US2925084A

US2925084A - Disposable douche device for feminine hygiene

Info

Publication number: US2925084A
Application number: US766991A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clara C Brewer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-10-13
Filing date: 1958-10-13
Publication date: 1960-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1977-02-16

Description

Feb. 16, 1960 c. c. BREWER DISPOSABLE DOUCHE DEVICE FOR FEMININE HYGIENE Filed Oct. 13, 1958 FIGI.

INVENTOR. CLARA C. BREWER BY 4 Agent FIGG.

United States Pa n F 2,925,084 DISPOSABLE DOUCHE DEVICE FOR FEMININE HYGIENE Clara C. Brewer, Tempe, Ariz. Application October 13, 1958, Serial No.766,991

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-251)..

. This invention relates to a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene and more particularly to a disposable douche device which may bepackaged in very compact form for dispensation by vending machine.

There has been a need for a compact readily usable and efficient disposable douche device which may be dispensed by vending machines and carried in thinbags or the like so that persons traveling may have compact light weight accommodations.

Accordingly, it is an object of the. invention to provide a compact light weight readily usable and disposable douche device for feminine hygiene.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene which may readily be dispensed by'a vending machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device which is very simple and easy to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device having novel construction wherein a water bag has an integral thin walled nozzle portion extending therefrom and wherein a stiffening device is placed in the bag and nozzle portion to lend support thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device which is very compact due to the elongated shape of the water bag thereof and the manner in which the water bag may be wrapped around the nozzle portion of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device having an integral water bag and nozzle construction wherein the nozzle is extended at an angle from the normally lowerend of the bag thereby facilitating the handling of the douche device.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a disposable douche device having a flexible plastic water which is considerably elongated thereby providing a substantial head of Water above a nozzle integral with the lower end of the bag so that sufficient pressure of the water at the nozzle will be provided by the column height of water in the bag.

. A still further object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device in which an elongated tubular water bag is provided with an integral nozzle at its lower end whereby the bag may be held and squeezed to provide additional pressure of the water at the nozzle.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a disposable douche device having an elongated flexible bag having an integral nozzle at its lower end whereby the bag is easy to fill and handle and wherebythe bag may be folded adjacent the nozzle to shut off the water thereto until the flow is desired.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a disposable douche device in accordance with the present invention and showing portions thereof fragmentarily and in section to amplify the illustration. v

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken from the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the line 4--4ofFig. 1.

PatentedFeb. 16, 1960 Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is aside elevational view of the disposable douche device of the present invention showing it in packaged form wherein the douche bag is wound helically around the nozzle portion ofthe device.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of the present invention showing a portion of the douche bag and illustrating the nozzle portion of the douche device in section.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a further modified construction of the douche device in accordance with the present invention and showing the nozzle portion of the device in section.

Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of the douche device shown in Fig. 8 and showing the bag portion thereof folded backwardly in transverse relationship to the nozzle portion of the bag whereby it may be rolled into a package as shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken from the line 10-10 of Fig. 7. i

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the douche device illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings and showing the bag ofthe device rolled helically around the nozzl portion of the device; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken from the line 1212 of Fig. 8.

The disposable douche device as shown in Fig. l of the drawings and according to the present invention is unfolded and in position for use. This device is provided with a hollow tubular water containing bag portion 20 which has an integral hollow tubular nozzle portion 21 at its normally lower end. This tubular nozzle portion 21 extends at substantially right angles to the vertical disposition of the bag portion 20.

The bag 20 and its nozzle 21 are preferably made of a thin plastic material which is flexible and which has high tensile strength. It is known that some of the poly vinyl plastics are suitable for this purpose.

The end 24 of the nozzle portion 21 is curved smooth so that it may be inserted into the vagina. opposite sides of this nozzle portion 21 are water emitting openings 26. o

Disposed inside the tubular nozzle portion 21 is a stiffening member 28 which is disposed to lend rigidity to the flexible tubular nozzle portion 21 so that the nozzle may readily be inserted into the vagina. This stiffening member isprovid ed with openings 30 therein which communicate with opposite sides of the stiffener member and assist the flow ofwater from the bag 20 into the end of the nozzle so that the water may flow outwardly through the openings 26 as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The stiffener may be made of sterile wood or plastic material having suitable rigidity to form a stiffener for the nozzle structure.

The upper end 32 of the back portion 20 is open so that it may be placed under a faucet for the purpose of filling the bag 20.

The disposable douche device as shown in Fig. 1 may be packaged in a form disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawings wherein the bag 20 is wound helically around the nozzle portion of the device thereby forming a very neat compact structure. The stifiener member provides sufiicient rigidity to permit the bar to be wound around the nozzle 3 douche powders which will not materially increase the over all size of the package. 7

In operation the packaged disposable douche device may be sold over the counter or it may be dispensed by vending machines. The: package is first opened by the user and the bag 20 is unwound from the nozzle portion ofthe device. The bag is unwound until only one convolution of the bag: remains around the nozzle portion' of thedevice; This will permit the bag to'be'filled" with Water without leakage out through the" nozzle-and the openings 26; Whenthe' bag is partially filled with water'the douche powders maybe placed therein and the bag'm'ay be'agitated'until thepowders are thoroughly mixed in the water. Additional water may be added tofill' the bag whereupon the'nozzl'e 2-1 at its end 24' may be' inserted in the vagina and the last fold' of the bag around the nozzle is" released to permit the water to flow into the vagina and outwardly through the opening 26. During insertion of'the nozzle 21 and during dispensation of water froni the openings 26 the end 34 ofthe stiffener member 28 serves as a handle.

Due to the tall column of water provided by the long small diameter bag portion 20 considerable pre'ssure 20 is provided at the openings 26"o'f the nozzle 21. When additional pressure is required the upper end of the bag 20*may be folded over so that the bag may be squeezed to increase the pressure of the water at the openings 26. The upper end of the bag may be progressively folded as desired so that continuous pressure may be applied to the water in the bag to attain thorough flushing of the vagina by water which passes outwardly through the openings 26'. As shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings the bag 20 and nozzle 21 are similar in construction to that shown in Fig. .I of the drawings, however, the modified structure is provided with a loop shaped nozzle stiffener 38 which is preferably made of folded material such as Wire so that the nozzle may be folded at its middle portion to permit the bag to be wound around a short nozzles'e'ction thereby providing a very compact package. Further, the use of the wire may permit the nozzle to be somewhat longer with a comparable packagesize. The wire may be a plastic coated wire loop so that the plastic of the nozzle 21 will not be in any Way damaged by the folding of the nozzle intermediate its ends". Malle'able wire of the nozzle may be unfolded after the package has been opened in order to provide proper extension of the nozzle for use. I In the modification as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 11 and 12 the bag 20 and nozzle 21 are similar in construction however the stiffener member 40 of this modification is shorter than that shown in Fig, 1 of the drawings other wise the construction is quite similar. The short stiffener member 40' permits the bag 20 to be folded backwardly against the nozzle 21 as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings in order to provide a short compact package as shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings when the bag is helically wound around the nozzle portion of the device. In order to hold the stiffener member 40 securely in the nozzle portion 21 a fused section 42 at the lower end of the bag 20 provides an abutment for the normally rear end 44 of the stiffener member 40. With vinyl plastic construction this fused portion 22 may be attained by the application of heat in the usual fashion.

It will be seen that the constructions disclosed as modifications of the present invention permit either the provision of a longer nozzle or a more compact packaging arrangement due to the fact that the nozzle construction shown in Fig. 7 may be folded whereas the nozzle construction shown in Fig. 8 is provided with a short stiffening member which permits thenozzle to be longer with a given package size or it permits the package to be made shorter with a given nozzle length.

Use of the modified devices as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings is similar to that described in connec- 1. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollowcylindrical" bag having an integral nozzle'portion' projecting at an angle therefrom at its lower'end, said bag and nozzle-portions of thin flexible waterproof material; and a stiffener member disposed internally of said hollow tubular nozzle portion, said nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof. p

2. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollow cylindrical bag having an integral 7 nozzle portion projecting at an angle therefrom at it's lower end, said b'a-g and nozzle portions of thin flexible V waterproof material; and a stiffener membef'disposed internally of said hollow tubular nozzle p'ortiorLsaid nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof, said bag wound around said nozzle portion and said stiffener to form a compact package. w I

3. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollow cylindrical hagi having an integral nozzle portion proje'cting' at an angle therefrom at its lower end, said bag and nozzle portions of thin flexible waterproof material; and a stiffener member disposed internally of said hollow' t'ubular' nozzle portion, said nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof, said bag wound around i said nozzle portion and said stiffener to form a compact package, said stiffener member extending from one side wall of said bag to the end of said nozzle.

4. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollow cylindrical bag having an integral nozzle portion projecting at an angle therefrom at its lower end, said bag and nozzle portions of thin flexible waterproof material; and a stiffener member disposed internally of said hollow tubular nozzle portion, said nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof, said bag wound around said nozzle portion and said stiffener to form a compact package, said stiffener member extending from one side wall of said bag to the end of said nozzle, said stiffener member being a foldable elongated loop member.

5. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollow cylindrical bag having an integral nozzle portion projecting at an angle therefrom at its lower end, said bag and nozzle portions of thin flexible waterproof material; and a stiffener member disposed internally of said hollow tubular nozzle portion, said nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof; means for retaining said stiffener member in said nozzle portion.

6. In a disposable douche device for feminine hygiene an elongated hollow cylindrical bag having an integral nozzle portion projecting at an angle therefrom at its lower end, said bag and nozzle portions of thin flexible Waterproof material; and a stiffener member disposed internally of said hollow tubular nozzle portion, said nozzle portion having perforations in the sides thereof near an extending end thereof, said stiffener member having means to permit flow to opposite sides of said nozzle portion thereby promoting free flow to said perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,664,891 Kempel Jan. 5, 1954 2,850,915 B xt r Sept. 2, 1958 2,856,932 Griifitts' Oct. 21, 1958