U.S. patent application number 09/265755 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-14 for coupling for ostomy appliance, and ostomy appliance comprising such a coupling.
Invention is credited to HOLTERMANN, HENRI.
Application Number | 20020032417 09/265755 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9523981 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020032417 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HOLTERMANN, HENRI |
March 14, 2002 |
COUPLING FOR OSTOMY APPLIANCE, AND OSTOMY APPLIANCE COMPRISING SUCH
A COUPLING
Abstract
The invention relates to a coupling for an ostomy appliance,
comprising two elements (10, 20), each including a base (11, 21),
equipped with a central opening, and a tubular joining piece (12,
22) surrounding the said opening. The joining piece (12) of the
first element (10) comprises, on its internal face, an elastically
deformable annular lip (18) whose free end (19) is directed towards
the plane of the base (11) of the said element. The joining piece
(22) of the second element (20) includes, on its external face,
means for axial retention (44) of the free end of this lip. This
coupling includes a locking member (43), and the means for axial
retention of the free end of the annular lip occupy a sector of the
circumference of the joining piece of the second element, of which
the midpoint is situated diametrically opposite the said locking
member under conditions of assembly and disassembly of the two
elements of this coupling.
Inventors: |
HOLTERMANN, HENRI;
(SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Family ID: |
9523981 |
Appl. No.: |
09/265755 |
Filed: |
March 10, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/338 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 5/448 20130101;
A61F 2005/4486 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/338 |
International
Class: |
A61F 005/44 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 12, 1998 |
FR |
98-03061 |
Claims
1. Coupling for an ostomy appliance, comprising two elements (10,
20) which can be joined together removably, each including a base
(11, 21), equipped with a central opening, and a tubular joining
piece (12, 22) surrounding the said opening, and in which the
joining piece (12) of the first element (10) comprises, on its
internal face, an elastically deformable annular lip (18) whose
free end (19) is directed towards the plane of the base (11) of the
said element, while the joining piece (22) of the second element
(20) includes, on its external face, means for axial retention (44)
of the free end of this lip, the said coupling being characterized
in that it includes a locking member (43, 53), and in that the
means for axial retention of the free end of the annular lip occupy
a sector of the circumference of the joining piece of the second
element, of which the midpoint (45) is situated diametrically
opposite the said locking member under conditions of assembly and
disassembly of the two elements of this coupling.
2. Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the means
for axial retention of the free end of the annular lip occupy a
sector of the circumference of the joining piece of the second
element corresponding to an angle of between about 180 and
320.degree..
3. Coupling according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that
the means for axial retention of the free end of the annular lip
consist of a flange (44) which extends radially, from the external
face of the joining piece of the second element, outwards from this
joining piece.
4. Coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that the flange
is a diminishing flange whose width is at its maximum at the
midpoint (45) of the sector which it occupies and decreases
progressively in the direction of the ends (46, 47) of this
sector.
5. Coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in
that it comprises means for immobilizing the locking member in the
locked condition.
6. Coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in
that with the locking member (43, 53) being joined to one of the
two elements of the coupling, it is intended to cooperate, in
response to the activation of a control mechanism (24, 54) joined
to the same element as itself, with a bearing surface which is
formed on the joining piece of the other of the two elements of the
coupling.
7. Coupling according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking
member (43) and the control mechanism (24) are joined to the second
element, and in that the locking member is intended to cooperate
with a bearing surface (14b) which extends radially, from the
external face of the joining piece of the first element, outwards
from this joining piece.
8. Coupling according to claim 7, characterized in that the bearing
surface intended to cooperate with the locking member is formed by
the face (14b), situated opposite the base of the first element, of
a rib (14) with bevelled faces (14a, 14b) projecting from the
external face of the joining piece of this first element.
9. Coupling according to claim 7, characterized in that the rib
with bevelled faces projecting from the external face of the
joining piece of the first element extends over the entire
circumference of this joining piece.
10. Coupling according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that
the locking member is in one piece with the control mechanism and
consists of at least one rib (43) with bevelled faces (43a, 43b),
of which one of the faces (43b) matches the face of the rib of the
joining piece of the first element intended to serve as a bearing
surface, and which projects from the face of the said control
mechanism situated opposite the joining piece of the second
element.
11. Coupling according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized
in that the control mechanism comprises an arm (24) which is
mounted so as to pivot about an axis formed by a pin (25) with
which it is provided, and which is engaged in an orifice (26)
formed in the base of the second element.
12. Coupling according to claim 11, characterized in that the
second element comprises means for maintaining and guiding this arm
in a plane parallel to that of its base.
13. Coupling according to claim 12, characterized in that the means
for maintaining and guiding the arm comprise at least one stud (27,
28, 29) projecting from that face of this arm situated opposite the
base of the second element, having a free return end which
determines a bearing face (27a, 28a, 29a) and which is adapted to
pass through an oblong slot (31, 32, 33) formed in the base of the
second element, so that the said bearing face slides on a face
(31a, 32a, 33a) of the said base situated on the side opposite the
said arm.
14. Coupling according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized
in that the said arm includes, on its face situated opposite the
base of the second element, at least one projecting piece (40)
adapted to cooperate with a nose (41) formed on the external edge
of this same base in order to ensure immobilization of the locking
member in the locked condition.
15. Coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized
in that the second element of the coupling moreover includes means
(48) which are able to limit the radial displacement of the bottom
of the annular lip in the direction of the joining piece of the
first element when the two elements of this coupling are joined
together.
16. Coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized
in that the locking member (53) and the control mechanism (54) are
joined to the first element of this coupling, and in that the
locking member is intended to cooperate with a bearing surface
(51a) which extends radially, from the external face of the joining
piece of the second element, inwards from this joining piece.
17. Coupling according to claim 16, characterized in that the
bearing surface intended to cooperate with the locking member is
formed by the wall (51a), situated opposite the base of the second
element, of a recess (51) formed in the thickness of the joining
piece of this second element.
18. Coupling according to claim 17, characterized in that the
recess formed in the thickness of the joining piece of the second
element extends over the entire circumference of this joining
piece.
19. Coupling according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized
in that the base of the second element includes two stops which are
able to limit the rotation of one element relative to the other
when the two elements of this coupling are joined together.
20. Coupling according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized
in that the locking member is in one piece with the activating
mechanism and consists of a rod (53) which is placed in a
cylindrical opening (52) passing through the joining piece of the
first element, one end of which can be lodged in the recess formed
in the thickness of the joining piece of the second element while
its other end is integral with the said activating mechanism.
21. Coupling according to claim 20, characterized in that the rod
is threaded over all or part of its length and the activating
mechanism is formed by a knurled wheel (54) or the like which is
able to permit its displacement by rotation in the cylindrical
opening in which it is placed.
22. Ostomy appliance comprising a bag holder intended to be fixed
around an artificial opening in the body of a user, and a bag which
collects the bodily matter and which can be joined in a removable
manner to the said bag holder, characterized in that it comprises a
coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 21.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a coupling which can form
part of the structure of an ostomy appliance, and also to an ostomy
appliance comprising such a coupling.
[0002] A great many appliances have already been proposed for the
collection of bodily matter (faeces, urine, etc.) in persons who
have undergone surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, of the
ileostomy or colostomy type, or surgery of the urinary tract, of
the urostomy type, or surgery necessitating the drainage of wounds
or of intra-abdominal cavities, of the peritoneal or sub-peritoneal
drainage type. Among these appliances, a basic distinction is made
between:
[0003] appliances referred to as "one-piece" appliances because
they consist of a collecting bag which comprises a skin protector
provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and which is intended
to be fixed on the user's skin by way of this skin protector alone,
and
[0004] appliances referred to as "two-piece" appliances which
comprise a frontal sheet or "bag holder" intended to be fixed on
the user's skin and provided, for this purpose, with an adhesive
pad, and a collecting bag which can be removably attached to this
frontal sheet by means of a joining piece with which it is
provided.
[0005] The ostomy appliances of the "two-piece" type have to
satisfy certain conditions, some of which are inherently
contradictory. Thus, although it is essential that the fixing of
the collecting bag on the bag holder is secure in such a way as to
prevent any inadvertent separation of this bag, particularly under
the effect of the stresses exerted by the weight of the bodily
matter with which it fills, and moreover that it guarantees perfect
leaktightness of the appliance in relation to this matter, it is
also desirable that the ostomy patients--who are often elderly
subjects--can, after a period of training by nursing staff, put the
bag holder in place themselves, on the one hand, and, on the other
hand, place the collecting bags on the bag holder, and this means
that the manoeuvres for joining and disconnecting the bag and bag
holder must be as simple and straightforward as possible.
[0006] To this end, two-piece appliances have been proposed, in a
great many embodiments, in which the collecting bag and the bag
holder are joined together by force-fitting, under the effect of a
pressure applied by the patient, a joining piece, which is equipped
with an annular sealing lip and is situated preferably on the bag,
into a channel which has a shape and dimensions matching those of
the said joining piece and which is formed by two other joining
pieces situated preferably on the bag holder. These appliances,
described in GB-A-1 571 657 and EP-A-0 171 255, for example, have
the advantage that a single engagement operation ensures, on the
one hand, the attachment of the bag and the bag holder and, on the
other hand, the leaktightness of the appliance. However, in
practice, to obtain satisfactory results, these appliances demand
that the patient exert a considerable pressure on the bag, when
placing it on the bag holder, and, consequently, on the area
surrounding the stoma, which is generally very sensitive, sometimes
very painful, so that the use of these appliances is not really
satisfactory.
[0007] In an attempt to solve this problem, it has been proposed in
GB-A-2 237 993 and GB-A-2 237 995 to improve this type of appliance
by configuring the joining pieces of the collecting bag and of the
bag holder in such a way that they are joined together, no longer
by force-fitting, but by the joining piece of the bag snapping
between the two joining pieces of the bag holder, and in such a way
that their attachment is ensured by means of the end of the annular
sealing lip of the joining piece of the bag pressing against a rib,
likewise annular, situated on one of the joining pieces of the bag
holder. Although these appliances do indeed allow the bag and the
bag holder to be joined together without exerting pressure on the
area surrounding the stoma, they nevertheless pose another problem,
namely that in order to disconnect them, they require that a
considerable pulling force be applied on the said bag, which, once
again, can cause pain on account of the sensitivity of the area
surrounding the stoma, and which can also cause partial or total
tearing of the bag holder from the patient's skin, rendering it
unsuitable for further use.
[0008] Two-piece appliances have also been proposed in which the
device for joining the collecting bag and the bag holder together
comprises, on the one hand, two joining pieces, one of which is
situated on the bag while the other is fixed on the bag holder and
which, when they are brought into contact with one another, are
intended to ensure the leaktightness of the appliance by virtue of
the presence of a sealing lip or sealing joint or by virtue of the
matching nature of their shapes and/or their dimensions, and, on
the other hand, a member of the circular ring type which is
generally connected to one of these two joining pieces and which,
by different mechanisms (cam effect, clamping effect, etc.),
ensures the attachment of the bag on the bag holder in such a way
that these can be joined together and disconnected by means of
applying moderate, if any, forces of pressure in one case and of
traction in the other, on the bag. Such appliances are described in
EP-A-0 255 310 and in WO-A-91/01118, for example.
[0009] The appliances of this latter type are not totally
satisfactory either to the extent that, although belonging to the
two-piece appliance type, they in fact comprise at least three
elements for joining the collecting bag to the bag holder, a fact
which significantly complicates their realization, both in terms of
the manufacture of the various components from which they are made
up and the assembly of these components, and substantially
increases their production cost, whereas the long-term use of
appliances by ostomy patients dictates that these appliances be
relatively inexpensive.
[0010] Consequently, a general object of the invention is to make
available an ostomy appliance in which the device for joining
together and disconnecting the collecting bag and the bag holder is
made up of only two elements, in such a way as to have a relatively
low production cost, while at the same time satisfying all the
conditions demanded of such an appliance, and, especially, ease of
use, ease of handling, security of the attachment of the bag on the
bag holder and leaktightness in relation to the bodily matter, and
which not only permits positioning of the bag on the bag holder
without applying pressure in the area surrounding the stoma, but
also permits removal of this bag without the need to exert
considerable pulling force.
[0011] It is also an object of the invention to make available such
an appliance which, once the collecting bag and the bag holder have
been joined together, allows the patient to modify the position of
the bag in relation to the bag holder in a simple way and without
risk, for example in order to adapt the orientation of the bag as a
function of his/her activities or to make it easier to empty.
[0012] According to the invention, these objects are achieved by a
coupling which can form part of the structure of an ostomy
appliance and which comprises two elements which can be joined
together removably, each including a base, equipped with a central
opening, and a tubular joining piece surrounding the said opening,
in which the joining piece of the first element comprises, on its
internal face, an elastically deformable annular lip whose free end
is directed towards the plane of the base of the said element,
while the joining piece of the second element includes, on its
external face, means for axial retention of the free end of this
lip, which coupling is characterized in that it includes a locking
member, and in that the means for axial retention of the free end
of the annular lip occupy a sector of the circumference of the
joining piece of the second element, of which the midpoint is
situated diametrically opposite the said locking member under
conditions of assembly and disassembly of the two elements of this
coupling.
[0013] Thus, to join the two elements of the coupling together, the
user, after ensuring that the locking member is in the unlocked
position, begins by positioning the annular lip of the first
element so that it bears on the means for axial retention of the
second element in the zone diametrically opposite the locking
member. He then pivots one element relative to the other until the
joining pieces of the two elements are fully engaged with one
another. It then suffices for him to lock the locking member so as
to secure the two elements of the coupling. This joining together
does not therefore require the application of any pressure.
[0014] To disconnect the two elements of the coupling, it suffices
to perform the opposite procedure: to unlock the locking member,
move the two elements of the coupling away from each other at right
angles to the locking member in such a way as to pivot one of the
elements of the coupling in relation to the other one, with the
annular lip remaining bearing on the means for retention in the
zone diametrically opposite the locking member; thus, with the
pivoting, the lip can finally be disengaged completely by the
simple effect of geometry and, consequently, without the need to
exert any pulling forces.
[0015] According to an advantageous arrangement of the coupling
according to the invention, the means for axial retention of the
free end of the annular lip occupy a sector of the circumference of
the joining piece of the second element corresponding to an angle
of between about 180 and 320.degree. depending on the diameter of
this joining piece, which is itself advantageously between about 25
and 100 mm. Thus, in the case of a joining piece having a diameter
less than or substantially equal to 50 mm, the means for axial
retention of the end of the annular lip will preferably occupy an
angular sector of between 180 and 275.degree., whereas in the case
of a joining piece of greater diameter, they will preferably extend
over an angular sector of between 240 and 320.degree..
[0016] According to a preferred arrangement of the coupling
according to the invention, the means for axial retention of the
free end of the annular lip consist of a flange which extends
radially, from the external face of the joining piece of the second
element, outwards from this joining piece.
[0017] In a particularly preferred manner, this flange is a
diminishing flange whose width is at its maximum at the midpoint of
the sector which it occupies and decreases progressively in the
direction of the ends of this sector.
[0018] To guarantee the locking of the two elements of the
coupling, the latter advantageously comprises means for
immobilizing the locking member in the locked condition.
[0019] According to another preferred arrangement of the coupling
according to the invention, with the locking member being joined to
one of the two elements, it is intended to cooperate, in response
to the activation of a control mechanism joined to the same element
as itself, with a bearing surface which is formed on the joining
piece of the other of the two elements of this coupling.
[0020] According to a first preferred embodiment of the coupling
according to the invention, the locking member and the control
mechanism are joined to the second element of this coupling, and
the locking member is intended to cooperate with a bearing surface
which extends radially, from the external face of the joining piece
of the first element, outwards from this joining piece.
[0021] According to an advantageous feature of this first preferred
embodiment, the bearing surface intended to cooperate with the
locking member is formed by the face, situated opposite the base of
the first element, of a rib with bevelled faces projecting from the
external face of the joining piece of this first element.
[0022] In a preferred manner, the rib with bevelled faces
projecting from the external face of the joining piece of the first
element extends over the entire circumference of this joining
piece. Thus, when the ostomy appliance is in the condition of use,
the locking of the two elements of the coupling is ensured
irrespective of the position of the collecting bag in relation to
the bag holder, so that the patient can modify this position, as
he/she wishes, by rotating the said bag on the bag holder, without
any risk of causing the said elements to unlock.
[0023] According to another advantageous feature of this first
preferred embodiment, the locking member is in one piece with the
control mechanism and consists of at least one rib with bevelled
faces, of which one of the faces matches the face of the rib of the
joining piece of the first element intended to serve as a bearing
surface, and which projects from the face of the said control
mechanism situated opposite the joining piece of the second
element.
[0024] In a preferred manner, the control mechanism comprises an
arm which is mounted so as to pivot about an axis formed by a pin
with which it is provided, and which is engaged in an orifice
formed in the base of the second element.
[0025] In this case, the second element advantageously comprises
means for maintaining and guiding this arm in a plane parallel to
that of its base.
[0026] These means for maintaining and guiding the arm
advantageously comprise at least one stud projecting from that face
of this arm situated opposite the base of the second element,
having a free return end which determines a bearing face and which
is adapted to pass through an oblong slot formed in the base of the
second element, so that the said bearing face slides on a face of
the said base situated on the side opposite the said arm.
[0027] In this case too, the arm advantageously includes, on its
face situated opposite the base of the second element, at least one
projecting piece adapted to cooperate with a nose formed on the
external edge of this same base in order to ensure immobilization
of the locking member in the locked condition.
[0028] According to yet another advantageous feature of this first
preferred embodiment, the second element of the coupling moreover
includes means which are able to limit the radial displacement of
the bottom of the annular lip in the direction of the joining piece
of the first element when the two elements of this coupling are
joined together.
[0029] According to another preferred embodiment of the coupling
according to the invention, the locking member is joined to the
first element of this coupling and is intended to cooperate, in
response to the activation of a control mechanism also joined to
the said first element, with a bearing surface which extends
radially, from the external face of the joining piece of the second
element, inwards from this joining piece.
[0030] According to an advantageous feature of this preferred
embodiment, the bearing surface intended to cooperate with the
locking member is formed by the wall, situated opposite the base of
the second element, of a recess formed in the thickness of the
joining piece of this second element.
[0031] In a preferred manner, the recess formed in the thickness of
the joining piece of the second element extends over the entire
circumference of this joining piece. However, given that, in this
embodiment, the locking member is joined to the first element of
the coupling while the means for axial retention of the end of the
annular lip of this first element are situated on the second
element of this coupling, it is advantageous to provide for the
presence, on the base of the second element, of two stops which are
able to limit the rotation of one element relative to the other
when these elements are joined together, in such a way as to
prevent the locking member from being brought into cooperation with
a portion of this recess which would be situated in the angular
sector occupied by the said means for axial retention, thereby
creating an area in which the joining pieces of the two elements of
the coupling would at one and the same time be without means able
to ensure their locking and without means able to axially retain
the free end of the annular lip, and presenting an angular
extension sufficient to cause inadvertent disconnection of these
two elements.
[0032] According to another advantageous feature of this preferred
embodiment, the locking member is in one piece with the activating
mechanism and consists of a rod which is placed in a cylindrical
opening passing through the joining piece of the first element, one
end of which can be lodged in the recess formed in the thickness of
the joining piece of the second element while its other end is
integral with the activating mechanism.
[0033] In a preferred manner, this rod is threaded over all or part
of its length and the activating mechanism is formed by a knurled
wheel or the like which is able to permit its displacement by
rotation in the cylindrical opening in which it is placed.
[0034] The invention also relates to an ostomy appliance, such as
an appliance for ileostomy, colostomy or urostomy, or for
post-surgical drainage of intra-abdominal spaces, of the peritoneal
or sub-peritoneal drainage type, which appliance comprises a bag
holder intended to be fixed around an artificial opening in the
body of a user, and a bag which collects the bodily matter and
which can be joined in a removable manner to the said bag holder,
characterized in that it comprises a coupling as defined
hereinabove.
[0035] In addition to the above features, the invention also
includes other features which will become evident from the
following description which is given by way of example and in which
reference is made to the attached drawings, in which:
[0036] FIG. 1a is a plan view of the first element of a coupling
for an ostomy appliance according to the invention, for a first
embodiment of this coupling;
[0037] FIG. 1b is a cross section, on a larger scale, along the
line 1b-1b in FIG. 1a;
[0038] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the second element of a coupling
for an ostomy appliance according to the invention, for this first
embodiment of the coupling;
[0039] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an element in FIG. 2, on a
larger scale than that of FIG. 2;
[0040] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of the element in
FIG. 2, on a larger scale than in FIG. 2;
[0041] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the detail from FIG.
4;
[0042] FIG. 6 is a cross section, on a larger scale, along the line
6-6 in FIG. 2;
[0043] FIG. 7 is a cross section, on a larger scale, along the line
7-7 in FIG. 2;
[0044] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross section along the line 8-8 in
FIG. 2, after joining of the element in FIG. 1 and of the element
in FIG. 2, on a larger scale than those of these Figures; and
[0045] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic cross section similar to that in
FIG. 8, but for a second embodiment of a coupling for an ostomy
appliance according to the invention.
[0046] It must be clearly understood, however, that these drawings
and the corresponding parts of the description are given solely as
an illustration of the subject of the invention and do not in any
way constitute a limitation thereof.
[0047] In the drawings, those elements of the various embodiments
which are equivalent have been given identical reference
numbers.
[0048] Reference will first be made to FIGS. 1 to 8 which show a
first embodiment of a coupling for an ostomy appliance according to
the invention, which comprises two elements 10 and 20 which are
intended to be fixed on the collecting bag and on the bag holder,
respectively, of such an appliance and which are designed to be
joined together removably, as will be explained hereinafter.
[0049] The first element of the coupling--which is represented in
FIGS. 1a and 1b--or element 10 comprises an annular base 11, of
axis of revolution A, on the internal edge of which a tubular
joining piece 12 is built. This joining piece comprises a
cylindrical wall 13 which is perpendicular to the base 11, and of
the same axis as the latter, and which includes, projecting from
its external face, an annular rib 14 with two bevelled faces 14a
and 14b, this rib delimiting, together with the said base, an
annular groove 16. The cylindrical wall 13 furthermore includes,
projecting from its internal face, an elastically deformable lip 18
which extends obliquely from the free end of this wall in the
direction of the plane of the base 11 and which is intended to
ensure the leaktightness of the coupling with respect to the
collected bodily matter in the condition of use of the ostomy
appliance.
[0050] The second element of the coupling or element 20--which for
its part is represented in FIGS. 2 to 7--also comprises an annular
base 21, of axis of revolution B, which bears, on its internal
edge, a tubular joining piece 22 comprising a cylindrical wall 23
perpendicular to the said base and coaxial with the latter. This
joining piece is intended to be engaged in the joining piece 12 of
the element 10, when joining the two elements 10 and 20 of the
coupling together, and is designed in such a way that, during this
engagement, the free end 19 of the annular lip 18 of the joining
piece 12 will, as can be seen in FIG. 8, come to bear against the
external face of the said cylindrical wall 23 and can thereby
fulfil its function as sealing member. For this reason, the
external diameter of the cylindrical wall 23 of the joining piece
22 is chosen so as to be slightly smaller than the internal
diameter of the cylindrical wall 13 of the joining piece 12, while
being slightly larger than the internal diameter which the annular
lip 18 of the joining piece 12 has in the area of its free end 19,
when the two joining pieces 12 and 22 are not engaged.
[0051] The element 20 is equipped with an arm 24 of a generally
curved shape and of rectangular cross section which--as can be seen
in FIG. 5--is mounted so as to pivot, on a pin 25 with which it is
provided, in an orifice 26 formed in the base 21 at a short
distance from the external edge of the latter, and whose activation
is able to ensure, by way of a rib with which it is provided and
which will be described hereinafter, the locking and unlocking of
the two elements 10 and 20 of the coupling.
[0052] This arm 24 includes, on its face situated opposite the base
21, three studs, respectively 27, 28 and 29, the first of which is
arranged near the pin 25, and the other two of which are arranged
near the free end 30 of this arm, and which are each accommodated
in an oblong slot of matching shape, respectively 31, 32 and 33,
formed in the base 21. The function of these studs 27, 28 and 29 is
to maintain the arm 24 in a plane parallel to that of the base 21
during its pivoting and to ensure the guiding thereof, particularly
by limiting the amplitude of this pivoting in this same plane
between an unlocked position, which is that represented in FIGS. 2
and 4, and a locked position, which is that shown in FIG. 5. To do
this, as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, each of the studs 27, 28 and
29 has, at its free end, a bearing face, respectively 27a, 28a and
29a, sliding on a face, respectively 31a, 32a and 33a, arranged
opposite on one of the walls of each of the oblong slots 31, 32 and
33. As is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the faces 27a, 28a, 29a,
31a, 32a and 33a are advantageously plane faces.
[0053] Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 5, the arm 24 has, still
on its face situated opposite the base 21, and between the stud 29
and the free end 30 of this arm, a cylindrical stub 40 which is
able to ensure its immobilization in the locked position after it
has passed, in the direction of the arrow f, a nose 41 which is
situated on the external edge of the base 21, at the end of a
portion of this base shaped in an inward curve 42 in such a way as
to facilitate the gripping of the said free end 30 of this arm.
[0054] As has been mentioned previously, the arm 24 also has,
projecting from the middle part of its face situated opposite the
joining piece 22, a rib 43 which, like the annular rib 14 of the
joining piece 12, has two bevelled faces 43a and 43b, of which the
face 43b matches the face 14b of this annular rib in such a way as
to ensure, after engagement of the joining piece 22 in the joining
piece 12 and positioning of the arm 24 in the locked position, the
locking of the element 10 on the element 20 through cooperation
with a portion of the same length as that of the said annular rib
14.
[0055] As can clearly be seen in FIG. 3, the cylindrical wall 23 of
the joining piece 22 has, on its external face and in the area of
its free end, a flange 44 which is substantially parallel to the
base 21 and which extends radially in the direction of the external
edge of this base (extension which has been accentuated for reasons
of clarity in FIG. 3).
[0056] According to the invention, this flange 44, whose function
is to axially retain the free end 19 of the annular lip 18 of the
joining piece 12 when the joining pieces 12 and 22 are engaged, is
not present around the entire circumference of the joining piece
22, but occupies a sector of this circumference corresponding to an
angle substantially equal to 250.degree. and whose midpoint 45 is
situated diametrically opposite the middle of the rib 43 carried by
the arm 24.
[0057] Moreover, this flange 44 is a diminishing flange whose width
is at its maximum at the midpoint 45 of the circular sector which
it occupies--and in the area of which this width is advantageously
between 0.5 and 2 mm depending on the diameter of the joining piece
22 (which is itself advantageously between 25 and 100 mm)--and
decreases progressively in the direction of the ends 46 and 47 of
this sector.
[0058] As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 8, the cylindrical wall 23 of
the joining piece 22 additionally has, projecting from its external
face, an annular bead 48 of substantially rectangular cross
section. This annular bead is intended to serve, in the condition
of use of the ostomy appliance, as an abutment for the bottom of
the annular lip 18 of the joining piece 12 in such a way as to
prevent the latter, under the effect of the weight of the bodily
matter collected in the collecting bag, from crushing against the
cylindrical wall 23 of the joining piece 22 and, on account of this
crushing, the free end 19 of this lip moving away from this wall,
thereby leading to loss of leaktightness, or even disengaging from
the flange 44, thereby leading to disconnection of the bag and bag
holder.
[0059] The functioning of this first embodiment of a coupling
according to the invention results directly from the above. To join
the elements 10 and 20 together, these two elements are brought
opposite each other, after first ensuring that the arm 24 is in the
unlocked position, and they are positioned in such a way as to
bring the annular lip 18 carried by the joining piece 12 of the
element 10 to bear on the flange 44 of the joining piece 22 of the
element, in the area of the midpoint of this flange. The joining
piece 22 is then engaged in the joining piece 12, by pivoting one
element in relation to the other. Given the ability of the annular
lip 18 to deform elastically, this engagement is effected
practically without any application of pressure, and is so despite
the fact that the free end 19 of this lip has, as has been
previously mentioned, an internal diameter smaller than the
external diameter of the cylindrical wall 23 of the joining piece
22 and, on a part of its circumference, has to get past the flange
44 carried by this wall before coming to bear against the external
face of the latter. When the joining piece 22 is engaged fully in
the joining piece 12, the arm 24 is then pivoted in the direction
of the arrow f until the stub 40 moves past the nose 41 and finds
itself immobilized by the latter, the effect of which is, as is
illustrated in FIG. 8, to cause the rib 43 of this arm to penetrate
into the portion of the annular groove 16 which is situated
opposite it, in such a way that the bearing, upon this rib, of the
portion of the annular rib 14 of the joining piece 12 which limits
this groove portion counters any separation of the joining pieces
12 and 22.
[0060] Thus, in this condition, the attachment of the two elements
10 and 20 of the coupling is ensured, on the one hand, on that part
of the circumference of the joining piece 22 where the flange 44 is
present, via this flange which guarantees the mechanical
immobilization of the free end 19 of the annular lip 18 of the
joining piece 12 in the case where the latter might be caused to
move axially (for example, in the condition of use of the ostomy
appliance, under the effect of the weight of the matter collected
in the collecting bag) and, on the other hand, on that part of the
circumference of the joining piece 22 where the flange 44 is
absent, via the rib 43 carried by the arm 24 which, by cooperation
with a portion of the same length as that of the annular rib 14 of
the joining piece 12, guarantees the locking of the said elements
10 and 20.
[0061] In this condition, however, it is possible to move one
element of the coupling in relation to the other, not by
extraction, but by rotation about its axis, especially in order to
modify the position of the bag in relation to the bag holder in the
condition of use of the ostomy appliance, and to do so without any
risk of causing inadvertent separation of these elements.
[0062] To separate the two elements 10 and 20 of the coupling, it
is necessary to release the stub 40 from the nose 41, to pivot the
arm 24 in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow f,
which allows the rib 43 to be freed from the portion of the annular
groove 16 of the joining piece 12 in which it was situated, and
thereby to free that portion of the annular rib 14 with which it
was cooperating, then to pull slightly on the base of one of the
two elements, for example on the portion of base 11 of the element
10 situated opposite the inward curve 42 formed in the base 21 of
the element 20, in such a way as to effect the disengagement of the
joining pieces 12 and 22 in line with the rib 43. This
disengagement is achieved without difficulty since, in the area of
this rib, the joining piece 22 is without any flange capable of
axially retaining the free end 19 of the annular lip 18 of the
joining piece 12. It then suffices to pivot one element relative to
the other in order to release the free end 19 of the annular lip 18
from the flange 44 and, in this way, to achieve the separation of
the two elements of the coupling.
[0063] The functioning of this coupling is thus very simple and
reliable and, for the purpose of joining the two elements of this
coupling together, and also for disconnecting them, it requires
only the application of extremely moderate forces (of pressure in
the first instance, and of traction in the second).
[0064] As has already been mentioned, the elements 10 and 20 of the
embodiment of the coupling according to the invention which has
just been described are intended to be fixed on the collecting bag
and on the bag holder, respectively, of an ostomy appliance. This
is the reason why two brackets 49 and 50 are provided on the
external edge of the base 21 of the element 20, as can be seen in
FIG. 2, which brackets 49 and 50 are diametrically opposite each
other and project radially outwards from this base. These brackets
are each provided with an orifice and, if the patient so desires,
advantageously allow the securing of the bag holder on the area
surrounding the stoma to be reinforced by means of a strap.
[0065] The element 10 can be fixed on the collecting bag by welding
or adhesively bonding the base 11 of this element directly around
the opening formed in one of the walls of this bag in order to
allow the bodily matter evacuated via the stoma to flow into the
said bag by way of the bag holder, while the element 20 is
preferably fixed on the bag holder, in a manner known per se, by
way of a circular collar (not represented in FIGS. 2 to 7)
extending radially from the internal edge of the base 21 in the
direction of the centre of the latter, this collar being fixed by
welding, adhesive bonding or any other means on that face of the
said bag holder opposite the one intended to be fixed on the
patient's body, around the opening intended to encircle the stoma
in the condition of use and in such a way that the arm 24 is placed
in the upper area of this bag holder.
[0066] Alternatively, however, it is possible to provide an ostomy
appliance in which, conversely, it would be the bag holder which
would be equipped with the element 10 and the collecting bag which
would comprise the element 20, so that in this case the brackets 49
and 50 would be present on the external edge of the base 11 of the
element 10. It is of course also possible to provide an appliance
in which neither the element 10 nor the element 20 would be
equipped with brackets.
[0067] FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of a coupling
according to the invention in which the locking member and its
control mechanism are joined to the first element 10, and not to
the second element 20 of this coupling, as was the case in the
previously described embodiment.
[0068] For this reason, in this embodiment, the cylindrical wall 13
of the joining piece 12 of the first element, although comprising,
as in the previously described embodiment, an elastically
deformable annular lip 18 projecting from its internal face and
intended to ensure the leaktightness of the coupling with respect
to the bodily matter collected in the condition of use of the
ostomy appliance, is without any annular rib on its external face.
By contrast, the cylindrical wall 23 of the joining piece 22 of the
second element includes an annular groove 51 which extends radially
in its thickness from its external face and which is delimited by
three walls: a first wall 51a substantially parallel to the base
21, a second wall 51b substantially perpendicular to this base and
constituting the bottom of this groove, and a third wall formed by
the base 21 itself.
[0069] Furthermore, the cylindrical wall 13 of the joining piece 12
of the first element 10 is traversed, in the area of the base of
the annular lip 18, by an advantageously tapped cylindrical opening
52 in which there is arranged a threaded cylindrical rod 53 which
is shaped in such a way that its internal end--that is to say the
end of this rod emerging from the cylindrical wall 23--is shaped in
such a way as to be able to penetrate the annular groove 51 of the
joining piece 22. The external end of the threaded rod 53--that is
to say the end emerging from the external face of the cylindrical
wall 13--is for its part equipped with a knurled wheel 54 which,
after engagement of the joining piece 22 in the joining piece 12,
is able to permit the displacement by rotation of the said rod in
the opening 52 between an unlocked position and a locked position,
which is that shown in FIG. 9 and in which its internal end is
lodged in a portion of the annular groove 51 in such a way that the
bearing of the threaded rod 53 on the portion of the wall 51a
delimiting this groove portion counters any separation of the
joining pieces 12 and 22.
[0070] Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 9, in this condition the
securing of the two elements 10 and 20 of the coupling is ensured,
on the one hand, on that part of the circumference of the joining
piece 22 where the flange 44 is present, via this flange which
guarantees the mechanical immobilization of the free end 19 of the
annular lip 18 of the joining piece 12 in the case where the latter
might be caused to move axially, and, on the other hand, on that
part of the circumference of the joining piece 22 where the flange
44 is absent, via the internal end of the threaded rod 53 carried
by the joining piece 12 which, by cooperation with a portion of the
annular groove 51 of the joining piece 22, guarantees the locking
of the said elements 10 and 20.
[0071] In this case too, it is possible to move one element of the
coupling in rotation relative to the other one in order to modify
the position of the bag in relation to the bag holder in the
condition of use of the ostomy appliance. However, in this
embodiment, it is advantageous to provide for the presence, on the
base, of two stops which are able to limit the rotation of one
element relative to the other on a predetermined angular sector
when these elements are joined together, in such a way as to
prevent the threaded rod 53 from being brought into cooperation
with a portion of the annular groove 51 which would be situated in
the angular sector occupied by the flange 44 of the joining piece
22, and an area thus being created in which the joining pieces 12
and 22 would at one and the same time be without means able to
axially retain the end 19 of the annular lip 18 and means able to
ensure the locking of the elements 10 and 20, and presenting an
angular extension sufficient to cause inadvertent disconnection of
these two elements.
[0072] Thus, in the case where the flange 44 occupies an angular
sector of about 250.degree., these stops will advantageously be
arranged on the base 21 of the element 20 in such a way as to limit
the rotation of one element relative to the other on an angular
sector of about 90.degree., of which the midpoint is diametrically
opposite the midpoint 45 of the angular sector occupied by the said
flange 44.
[0073] Irrespective of the embodiment of a coupling according to
the invention, the elements 10 and 20 are advantageously made of a
relatively rigid plastic (with a Shore D hardness preferably of
between 40 and 86) of the type comprising polyethylene,
polypropylene, thermoplastic polyester, polyamide or ABS copolymer
not charged with a structural reinforcement.
[0074] As will be evident from the foregoing, the invention is not
in any way limited to those embodiments which have just been more
explicitly described; on the contrary, it encompasses all variants
thereof which may occur to the person skilled in the art, without
departing from the context or from the scope of the present
invention. Thus, in particular, in order to ensure the locking of
the two elements of the coupling, it is possible to use numerous
other devices, both for the locking member and also for its
activating mechanism, which may consist, for example, of a lever, a
push-button or an articulated link mechanism.
* * * * *