U.S. patent number 3,568,965 [Application Number 04/798,630] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-09 for support apparatus for a bag.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Plastronics, Inc.. Invention is credited to James L. Clark.
United States Patent |
3,568,965 |
Clark |
March 9, 1971 |
SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR A BAG
Abstract
A support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag comprising a
support cord fastened to the bag and a support clamp means
permanently attached to the ends of the cord and adapted for
releasable engagement with the central portion of the cord. The
support clamp is made of metal material in the form of a one-piece
stamping.
Inventors: |
Clark; James L. (Whitefish Bay,
WI) |
Assignee: |
Plastronics, Inc. (Milwaukee,
WI)
|
Family
ID: |
25173874 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/798,630 |
Filed: |
February 12, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/95; 24/129W;
403/391; 4/144.2; 383/22; 604/322; 24/129B |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
5/44 (20130101); A61G 7/0503 (20130101); Y10T
403/7141 (20150115); Y10T 24/3924 (20150115); Y10T
24/3933 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A61G
7/05 (20060101); A61F 5/44 (20060101); F16g
011/02 (); F16g 011/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;24/129 (B)/ ;24/123
(W)/ ;24/81 (B)/ ;24/84 (B)/ ;12/110 ;150/12,1 (Cursory)/ ;4/110
;248/98 ;128/275,283 (Cursory)/ ;128/295 (Cursory)/ |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gelak; Bernard A.
Claims
I claim:
1. Support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag and the like
comprising:
a support cord having two ends and a central portion therebetween
fastened to the bag; and
a support clamp member having a first portion adapted for permanent
connection with the ends of said support cord wherein said first
portion of said clamp means includes a pair of parallel portions
which are upset out of the main body of said first portion to form
openings into which the ends of said cord are inserted and clamped
therein, and a second portion having an upset portion adapted for
releasable engagement with the central portion of said support
cord.
2. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second
portion of said clamp means includes a retaining arm over which
said cord can be snapped into a position wherein it is free to move
in an axial direction with respect to said clamp.
3. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said support
clamp member is made of metal material in the form of a one-piece
stamping.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a support apparatus for a bedside
drainage bag which is adapted for easy attachment of the bag to a
support member and the easy removal of the bag therefrom.
2. Description of Prior Art
Various arrangements have been proposed for detachably supporting
bedside drainage bags from the rail of a hospital bed.
The principle object of this invention is to provide an improved
arrangement wherein the bedside drainage bag can be conveniently
attached to the bed railing and subsequently readily disconnected
therefrom for disposal of the contents.
A further object is to provide a support apparatus which is
comprised of relatively inexpensive parts which can be easily mass
produced.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be pointed out
in, or be apparent from, the description and claims that
follow.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag and the like
comprising a support cord fastened to the bag and a support clamp
means having a first portion adapted for permanent connection with
the ends of the support cord and a second portion adapted for
releasable engagement with the central portion of the support cord.
The support clamp is preferably made of metal material in the form
of a one-piece stamping. The second portion of the clamp means
includes a retaining arm made integrally therewith over which the
cord can be snapped into a position where it is free to move in an
axial direction with respect to the clamp. The first portion of the
clamp includes a pair of parallel portions which are integral with
and upset out of the main body of the first portion to form
openings into which the ends of the cord can be inserted and then
permanently attached by deformation of said parallel portions.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bedside drainage bag
incorporating the support means of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the support clamp and
cord members in unassembled position;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but
showing the parts in assembled position; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a bedside
drainage bag 10 preferably made of a plastic material and having an
inlet fitting 12 attached to the upper portion thereof and an inlet
tube 14 adapted for conducting fluid into the bag through fitting
12. The bag is also provided with a drain tube assembly 16 the
detailed construction of which is described and claimed in
copending application Ser. No. 793,413 filed Jan. 23, 1969, by the
applicant named herein.
The specially designed support means 18 for the bedside drainage
bag is comprised of a supporting clamp 20 and a one-piece cord
member 22. Referring to FIG. 2 which shows the parts in unassembled
position, clamp 20 is comprised of an upper portion 24 for
permanently fastening the ends 25 of the cord thereto and a lower
portion 26 adapted for removable connection with the center portion
28 of the cord as will be explained in detail hereinafter.
The clamp is preferably made of metal material in the form of a
one-piece stamping. The upper portion 24 of the clamp 20 is
comprised of portions 30, 32 and 34 which are upset in one
direction, and parallel portions 36 and 38 which are upset in the
opposite direction. This upsetting configuration provides openings
40 and 42 into which the ends 25 of the cord 22 can be
inserted.
The first step in the assembly of the support means is to thread
the cord through openings 44 and 46 provided in the top of the bag
10. The next step is to permanently attach the cord ends 25 to the
clamp which is accomplished by first inserting the ends of the cord
through openings 40, 42 in the clamp from opposite directions. The
cord ends are inserted a sufficient distance so that each end
portion 25 will be positioned in both openings 40, 42. With the
cord ends thus positioned, the upset portions 36 and 38 of the
clamp are deformed downwardly into tight engagement with the cord
ends to thus provide a permanent connection between the cord and
the clamp as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Turning now to the lower portion 26 of the clamp, such portion is
also formed by a stamping action wherein a retaining arm 48 is
stamped out of the material in one direction, and the adjacent
portions 50 and 52 are upset in the opposite direction as indicated
by reference numerals 54 and 56. The central portion 28 of the cord
can then be simply inserted over the end of arm 48 and pulled
downwardly until it engages with upset portions 54 and 56 as shown
in FIG. 3.
The clamp and cord are dimensioned so that, as it is pulled
downwardly into the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be
frictionally engaged by the clamp at point 58 as shown in FIG. 4.
However, as it passes point 48 it will move into an area of greater
diameter as viewed in FIG. 4 and will in such position be able to
move freely in an axial direction.
To use the support means described above, the bag can be supported
on a side rail 60 of a hospital bed by first positioning the clamp
on one side of the rail and then attaching the center portion of
the cord to the lower portion 26 of the clamp as previously
described and as shown in FIG. 1. In such position, the bag will be
supported from the rail by the cord.
When it is desired to remove the bag for disposal of the contents,
or for any other reason, the cord is snapped past retaining arm 48
to thus free the bag from the rail. The cord can be reinserted over
the retaining arm 48 to provide a convenient hand support to carry
the bag. This feature makes it easy for an ambulatory patient to
carry the bag. The fact that the cord can move freely axially when
in assembled position over retaining arm 48 allows the entire unit
to easily stabilize itself when installed on the rail of a bed.
From the foregoing, it would seem that the clamp itself is a
relatively inexpensive part which can be easily mass produced and
provides a very convenient and simple arrangement for supporting
and subsequently removing a bedside drainage bag from the rail of
the patient's bed.
Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been
illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *