TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a waste container for receiving thrown up stomach contents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Often times health care providers have to deal with patients who have a high probability of getting sick to their stomachs and vomiting. Such a situation occurs regularly in emergency rooms in hospitals and clinics.
Conventional waste containers are known that collect thrown up stomach contents from a patient. However, conventional waste containers are difficult to seal shut after the user has vomited into the container. Thus the contents of the container may spill and the resulting offensive odor may permeate out.
Referring to prior art FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,039 to Stern discloses a waste container 10, which prevents the contents and the smell from escaping. The waste container 10 includes an annular handle 12 on which there is disposed a waste bag 14. When the waste container 10 is placed on a support 16, such as a table top or the like, the flexible bag 14 bends such that the handle 12 may rest on a throttled portion 18 of the bag 14. The weight of the handle 12 on the throttled portion 18 helps to contain the smell. However, if the waste container 10 is lifted off of the support 16 for transfer or disposal, the throttled portion 18 will open up again, allowing the odor to escape.
Referring to prior art FIG. 2, in the alternative the handle 12 also includes a plurality of generally vertically extending recesses 20 into which the throttled portion 18 can be inserted. The vertical recesses 20 frictionally capture the throttled portion 18 to further prevent escape of any stomach contents and associated odor. Unfortunately, even in this configuration, if the waste container 10 is lifted off of the support 16, the relatively heavy weight of the stomach contents may force the throttled portion 18 to slip out of the recess 20 and open up.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a waste container for receiving thrown up stomach contents from a patient. The container captures large quantities of stomach contents without spillage and prevents the contents and associated smell from escaping even without the use of a support.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the container includes an elongated moisture proof bag having an open end, and a rigid ring integrally connected to the bag open end. At least one sinuous recess is disposed within the ring. The recess is sized to receive a throttled portion of the bag therein. The recess has a contour, generally of a hook or nautiliform shape, which prevents the throttled portion of the bag from slipping out of the recess and acts to urge engagement of the throttled portion of the bag in the recess in a use position.
In another exemplary embodiment, the sinuous recess of the container further includes a recess open end, a recess closed end and an arcuate slot therebetween. The arcuate slot includes a reverse bend of a generally U-shape. The recess closed end is sized to receive the throttled portion of the bag.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art waste container, which has been deposited on a support;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the prior art waste container of FIG. 1 featuring generally vertical extending recesses;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a waste container in accordance with the present invention featuring sinuous recesses;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the rigid ring of the waste container of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the rigid ring of FIG. 4 featuring the sinuous recesses;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the waste container of FIG. 3 featuring a suspended bag containing stomach content with a throttled portion of the bag disposed in one of the sinuous recesses.
FIG. 7 is plan view illustrating how a ring is introduced into a bag for formation of a waste container in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating how the ring of FIG. 7 is turned after insertion into the bag; and
FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating how the ring of FIG. 7 expands the bag to form the waste container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 3, numeral 30 generally indicates an exemplary embodiment of a waste container in accordance with the present invention for receiving thrown up contents from a patient. The container 30 includes an elongated moisture proof bag 32 extending through the inside of a rigid ring 34. The rigid ring 34 integrally connects to the bag open end 36 and maintains the bag open end 36 in an open disposition of the bag.
The bag 32 may be composed of any suitable moisture proof flexible material, however a preferred composition includes plastics material including a synthetic resin film such as polyethylene or similar. In like fashion, a preferred composition for the rigid ring includes plastics material such as polyethylene or similar, although any suitably rigid material would suffice.
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, the rigid ring 34 has a generally annular shape, which includes a radially extending upper rim portion 38 and an axially extending wall portion 40. The wall portion 40 conically tapers toward its free end 42 and merges with the rim 38 via rounded portion 44.
A plurality of sinuous recesses 46 are disposed around the perimeter of the wall portion 40. As will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, the recesses 46 are contoured to restrict a throttled portion of the bag 32 from slipping out of the recess 46 even if the waste container 30 is not supported on a flat support surface.
In this embodiment, each recess 46 has a recess open end 48, a recess closed end 50 and an arcuate slot 52 therebetween. The arcuate slot 52 includes a reverse bend 54 of a generally U-shape. The area 56 bounded by the recess closed end 50 is sized to receive a throttled portion 58 (best seen in FIG. 6) of the bag 32.
Referring to FIG. 6, in use, once the waste container 34 has received contents regurgitated from a patient's stomach, the flexible bag 32 may be folded or twisted to form the throttled portion 58. The area 56 of sinuous recess 46 is sized to be large enough for the throttled portion 58 to be disposed therein.
The bend 54 acts essentially like a hook to prevent the throttled portion 58 from slipping out of the recess 46 even if the full bag 32 is freely suspended. As opposed to the prior art Stern container, the weight of the stomach contents in the bag 32 now acts to pull the throttled portion 58 more tightly shut against the recess's slot 52, rather than to pull the throttled portion 58 out of the open recess end 48.
Referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the bag 32 and ring 34 may be permanently connected to form the waste container 30, or they may be configured as separate interconnectible parts. In the latter configuration, the outer diameter DR of the ring 34 is chosen such that the ring 34 can be moved into the bag 32 through the bag open end 36 when the bag 32 is flattened in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7. Once fully inserted, the ring is turned (arrow 60 in FIG. 8) with its free end 42 directed out of the bag's open end 36. The bag 32 in its expanded state has a smaller diameter DB than the ring DR so that the bag 32 is expanded around the ring 34. Accordingly, the bag 32 will remain securely fastened around the ring 34 when the ring has been turned to a position traverse to the longitudinal axis of the bag 32 (FIG. 9). Finally, the bag 32 is passed through the center of the ring 34 to form the final assembly illustrated in FIG. 3.
Though the previous embodiments herein have illustrated the sinuous recesses as contoured with a generally rounded hook shape, one skilled in the art would recognize that other contoured shapes may also be used. Examples of such shapes include a spiral shape, a squared hook shape, and a multiple bend shape.
Referring again to FIG. 6, a method for collecting thrown up stomach contents in a waste container 30 includes forming a sinuous recess 46 in a rigid ring 34. The recess 46 is contoured such that a slot 52 of the recess 46 has a generally U-shaped reverse bend 54. The area bounded by the recess closed end 50 and the bend 54 defines an inner portion 56, which is sized to receive a throttled portion 58 of the bag 32. The rigid ring 34 is then integrally connected to the bag's open end 36 to form the waste container 30. Once regurgitated stomach contents are collected in the waste container 30, a portion of the bag 30 is twisted or folded to form the throttled portion 58. The throttled portion 58 is then disposed within the area 56 of the sinuous recess 46.
Although the invention has been described by reference to a specific embodiment, it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the described embodiment, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims.
Patent Application
20070031068
