This disclosure is directed to a foldable wash basin to address the need for bedside handwashing when certain illnesses are not properly addressed with other methods. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an accessible wash basin for independent patient hand hygiene. The wash basin includes a foldable wash basin may be placed near or besides the patient's bed. The wash basin is capable of removing germs and contaminants from hands eliminating recurrent infections or contamination. Germs include such things as microorganisms, viruses, disease producing bacteria, and parasites.
Simple handwashing can prevent recurrent infections and the spread of infections throughout a hospital. Health-care providers currently use a portable wash basin that requires filling, prior to wheeling the wash basin to a designated location, and draining, after usage. This current method is time-consuming and can be eliminated from the busy routine at hospitals by using a wash basin that allows bedridden patients to easily wash their hands by themselves.
Summers et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,771) and Slayton (U.S. Pat. No. 8,117,689 B1) each disclosed a portable disposable basin apparatus that include a wheeled cart for carrying the wash basin to a designated area. Both wash basins are designed for servicing patients because they require filling of the wash basin beforehand. Summers does not disclose a lid or a drain pipe for the wash basin, which makes lifting the basin after usage very difficult, increasing chances of spillage. Slayton discloses a lid and a drain pipe, which solves the problem of spillage and health-care providers lower back pain, but the issue of optimizing staff time by allowing patients to carry out simple self-care remains.
A portable disposable wash basin is disclosed by Patterson (US 2004/0148697 A1). Patterson discloses a lid, for covering the wash basin, and a pump, for pumping fresh water from a container adjacent to the basin. Both the lid and the pump can become an obstacle for some patients to use the sink by themselves which may require assistance of health-care providers for the simple task of washing patient's hands.
Wheeling carts, even when collapsible, occupy space at already crowded conditions of hospitals. The present disclosure provides a wash basin that is able to stand alone by patient's bed.
The present disclosure provides a structure and mechanism allowing instant hand-access.
Therefore, it is primary feature of present disclosure to provide a portable foldable stand-alone wash basin that overcomes the problems associated with prior art arrangements.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a portable collapsible wash basin wash basin for independent patient use is disclosed. The portable collapsible wash basin comprising a foldable bag, wherein the bag with sidewalls defining an open end and a closed end and the sidewalls defining two openings for hand accessibility, an absorbent material, and a dry sheet soap.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a frame assembly including a rod assembly, a lid and a funnel, wherein the rod assembly is comprised of a plurality of rods and a plurality of connectors, wherein the wash basin is supported by the rod assembly, and wherein the lid and the funnel are supported by the rod assembly and are located over the open end of the bag.
In another aspect of the disclosure, the bag is supported by the rod assembly by use of clips or couplers.
In a further aspect of the disclosure, a method of use of the wash basin 1 comprising the steps of providing the wash basin to a patient while the patient is in bed, placing the absorbent material in a bag of the wash basin, placing the dry sheet soap inside the bag of the wash basin, and providing water through a lid of the frame assembly, wherein the user places hands through sidewall openings in order to wash and rinse the user's hands.
In a further aspect of the disclosure, a method of use of the wash basin comprises the additional step of locating the wash basin on the patient's bedside table.
In a further aspect of the disclosure, a method of use of the wash basin comprises the additional step of removing the bag with the absorbent material and the sheet soap from the frame assembly and disposing of the bag with the absorbent material and the sheet soap.
The above-mentioned and other features of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Unless otherwise stated, a reference to a compound or component includes the compound or component by itself, as well as in combination with other compounds or components, such as mixtures of compounds.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification.
The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings.
Bag 100 is a generally flexible container typically comprised of four sidewalls 102 of generally equal length and width that define an open end 104 and a closed end 106. Each of the four sidewalls 102 may include a flap 108. In this embodiment, two opposing sidewalls 102 define sidewall openings 110. As best illustrated in
Sidewall openings 110 are shown as a star shaped series of slits 112. It is envisioned that such slits and the corresponding remains 114 created by slits 112 minimize the amount of water which may escape the bag 100 during operation of the wash basin 10. Other shapes are envisioned especially shapes including remains 114 or some form of retention of the bag material to minimize the amount of water which may escape the bag during operation of the wash basin.
Bag 100 is preferably molded from a flexible food-grade material, such as plastics, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) without bisphenol A (BPA) and without Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), acrylic, or acrylic polymer. Bag 100 is preferably non-toxic and odorless. Bag 100 is collapsible. Bag provides support for up to 0.5 gallons of water but could be easily scaled up to hold more water if necessary.
Absorbent material 116 and sheet soap 118 may be located within bag 100 such as near closed end 106. Wash basin 10 includes Absorbent material 116 and a standard sheet soap 118 each located near closed end 106 of bag 100.
As best illustrated in
First, rod assembly 128 provides support for bag 100, as best illustrated in
Lid 122 and funnel 124 are best illustrated in
As illustrated in this embodiment lid 122 defines depression 138 as square in horizontal cross section. It is envisioned that lid 122 may define a different shape for depression 138. As best illustrated in
Funnel 124 are generally shown as square in cross section and configured to be located within and engage depression 138. It is envisioned that funnel 124 may a different shape in order to be located within or in order to engage an alternative embodiment of depression 138 having a different shape. It is also envisioned that lid 122 and funnel 124 may be combined into a single structure.
As best illustrated in
Rod assembly 128 provides user's hands access to sidewall openings 110, as best illustrated in
Absorbent material 116 and sheet soap 118 may be added to bag 100 as configured in
In use, water is added by the user or another person assisting the user. Water may be added by any means, such as by way of a pitcher or bottle of water. Lid 122 with funnel 124 is configured to accept pp to 32 ounces of water at any moment.
The user's hand or hands are inserted into the sidewall openings 110 of the bag. The user washes hands utilizing the sheet of dry soap 118 provided in the bag 100. Water flows through the depression 138 and apertures 140 as the user scrubs hands with soap 118 and water. Remaining water rinses hands and is collected in absorbent pad 116 near the closed end 106 of the bag 100. Bag 100 is sealed and disposed of once hand washing is complete.
While this disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present disclosure may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains.
This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/846,725, filed May 12, 2019 and U.S. provisional application No. 62/882,485, filed Aug. 3, 2019, the subject matter of each of the above referenced disclosures is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62846725 | May 2019 | US | |
62882485 | Aug 2019 | US |