The present invention relates generally to portable urinals, and more specifically, to a portable male urinal having an adjustable cup which directs urine to flow into a container.
Portable urinals are used by those who need to urinate but cannot access a toilet, for example, patients confined to a bed. Typically, such urinals include a urine receiving reservoir and a spout extending therefrom. The spout includes an inlet through which the urine is received and typically contains a valve structured to resist backflow.
Overflow and backflow are long recognized problems associated with handheld portable urinals. Overflow and backflow, or undesirable spillage, of urine may occur during multiple uses while filling and handling portable urinals. Overflow and backflow may be caused by urine escaping out of the reservoir when it is over capacitated or overfilled. A problem arises in that overflow and backflow results in the urine coming into contact with the patient handling the portable urinal or in the patient's bed causing unsanitary health conditions increasing risk for further medical problems, such as infections. In addition, the workload of caretakers is increased due to the need for cleaning the patient and/or the bed following the spillage of urine thereon. Mishandling of the urinal may be a result of the bedridden patient leaving the urinal, for example, on the bed following use and then inadvertently contacting the urinal and causing spillage therefrom.
Many prior art attempts have been made to address the above problems. One such prior art attempt to prevent backflow discloses a portable handheld urinal having a valve assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,846,143, entitled “Portable urinal with a shaped inlet and a membrane valve” and teaches of a portable urinal that includes a container defining a liquid reservoir and a spout extending therefrom. The spout has an inlet for receiving a liquid. A valve assembly is disposed within the spout. The valve assembly has an interior region and an exterior region. The valve assembly includes a sidewall and one or more sealable openings for permitting flow of a liquid into the reservoir, while resisting undesired flow of the liquid out of the reservoir. However, the reservoir taught by this patent has a small volume and cannot be used for multiple uses by the patient.
Another, prior art attempt to prevent overflow is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,284 entitled “Mobile sanitary urinal and method of use thereof” which discloses a mobile sanitary urinal apparatus for truck drivers or others who do not have access to restroom facilities while traveling. The urinal comprises a catheter-type receiver which attaches to plumbing thereby functioning as a urinal to receive urine from a user and directing it through a hose to a retention container. The retention container would be emptied into a sanitary collection station or normal restroom when feasible.
However, the techniques or apparatus disclosed above in the prior art suffer from one or more disadvantages in emptying urine, such as the handheld urinal utilizes a reservoir having a small volume and cannot be used by the patient urinating multiple times without them having to get up and empty their urinal. Also, the mobile sanitary urinal has the plumbing permanently connected to the retention container and houses an emptying orifice located at the top of the retention container wherein both of these features may make this portable urinal difficult and cumbersome to empty without splashing urine on the person emptying the container.
In view of the aforesaid problems, it is understood that there exists a need for a new and improved portable male urinal that may be used multiple times, is easy to use, empty and keep clean. The present invention solves this and other problems in a unique and novel fashion.
A portable male urinal is provided which consists of a portable retention container for holding urine therein. The portable male urinal includes a combination urinal cup and elongated flexible tube used for channeling the flow of urine discharged from a body of a person directly into the portable retention container. An adjustable stanchion is provided for suspending the combination urinal cup and flexible tube above the portable retention container. The elongated flexible tube easily attaches and detaches itself from both the urine cup and the portable retention container in use and for cleaning purposes.
Another objective of the current invention is to provide a flip lid with the urine cup for containing odors during nonuse.
Certain embodiments of the current invention, but are not limited to, is to provide a portable male urinal which may be easily disassembled for allowing the safe release of urine from the portable retention container.
To further clarify various aspects of some example embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawing. It is appreciated that the drawing depicts only illustrated embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawing in which:
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A container connector 26 is disposed on the top wall 44 of the container 16, so that a lower end of the elongated flexible tube 14 may be attached to and/or detached from the connector 26. In a preferred embodiment, container connector 26 defines a short rigid hose fitting 52b having a smaller diameter than the elongated flexible tube 14 such that flex tube 14 may be slipped on for urination and pulled off from the short rigid hose fitting 52b of container connector 26 when emptying the portable retention container 16. In another preferred embodiment, the end of the elongated flexible tube 14 may be secured to container connector 26 by a threaded attachment thereby allowing the elongated flexible tube 14 to be screwed on or screwed off from container connector 26.
The urine cup 22 defines a tapered bottom 48 which also ends in another short hose fitting 52a which has a slightly smaller diameter than the elongated flexible tube 14 such that the top of flex tube 14 may be snugly slipped on for urination and pulled off and away from the short rigid hose fitting 52a of the urine cup 22 for cleaning purposes. In another preferred embodiment, the top end of the elongated flexible tube 14 may be secured to the bottom of urine cup 22 by a threaded attachment thereby allowing the elongated flexible tube 14 to be screwed on or screwed off from urine cup 22.
The stanchion 30 is height adjustable and includes an elongated telescopic rod 29 mounted and affixed to the rear wall 38 of the portable retention container 16 and is similar if not identical in design and construction as that of the known prior art of telescopic rods used with luggage handles. Secured to the top of the stanchion 30 is a horseshoe shaped holder 28 sized to receive the tapered bottom 24 for holding the urine cup when not in use, as shown in
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Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.