GB2473777A

GB2473777A - Female urine bottle

Info

Publication number: GB2473777A
Application number: GB1021900A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paula Cockroft; Lesley Ann Webster
Original assignee: Vernacare Ltd
Current assignee: Vernacare Ltd
Priority date: 2006-04-18
Filing date: 2006-04-18
Publication date: 2011-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-18
Also published as: WO2007119076A1; GB2473777B; GB2437251B; GB2437251A; GB201021897D0; GB0607615D0; GB2473776A; GB201021900D0; GB2473776B

Abstract

A female urine bottle 10 has a flat or substantially flat base wall (12, Fig.2), enclosing walls 14, 16, 18 extending upwardly from the base wall (12, Fig.2) to define a urine receiving volume and an opening 38 which communicates directly with the receiving volume and whose lower edge is spaced above the level of the base wall (12, Fig.2). A projection 44 extends from the base wall (12, Fig.2) and projects into the receiving volume of the bottle, which helps to prevent spillage from the bottle. The opening 38 is elongate in plan view and has a narrowed waisted portion 4), which conforms more closely to the shape of the body portions with which the bottle comes into contact. The enclosing walls also comprise a rounded nose wall portion 20 adjacent to and below the opening 38 and an inclined substantially planar wall portion (46, Fig.2) extending between the base wall (12, Fig.2) and the rounded nose wall portion 20, which reduces the likelihood of the bottle catching on bed linen.

Description

DESCRJPTION

FEMALE_UR1NE BOTTLE The present invention relates to female urine bottes and in particular, hut not exclusively, to female urine bottles made from moulded paper pulp.

Women who are confined to bed, for example female orthopaedic patients or females suffering from road accident injuries, hip inj uries of multiple sclerosis, may, in some circumstances, find it difficult or impossible to sit up in bed or it may prove dangerous to their health to sit up in bed. Such patients will be unable to use a normal bed pan and must utilise either a urine bottle or a "slipper" bed pan (a bed pan having a reduced height to allow it to be positioned more easily beneath the patient), both of which can be used while the patient is in a lying or sernirecumbent position. The use of a female urine bottle is preferred to that of a slipper bed pan when only urine is required to be passed by the patient as it is more comfortable both physically and 1 5 psychologically for the patient.

One known female urine bottle is disclosed in GB 2164553k The urine bottle disclosed therein is moulded from paper pulp and has a flat base walL a pair of vertically converging side walls and a front opening which communicates directly with the internal space defined by the base and side wails, the lower edge of the front opening being spaced above the level of the base, The height of the side wails is less than the length of the bottle, thereby forming an elongate bottle, The front opening is positioned above the base and the perimeter of the opening is upwardly concave.

Although this female urine bottle has been used very successfully for many years, a number of problems have arisen in practice and it is an object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate such problems.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a female urine bottle comprises a fiat or substantially flat base wail, enclosing wails extending upwardly from the base wall to define a urine receiving volume, an opening which conmumicates directly with the receivin.g volume and whose lower edge is spaced above the level of the base wall and a projection extending from the base wail and projecting into the receiving volume of the bottle.

1 0 The provision of a lateraliwextending projection which pruects into the interior of the bottle forms a "weir", which helps to interrupt or hinder the flow of liquid and thereby reduces the likelihood of spillage of liquid contained within the bottle.

The opening is preferably positioned, at least partly, directly above the base wall, Preferably, the projection is positioned, at ieast partly, directly below the opening.

Preferably, the projection comprises an elongate projection.

In one embodiment, the projection extends between two opposed enclosing wails.

Preferably, the base wall is elongate and the projection extends from the base wail extends laterally, substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the base wall.

The opening is preferably upwardly concsve w hen viewed ftom thc side.

More preferably, the opening is elongate iii plan view and comprises a narrowed waist portion.

In one embodiment, the enclosing walls comprise a rounded nose wail portion adjacent to, and below the opening an inclined, substantially planar wall portion extending between the base wall and the rounded nose wall portion.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a female urine bottle comprises a flat or substantially fiat base wall, enclosing walls extending upwardly from the base wail to define a urine receiving volume, and an opening winch communicates directly with the enclosed vol uriie and whose lower edge is spaced above the level of the base, wherein the opening is elongate in plan view and comprises a narrowed waist portion.

By providing the front opening with a narrowed waist portion, a more anatomically comfortable product results, as the shape of the opening confonns more closely to the space of the portions of the body with which the periphery of the front opening will contact, in use.

Preferably, the opening is positioned, at least partly, directly above the base wall.

More preferably, the perimeter of the opening is upwardly concave when viewed from the side.

The urine bottle may father comprise a projection extending from the base wall and projecting into the receiving volume of the bottle.

Preferably, the laterally extending projection is positioned, at least partly, directly below the opening.

The projection is preferably elongate.

In one embodiment, the enclosing walls comprise a rounded nose wail portion adjacent to and below the opening and an inclined substantially planar wail portion extending between the base wall and the rounded nose wall portion.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a female urine bottle comprises a flat or substantially flat base wall, enclosing \-ails extending upwardly from the base wall to define a urine receiving volume and an opening which communicates directly with the receiving volume, the enclosing wails comprising a rounded nose wall portion adjacen.t to and below th.e opening and an inclined substantially planar wall portion extending between the base wall and the rounded nose wall portion.

1 5 By providing an inclined front wail between the base and the rounded nose of the bottle, the bottle is less likely to catch on bed linen, thereby facilitating correct positioning of the bottle in use. This also facilitates removal of the bottle by the user and helps to prevent/reduce the likelihood of spillage.

By providing an inclined substantially planar wall portion extending between the base wail and the rounded nose wall portion, the likelihood of the bottle catching on sheets or other mattress coverings is significantly reduced. This also fhciiitates removal of the bottle by the user and helps to prevent/reduce the likelihood of spillage.

The bottle may thither comprise a projection extending from the base wail and projecting into the receiving vohinre of the bottle.

The opening is preferably positioned, at least parily, directly above the base wail.

More preferably, the projection is positioned, at least partly. directly below the opening.

Preferably, the projection comprises an elongate projection. The projection may extend between two opposed enclosing walls.

The base wail is preferably elongate and preferably the projection cxtending from the base wail extends laterally, substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the base wail.

Preferably, the opening is upwardly concave when viewed &om the side.

More preferably, the opening is elongate in plan view and comprises a 1 5 narrowed waist portion.

By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

in whIch: -Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of female urine bottle in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the urine bottle of Fig. I; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the urine bottle of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front view of the urine bottle of Fig. I. Referring to the Figures. a female urine bottle I 0 formed from moulded and dried paper pulp comprises a flat or substantially flat elongate base wail 12 which is generally triangular in plan view, two side walls 14, 16 extending upwardly from either lateral edge of the base wail 14 and a generally S planar rear wall 1 8 extending generally perpendicularly to the base wail 12 at one end. The side walls 14, 1 6 taper towards each other from the planar rear wall 18 to the front end of the bottle 10, where they merge with each other into a rounded, generafly semi-circular front wail 20 at the opposite end of the base wail 12. The boundaries between the various wails are generally rounded and merge smoothly into one another and the bottle is generally elongate in shape.

Each of the side wails 14, 16 comprises an elongate bulbous portion 22, 24 having a substantially planar upper shoulder 26, 28. The planar upper shoulders 26. 28 merge into a longitudinally-extending elongate recess 30, 32 which co-operate with each other to fonn an elongate, fiat-topped 1 5 longitudinally-extending handle portion 34 which, together with the planar upper faces 26, 28 of the side walls and the recesses 30, 32 fonn an upper wall of the bottle.

At the front end of the bottle, extending rearwardly from the upper edge of the front wail 20, is provided a generally oval aperture 38 whose lower edge is spaced above the level of the base wall 12 and which communicates directly with a urine-receiving volume of the bottle defined by the base wall 12. side walls 14. 16, rear wall 18 and front wall 20. As best seen in Fig. 2. the perimeter of the aperture 38 is upwardly concave when viewed from the side.

Thus, the front portion of the aperture 38 faces upwardly and nrerges smoothly to the rear of the aperture which faces upwardly and forwardly. The periphery of the aperture 38 is also provided with a moulded inwardly curved lip 40 to assist in resisting spillage from the bottle interior and to improve the comfort of the bottle to a user.

As best seen in Figs I and 3, when viewed from above, the aperture 38.

although generally oval in shape, is provided with a slightly narrowed or waisted portion indicated by arrows 42. The narrowed or waisted portion 42 conforms more closely to the shape of the portions of the body of a user with which the bottle will come into contact and makes the bothe more comfortable to use in practice.

As best seen in Figs. 1 to 3, the base wall is provided with an elongate projection 44 which extends laterally, across:tie base wall, generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the bottle between the opposed side walls 14. 16 and forms a recess in the outer face of the base wail 12. The projection 40, 44 is formed durin.g moulding of the bottle into a projection which, as shown in Fig. I, projects upwardly from the generally planar base wail 12 into the interior volume of the bottle, As shown in Figs. I to 3. the projection 44 is rounded (in fact, partcircuiar in crosssection) and projects the base wail at a position immediately beneath an open portion of a front aperture 42.

The projection 44 on the base 12 of the bottle forms a "weir" which interrupts or hinders the forward flow of liquid toward the aperture 38 and therefore reduces the likelihood of spillage of liquid from the bottle, particularly when being transported.

As best seen in Fig. 2, it will also be noted that the transition from the base wail 12 to the front nose wail 20 of the bottle, when viewed from the side, comprises a generally planar wail portion 46. The bottle 1 0 will normally be used by a patient lying on a bed and the generally planar wail portion 46 between the base wail 12 and the rounded front wall 20 reduces the likelihood that the bottle will catch on sheets in place on the bed when the bottle is being positioned. This also facilitates removal of the bottle by the user and helps to prevent/reduce the likelihood of spillage.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the ibregoing embodiment. For example, the projection 44 may he positioned and/or located and/or orientated differently from that described above. Alternatively, or in addition. there may be a plurality of projections, which inay be the same as, or different from. each other.

S

Claims

CLAIMS1. A female urine bottle comprising a fiat o.r substantially flat base wall, end osing walls extending upwardly from the base wail to define a S urine receiving volume, and an opening which communicates directly with the enclosed volume and whose lower edge is located above the level of the base wall, wherein the opening is elongate in plan view and comprises a narrowed waist portion.
2. A female urine bottle as claimed in claim I. wherein the opening is positioned, at least partly, directly above the base wall.

3, A female urine bottle as claimed in claim I or claim 2, wherein the perimeter of the opening is upwardly concave when viewed from the side, 4, A female urine bottle as claimed in any of claims I to 3, further 1 5 comprising a projection extending from the base wail and projecting into the receiving volume of the bottle.5. A female urine bottle as claimed in claim 4. wherein the laterally extending projection is positioned, at least partly, directly below the opening.6. A female urine bottle as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the projection is elongate.7, A female urine bottle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the projection extends between two opposed enclosing walls. C)8. A female urine bottle as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the base wall is elongate and the projection extending from the base wall extends laterally, substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the base wall.9. A female urine bottle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the enclosing walls comprise a rounded nose wall portion adjacent to and below the opening and an inclined substantially planar wall portion extending between the base wall and the rounded nose wall portion.10. A female urine bottle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, formed from moulded paper pulp.