US2690568A - Urinating device - Google Patents

Description

Get. 5, 1954 c, w 2,690,568

URINATING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 30, 1949 2 Sheets-Shear. 1

Mdurggz;

Oct. 5, 1954 M. c. WILLIS 2,690,568

URINATING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 30, 1949 ZSheets-Sheet 2 frgll- W/ I INVENTOR. Mdamn CHI/7r I BY I Patented Oct. 5, 1954 OFFICE URINATING DEVICE Continuation of application Serial No. 46,869,

August 30, 1949.

1953, Serial No. 339,502

13 Claims.

This is a continuation of my co-pending application, Serial No. 46,869, filed August 30, 1948, and since abandoned.

My invention relates to that class of devices which are used to prevent the contracting of disease by infection. In particular, it is designed to prevent women from becoming infected during the act of urinating, particularly in public toilets.

A womans anatomical structure is such that it is impossible for her to accurately direct the flow of her urine after it has left her body. To avoid wetting with urine her legs or her shoes and stockings, a woman customarily assumes a squatting or sitting position when urinating. She customarily sits on a toilet seat to urinate.

Many women are nowadays employed in factories where they use toilets provided for employees. Many other women travel by train, bus, or automobile. Others attend movies and others trade in downtown shopping areas. Such women use toilets provided for the public. Thus, a great many women may use the same toilet seat in any day. The bare skin of the woman comes in direct contact with the toilet seat. During such contact, perspiration and other skin excretions and possible germs may be transferred from her body to the seat or from the seat to her skin. This is not only offensive to a womans sense of cleanliness and daintiness but is a proven source of infection by disease germs. It is generally recognized by the medical profession that many cases of rectal and venereal diseases have been contracted by women as a result of having sat on toilet seats which had not been sterilized. Many contagious skin diseases are transferred from one person to another by means of toilet seats.

The elements of time required and the cost involved have made it unfeasible for those who operate public toilets to thoroughly sterilize toilet seats after each use of the seat.

It would aid considerably if a woman were provided with a device which would eliminate the need of having her skin come in direct contact with the toilet seat. I have provided such a device which will be more clearly understood by the description which follows and by reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an end view of the device.

Figure 2 shows a top view.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation.

Figure 4 shows a blank of paper from which the urinator can be made.

Figure 5 shows a top view of the urinator as positioned on two adjacent fingers of a users hand.

Figure 6 shows a cross section along the line 86 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 shows a side elevation of an alternate design.

This application March 2,

2 Figure 8 shows a vertical section on line B8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 shows a side elevation of another design of the urinator.

Figure 10 shows a vertical cross section on line 253-4 0 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 shows the paper blank for this last type.

A simple form of the urinator can be made by using a piece of paper of such nature as to be capable of being flushed away in the common toilet stool or bowl. Thus, the paper should be waterpermeable after use, which will facilitate flushing it away. At the same time, it should have adequate strength of fiber and be sufliciently nonpermeable as to preclude excessive absorption of moisture during use. The paper is first cut to the shape shown in Figure 4 and then folded fiat upon itself along the line DJ. The edge AK is fastened to the edge GI-I by any suitable means such as a layer of glue. This forms a urine receiver of tubular form, here a funnel having an annular wall structure or body 20 provided with an upper inlet 22 bordered by a peripheral rim 2%. The edge KJ is not glued to the edge HJ. The flap portion ABCD is folded outwardly and downwardly and the edge BC is glued to the outside side wall of funnel 26 as at 26 to form tubular means providing a fore-and-aft opening finger-receiving loop 28. Similarly, the flap portion DEFG is folded outwardly and downwardly and its edge EF is glued to the opposite outside side wall of funnel 28 as at 36 to provide a second loop 32. It is preferable that the flaps not be folded with sharp creases between AD or DG but that the fold be a soft roll to produce the rounded finger loops Z8 and 32, as more clearly shown in Figure 2; although, creasing may be resorted to to facilitate packing of the devices in a dispenser. The device will of course be normally fiat, being folded along DJ and glued along AK-GH.

Each loop means is, in fore-and-aft extent, generally coextensive with the length of its associated rim half, for purposes to presently appear. Instead of having one long finger loop on each side of the funnel body, two or more shorter finger loops might be provided on each side of the funnel body.

To use the urinator a woman turns her hand to a palm-upward position, fingers pointing rearwardly, and inserts her index finger 34 into the finger-loop 28 and her middle finger 36 on the same hand, into the finger-loop 32. She then spreads these two fingers apart. This will spread apart the side walls of the funnel so that the general shape of the upper edge or rim of the funnel becomes quasi-elliptical. Keeping her fingers thus spread, she then presses the top edge or rim of the funnel 211 symmetrically against her exterior vulvar area with the major axis about which the member or funnel is tubular generally coincident with the fore-and-aft median plane of her body exerting such upward pressure as is needed to position opposite halves of the upper rim 24 respectively snugly against said area of her body to respectively enclose the labia majora and form a leak proof seal. Thus any urine which she releases will be directed into the funnel body 29 and will pass out of the funnel through an exit or discharge opening 38 spaced axially from the inlet 22, since the walls of the funnel are not glued together at the part. Further, the member has a downwardly and forwardly inclined floor 39 enabling it to discharge considerably ahead of the user. She can easily point the urinator so that the funnel will discharge into a toilet bowl or other desired receptacle. Since each loop means has a length as above described and is so positioned that the exterior, body-contacting area and the associated interior, finger-receiving area are at least at the level of the associated rim half, the seal between the body and the device becomes virtually automatic.

Many variations of this simple form are possible without departing from the basic novelty of the invention. In this simple form I have shown the finger loops as being formed from extensions of the side walls of the funnel 20. It would be possible to make finger loops from separate pieces of paper or whatever other material is used. In Figures '7 and 8 I have shown such separately formed fore-and-aft opening loops attached to the side walls of a funnel body 40 by means of metal clips 32 and/ or glue at 44. Although these loops are somewhat shorter than the loops 28 and 32, sufficient length is provided to give the user adequate control of the device. In this design I have also shown the funnel body as being formed from two separate sheets of paper, etc, and glued together along edges MN and PR to produce the annular wall structure or tubular form. The top edge is shown as curved. An exit opening 46 is positioned at the bottom of the funnel 50 instead of partly in the front edge of the funnel. The front edge MN is curved.

Another method of forming a urinator similar to those already shown appears in Figures 9, 10 and 11. Using a blank of paper shaped as shown in Figure 11, the paper is folded fiat upon itself along the line VT, and the edge VST is glued to the edge VUT. This will form a double-thickness triangle V-UST.

This triangle is again folded along the line WU and the edge VU is glued to the edge TU. This has formed a smaller triangle of the shape WU'T' shown in Figure 9, made of four thicknesses of paper, producing the annular wall structure 01' tubular form, and all four thicknesses are out along the lines XY, ZQ and AB'. This produces a funnel shaped body 50 having finger loops 52 defined by XYZQ at each side, plus the exit opening A'B'. This funnel closely resembles the type shown in Figure 3 except that the finger loops are somewhat different; although, the loops are coextensive with the rim that defines the inlet. For any of the types cellophane material could be used.

In any of the types described, alternate means of fastening the paper parts together may be used, such as crimping them together by forcing the parts together under pressure with or without heat and crinkling the joined edges.

Having thus described the device, it will readily be seen that it offers many novel and desirable features. If a woman so desires she can urinate from a standing position facing the toilet bowl. Or if she prefers, she can straddle the toilet bowl in a squatting position. In either position she does not have to sit directly on the toilet seat. By thus eliminating any contact between her skin and the toilet seat, she eliminates the danger of contracting disease by such contact.

She can easily dispose of the used urinator by dropping it into the toilet and flushing it away. This disposability feature is important because it eliminates the need of a waste receptacle for used urinators. This would be odoriferous and insanitary.

Another desirable and novel feature is the security afforded the user of the urinator by the finger loops. They provide a convenient means of positioning and adjusting the funnel and assuring that the funnel will not be dropped while the user is urinating. The users hands are not soiled while using it.

A further novelty and improvement is the fact that this urinator can be made from a flexible material such as paper or cellophane. This permits the top edges of the urinator to be pressed against the vulvar area so as to form a leak-proof seal against the body irrespective of the wide variations of body contours, particularly since the fingers afford the user a sense of feel as to proper positioning.

A further improvement and feature of novelty is the design of the finger loops. In the integral design of Fig. 1, for example, the rolled loops 28 and 32' have their axes parallel to the edges that are pressed against the body, not only avoiding sharp edges that might inadvertently cut the skin, but are of such length as to afiord a relatively large area of contact for both the fingers and the vulvar area. Preferably, each loop means has such length as to embrace at least two phalanges of the associated finger of the user. affording maximum control and a positive seal. This is important in avoiding excess pulling strains on the device and thus eliminates tearing of the material.

A further advantage is that, prior to use, it would be possible to store them in convenient wall containers which would enclose them and discharge them only one at a time, similar to the method used to dispense paper towels. Thus the only person who would touch the urinator would be the individual user of it. Further, although the device may be stored flat, with or without flattening the loops, the material of which the device is composed is sufiiciently flexible to permit adjustment of the lateral width of the inlet rim by relative lateral movement of the user's loopmeans-received fingers.

Another important feature is the low cost of such a urinator. They can be made from paper which is very inexpensive. This feature of cost often determines whether a device will actually be offered to and accepted by the public. Toilets used by women employees and by the public are generally free. The operator of such a toilet must bear the entire cost of its operation. However desirable it may be to want to have sterile toilets, the operator must forego them if the cost of such sterilization is prohibitively high. The toilet operator who furnishes urinators such as are described herewith can afford to furnish them free at such a nominal cost that he would be inclined to do so to secure the gratitude and good will of those who use them and to eliminate the generally unsatisfactory and disgusting conditions which characterize most womens public toilets today.

By omitting the out along the line A'B in Figure 9, the exit opening at the bottom would be closed, thus forming a receptacle for urine. The outlets in the other forms could be sealed for the same purpose. This would provide a sanitary means of securing samples of urine when such are required for medical analysis. This would eliminate the danger of infection incurred where a glass urine receptacle is used over and over again by a large number of women.

What is claimed is:

1. A urinating device for use by the human female, comprising: a body-engaging member of generally tubular form providing an annular wall structure having a lower end, and further having an upper peripheral rim. defining an inlet opening of elongate shape in the nature of an oval, said rim being thus shaped to be fitted by the user in an upward and rearward direction against the exterior vulvar area of her person, with the major axis of the annular wall structure positionable substantially in the fore-and-ait median plane of the body of the user so that opposite halves of the rim at the leftand right-hand sides of said plane extend generally fore-and-aft and respectively enclose the labia majora of the user's vulvar area; said member being flexible in at least the zone of its rim to enable selective widening and narrowing of the aforesaid oval shape so that the lateral distance between said opposite rim halves may be adjusted; and said member having afiixed thereto a pair of finger-receiving loops positioned respectively at said opposite halves of the rim, said 100 means being elongated in a fcre-and-aft direction and formed respectively about fore-and-aft extending axes lying respectively generally along their associated rim halves so that adjacent fingers of one palmupward hand of the user may be respectively inserted from front to rear through the loop means to enable the user to orient and adjust the member and to press said rim halves into their respective positions as aforesaid.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the member has a discharge opening therein spaced axially of the member from said upper inlet end.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the member and the finger-receiving loop means therein are composed of light-weight material of such nature that, in the amount thereof embodied in such device, the device is capable of being flushed away when dropped into a conventional fiush toilet.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: each loop in fore-and-aft extent is substantially coextensive with the length of its associated rim half.

5. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the fore-and-aft length of each loop means is such as to be capable of embracing at least two 'phalanges of the associated finger of the user.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the vertical position of each loop means relative to its associated rim half is such that the upper, external, body-contacting area and the associated interior, fingerpressure-receiving area of the loop means are at least as high as the associated rim half.

7. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the annular wall structure has a doubled-wall portion thereof at each side of the fore-and-aft 6 median plane of the device at least adjacent the associated rim half, and each doubled-wall portion is joined along its top to provide the asso ciated rim half and is open at least to the front to establish the associated loop means.

8. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the material of which the member and the loop means are formed is sufiiciently distortable so as to be normally folded along front and rear edges in the fore-and-ait median plane of the member so that the opposite sides of the wall structure contact each other to enable the memher to be flattened for storage purposes, and said material is sufiiciently flexible at least at the rim of the member to enable initial lateral spreading of the opposite rim halves and subsequent adjustment of the lateral width of the rim by relative lateral movement of the users said adjacent loopmeans-received fingers.

9. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the loop means are formed integral with and of the same material as the member.

10. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: each loop means is an element apart from but rigidly affixed to the member,

11. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the member has a discharge opening positioned downwardly and forwardly of the inlet and the member has a lower, downwardly and forwardly inclined floor enabling the discharge of urine ahead of the user.

12. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: each loop means comprises an integral upward extension of the associated side of the wall structure of the member, said extension having a terminal end portion and said extension being doubled back on said associated side of the wall structure and said terminal end of the extension being aiiixed to said associated side of the wall structure intermediate the upper and lower ends of the member; and the portion of the extension at which said extension is doubled back forms the body-contacting area of the associated rim half.

13. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the annular wall structure comprises ncrmalli flat, rightand left-hand side wall elements, each wall element having upper and lower and front and rear edges; said elements are joined along only their front and rear edges respectively, leaving the top of the structure open to provide said inlet opening and said top edges respectively defining the opposite rim halves, and leaving bottom of the structure open to provide a dis charge opening; said front and rear edges converge from top to bottom to give the member a generally trapezoidal shape in side elevation; the loop means are afiixed respectively to the wall elements and the material of which the wall elements are composed is sufiiciently flexible to enable initial lateral spreading of th oppc rim halves and subsequent adjustment of the lateral width of the rim by relative lateral move ment of the users said adjacent loop-mean.s-re ceivecl fingers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,110,967 Silveira Sept. 15, 1914 1,407,872 Lacy Feb. 28, 1922 2,140,231 Jefferis Dec. 13, 1938 2,182,254 Farrell Dec. 5, 1939 2,382,276 Wells Aug. 14, 1945

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