for air introduction into the holding body.

11. An eye washing bottle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.