The present invention relates to an eyewash system.
It is generally known to provide an eyewash system configured for flooding or rinsing of one or both of the eyes of a person (e.g., a worker or other user) with water or a fluid solution in order to remove, dilute, or neutralize a contaminant or other foreign material. One portable type of such eyewash systems typically include a bottle of eyewash fluid/solution and a cap that must be removed (e.g., unscrewed or twisted off) to dispense the eyewash solution. Such known eyewash systems may also have shrink wrap covering the cap that must be removed before the cap can be removed.
It is desired to be able to know whether an eyewash bottle has been opened or used and may even be desired to prevent used eyewash bottles from being reused or refilled after having been used, or otherwise exposed to the environment. However, known eyewash bottle systems have a cap that can be reattached to the bottle after use, refilling, or being separated from the bottle for other reasons.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an eyewash system with improved sterility by configuration and interaction of its components (e.g., without needing assembly, and/or filling required) and by limiting the system to a single use. It would also be advantageous to provide an eyewash station or system that indicates when the eyewash has been used, re-filled, opened, or otherwise exposed to the environment. It would further be advantageous to provide an eyewash bottle system that indicates when the cover has been separated from the container and/or prevents the cover from being reattached to the container (e.g., single use, tamper-evident, re-seal resistant, etc.). It would further be advantageous to provide an eyewash station that is easier to use and/or set up for use. It would be desirable to provide for an eyewash system having one or more of these or other advantageous features. To provide an inexpensive, reliable, and widely adaptable eyewash system that avoids the above-referenced and other problems would represent a significant advance in the art.
An embodiment of the present invention relates to an eyewash system configured to dispense an eyewash fluid. The eyewash system comprises a container configured to contain the eyewash fluid; a cover removably coupled to the container; and one or more projections located at least partially between the container and the cover in a stowed position when the cover is coupled to the container. The one or more projections move to a deployed position when the cover is removed from the container.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to an eyewash system configured to dispense an eyewash fluid. The eyewash system comprises a container configured to contain the eyewash fluid and including a bottle and a cap located at an outlet of the bottle; a cover removably coupled to the container and at least partially enclosing the cap when the cover is coupled to the container wherein the container may disperse the eyewash fluid when the cover is removed from the container and as inhibited from dispensing the eyewash fluid when the cover is coupled to the container; and one or more projections located at least partially between the container and the cover in a stowed position when the cover is coupled to the container. The one or more projections move to a deployed position when the cover is removed from the container to provide an indicator that indicates that the cover has been removed from the container.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of assembling an eyewash system configured to dispense an eyewash fluid. The method comprises providing a container, a cover, and one or more projections extending from the container; positioning the one or more projections in a stowed position where the one or more projections are in a biased condition; and removably coupling the cover to the container to retain the one or more projections in the stowed position and the biased condition when the cover is coupled to the container so that the one or more projections move to an deployed position where the one or more projections are in an unbiased condition when the cover is removed from the container.
The present invention further relates to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments. Other ways in which the objects and features of the disclosed embodiments are accomplished will be described in the following specification or will become apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read this specification. Such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.
Before explaining a number preferred, exemplary, and alternative embodiments of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Referring to
According to an exemplary embodiment and shown best in
The diffuser 54 is generally aligned with the outlet 34 and forms one or more openings 56 (e.g. passages, apertures, holes, etc.) that allow the eyewash fluid to escape the bottle 32. In various exemplary embodiments the number, angle, size or arrangement of the openings 56 in the diffuser 54 may be varied to alter the flow rate and pattern of the eye wash. The eyecup 46 is configured to direct the flow of eyewash towards the effected area. The eyecup 46 extends upward from the cap 38 and generally surrounds the diffuser 54. According to an exemplary embodiment, the eyecup 46 and the diffuser 54 are molded in different color plastics to provide a visual contrast as discussed in more detail below and shown best in
The cover 60 is coupled to the bottle 32 and is configured to prevent the eyewash fluid from (unintentionally) escaping the bottle 32. The cover 60 includes an interface portion 62 and a coupling portion. The interface portion 62 forms a circular member (e.g., handle, loop, ring, etc.) that may be grasped by a user to remove the cover 60 from the bottle 32. The coupling portion comprises a circular side wall 66 that extends downward from the interface portion 62. An inner wall or projection or rib 68 extends downward from the interface portion 62 inside the side wall 66.
A plurality of seals are provided to keep the eyewash fluid contained within the bottle sterile and free of outside contaminants. A first seal 48 between the cover 60 and the cap 38 is formed by a recessed area or groove that is disposed between the eyecup and the diffuser that engages the rib 68 extending downward from the cover 60. A second seal 50 between the cover 60 and the cap 38 is formed by an outwardly extending projection 58 (e.g., flange, flap, lip, etc.). The projection 58 contacts the side wall 66 of the cover 60 to form a “wiper” seal when the cover 60 is in place. A third seal 51 is formed when a portion of the flexible portion of the cap 38 is compressed between a rigid portion of the cap 38 and the bottle 32. According to other exemplary embodiments, one or more of the seals may be formed by o-rings.
Referring to
To operate the eyewash system 10, a user removes the container 30 from the base 20 and pulls upward on the interface portion 62 of the cover 60 (i.e., separates the cap from the bottle such as shown by
The cap 138 is coupled to the bottle 132 and at least partially restricts the flow of the eyewash fluid out of the bottle 132. The cap 138 includes a mounting portion 142 and a dispensing portion 144. The mounting portion 142 is a generally cylindrical body that is coupled to the bottle 132 with a threaded connection.
The cap 138 includes both rigid and flexible portions. The rigid and flexible portions are integrally formed as a single unitary body by co-molding, insert molding, or another suitable method. A plurality of seals are provided by the flexible portion of the cap 138 to keep the eyewash fluid contained within the bottle sterile and free of outside contaminants. A first seal 148 between the cover 160 and the cap 138 is formed by a recessed area or groove that is disposed between the eyecup and the diffuser that engages the rib 168 extending downward from the cover 160. A second seal 150 between the cover 160 and the cap 138 is formed by an outwardly extending projection 158 (e.g., flange, flap, lip, etc.). The projection 158 contacts the inside wall 166 of the cover 160 to form a wiper seal. A third seal 152 is formed when a portion of the flexible portion of the cap 138 is compressed between a rigid portion of the cap 138 and the bottle 132.
The particular materials used to construct the exemplary embodiments are also illustrative. For example, injection molded high density polyethylene is the preferred method and material for making the cup and cover; blow molded polyethylene is the preferred method and material for making the bottle; and injection molded thermoplastic rubber (TPR) is the preferred method and material for the eye cup and other flexible portions. Also, the eye cup may be molded into the body of the container, made of casted material, metal, elastomer, or epoxy, but other materials can be used, including other thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, high density or other polyethylenes, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polyurethane, nylon, any of a variety of homopolymer plastics, copolymer plastics, plastics with special additives, filled plastics, etc. Also, other molding operations may be used to form these components, such as blow molding, rotational molding, etc.
It is important to note that the terms used herein are intended to be broad terms and not terms of limitation. These components may be used with any of a variety of products or arrangements and are not intended to be limited to use with emergency eyewash applications. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” shall mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature. Such joining may also relate to mechanical, fluid, or electrical relationship between the two components.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the eyewash system as shown in the preferred and other exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and/or omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention as expressed in the appended claims.
The present application claims from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/922,076 titled “EYEWASH SYSTEM” filed Apr. 5, 2007 (Attorney Docket No. 063359-0396), the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The following U.S. patents and/or patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/282038 titled “CAP” filed Jul. 10, 2007 (Attorney Docket No. 063359-0406); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/282039 titled “EYEWASH SYSTEM” filed Jul. 10, 2007 (Attorney Docket No. 063359-0409).
Number | Date | Country | |
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60922076 | Apr 2007 | US |