U.S. patent number 3,920,179 [Application Number 05/425,512] was granted by the patent office on 1975-11-18 for disposable vomiting bag.
Invention is credited to Kenneth F. Hall.
United States Patent |
3,920,179 |
Hall |
November 18, 1975 |
Disposable vomiting bag
Abstract
A disposable vomiting bag has a rigid support portion that
supports a flexible bag portion in an open position, the support
portion being formed with an inlet opening, diametrically opposed
outwardly projecting hand grips and an annular cheek-engaging
upstanding rib portion to prevent spillage during use. A flexible
inner partition portion extends down from the support portion
inside the receiving bag portion and is arranged like a channel to
form an inner discharge opening inside the bag portion and a
manually operable closure member is provided to close off the inner
discharge opening from the inlet opening to prevent the emission of
odors from vomitous material that has been discharged through the
inner opening into the bag portion.
Inventors: |
Hall; Kenneth F. (Arvada,
CO) |
Family
ID: |
23686881 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/425,512 |
Filed: |
December 17, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/317; 4/144.2;
128/DIG.24; 206/459.1; 248/99; 383/12; 383/36; 383/48; 383/72;
383/93; 604/333 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J
19/00 (20130101); Y10S 128/24 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61J
19/00 (20060101); B65D 033/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;229/62.5,63 ;150/11,9,3
;128/292,295,275,2F,DIG.24 ;4/110,285 ;248/99 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Garbo; Stephen P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lewis, Jr.; Ancel W.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A disposable vomiting bag comprising:
a rigid support portion having an inlet opening and a hand
grip;
a receiving bag portion supported from the support portion in
receiving relation to the inlet opening and having a closed end;
and
an inner partition portion extending into the inside of the
receiving bag portion and narrowing toward the closed end to
provide a funnel-like channel terminating in an inner opening of a
size substantially smaller than said inlet opening, said partition
portion having a closure member operatively associated with said
inner opening and manipulated by closing forces applied at an outer
side of the bag portion between the inlet opening and the closed
end to selectively close off said inner opening to prevent the
emission of odors from the receiving bag portion after use said
closure member having a portion extending through a side of the
receiving bag portion.
2. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
closure member is in the form of a tie wire surrounding said
partition portion at the inner opening that seals off the inlet
opening from the inside of the bag portion when the end portions
are twisted together.
3. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said
support portion is rigid and said receiving bag portion is
flexible.
4. A disposable vomiting bag comprising:
a rigid support portion having an inlet opening, a pair of opposed
hand grips and an annular upstanding rib adjacent the inlet opening
adapted to be placed against the cheek of the user to prevent
spillage,
a receiving bag portion supported by the support portion in
receiving relation to said inlet opening, and
an inner partition portion extending into the receiving bag portion
to provide a funnel-like channel terminating in an inner opening of
a size substantially smaller than the inlet opening, said partition
portion having a closure member operably associated therewith to
close off the inside of the receiving bag portion from the inlet
opening to prevent the emission of odors from said receiving bag
portion.
5. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein said
support portion with hand grips and rib is made as a unit of a
rigid molded plastic material.
6. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein said
receiving bag portion and said inner partition portion are made of
a flexible, elastomeric film material.
7. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein said
bag portion is made of a tubular stock material with volume
graduations and means to deodorize the interior thereof.
8. A disposable vomiting bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein said
partition portion is downwardly convergent and has opposed side
edges fastened to the inside of the bag portion to form a
funnel-like channel with a flexible inner discharge opening.
9. A disposable vomiting bag comprising:
a rigid support portion made of a molded plastic material having a
central inlet opening, a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly
projecting hand grips and an annular cheek-engaging upstanding rib
projecting upwardly from the support portion adjacent the inlet
opening, said rib being rounded along the edge to fit the contour
of the cheek of the user against which it is placed and a flange
portion,
a flexible receiving bag portion made of an elastomeric film
tubular stock material closed at the bottom and leaving an open end
positioned on the flange portion and depending from said support
portion, a ring holding the bag on the flange portion, and
an inner flexible partition portion made of an elastomeric film
material attached to and depending from the flange portion inside
said receiving bag portion, said partition portion being generally
V-shaped and fastened along the side edges to the bag portion to
provide a part of a funnel-like channel forming a flexible inner
discharge opening offset from the inlet opening and of a
substantially smaller size than said inlet opening, said partition
portion forming a pair of side conduits and having a tie wire, said
tie wire extending through the conduits and along the back of the
partition portion and having end portions extending through a
grommet in an end of each of the conduits to a point outside the
bag portion adapted to close off said inner discharge opening and
seal the inside of the receiving bag portion upon the twisting of
the end portions thereof together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to receptacle-type devices and
more particularly to a novel disposable vomiting bag for use in a
variety of personal illness situations.
There are a number of situations, such as, for example, during
flight in an airplane, or in a hospital when it is important to be
able to provide a convenient on-the-spot receptacle for a person
who is ill with a potential vomiting condition. It is desirable
that this person be taken care of with a minimum of offense to
others and at the same time avoid considerable discomfort, odor,
and cleaning up.
Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to
provide a novel disposable vomiting bag that is particularly suited
for being available for on-the-spot use and minimizes the
likelihood of spillage and unpleasant odors.
Another object of this invention is to provide a disposable
vomiting bag that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, will
dispose the receiving bag portion in an open condition, is foldable
into a compact size until used and is easy to use and then be
thrown away.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a vomit bag that
is characterized by a rigid support portion that is compact in size
until used and is readily gripped by the user during use, has a
receiving bag portion and has a ready manually operable means to
close off the vomitous material in the receiving bag portion to
prevent the emission of unpleasant odors.
Other object, advantages and capabilities of the present invention
will become more apparent as the description proceeds, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable vomiting bag embodying
features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view with the parts of the vomiting bag shown
in FIG. 1 in an unattached condition;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the assembled vomiting bag as
shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bag with the tie wire twisted
to the closed position;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 7.
Referring now to the drawings, the disposable vomiting bag shown in
generally designated by numeral 10 and comprises a generally
annular support portion 11 preferably made of a rigid molded
plastic material for rigidity having a circular central inlet
opening 12, a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly projecting
hand grips 13 and 14 and a cheek-engaging upstanding annular rib 15
projecting upwardly from the support portion adjacent the inlet
opening 12. This rib is rounded along the upper edge to fit the
contour of the cheek of the user on which it is positioned to
prevent spillage particularly when the user is lying on his side or
the like.
A receiving bag portion 18 is attached to and depends from the
support portion 11 so that the open upper end of the bag is held in
an open receiving condition. The upper open end of the bag is
suitably attached to the support portion as by providing a stepped
or flange portion 19 over which the open end of the bag fits and a
ring 20 fits against the bag and flange portion and may be
heat-welded or adhesively secured thereto to hold it in place so
that the bag portion receives vomitous material passed through the
inlet opening 12. The receiving bag portion 18 is made of a
flexible elastomeric film material that readily folds up against
the rigid support portion to provide a relatively compact assembly
for pre-use storage purposes. An optional tear strip may be
embedded in the bottom of the bag portion and with, for example,
suitable weakened sections to provide for the dispensing of the
vomitous material from the bag portion at a desired time and place
by the pulling of the tear strip.
An inner partition portion 25 extends away from the support portion
11 around the inlet opening 12 and projects down into the receiving
bag portion 18. The inner partition portion 25 is preferably made
from a flexible elastomeric film material blank that is generally
V-shaped and will take the form of a part or fragment of a funnel
or cone as best seen in FIG. 2 with an upper arcuate portion that
fits in the top opening of the bag portion 18 and around and
directly in contact with the flange 19 of the support portion so as
to be surrounded by and held in place by ring 20 (FIG. 5). The
inner partition portion 25 has tapered side edges that are fastened
to the inside of the bag portion as by heat sealing or heat welding
as represented by dashed lines 27 to form a tapered or funnel-like
channel and a portion of the bag 18 completes the cone-shaped
configuration with a bottom discharge opening 26 between the upper
and lower ends of the bag portion 18. The blank forming the
partition portion further has a pair of outwardly projecting
flap-like sections adjacent the lower ends that fold over to form a
pair of conduits 28 surrounding and forming a part of the discharge
opening 26. The folded or loop part making up the conduit is shown
as held in place by a heat sealing line 28a. The flap-like sections
are secured to the bag below the conduits along heat seal lines 27
and a bottom flap 31 forms an extension below the conduits 28. This
locates the discharge opening 25 in an offset position or to one
side of the bag portion 18. The bag portion is made of a tubular
stock material that is open at the upper end and closed at the
lower end by heat seal lines 27a. The bag portion is shown to have
lines 34 showing the volume of the contents in cubic centimeters. A
deodorant pill 35 is contained in the bag portion to reduce the
unpleasant odors of the vomitous material.
A manually operable closure member 29 in the form of a conventional
metal tie wire coated with a plastic or paper extends through the
conduits 28 and around the back side of the lower part of the
partition portion 25 and then projects through grommets 33 mounted
in openings 32 in the bag portion. The tie wire 29 has sufficient
rigidity to hold the bottom discharge opening 26 in an open
position as shown in FIGS. 1 through 6 while the bag portion is
folded and when opened to a receiving condition. The outer end of
the conduit 28 is shown to fit into the inside flange of the
grommet 33 that in turn is fitted in the opening 32 of the bag
portion 18.
In use the, the bag portion 18 is folded into a compact unit with
the receiving bag portion and partition portion being folded back
in itself and against the upper support portion. When required, the
user holds the grip portions 13 and 14 and unfolds the bag portion
so that it depends from the support portion. The inlet opening 11
is placed in a suitable location for receiving vomitous matter from
a user. When the user is lying on his side, the rib is placed
against the cheek to prevent spillage. When the patient is sitting
in an upright position, the top opening is simply located below the
mouth of the user. After the bag portion receives the vomitous
material, the ends of tie member 29 are twisted closed. It is
understood that a variety of mechanical devices could be used to
close off the discharge opening 26.
Although the present invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is understood that the present
disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in
details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof.
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