GB2125294A - Combined applicator and funnel for male incontinence device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a combined applicator and funnel for a male incontinence device, the applicator is generally cup-shaped and is constructed to make an interengagement with the funnel in such a way as to trap the open end of a condom therebetween. With such an arrangement, the applicator may be used to apply the condom to the end of the penis and enable a rubber or like ring to be applied to hold the condom in position on the penis in the manner disclosed, claimed and illustrated in U.K. Patent Application No. 8201402, and thereafter the applicator can be employed in conjunction with a specially-designed funnel to connect the funnel to a condom device on the penis. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Combined applicator and funnel for male incontinence device This invention relates to a combined applicator and funnel for a male incontinence device.

One successful male incontinence device has been disclosed in U.K. Patent Application No.

82 01402. This utilises a condom-like sheath which has advantages because of its lightness and lack of bulk. It is attached by a stretchable retainer ring which is particularly simple method of attachment and which is also medically and anatomically acceptable. The device disclosed in the said U.K. Patent Application is however capable of improvement so far as concerns application to the penis by a user and connection to a urine-conducting pipe. To the best of Applicants' knowledge and belief, despite the very numerous prior proposals on male incontinence devices, there has so far been no design of applicator which both facilitated application of the device to the penis and was useful in achieving joining of the device to a urine-conducting pipe.

According to the invention, there is provided a combined applicator and funnel for use with a condom-type male incontinence device, the applicator being generally cup-shaped and constructed to make an interengagement with the funnel in such a way as to trap the open end of a condom therebetween.

With the arrangement particularly disclosed and illustrated herein, the applicator may be used to apply the condom to the end of the penis and enable a rubber or like ring to be applied to hold the condom in position on the penis in the manner disclosed, claimed and illustrated in U.K. Patent Application No. 82 01402, and thereafter the applicator can be employed in conjunction with a funnel specially designed to co-operate with the applicator, to connect the funnel to the condomlike device in a leak-free manner. Moreover the application of the condom and its retainer ring can be easily accomplished without special dexterity or knowledge, and without pain, and the applicator used in that stage is then reversed in orientation (relative to the penis) and used to make a snap-fitting engagement with the funnel to connect the open end of the condom to the funnel.Hence no parts are left over and if the wearer wishes to change the condom, this is easily done and the applicator and funnel are ready for re-use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the applicator is cup-shaped with at least one external circumferential groove in a circular wall near its open end, and its closed end has a central aperture. Moreover this one or more apertures in the cup wall, preferably a pair of apertures diametrically opposite to one another.

The groove referred to may be used to carry the retainer ring prior to it being applied to seat behind the corona in the manner described in U.K. Patent Applications Nos. 82-01402 and 81-19585.

The funnel may include at least one lateral aperture closed off by a gas-permeable liquid impermeable material which may be a filter material. The purpose of such an aperture is to allow air to enter the tube which conducts away the urine, for the reasons which are fully explained in our U.K. published Patent Application Serial No.

2078 113.

In a specially preferred embodiment of the invention, the applicator and the funnel are held together in a removable manner by resilient catches located on either the funnel or the applicator and engaging with detent surfaces on either the applicator or the funnel.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of an illustrative and non-limiting example thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Figure 1 is a top plan view of an applicatorfunnel combination according to one embodiment of the invention showing the parts connected; Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line A-A of Figure 1 and illustrating resilient catches engaging a detent surface on the cup; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the applicator-funnel combination shown in Fig. 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows a stage in the donning of a male incontinence device by a user just before the applicator bearing the condom is presented to the end of the penis; and Figure 5 shows at its upper end a second stage and at its lower end the third and final stage in the use of the parts illustrated.

Figures 1-3 illustrate an applicator 10 and a funnel 12. The applicator is cup-shaped with an open end and a closed end 14. The end 14 has an aperture 16 therein. The circumferential wall 18 near the open end has circumferential grooves 20 therein, two being shown for the sake of example.

These are two diametrically opposite holes or apertures 22 in the cup wall.

The funnel 12 has an upper portion 24 which is integral with two resilient catches 26, located diametrically opposite to each other as shown in Fig. 1, but of course other configurations of catches 26 and apertures 22 could be used: for example the cup 10 could have 3 apertures 22 spaced 1200 from each other around the central vertical axis 28, and the funnel would then have 3 catches 26, likewise spaced at 1 200 intervals.

Two catches are preferred because the user can separate the funnel from the applicator merely by pinching action. As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the surfaces 30 of the catches 26 engage over the surface 32 of the applicator 10 when the parts are in the mutually engaged condition. The apertures 16 and 22 allow passage of urine from the region above the applicator 10 and within the condom to the interior of the funnel and thence to a pipe, not shown, attached to the spigot 34 of the funnel.

The spigot has serrations as indicated to facilitate attachment of a pipe thereto. Alternatively a pipe connector according to our U.K. Patent Application Serial No. 2 092 690 may be used.

The funnel 12 has a pair of apertures 38 and a cylindrical sleeve 40 adjacent to them. The sleeve 40 is of a gas-permeable liquid-permeable material which allows air to enter but does not allow urine to escape. One example of a suitable material is that sold under the Trade Name "MICROPORE". It is not essential to have two apertures; one would be sufficient and they need not be located as illustrated, diametrically opposite to each other.

The recommended manner of use, in accordance with U.K. Patent Application No.

82-01402, of the applicator and funnel will now be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. In stage I a condom-like incontinence device 50 is rolled onto the applicator 10 in the manner indicated.

The head of the condom is located inside the applicator and has a central hole 52 which is in use aligned with the outlet 54 of the urethra 56 (Fig. 5). A stretchable ring 58 e.g. of rubber is stretched over one of the grooves 20 of the applicator. The tubular portion 60 of the condom is loosely rolled on the outs#ide of the applicator 10. The latter is then placed over the head of the penis, the tubular portion 60 is partly unrolled and pushed off the applicator, and the rubber or like retainer ring 58 is flicked off the end of the applicator 10 to seat on the penis immediately behind the corona, as seen in the part of Fig. 5 marked Stage II, trapping the wall of the condom like incontinence device between itself and the shaft of the penis.The applicator is then free, and is reversed so that its end having the aperture 16 is uppermost. in this orientation it is inserted in the free open end of the condom-like device 50 and is pushed a short distance upwardly, sufficiently to leave a short length at the open end of the condom-like device extending beyond and outside the lowermost part of the applicator. This extending length is folded up inside the wall 1 8 and the funnel 12 is inserted to trap it between the external wall of the upper part of the funnel and the internal surface of the wall 18. These two parts are sized so that a condom sheath material of average thickness is firmly trapped between the two surfaces and serves as a sealing gasket therebetween, effectively preventing any leakage of urine at this point.

It will be seen that applicator enables a condom and retainer ring to be applied simply and without pain, and that the applicator and the funnel co-operate to securely fix the funnel to the lower end of the condom-like incontinence device.

The invention also provides a method of securing a urine-conducting funnel to condom-like incontinence device which involves folding the free end of a tubular part of the device inwardly into an open end of a cup-shaped applicator, and trapping the free end therein by clamping it between an inserted funnel and the inner surface of the open end of the applicator.

Claims (8)

1. A combined applicator and funnel for use with a condom-type male incontinence device, the applicator being generally cup-shaped and constructed to make an interengagement with the funnel in such a way as to trap the open end of a condom therebetween.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the applicator is cup-shaped with at least one external circumferential groove in a circular wall near its open end, and the close end of the applicator has a central aperture.

3. A combination according to claim 2 in which the cup wall has a pair of apertures diametrically opposite to one another.

4. A combination according to claim 2 including an extensible retainer ring located in the groove.

5. A combination according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 in which the funnel includes at least one lateral aperture closed off by a gas-permeable liquid impermeable material.

6. A combination according to claim 5 in which the liquid impermeable material is a filter material.

7. A combination according to any preceding claim in which the applicator and the funnel are held together in a removable manner by resilient catches located on either the funnel or the applicator and engaging with detent surfaces on either the applicator or the funnel.

8. A combined funnel and applicator substantially as described and illustrated.