US2878486A - Sanitary device - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1959 D. E. BARTLETT ETAL 2,878,486

SANITARY DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1956 INVENTOR.

United States Patent SANITARY DEVICE David E. Bartlett and Marjorie H. Bartlett, Arlington Heights, Ill.

Application January 19, 1956, Serial No. 560,144

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-110 The present invention pertains to a sanitary device, and, more particularly, pertains to a urine conductor for use by females.

In the process of voiding urine in public toilets many women fear the contact of their persons with the toilet seat. This fear has a sound foundation in view of the facility with which disease may be transferred through this medium.

The prior art discloses sanitary devices which are intended for use by females so as to avoid unhygienic contact with the toilet facility in the course of voiding urine, but all are open to one or more serious objections.

Some of the provided sanitary devices are uncomfortable to employ, forcing the user thereof to assume a strained unnatural position. Others are unsanitary, readily soiling clothing of the user. Still others are bulky and not readily disposable following use, thereby presenting a hygienic problem in themselves.

It is an object of this invention to provide an efficient urine conductor for use by females eliminating all need for contacting a toilet facility.

It is another object of this invention, therefore, to provide a urine conductor for females which is lightweight and foldable so as to be readily carried in a purse while occupying a minimum amountof space.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a urine conductor which is usable by females while in a comfortable, erect standing position.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a urine conductor for females which is usable while disturbing to a minimum degree the garb of the user.

It is another object of this invention to provide a urine conductor for females which is readily disposable after use and which may be flushed down the toilet facility.

The above and other objects will become more apparent from the following description, accompanying drawing and appended claims.

In one embodiment of this invention, a flat-folded paper member describing a tapered passageway in the unfolded position is provided. The inner surface of the member passageway is water repellent whereas the outer surface is readily wettable and, thus, facilitates disintegration by water in a plumbing system. In the unfolded position the paper member is seen to have the larger end limit contoured to engage the female perineum. A projecting finlike portion of the paper member in the unfolded position facilitates holding of the same in the normal course of use, and a seam disposed in the bottom portion of the member reenforces the same, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should now be had to the drawing; wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary device formed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sanitary device illustrated in Fig. 1 showing in greater detail the configuration of one end limit thereof;

2,878,486 Patented Mar. 24, 1959 ice Fig. 3 is a perspective view depicting the sanitary device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in the process of being unfolded;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a sanitary device after it has been completely folded; and

Fig. 5 is an end view in elevation looking into the interior of the sanitary device from the larger opening thereof.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the drawing, and'more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2. In these latter two figures, perspective views .of a sanitary device 10 are illustrated showing the general design and configuration of such a device when in an unfolded position and ready for use. It will be noted that the device in the unfolded condition describes a tapered conduit or passageway 12 which is defined by a plurality of wall portions or panels 14 and 16. The latter panel members are formed, following a folding operation hereinafter to be described in greater detail. As a result of the folds, greater strength and rigidity is added to the device 10 in the unfolded position and resistance to bending and distortion of the same is increased.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the device or wall portions 16 have upwardly extending portions 18 which form a finlike projection, as illustrated, which functions as hand-engaging means or handle in the normal course of use. End portions 19 of the paper member 10 overlap, as illustrated, to form a seam disposed inwardly into the tapered passageway 12. The opposed surfaces of the portions 19 are sealed together with a water insoluble adhesive. It will also be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that an end limit periphery 20 which defines the larger opening of the tapered passageway 12 is contoured to engage the perineal area of the female body; this is the area beginning between the anus and posterior commissure of the vulva and extending anteriorly to the pubis. 2

It thus becomes apparent that the sanitary device 10 is to be employed as follows: The user of the same engages the projecting portions 18 with the fingers and disposes the periphery of end limit 20 of the device against the perineal area of the body whereby the urethra is completely surrounded. In the latter disposition, an oppositely disposed end limit 22 of the sanitary device is projected downwardly and forwardly of the person of the user. The length of the device 10 and the size of opening 22 should be such as to carrythe voided urine away from the body in a substantially narrow stream. A female in the normal course of voiding urine may thus stand in a comfortable erect position in front of the toilet facility. The contoured peripheral end limit 20 of the device 10 may readily engage the perineal area of the body as the oppositely disposed end limit 22 is automatically directed toward a toilet facility. It will be noted that the member seam portions 19 function as reenforcing rib and, in the course of the latter positioning operation, prevent buckling of the member panels 14. In addition, the rib defined by the member portions 19 prevents buckling of the device in the process of voiding the urine.

The sanitary device 10 may be coated on its interior surface with a suitable water-repelling substance, such as a plastic, wax, or equivalent material. The exterior surface of the sanitary device, however, is readily wettable whereby the same may be deposited in the water closet following the use thereof and readily flushed. Because of the wettable nature of the exterior of the sanitary device 10, it rapidly becomes pulpy and readily disintegrates, thereby creating no problem whatsoever in the plumbing system. The device 10 may also be fabricated from thin 3 Waterproof paper which may be readily torn and deposited in the toilet facility following use.

An alternate construction for the illustrated sanitary device may utilize laminae which are adhesively or otherwise secured togethcrn' The inner lamina may comprise a plastic or cellophane sheet and the outer lamina a thin paper substance. Such a construction may be readily disposed of in the same manner as the above-described sanitary device.

Because of the disposable nature of the device provided, it is intended that they be manufactured in a form which readily lends itself to storage in a dispensing device which may be positioned in a public toilet. It is also intended that the sanitary device provided he of such a form so as to be carried in a purse and yet occupy a minimum of space. When purchased, therefore, it is intended that the sanitary device 10 bein a flat, uniplanar folded condition, such as is illustrated in Fig. 4. In such a position, it will be noted that the opposed wall portions 14 are folded so as to be oppositely disposed to each other with the seam portions 19 interposed therebetween. Also disposed between wall portions 14 are the wall portions or panels 16 which are inwardly folded so as to be received therebetween. The handle portion defined by projecting portions 18, is, in turn, disposed between the folded-over wall portions 16. The final folded product is, therefore, seen to define an area equal to a wall portion 14 only. The thickness of the folded device is of extremely small magnitude, since the material of composition is merely coated paper.

Fig. 3 illustrates a position intermediate the folded position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the unfolded position of Figs. 1 and 2, which depict the device ready for use. The sanitary device is readily opened by merely holding the same in an opened hand, engaging the opposed side folds; that is, the foldsdefining the interface between panels 16 and 14; with thumb and fingers and then pulling in an upward direction on the handle portions 18 with the fingers of the other hand until open. Fig. 5 illustrates an end view of the device in the fully opened position looking into the tapered passageway 12 from the larger opening 20. Directions for use of the device 10 may be printed on an outer surface thereof, and finger outlines imprinted on the handle portions 18 to quickly instruct the person utilizing the same.

When employing the above-described sanitary device 10, women need not contact a toilet facility in any way. The user of the device 10 may stand in an erect, comfortable position. The design of the device 10 obviates any possibility of soiling either the clothing of the user or the toilet facility. Other hygienic benefits which the provided device affords to the user of the same are, of

course, obvious. The toilet device need no longer be contacted by a female in the course of voiding urine. It may be desirable to package the device as a sterile item in an airtight sterile container; as a result, the utmost in hygienic conditions is assured.

The device 10 is economical to make. The design of the device is'simple, being readily formed from a onepiece blank into a conduit having the above-described panels, or walls, and the handle portions 18. The foldability of the above-described device enables the same to be eificiently stored and readily dispensed and also provides rigidity of structure when the device is unfolded. Following the use thereof, the illustrated device 10 may be flushed into a plumbing system wherein it will readily disintegrate, thereby presenting no problem of disposability.

The above-described device may be subject to many modifications which will still remain within the inventive concepts above disclosed. It is apparent, for instance, that the specific panel and handle configurations illustrated do not present the. only form which these portions may assume. It is intended, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An article of the character described comprising flexible panel's having fold lines defining the boundaries therebetween, said panels being foldable to define a sub stantially fiat member and expansible to define a tapered passageway in the unfolded position, the larger end limit of said passageway being contoured to engage the female perineal area, the central longitudinal axis of said passageway being obliquely disposed to the opening defined by the periphery of said passageway contoured end limit in the normal unfolded condition, water repellent means defining the inner surface of said foldable member, the outer surface of said foldable member being water wettable and softenable, and reinforcing means disposed along the bottom portion of said passageway in the normal position of use.

2. The article as recited in claim 1 in combination with handle means disposed along the longitudinal axis of the article upper portion when in the normal position of use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,872 Lacy Feb. 28, 1922 2,002,215 Blitz May 21, 1935 2,341,056 Moore Feb. 8, 1944 2,507,843 Wheeler May 16, 1950 2,567,706 Hannum et al Sept. 11, l 2,734,198 Kutsche Feb. 14, 1956

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