Patent Application
20100312204
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a menstrual cup device and a method of use thereof, and more particularly to one having a menstrual cup and a collection bag, which is convenient for replacement and is safe and hygienic in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the use of the menstrual cup instead of the napkin and the tampon. The menstrual cup has a soft cup for receiving menstrual blood. It is re-useable and convenient.
Conventional menstrual cups, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 891,761, 1,996,242, 2,089,113, 5,827,248, 323,212, use a soft cup to be inserted into the vagina for receiving menstrual blood. Removal of the menstrual cup from the vagina should be accomplished on a regular basis for emptying, cleaning and hygienic purposes. This is inconvenient to the user. In addition, the user has to carry a spare menstrual cup and a package bag for the dirty menstrual cup in case it is not convenient for the user to clean the menstrual cup immediately. This may cause hygienic problems or blood leakage. Sometimes, the user is embarrassed by the problem to clean the menstrual cup at the sink of a public lavatory. This is a main reason that the menstrual cup is not generally used.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a menstrual cup device, comprising:
a menstrual cup made of expandable material so as to be compressed, the menstrual cup having resilience for restoring to its original shape after being compressed, the menstrual cup comprising a pulling stem at a lower end thereof, a circular lip at an open upper end thereof, and a circular groove below the circular lip; and
a collection bag having a resilient restraining ring at an open upper end thereof;
thereby, the resilient restraining ring being expanded to be constricted in the circular groove of the menstrual cup, the circular lip being adapted to prevent the resilient restraining ring from disengagement, the menstrual cup with the collection bag being compressed and inserted into the vagina for collecting menstrual blood, the collection bag being disposable and replaceable.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of use for applying a menstrual cup device, comprising the following steps of:
Preferably, the menstrual cup further comprises a circular rib below the circular groove, the circular rib being formed with at least one gap for a user to take the collection bag out easily.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The menstrual cup 2 is made of expandable material, such as medical silica gel, so as to be compressed, as shown in
The collection bag 3 has a resilient restraining ring 31 at an open upper end thereof. The resilient restraining ring 31 is located in the circular groove 221 of the menstrual cup 2 after the collection bag 3 is fitted in the menstrual cup 2. The circular lip 22 is adapted to prevent the resilient restraining ring 31 from disengagement. The circular rib 23 is adapted to prevent the resilient restraining ring 31 from being pushed out of the circular groove 221 when the menstrual cup 2 is removed from the vagina. The collection bag 3 is disposed in the menstrual cup 2 securely when the menstrual cup 2 is compressed and inserted into the vagina or removed from the vagina. The collection bag 3 is disposable and replaceable. The present invention is convenient, safe, and hygienic.
As shown in
As shown in
Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
