Patent Application
20200332508
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The disclosure and prior art relates to funnel devices and more particularly pertains to a new funnel device for facilitating a person sitting on a toilet to vomit into the toilet.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a stand is removably positionable around a toilet. A funnel is coupled to the stand, the funnel has a top end and a bottom end, and the funnel tapers inwardly between the top and bottom ends. The funnel is positionable in a deployed position having the top end being aligned with the person's mouth and having the bottom end being directed between the user's legs toward the toilet. In this way the funnel can direct emesis into the toilet. A hose is coupled to the stand, the hose is fluidly coupled to a fluid source and a spray nozzle is fluidly coupled to the hose for washing vomit from the funnel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The stand 12 includes a pole 30 that has a first end 32 and a second end 34. The first end 32 is rotatably coupled to the top surface 24 of a respective one of the outward members 20 having the pole 30 extending upwardly from the respective outward member. Thus, the pole 30 is positioned adjacent to a person 36 sitting on the toilet 14 when the base 16 is positioned around the toilet 14. The pole 30 has a sequence of bends 38 thereon defining a first horizontal portion 40 of the pole 30 that is oriented perpendicular to a vertical portion 42 of the pole 30 and a second horizontal portion 44 of the pole 30 that is oriented perpendicular to the first horizontal portion 40. The second horizontal portion 44 has the second end 34 of the pole 30 associated therewith.
Each of the first 42 and second 44 horizontal portions is oriented to lie on a horizontal plane. The pole 30 is rotatable into a deployed position having the second horizontal portion 44 of the pole 30 being positioned above the toilet space 22. Thus, the second horizontal portion 44 can be swung in front of the person 36 sitting on the toilet 14 when the pole 30 is in the deployed position. The toilet 14 may be a plumbing fixture of any conventional design, including ADA compliant toilets, residential toilets and institutional toilets.
A funnel 46 is coupled to the stand 12, the funnel 46 has a top end 48 and a bottom end 50, and the funnel 46 tapers inwardly between the top 48 and bottom 50 ends. Moreover, the funnel 46 is positionable in a deployed position having the top end 48 being aligned with the person's 36 mouth and having the bottom end 50 being directed between the person's 36 legs toward the toilet 14. In this way the funnel 46 directs emesis into the toilet 14 when the person 36 is sitting on the toilet 14 without requiring the person 36 to assume a special posture to accommodate emesis.
The funnel 46 has an outer wall 52 extending between the top 48 and bottom 50 ends, and the outer wall 52 curves laterally away from an axis extending through the top 48 and bottom 50 ends. Thus, a hood portion 54 of the funnel 46 is defined that is oriented perpendicular to the axis. The bottom end 50 is open and the hood portion 54 has an opening 56 extending therethrough. The opening 56 extends from a lower threshold 58 of the hood portion 54 upwardly along the top end 48 of the funnel 46.
The outer wall 52 of the hood portion 54 is coupled to the second end 34 of the pole 30 such that the funnel 46 is centrally positioned over the toilet space 22 when the pole 30 is positioned in the deployed position. Moreover, the hood portion 54 is directed rearwardly with respect to the central member 18 when the pole 30 is positioned in the deployed position. In this way the opening 56 accommodates the person's 36 face having the hood portion 54 extending beneath the person's 36 chin and having the top end 48 of the funnel 46 being aligned with the person's 36 forehead. Thus, the hood portion 54 reduces spillage during emesis onto the toilet 14 or the user.
A hose 60 is coupled to the stand 12, and the hose 60 has a first end 62 and a second end 64. The first end 62 of the hose 60 is fluidly coupled to a fluid source 66, such as the water supply line of the toilet 14. The hose 60 extends upwardly along the vertical portion 42 of the pole 30 and substantially along the first horizontal portion 40 of the pole 30. In this way the hose 60 is extendable into the funnel 46. A spray nozzle 68 is fluidly coupled to the hose 60 for washing vomit from the funnel 46 and the spray nozzle 68 is positioned on the second end 64 of the hose 60. The spray nozzle 68 is positionable between an open position for spraying the fluid and a closed position to inhibit the fluid from spraying. A hook 70, or other suspension support, is coupled to the first horizontal portion 40 of the pole 30 and the hose 60 can be suspended thereon for storage.
As shown in
In use, the base 16 is positioned around the toilet 14 when the person 36 is suffering from a stomach illness, food poisoning or other ailment known to cause emesis. The pole 30 is rotated into the deployed position when the person 36 sits on the toilet 14 thereby positioning the funnel 46 in front of the person 36. In this way the person 36 can vomit into the funnel 46 while sitting on the toilet 14, and without assuming a posture other than the conventional posture of defecating on a toilet 14. Additionally, the funnel 46 facilitates the person 36 to vomit simultaneously while defecating in the event that the person 36 is suffering from emesis and diarrhea. The funnel 46 can be washed with the hose 60 at any time.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
