US3353538A

US3353538A - Male urinal with inflatable sealing means

Info

Publication number: US3353538A
Application number: US393949A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard B Carrigan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-09-02
Filing date: 1964-09-02
Publication date: 1967-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-21

Description

Nov. '21 1967 R. B. CARRIGAN v 3,353,538

MALE URINAL WITH INFLATABLE SEALING MEANS Filed Sept. 2. 1964 j' V INVENTOR Ll BY ATTORNEYS j RICHARD B. CARR/6AM United States Patent Ofifice 3,353,538 MALE URENAL WITH INFLATABLE SEALING MEANS Richard B. Carrigan, 20 Dellwood Court, San Rafael, (Ialif. 94901 Filed Sept. 2, 1%4, Ser. No. 393,949 6 Claims. ((31. 123-295) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE A male urinal suitable for use by ambulatory patients. The urinal comprises, as its basic elements, a soft rubbery organ receiving receptacle adapted to loosely receive the organ of a user and an elongate inflatable annular bag of soft rubbery material concentrically received within the receptacle to, upon inflation, effect sealed gripping of an organ received therein. The sole annular seal between the bag and receptacle comprises an annular seal between their rearmost edges. This seal is flexible and adapted to permit the bag to freely conform with the interior of the receptacle and an organ received therein.

The present invention relates to a male urinal for use by individuals incontinent of urine and is particularly directed to such a urinal employing an improved arrangement for gripping the organ of its user.

In the prior art, various devices are provided to collect the urine of males incontinent of urine. These devices may be divided into two general categories, namely: those for use by bed patients only; and those for use by bed patients or active persons either while in bed or moving about. It is the latter category to which the present invention is primarily directed.

The main deficiency of prior devices in the category of the present invention is their failure to provide adequate means for gripping the organ of the user. This means should ideally provide for ready application to the organ of the user and comfortable and leakproof engagement with the organ at all times and under all conditions Without undue restriction. The urinal and gripping means thereof should also be capable of being easily cleaned, durable in construction, and adapted to be universally used on individuals of different sizes without special tailoring. The latter characteristic is particularly important, since it avoids the expenses encountered in manufacturing and merchandising a plurality of devices tailored to individual sizes.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of this invention to provide an ideal male urinal which overcomes the deficiencies of prior art devices.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a male urinal incorporating an inflatable organ gripping member which facilitates the ready insertion of an organ thereinto and the firm and leakproof gripping of the organ.

A further and related object of the invention is to provide a male urinal incorporating a gripping device which contacts the organ of the user over an extended length with uniform pressure and thus securely holds the organ and seals the flow of fluid thereby.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a male urinal incorporating an organ gripping device which avoids irritation of the users organ by minimizing relative movement between the device and the organ, eifectively sealing fluid flow between the organ and the device, and contacting the organ over an extended area as contrasted to a concentrated area.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a male urinal having an organ gripping device which limits 3,353,538 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 the amount of pressure applied to the organ of its user to a preselected amount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support means for use in combination with a male urinal which is adjustable to accommodate users of various sizes and readily removable from the urinal for independent cleanmg.

With respect to the latter object, it is another object of the invention to provide a support means for a male urinal which may be partially removed from the body of the user to facilitate application of the urinal.

The male urinal of the present invention which enables the accomplishment of the foregoing objects basically comprises a receptacle for loosely receiving the organ of a user thereof and an inflatable bag mounted concentrically in said receptacle to sealingly engage the outer periphery of an organ received in said receptacle upon inflation. The bag is dimensioned so as to engage the peripheral surface of the users organ with uniform pressure over a substantial portion of the length thereof. The basic urinal structure is completed by a seal establishing interconnection between the outer periphery of the bag and the inner periphery of the receptacle and an inflation device to selectively apply internal pressure to the bag.

The support means used in combination with the urinal to accomplish the foregoing objects basically comprises a body encircling supporter composed of detachably and adjustably interconnected forward and rearward sections, the forward of which is adapted to be releasably secured to said urinal. In operation, after the support means has been applied to the body, the forward portion thereof may be removed to facilitate the application of the urinal to the user.

The details of the present invention and the foregoing and other objects will become more apparent when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the urinal and support combination;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the urinal and support combination in the process of being applied to a user; and

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

Referring now to the drawings, the urinal and supporter therefor are each designated in their entirety by the numerals 1t and 11, respectively. The urinal 10 basically comprises an outer receptacle or sheath 12 having concentrically mounted therein an inflatable annular bag 13. Both the receptacle 12 and bag 13 are fabricated of a suitable soft flexible material, such as rubber. The receptacle 12 and bag 13 are provided with

annular flanges

14 and 15, respectively, at the rearward edges thereof which are adhered together to establish a sealed connection between the receptacle and bag. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the receptacle 12 and bag 13 are sealingly secured together at their rearward edge, while the bag is free from the receptacle at the forward portion thereof. It is noted that the receptacle 12 is dimensioned to loosely receive the organ of a user thereof, as illustrated in phantom lines at 16 in FIG. 2, while the bag 13 is dimensioned so as to be adapted to engage the organ over a substantial length thereof. To insure that the bag 13 will firmly and gently engage the organ of the user upon inflation, it is preferably dimensioned so as to engage the organ over a length at least equal to the diameter of the organ.

The detailed structure of the bag 13 and the inflation means therefor is best seen in FIG. 3. From this figure it can be seen that the bag includes inner and

outer walls

17 and 20, respectively, which walls define an air chamber 21 therebetween. The inner wall 17 is of a diameter suflicient to loosely receive the organ of a user prior to inflation of the bag 13. Upon inflation of the bag, the wall 17 is extended into firm engagement with the organ of the user, as illustrated in FIG. 2. It is noted that the loose flexible character of the wall 17 assures that it will firmly grip the organ of the user with uniform pressure upon inflation of the bag 13. Fluid to inflate the bag 13 is conveyed thereto through means of a flexible tube 22 which extends sealingly through the wall of the receptacle 12 and the outer wall 20 of the bag 13. The end of the tube 22 extending through the wall 13 is open and thus fluid passing through the tube is conveyed into the chamber 21 where it functions to inflate the bag.

Air is supplied to the tube 22 through means of a hand operated pump 23 communicating therewith through means of a tube 24 and pressure relief valve 25. The pump 23 and valve 25 are of conventional character and provide means whereby the bag 13 may be inflated to a predetermined pressure, which pressure is selected so that the pressure exerted on the or an of the user by the wall 17 will not inflict injury thereto. Once the bag 13 is inflated, the pump 23 is removed from the tube 24, as illustrated in FIG. 1. It is noted that after inflation, the escape of air from the bag 13 is prevented either by a suitable valving arrangement in the valve 25, or a second valve at the upper end of the tube 24. Whatever valve arrangement is used to close the tube 22, it is provided with selective opening means to release pressure from the bag 13. Such means are well within the province of those skilled in the valve art.

The basic urinal structure of the invention is completed by a spout fitting 26 at the lower end of the receptacle 12. This fitting is adapted to be either closed by a cap 27, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or secured in fluid communication with an auxiliary receiving reservoir 30,

as illustrated in FIG. 2 in phantom lines. Fluid communication between the receptacle 12 and reservoir 30 is established by a flexible tube 31 secured at one end to the fitting 26 and at the other end to the reservoir. Preferably, the reservoir 30 is strapped to the leg 32 of the user at a position below the receptacle 12. Thus, gravity flow between the receptacle and the reservoir is facilitated. It is noted that the choice between whether the fitting 26 is capped or secured to a reservoir is determined by the amount of fluid capacity desired by the user.

The supporter 11 for use in combination with the aforedescribed urinal includes: a body encircling belt consisting of forward and

rearward sections

33 and 34, respectively; an apron secured to and extending downwardly from the forward section 33; and, a pair of

leg straps

36 and 37, each of which is connected at one end to the section 34 and at the other end to the lower extremity of the apron 35. The

sections

33 and 34 are adjustably and releasably secured together through means of Velcro strips 40. These strips are separable so that the forward section 33 is completely removable from the rearward section 34. Furthermore, the strips may be secured together in varying degrees of overlapping engagement to accommodate waists of varying sizes. A particular advantage of the detachable relationship between the

sections

33 and 34 can be seen from FIG. 2 where the supporter is shown extending around the waist 41 of the user. In this condition, the strips may be released to lower the apron 35 to a position facilitating the ready insertion or removal of the organ 16 from the urinal 10.

The

belt sections

33 and 34, apron 35 and

straps

36 and 37 are all fabricated of suitable elastic material, such as is conventionally used for athletic supporters, to facilitate the comfort of the user. Although the strips 40 are specified as being made of Velcro, it is to be understood that other suitable releasable and adjustable connecting strips, such as strips incorporating snaps, could be used in their place.

Releasable attachment of the urinal 10 to the supporter 11 is accomplished through means of an aperture 42 formed in the apron 35 and mating snaps 43 and 44 on the apron and the urinal, respectively. The snaps 43 are located around the periphery of the aperture 42, while the snaps 44 are secured to the

annular flanges

14 and 15. It is noted that the snaps 44 are so provided as not to disturb the seal between the

flanges

14 and 15. Through this arrangement, it can be seen that the urinal 10 may be readily removed from or applied to the supporter 11 from the rear of the apron 35. Thus, the urinal and apron may be separately cleaned and it is possible that a plurality of supporters might be provided for use with a single urinal. The latter characteristic has the advantage that supporters may be laundered while the urinal is in use with other supporters.

At this point it is noted that the section 35 is provided with a loop 45 through which the tube 24 may be strung. This loop loosely engages the tube 24 and is simply intended to retain the tube at a convenient location.

The donning of the aforedescribed urinal supporter combination is readily carried out as follows: lift the supporter to the approximate position illustrated in FIG. 2; lower the forward section 33 and apron 35; insert the organ 16 through the bag 13; raise the apron 35 and attach the section 33 to the section 34; and, inflate the bag 13 to a comfortable degree or the maximum degree permitted by the valve 25. The removal procedure for the combination is substantially the reverse of the donning procedure. With respect to both the donning and the removable procedures, it is noted that the removable forward section 33 permits the apron to be swung to a position where the user can readily manipulate insertion of the organ into the urinal and visually observe this insertion. This characteristic is particularly advantageous when the device is used by elderly people who are not very agile.

To conclude, from the foregoing description it is believed apparent that the present invention enables the accomplishment of the objects initially set forth herein. In particular, a male urinal with improved means for gently and effectively gripping the organ of the user is provided. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described, but rather is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a male urinal, an organ holding device compnsmg:

(a) a soft rubbery receptacle for loosely receiving the organ of a user thereof;

(b) an elongate inflatable annular bag of soft rubbery material loosely received in concentric relationship within said receptacle, said bag, upon inflation, being adapted to sealingly engage the outer periphery of an organ received in said receptacle with uniform pressure;

(c) an annular seal between the rearmost edges of said bag and receptacle establishing the sole peripheral seal between said bag and receptacle, said seal being flexible and adapted to permit said bag to freely conform with the interior of said receptacle and an organ received therein; and

((1) means to selectively inflate said bag by applying internal pressure thereto.

2. A device according to claim 1 including pressure release means to limit the amount of internal pressure which may be applied to said bag during the inflation thereof.

3. A male urinal comprising in combination:

(a) a body encircling belt consisting of forward and rearward sections;

(b) an apron secured to and extending downwardly from said forward section;

(c) a pair of leg straps each connected at one end to said apron and at the other end to said belt;

((1) a soft rubbery organ receiving receptacle secured to said apron, said receptacle being adapted to loosely receive the organ of a user thereof;

(e) an elongate inflatable annular bag of soft rubbery material loosely received in concentric relationship Within said receptacle, said bag, upon inflation, being adapted to sealingly engage the outer periphery of an organ received in said receptacle with uniform pressure;

(f) an annular seal between the rearmost edges of said bag and receptacle establishing the sole peripheral seal between said bag and receptacle, said seal being flexible and adapted to permit said bag to freely conform with the interior of said receptacle and an organ received therein; and

(g) means to selectively inflate said bag by applying internal pressure thereto.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein:

(a) the other ends of said leg strap are connected to the rearward section of said belt; and

(b) the rearward and forward sections of said belt are adjustably secured together and completely releasable from each other.

receptacle is releasably secured to said apron.

6. A combination according to claim 3 including pressure release means to limit the amount of internal pressure 5 which may be applied to said bag during the inflation thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,875 4/1909 Johnson 128-294 1,105,488 7/1914 Clare 128-295 2,445,694 7/1948 Predmore 128-295 2,699,781 1/1955 Koch 128-295 3,161,198 12/1964 Moxley 128-295 FOREIGN PATENTS 569,645 6/ 1932 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

20 c. F. ROSENBAUM, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MALE URINAL, AN ORGAN HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A SOFT RUBBERY RECEPTACLE FOR LOOSELY RECEIVING THE ORGAN OF A USER THEREOF; (B) AN ELONGATE INFLATABLE ANNULAR BAG OF SOFT RUBBERY MATERIAL LOOSELY RECEIVED IN CONCENTRIC RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID BAG, UPON INFLATION, BEING ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF AN ORGAN RECEIVED IN SAID RECEPTACLE WITH UNIFORM PRESSURE; (C) AN ANNULAR SEAL BETWEEN THE REARMOST EDGES OF SAID BAG AND RECEPTACLE ESTABLISHING THE SOLE PERIPHERAL SEAL BETWEEN SAID BAG AND RECEPTACLE, SAID SEAL BEING FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTED TO PERMIT SAID BAG TO FREELY CONFORM WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND AN ORGAN RECEIVED THEREIN: AND (D) MEANS TO SELECTIVELY INFLATE SAID BAG BY APPLYING INTERNAL PRESSURE THERETO.