US3338076A

US3338076A - Diaper wringer

Info

Publication number: US3338076A
Application number: US446518A
Authority: US
Inventors: Esther M Williams; Jack E Mclaughlin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-08
Filing date: 1965-04-08
Publication date: 1967-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-29

Description

1957 E. M. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,338,076

DIAPER WRINGER Filed April 8, 1965 KIIIII I ESTHERAi/WZZBEMS E MAM/N 2O E- 4 M w il V 7 1 Br 21 I MZM/ M I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,338,076 DIAPER WRINGER Esther M. Williams, 1169 Hobart Drive, Marysville, Calif. 95901, and Jack E. McLaughlin, 676 King Ave., Yuba City, Calif. 95991 Filed Apr. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 446,518 Claims. (Cl. 68-241) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manually held diaper cleaner having a passageway through which a wet diaper is adapted to be drawn for squeezing the diaper to strip the water and impurities therefrom, the walls of the passageway being formed to provide convergent channels extending longitudinally of the passageway having sides of progressively increasing width toward the convergent ends of the channels to apply progressively increasing pressure as the diaper is drawn from said convergent ends.

Heretofore, a soiled diaper when removed from a baby is manually sloshed about in water to free the major portion of excreta therefrom for wringing it from the diaper, and this wringing operation has usually been effected manually by twisting the diaper. As a result, the hands are disagreeably contaminated and some of the solids are trapped in the folds.

Each diaper has marginal areas that are clean when removed from a baby for the initial rinse or cleaning above described, and by thepresent invention the diaper may be held in one hand at any such area and sloshed in the water as described. Following this step, the major portion of the water and the solid and liquid excreta in the diaper is quickly expelled from the diaper without touching it with the hands, other than at the clean area grasped by a hand and without the use of a roller type wringer or the like. Also, with the present invention, the wringing is accomplished while the diaper is held over the toilet bowl in which such diaper usually receives the initial cleaning. The means for performing this initial cleaning step is easily maintained in a sanitary condition, and is economical to make, and easy to use.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a device having the advantages above mentioned, and which device overcomes the objections to the method of cleaning heretofore practice, as above described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the wringing step by use of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view at line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a part sectional and part elevational view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

In detail, the invention as it is illustrated in the drawings comprises a head or body generally designated 1, which is formed with an open ended central passageway 2 of a width adapted to closely encircle a wet diaper 3 (FIG. 1), to be cleaned, when such diaper is grasped by one hand 4 of a person and is depending from said hand. The body 1 of the device may be supported by the other hand 5 as seen in FIG. 1.

The open ends of the central passageway 2 are coaxial, and the side walls 6 extend slantingly toward the axis of said open ends from said one end thereof to the other end.

Said side walls are formed of adjoining wall sections 7 (FIG. 2) that are angularly disposed relative to each other around the axis thereof to accordion-pleated relation at the smaller open end of said passageway. The junctures between said wall sections are along lines ex- 3,338,076 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 tending divergently outwardly from said smaller open end to the larger open end, and which lines terminate at said larger open end along a circular line.

As seen in FIG. 2 by the above structure, the outline of the inner surface of the passageway at its smaller end is of generally star shape. The inner surfaces of said wall sections 7 are flat and extend generally longitudinally of the passageway 2. Said surfaces on adjoining pairs of said walls extend divergently relative to each other in a direction transversely of the passageway, and this divergence becomes progressively less from the larger to the smaller open end of the passageway.

When the diaper 3 is in the position seen in FIG. 1, it will project between the adjoining walls 7, and upon the diaper being drawn through the passageway in a direction from its larger to its smaller end, as indicated by arrow 8, or when the body 1 is moved in the direction of arrow 9 or when relative movement of the diaper and holder in the directions of said arrows simultaneously occurs, the diaper will be progressively squeezed between the adjoining side walls themselves and between opposite sides of the passage, and the water ahead of the smaller end of the passageway will flow downwardly to expel itself and to carry the excreta with it, rather than trapping it in the folds of the diaper.

This operation can readily be performed over a toilet bowl, within a few seconds time without the operator contacting the diaper other than holding it by a clean area by hand 4.

The body 1 of the device preferably includes a cylindrical outer body portion 10 that is preferably heavier or more rigid than the walls 7, and the ends of walls 7 at the larger end of passageway 2 are integrally connected with one circular end of said outer body portion 10. A row of drain openings 13 are formed in said body 1 along the juncture between walls 7 and one end of the cylindrical outer body 10 to permit drainage of any water that may enter the space between the wall sections 7 and said cylindrical outer body portion.

In order to facilitate positioning the diaper 3 in substantially the initial starting position shown in FIG. 1, and to manipulate the body 1, including the outer body portion 10, said body is bisected longitudinally of the passageway 2 to provide two halves, generally designated 14, 15 (FIG. 2). The plane of division extends through the juncture between a pair of adjoining Wall sections 7 at each of two opposite sides of the body 1, and each of the adjoining wall sections at each of said two opposite sides is connected with the outer body portion by a web 16 (FIG. 2) that extends the full length of the passageway 2. The flat engaging surfaces of these webs, is best seen in FIG. 4, in which the surface of one of each of the webs in the half 14 is shown in elevation.

The halves 14, 15 of the body 1, including portion 10, are each provided with a laterally projecting handle, the handle on half 14 being designated 17, and the handle on half 15 being designated 18. These connect with the halves at the end of the outer body 10 at the large end of passageway 2.

Handles 14, 15 cross each other scissors fashion at 19, and at the point of crossing, the handle 17 is formed with a pivot 20 (FIG. 4), integrally therewith, that extends through an opening 21 formed in handle 18. This pivot projects outwardly of the opening in handle 18 and a snap ring 22 is yieldably held in an annular groove 23 formed in the projecting end of said pivot, to releasably hold the handles together.

The halves 14, 15, including the handles 17, 18 thereon, are each preferably molded from any suitable plastic material, such as polyethylene, so that the walls 7 are semirigid, yet resilient, and the inner surfaces of said walls are quite smooth so as to offer little frictional resist ance in a wringing operation. At the larger diameter end of passageway 2 where it joins the outer body 10, the edges are rounded, as at 25, which provides a slight outward flare to facilitate relative movement between the diaper and the body when the diaper is being wrung.

The handles 17, 18 being connected with body 1 adjacent to the larger end of passageway 2 prevents the handles from tending to twist in the hand during a wringing operation since the body tends ot automatically position itself correctly.

All parts of the device are quickly cleaned, and drainage from the restricted end of the passage 2 is rapid since the spacing between the adjoining side walls 7 becomes progressively greater than the spacing shown in FIG. 2, as the walls 7 extend to the larger lower end of the device. Since the body 1 may quickly be opened, access to the face of each half of the passageway 2 may be instantly accomplished.

It is believed that the operation of the device is clear. While the word wringer is used, it is not intended tomean that the diaper is twisted by the device any more than the diaper would be twisted in a roller-type wringer. The action itself is more of a stripping action, and it is adapted to be accomplished so quickly that the flow of water ahead of the body 1 is in itself substantially a flushing action that carries every loose solid with it.

The detailed description is not intended to be restrictive of the invention, the scope thereof being limited only by the claims annexed hereto.

We claim:

1. A diaper wringer comprising:

(a) a body formed with an open ended passageway of a width adapted to closely encircle a wet diaper depending from one of its marginal portions in which;

(b) the open ends of said passageway are coaxial, and the side walls thereof are of semi-rigid, resilient material slanting toward the axis of said passageway from one open end thereof to the other open end;

(c) said side walls being pairs of wall sections extending substantially from said one end to said other 'end angularly disposed relative to each other in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said passageway to accordion pleated relation at said other open end providing radially inwardly opening recesses between adjacent pairs of said wall sections extending generally longitudinally of said axis but slantingly toward said axis from said one end, said wall sections of adjacent pairs being of progressively increasing width from said one end to said other end, and spaced apart a progressively decreasing distance from said one end to said other end whereby portions of a diaper in said passageway will progressively enter said recesses for squeezing between said walls upon drawing said diaper through said passageway from said one end or upon moving said body away from a held end of said diaper when said diaper is in said passageway and said body is moved relative to and away from said held end.

2. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) a handle secured to said body and projecting later- 4 ally therefrom for grasping by the hand to hold said body during said relative movement between said body and said diaper.

3. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) said body being divided axially thereof to provide symmetrical halves;

(e) a pair of handles respectively connected with said halves and extending laterally therefrom, scissors fashion, to side-by-side relation for holding together in one hand of a person during a wringing operation in crossing relation at a point adjacent to said body;

(f) a pivot connecting said handles at said point for swinging said halves to open relation upon swinging the outer ends of said handles apart, and for swinging said halves together to diaper engaging relation upon swinging said handles toward each other.

4. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) the outline of said one open end being substan-. tially circular, and said body including an annular outer body portion coaxial with said axis, connected with the Walls of said passageway around said one open end and extending generally toward said other open end but spaced outwardly of the walls of said passageway, and V (e) drain openings formed in said outer body portion along its juncture with said walls of said passageway at said one open end of the latter.

5. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 4:

(f) said body being divided axially thereof to provide symmetrical halves;

(g) a pair of handles respectively connected with the outer body portions of said halves and extending laterally therefrom, scissors fashion, to side-by-side relation for holding together in one hand of a person during a wringing operation in crossing relation at a point adjacent to said body;

(h) a pivot connecting said handles at said point for swinging said halves upon swinging the outer ends of said handles apart, to receive a diaper between the walls of said passageway, and for swinging said halves together to diaper encircling relation upon swinging the outer ends of said handles together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,400 5/1876 Hurcombe 81425 1,952,824 3/1934 Schulman 15-263 2,062,389 12/1936 Bleibler 118125 X 2,366,077 12/1944 Wildy et al 118-125 2,808,594 10/1957 Hodgson 68-241 X 2,808,716 10/ 1957 Zum Brunnen 68-273 2,961,683 11/1960 Meyer 15236 3,037,234 6/1962 Mann 15263 3,212,303 10/ 1965 Haffner et a1 68235 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,541 V 1911 Great Britain.

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A DIAPER WRINGER COMPRISING: (A) A BODY FORMED WITH AN OPEN ENDED PASSAGEWAY OF A WIDTH ADAPTED TO CLOSELY ENCIRCLE A WET DIAPER DEPENDING FROM ONE OF ITS MARGINAL PORTIONS IN WHICH; (B) THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY ARE COAXIAL, AND THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF ARE OF SEMI-RIGID, RESILIENT MATERIAL SLANTING TOWARD THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY FROM ONE OPEN END THEREOF TO THE OTHER OPEN END; (C) SAID SIDE WALLS BEING PAIRS OF WALL SECTIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHER END ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO ACCORDION PLEATED RELATION AT SAID OTHER OPEN END PROVIDING RADIALLY INWARDLY OPENING RECESSES BETWEEN ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID WALL SECTIONS EXTENDING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID AXIS BUT SLANTINGLY TOWARD SAID AXIS FROM SAID OTHER END, SAID WALL SECTIONS OF ADJACENT PAIRS BEING OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING WIDTH FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHER END, AND SPACED APART A PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING DISTANCE FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHER END WHEREBY PORTIONS OF A DIAPER IN SAID PASSAGEWAY WILL PROGRESSIVELY ENTER SAID RECESSES FOR SQUEEZING BETWEEN SAID WALLS UPON DRAWING SAID DIAPER THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY FROM SAID ONE END OR UPON MOVING SAID BODY AWAY FROM A HELD END OF SAID DIAPER WHEN SAID DIAPER IS IN SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID BODY IS MOVED RELATIVE TO AND AWAY FROM SAID HELD END.