The present invention relates generally to a female urination device (FUD), otherwise known as a stand-to-pee (STP) device. More specifically, the present invention is a portable device that allows a woman to urinate standing up, while directing the flow of urine away from the woman's body and clothing.
A natural problem encountered by women is the need to urinate in a normal, toilet sitting position in situations that are unsanitary, uncomfortable, or simply inconvenient. Public restrooms are used by innumerable people on a daily basis and as can be imagined, become breeding grounds for pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Poor maintenance of these restroom facilities results in unsightly, grimy, and foul conditions. Several products are available to allow women to circumvent the conventional toilet sitting position while urinating. These products are primarily intended for women who wish to avoid using unsanitary public restrooms as well as women who do not have direct access to restrooms, for example in the outdoors. Female urination devices (FUDs), also known as stand-to-pee (STP) devices, generally encompass devices featuring an open entryway connected to a cone shaped funnel or elongated nozzle to direct the flow of urine away from the user's body, sometimes into a bottle.
The funnels and nozzles commonly found on many devices contribute to an overall increase in size and weight of the devices while hindering their collapsibility and portability. Another common deficiency found in the prior art is the lack of a properly conformed seal between a device and the user's body. This often results in leakage onto the user's hands and/or clothes as urine enters into the device. An additional problem exhibited by some devices encompasses non-hypoallergenic materials of which the devices are composed. These devices may cause allergic reactions on a user's skin. The present invention seeks to address the issues raised by the existing prior art and improve upon the prior art as well.
The present invention is a female urination device that allows women to urinate in a standing position while directing the flow of urine away from their bodies. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a fluid collecting body with a concave interior surface and a convex exterior surface. The fluid collecting body has a vulval opening that is delineated by a rim that is shaped to receive the bilateral symmetry of a female human crotch. The concave interior surface delineates a fluid collecting portion that is positioned above a spout, wherein the spout is directed towards the front end of the fluid collecting body. During urination, urine is able to enter the fluid collecting portion of the fluid collecting body through the vulval opening before traveling downward by the force of gravity and exiting through the spout. The material of the present invention is flexible in order to allow the user to firmly press the device against her body to prevent leakage.
The object of the present invention is to allow a woman to urinate in a standing position. To use the present invention, a woman positions the fluid collecting body such that the spout is aligned with her labia majora and urinates into the interior of the fluid collecting body. The concave interior surface prevents the spraying urine from exiting the fluid collecting body during use, except through the spout. Urine enters the fluid collecting portion and exits the fluid collecting body through the spout and away from the user. The present invention seeks to direct the flow of urine away from the user by making the fluid arc without the need for an elongated nozzle. Additionally, the present invention capitalizes on the force of gravity as urine is directed into the fluid collecting portion and forced out of the spout. The present invention is collapsible for improved portability due to the flexible material of the device. Furthermore, the present invention is available in both disposable and reusable variants.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a female urination device for directing the flow of urine away from a user's body. The present invention comprises a fluid collecting body 10 that is used to collect and direct urine away from the user's body and a sanitary napkin 80 that is used to facilitate application of the present invention to the user's body. In addition to being used to control the flow of urine, the present invention provides an external device that can be used to control a woman's menstrual outflow.
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The spout 30 is positioned about the fluid collecting body 10 opposite the rim 20 and provides the means through which urine, or menstrual outflow, exits the female urination device. As such, the spout 30 delineates a urinary outflow opening 31, wherein the urinary outflow opening 31 is smaller than the vulval opening 21 and is in fluid communication with the vulval opening 21 through the fluid collecting portion 60, as depicted in
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In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spout 30 is completely enclosed, however, in other embodiments of the present invention, the spout 30 may be open along the top forming a trough. The present invention is not limited with respect to the specific design of the spout 30 and the spout 30 design may vary according to various embodiments of the present invention. Further examples of differentiation in the spout 30 from one embodiment to another include the distance the spout 30 extends from the concave interior surface 40 and the convex exterior surface 50, and the angle of the spout 30 relative to the concave interior surface 40 and the convex exterior surface 50. In reference to
The sanitary napkin 80 promotes good hygiene and assists in attaching the fluid collecting body 10 to the user's body. In reference to
The sanitary napkin 80 also comprises a plurality of adhesive sections that allows the sanitary napkin 80 to be removably attached to the user's body. The plurality of adhesive sections is positioned perimetrically around the sanitary napkin 80, allowing each side of the sanitary napkin 80 to be adhered to the user's body. The plurality of adhesive sections assists in maintaining the leak proof seal between the rim 20 and the user's body and if any urine does manage to leak around the rim 20, the sanitary napkin 80 is able to absorb the urine.
The present invention provides women with a means of urinating in a standing position. To use the present invention, a user orients the fluid collecting body 10 such that the spout 30 is aligned with her labia majora, with the top front of the fluid collecting body 10 held firmly in place against the base of her mons veneris. The fluid collecting body 10 is held firmly in place to prevent leakage during use. The user then urinates through the vulval opening 21 into the fluid collecting portion 60 of the fluid collecting body 10 while holding the fluid collecting body 10 in place. Urine collects within the fluid collecting portion 60 of the fluid collecting body 10 and is directed out of the spout 30. The concave interior surface 40 assists in directing the flow of urine through the fluid collecting portion 60, towards the spout 30. As urine exits the fluid collecting body 10 through the spout 30, the urine is directed away from the user's hands, body, and clothes.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid collecting body 10 is made from a flexible material, allowing the user to squeeze the fluid collecting body 10 as urine is collected. By squeezing the fluid collecting body 10, the user can increase the exiting flow rate of the urine by forcing urine from the fluid collecting portion 60 through the spout 30. The flexible nature of the fluid collecting body 10 is also beneficial in disposable embodiments of the present invention as it allows the fluid collecting body 10 to be folded in order to become more compact. For example, the spout 30 can be retracted into the fluid collecting portion 60, as depicted in
The present invention is intended for use in situations in which urinating in a sitting position is unsanitary, uncomfortable, or inconvenient. An example situation encompasses public restrooms that are shared and used by a large number of people on a daily basis. The present invention allows a woman to avoid sitting on a potentially unsanitary toilet seat in favor of urinating from a standing position. Additionally, the present invention allows women to utilize unisex toilets as well as male urinals. The present invention is a practical solution for situations in which there is no direct access to a restroom, such as in the outdoors.
In a reusable configuration, the present invention is washable after every use. In the reusable configuration, the fluid collecting body 10 is constructed from a material such as hypoallergenic silicon for convenient washing after use. In a disposable configuration of the present invention, the fluid collecting body 10 is constructed from paper or a biodegradable and hypoallergenic material such as cellulose bamboo pulp fiber to minimize potential negative effects on the environment after disposal.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The current application is a continuation in part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/476,751 filed on Dec. 17, 2013.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20160030228 A1 | Feb 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29476751 | Dec 2013 | US |
Child | 14882175 | US |