This invention relates to a disposable pan for a commode chair, and in particular to a moulded thermoformed or post pressed fibre pan supported directly on the seating surface of a commode chair.

A commode chair is a toileting device, typically located bedside, which is used by patients or elderly persons who for various reasons are unable to use a conventional toilet.

Typically, a commode consists of a chair-like structure having an aperture formed in the seat of the chair. A patient is seated on the chair when they require the toilet, and their bodily waste is collected in a receptacle positioned beneath the aperture. In order to allow the waste to be disposed of, the receptacle is typically removable, or includes a removable liner. A commode chair includes a seat having an aperture that is substantially ellipsoidal and contoured to enable a seated person to be supported on the surface immediately surrounding the aperture, in the same manner as a toilet seat. Commonly a support frame is located beneath the aperture that holds and supports a pan for receiving the bodily waste at a spaced distance below the aperture. Typically such pans are formed from moulded plastic. The pan is removable from the support frame to enable the waste to be disposed of following use. A disposable liner may also be provided, having a corresponding shape configured to fit within and line the plastic pan, or the pan itself may be formed from a disposable pulp fibre material. Disposable pans are formed from conventional rough formed pulp. The pulp pan may be emptied and disposed of after use, conveniently protecting the pan from contamination and avoiding the need to clean the pan following every use.

It is known to locate a frame or cage below the aperture of the commode within which the pan is mounted. The cage slides from beneath the seat on runners or a similar mechanism to allow the pan to be inserted and removed. Undesirably, such cages are cumbersome to use and add to the cost of the chair, as well as increasing its weight. It has also been found that the close fit required for holding the pan without movement is use makes the pan very difficult to remove following use, thereby risking spillage on removal. In addition, the low tolerances associated with pulp fibre material can lead to gaps and distortion providing a poor fit which can result in leakage, particularly in instances of explosive discharges.

A further disadvantage of this common arrangement of the prior art is the spacing of the pan from the seat and the open nature of the pan following use. The depth of the pan results in splash back and aerolisation of particles, particularly in the event of diarrhoea. There is a further risk of spillage and aerolisation as the pan is removed and transported following use. The risk of aerosolisation of pathogens is well documented. Hospital- acquired infection is attributed to a high mortality rate. Airborne transmission is an under-recognised but important contributor to the spread of potentially life threatening pathogens. High morbidity and mortality of hospital acquired infections, coupled with their resistance to many cleaning solutions and ability to survive on surfaces for significant periods of time means it is vital that medical equipment used for the collection, transport and disposal of urine and faeces include measures to prevent airborne transmission. The spacing of the pan from the seat also results in a loss of patient dignity due to the increased release of odour and increased audibility when the patient uses the commode.

A further disadvantage of the pan being suspended or resting below the seating surface of the chair is that the seating surface and inner surfaces of the toileting aperture are exposed during use and therefore require cleaning after use. This greatly increases the likelihood of cross contamination because of the increase in contaminated surface areas that may be missed during cleaning. Despite every chair being wiped down after every use with anti-bacterial wipes, the more surfaces there are to clean after use, especially an explosive one, greatly increases the chance of bacterial growth remaining on the chair and HCAI growth. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved commode pan and a method for using a commode which addresses the above described problems and/or which offers improvements generally.

According to the present invention there is provided a commode pan and a method for using a commode as described in the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a top loading disposable commode pan for use with a commode having a seat comprising a seating surface with a toileting aperture formed therein. The commode pan comprises a bowl section having a base and a side wall extending upwardly from the base terminating at an upper edge, the bowl being shaped to be received into a toileting aperture of a commode seat from above. A flange located at the upper end of the bowl. The commode pan is formed from a thermoformed or post pressed fibre material.

Prior art commode pans are inserted and supported away from the seating surface of commode seat, and are typically held by a support cage. Therefore, support strength or a smooth surface finish have not been considerations for pans of the prior art. For this reason such pans have been always been formed from conventional rough pulp fibre. However, the applicant has realised that it would be preferable to load a commode pan into a commode seat from above such that the flange of the pan engages the seat. This enables the flange to provide a seal between the pan and the seat that prevents leakage, as well as moving the bowl of the pan closer to the user. This top loading arrangement is achieved by forming the disposable pan from a thermoformed or post pressed fibre. As such material is more time consuming and costly to manufacture than conventional pulp, there has been no motivation to date to manufacture existing pans that are supported away from the seating surface, from such a material as the use of this material would provide no technical benefit to justify the additional cost. Conventional pulp fibre material is moulded and then discharged onto a conveyor dryer and dried as it travels through the conveyor. It has a textured surface on one side and a rough surface on the other. Because most of the mould surfaces are unsupported during drying it distorts as it dries, and the rough nature of the material provides very low tolerances. In contrast, thermoformed fibre material is produced by moulding pulp fibres that are then transferred and dried in a set of drying tools using heat and pressure. This provides a smooth dense substrate with which high tolerances are achievable. Fibres commonly used are bamboo, bagasse, and less commonly paper. A post pressed fibre material is formed by pressing conventional pulp after drying using heated tools. The heat is not for drying but to help the fibres become malleable by heating latent moisture in the pulp during pressing.

The increased strength and tolerance of the thermoformed or post pressed fibre material allows it to support its own loaded weight though direct engagement with the seat, with the pan being able to be supported directly by the flange, without the requirement for a shelf or support tray beneath.

Preferably the flange is arranged such that the lower surface of the flange seats on the seating surface of the commode seat when the bowl is located within the aperture to support the bowl within the aperture. The smooth surface of the thermoformed or post pressed fibre material enables the flange to be located directly on the seating surface as a patient is able to be seated directly on the peripheral flange without the discomfort of the rough finish of traditional pulp. Seating the flange on the seating surface creates a seal that prevents leakage. In addition, a wider flange is permitted which allows increased strength to support the pan via the flange.

The commode pan is preferably configured for use with a commode having a seat also comprising a recessed support shelf surrounding the aperture below the plane of the seating surface. The commode pan comprises a bowl section having a base and a side wall extending upwardly from the base terminating at an upper edge; a support ledge extending outwardly from the upper edge of the bowl wall arranged to be supported on the corresponding support shelf of the commode seat; the outwardly extending peripheral support flange is spaced upwardly from the support ledge and arranged to be received and supported on the seating surface of the commode seat when the support ledge is received and supported on the commode support ledge. As such the pan is supported from beneath by the commode seat at two vertical locations on the peripheral support flange and support ledge. The support ledge having a support wall at its outer edge connecting it with the upper peripheral flange is prevented from bowing by the wall and is able to bear a significant part of the weight from the pan as it is used. The pan is also supported by the peripheral flange which supports pan on the upper seating surface. The location of the flange on the upper surface where there are no width restrictions means the width of the flange is able to be selected to ensure it is able to support the weight of the pan when used. In addition, the pan is further supported during use by the weight of the patient seated directly on the peripheral flange.

At least part of the upper peripheral flange has a width of at least 5 mm. Preferably the flange includes at least two sections on opposing sides having a width of at least 5 mm. It has been found that this width is sufficient to provide a flange formed of thermoformed fibre with sufficient strength to enable the pan to be self-supporting on the seat. For improved sealing purposed the flange may be increased to at least 20mm.

Preferably a wall extends upwardly from the outer periphery of the support ledge of the pan that interconnects the outer peripheral edge of the support ledge and the inner peripheral edge of the support flange. The height of the wall corresponds to the vertical height between the seating surface and the support ledge of the commode seat.

Preferably the pan further comprising a lid shaped to sealingly close the pan. The lid is connected to and integrally moulded with pan. The lid includes a lower surface that corresponds to the inner profile of the upper end of the pan. Specifically the lower surface includes a raised portion that corresponds to the shape of the outer peripheral wall and support ledge, such that the lid may be received and supported on the ledge, with a peripheral flange that extends over the peripheral flange of the pan when the lid is inserted into the pan. Forming the lid with the pan enables both to be formed in a single moulding process. In addition, the connection between the lid and pan ensures that a lid is always taken to the point of use with the pan.

The connection between the lid and pan preferably includes a tear seam to enable the lid to be disconnected from the pan. This enables the lid to be removed without the need for scissors at the point of use.

The lid is connected to the peripheral edge of the support flange and is arranged laterally adjacent the pan, and preferably such that it is substantially co-planar with the peripheral flange. The lid preferably includes an integrally moulded grip portion to enable the lid to be gripped to open and close the pan.

The wall of the bowl preferably tapers inwardly towards the base from the support ledge to ensure easy insertion of the bowl into the aperture, and to allow the bowl to be nested with another bowl.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of using a commode comprising providing a commode having a seat including a seating surface with a toileting aperture formed therein including a recessed support ledge extending around the aperture below the plane of the seating surface. A disposable commode pan is provided including a bowl section having a base and a side wall extending upwardly from the base terminating at an upper edge; a support ledge extending outwardly from the upper edge of the bowl wall arranged to be supported on the corresponding support ledge of the commode seat; and an outwardly extending support flange spaced upwardly from the support ledge a distance corresponding to the vertical spacing between the seating surface and the support ledge of the commode seat. The pan is inserted into the aperture of the commode seat from above such that the outer support is received and supported on the seating surface of the commode seat surrounding the toileting aperture and such that the support ledge is received and supported on the commode seat support ledge. The pan is advantageously inserted from above and self-supporting directly on the seat, thus avoiding the need for a costly and complex support cage. In addition the pan may be removed from above rather than having to slide the pan from beneath the seat. Making removal easier reduces the risk of spillage or damage to the pan. The commode pan further includes a lid shaped to close the pan, the lid being connected to and integrally moulded with the pan. The lid is disconnected from the pan prior to the pan being inserted into the toileting aperture of the commode seat. This ensures the lid is kept close by and is readily available to close the pan immediately after use, thereby reducing the risk of the spread of infection, and increasing patient dignity.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following illustrative figures in which:

Figure 1 shows a moulded plastic commode seat of the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a commode pan according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 shows a commode pan according to an embodiment of the invention inserted in a commode seat with the lid removed via the tear seam;

Figure 4 shows a commode pan according to an embodiment of the invention with the lid in position closing the pan; and Figure 4 shows a commode pan according to an embodiment of

the invention without the lid.

Referring to Figure 1, a moulded plastic seat for a commode chair 1 comprises an upper seating surface 2 and a downwardly curved front edge 4. Guide channels 6 are located at opposing sides of the seat 1 for receiving corresponding members of the seat frame of which the seat 1 is inserted, the frame (not shown) comprising a seat support section and legs. A toileting aperture 8 is located substantially centrally within the seat surface 2. The aperture 8 extends entirely through the seat surface 2. The aperture 8 has an

approximately hour glass shape with a wider rearward end 10 narrowing to a reduced diameter forward end 12 interconnected by a narrowed waste section 14. The aperture 8 includes an upper rim 16 defining its outer peripheral edge and an inner rim 18 defining the inner most edge of the aperture 8. The outer perimeter side wall 20 extends downwardly from the outer rim 16 into the body of the seat away from the upper seating surface 2. The outer peripheral wall 20 terminates at a support ridge 22 which steps inwardly perpendicular to the outer perimeter wall 20 and is located a depth (di) beneath the support surface 2 defined by the height of the outer perimeter wall 20. The upper surface of the support ridge 22 is substantially parallel with the seating surface 2. The support ridge 22 extends diametrically inwards into the aperture 8 from the outer peripheral 20 terminating at the inner peripheral edge 18 of the aperture 8. As such the aperture 8 is surrounded by two support surfaces in the form of the support ridge 22 and the support surface 2 of the seat 1 which are vertically separated by height (di) of the outer peripheral wall 20.

The above description relates to one example of a commode seat. However, the present invention relates to any commode seat including a toileting aperture. A disposable commode pan 30 is shown in Figure 2. The disposable commode pan 30 includes a base section 32 and a lid 34. The base section 32 includes a bowl 34 having a base 36 and side wall 38 upwardly extending from the base 34. The side wall 38 terminates at an upper edge 40. A support ridge 42 extends diametrically outwards from the upper edge 40 in a horizontal plane that is substantially parallel with the base 34. At the outer perimeter of the support ridge 42 an outer peripheral wall 43 extends upwardly terminating at an outer flange section 44. The outer peripheral wall 43 is curved having a convex profile between the outer edge of the support ridge 42 and the inner edge of the outer flange 44. This prevents interference between the side wall 42 and the seat 1.

The inner edge of the support ridge 42 corresponds to the shape of the inner edge 18 of the aperture 8 of the commode seat 1. The width of the support ridge 42 corresponds substantially to the width of the support ridge 22 of the seat 1 with the support ridge 42 being configured to be received and supported on the support ridge 22. The base 34 is smaller than the opening defined by the inner edge of ridge 40 but has the same shape, with the wall 38 tapering inwardly towards the base from the inner edge of the support ridge 40. This tapering ensures that the pan 30 is easily located within the aperture 8 of the seat 1 as well as ensuring that the bowl is nestable within the bowl of the

corresponding pan.

The outer flange section 44 is vertically spaced above the support ridge 42 a distance (di) corresponding to the height (di) of the outer peripheral wall 20 of the aperture 8 of seat 1. As such, when the pan 30 is inserted in the aperture 8 the support ridge 42 is received and supported on the corresponding support ledge 22 of the seat 1 and the outer flange 44 is received and supported on the upper seating surface 2 in the region immediately surrounding the aperture 8. The outer flange 44 has parallel straight side edges 46 and curved end edges 48. The outer peripheral edge of the outer flange 44 does not correspond in shape to the shape of the opening to the bowl 34 providing a more uniform shape that is more easily die cut. The width of (ti) of the outer flange section 44 at the opposing ends is preferably at least 20 mm, and more preferably is at least 25mm. The outer flange 44 is not of constant thickness around its entire length, with its width reducing to a minimum width (t ₂ ) coincident with the widest diameter of the rear section of the opening. However the outer flange 44 is configured that at least significant sections of the outer flange 44, including sections at opposing ends of the outer flange 44 are at least 20 mm in widths. This minimum width of 20 mm for a thermo formed pulp material provides sufficient support such as the pan is able to be held from beneath by the seating surface 2, in combination with the support provided by the support ridge 20 which supports and holds the narrower support ridge 42 of the pan 30. As such the pan 30 may be top loaded into the aperture 8 of the seat 1 and is self-supporting on top of the seat 1 without the requirement for additional support structures beneath the seat 1. The outer flange section 44 surrounds and seals the aperture 8. The structural integrity provided by the thermo forming process enables the thickness of the pulp material to be between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, and preferably approximately 1 mm. In addition, the thermoforming process enables the upper outer surface of the pan to be provided with a smooth surface as compared with the rough abrasive surface of traditional pulp material. The combination of the thickness of the material and the smoother surface ensures patient comfort with the patient being able to be seated on the flange 44 comfortably without abrasive material or thick raised edges creating discomfort.

A lid 34 is integrally moulded with the bowl section 30 and is connected to the outer flange 44 by a connection tab 50. The lid 34 includes a recessed section 36 which corresponds in profile to the flange 44 and support ridge 42 of the bowl section 30.

Specifically, the lid section 34 includes an outer flange 54 with the first stepped wall section 56 corresponding in shape and depth of the outer peripheral wall 43. A stepped section 58 corresponds to the shape and thickness of the support ridge 42 with a further wall section 60 extending inwardly from the inner edge of the step 58 corresponding in shape to the inner edge of the support ridge 42 which extends downwardly into bowl 30 when secured into position and terminates at the inner panel 62 of the lid 34. A recess 64 is formed in the centre of the centre lid panel 62 which projects upwardly from the upper surface of the panel when the lid is in place on the bowl 30 defining a handle or grip portion to enable the lid to be gripped and removed. The lid 34 is moulded with the bowl section 30 together with the connecting tab 50.

Following the thermoforming moulded process a perforation line 66 is formed along the tab 50 that aligns with the adjacent side edge of the outer flange 44. The perforation 66 defines a tear line. In use, prior to insertion of the bowl 30 into the aperture 8 the lid is separated from the bowl 30 by tearing the tab 50 along the tear line 66. The lid 34 is then retained until the bowl 30 has been used, at which point the lid is inserted onto the bowl 30 to cover and seal the contents of the bowl 30. Linking the lid 34 to the bowl section 30 via the tab 50 ensures that the lid is retained laterally adjacent the bowl during storage and transit and ensures that the lid 34 is always taken to the point of use together with the bowl avoiding a situation where following use no lid is available.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.