The present application claims the benefit and priority of AR 20210102648 filed on September 23, 2021.

This invention relates to a device that allows women to urinate while standing. More particularly, this invention relates to a female portable urinal comprising a substantially rigid body generally shaped as a funnel, and a removable soft ring that covers the mouth or inlet opening of the funnel, and that allows its user to urinate while standing, using only one hand, and that in cases of anterior prolapse, it facilitates urination.

Background of the Invention

Due to anatomical differences in the urogenital tract, from early childhood onwards, men normally urinate in a standing position, while women do so in a sitting or squatting position. The need to urinate standing becomes a problem when women must do so in an environment where hygiene is not adequate, as is typically the case, for example, when they must use a public toilet, or even when there are no available toilet facilities, such as in natural environment situations. In such situations, where urinating in a squatting or sitting position is inadvisable, or even for reasons of reduced mobility or other health conditions, it is highly advantageous for women to be able to urinate standing up.

So as to allow women to urinate standing in a comfortable, hygienic, and safe manner, numerous devices known as “female portable urinals” have existed for years. The purpose of these devices is to channel the stream of urine from the vulva and direct it away from the body in order to prevent it from dripping onto the user's body or clothing.

In addition to numerous patent documents related to the subject (see as recent examples US10682025B2, GB2281864A, U S2014033414A1 , US8603056B1 , US4202058A and US5450632A, to name just a few), there are several female portable urinals on the market. However, as it will be seen below, despite the great diversity of designs, all female portable urinals exhibit some type of inconvenience when using the same, which makes them sub- optimal, and thus, their acceptance by women is limited.

For example, a device marketed under the name “Liberty” in Argentina and “Uixi” in Mexico, is made of rigid plastic and consists of a receiver that continues in an open gutter. By design, in the use position, if the user applies the larger opening of the collector to the pelvic floor, the floor of the receiver and gutter are substantially horizontal, so urine simply falls down from the spout or front end of the gutter, and between the user's legs. In addition, to completely empty this urinal, it is necessary to tilt its front end downwards, which is uncomfortable because of the pressure of the edge of the urinal against the pelvic floor, thus making the stream of urine would end up falling even closer to the user, and even directly below her.

Likewise, in China and India, devices generally shaped as a flattened funnel are marketed, comprising a collector and a discharge tube or extender, made of a single piece of silicone. Due to its design, when said urinal is in a use position, the discharge tube is not aligned with the urinary meatus; furthermore, the discharge tube or extender is directed downwards and only slightly forward. Because of its deformability and geometry, this device makes its user to substantially lower her pants and underwear, having also to produce a “break” in the middle sector of the discharge tube or extender to direct it forward. As a result, overflow of the device can occur as such a “break” often interrupts the flow of urine from the collector to the urinal outlet. Therefore, the need of the user’s both hands is essential, which is inconvenient and does not allow one hand free to, for example, hold toilet paper. Similar devices are marketed in the United States of America. One of them is made of rubber, which, although conferring a little more rigidity, it does not prevent the above-described problems. The other one of them is made of good quality silicone and has a lip on the larger opening of the funnel, in a certain way, reducing the risk of spillage, but it also requires the use of both hands, the complete lowering of clothing, and the “break” of the discharge tube.

In short, to date there is no female portable urinal that allows women to urinate while standing, not requiring the substantial lowering of clothing, allowing its use with one hand, anatomically fitting to the female pelvic region, avoiding discomfort, and preventing urine loss during urination, and that can be easily transported and cleaned. All these problems and others are solved by the portable urinal of this invention.

Brief Description of the Invention

According to its most general aspect, this invention provides a female portable urinal comprising a substantially rigid body generally shaped as a funnel, and a removable soft ring. In the urinal of the invention, the body comprises a collector in the reartop position in the shape of a laterally compressed cup, and an extender in the front bottom position in the form of a tube that projects from said collector. In turn, the collector comprises: a) an inlet opening with its major axis contained in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the extender, wherein said inlet opening has a rear projection at its rear end; and b) an outlet opening contained at the end of a projection of the collector opposite said inlet opening, wherein the outlet opening has a smaller size than the inlet opening and empties into the extender.

The edge of the collector inlet opening is covered by the removable soft ring.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the collector inlet opening has a concave profile from a side view standpoint.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the removable soft ring is an elastomeric seal. According to a more particular embodiment, the elastomeric seal is attached in a leak-proof manner to the edge of the inlet opening by means of an outwardly oriented flange present in said inlet opening which is inserted into a groove present along the edge of the inlet opening internal face of the elastomeric seal.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, taken independently or in combination with any of the particular embodiments described above, the inlet opening of the collector has a round-edged isosceles triangle outline with a base:height ratio of between 1 :1.7 and 1 :2.3; wherein the base of the triangle is in a front position and wherein the angle at the apex forms the rear projection of the inlet opening. According to a more particular embodiment, the base:height ratio is 1 :2.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the invention, the extender or discharge tube is a removable piece with a free end and an end opposite the free end in which the projection of the collector, at whose end the outlet opening is open, is embedded in a leakproof manner. Preferably, the area of outlet opening of the collector is greater than the cross- sectional area of the free end of the extender.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal axis of the extender forms an angle of between 35° and 55° with respect to the major axis of the larger opening of the collector when the urinal is in a side view. Preferably, the angle between the longitudinal axis of the extender and the major axis of the major opening of the collector is between 43° and 48°; even more preferably, the angle between the longitudinal axis of the extender and the major axis of the major opening of the collector is 46°. Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a front side perspective view of an embodiment of the device of this invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the device in the same perspective as Figure 1 .

Figure 3A is a side view of the embodiment of the device of Figure 1 in a use position. Figure 3B is a front top view of the same device. Figure 3C is a rear bottom view of the device of the invention.

Figure 4 is a top view of the embodiment of the device of Figure 1 .

Detailed Description of the Invention

In the present description, and unless otherwise indicated, the terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, bottom” and their combinations (such as, for example, “front-top” and the like) are used to describe the device of the invention as regards its relative position to the user's body during use.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to its preferred embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, wherein identical reference numerals designate identical parts of the urinal.

The portable urinal (1) of this invention comprises a body (2) generally shaped as a funnel, and a removable soft ring (3). The body of the urinal comprises a collector (4) in a rear top position, in the shape of a laterally compressed cup, and a discharge tube or extender (5) in a front bottom position that projects from said collector (4). In the urinal of the invention, the collector (4) comprises: a) an inlet opening (6) with its major axis contained in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the extender (5), wherein said inlet opening (6) has at its rear end (7) a rear projection (8), and where the edge (9) of said inlet opening (6) is covered by the removable soft ring (3); and b) an outlet opening (10) contained at the end of a projection (11) of the collector (4) opposite said inlet opening (6), wherein the outlet opening (10) has a smaller size than the opening inlet (6) and empties in the extender (5).

The collector (4) and the extender (5) can be formed by a single piece or, preferably, they can be two separate pieces that are coupled (as in the illustrated embodiment), which allows better hygiene and comfort to carry the same, for example, in the user's purse. The collector (4) and the extender (5) are made of rigid and easily sanitizable material. By “rigid material” it is meant a material that maintains its shape or at most only slightly elastically deforms when subjected to the forces and stresses typically applied by the user's hand and clothing during the use of the urinal (1). By “easily sanitizable” it is meant that the material does not absorb urine and that the device can continue to be used without loss of effectiveness due to deterioration even after repeated sanitizing. There are numerous suitable materials that meet this requirement and will be evident for a skilled person in the art. By way of illustrative example including, but not limited to, among the suitable construction materials, injected plastic, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, acrylic, PETA, etc. It is contemplated that the collector (2) and the extender (3) are made of different materials. Preferably, the materials used for the collector (2) and the extender (3) are styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and polypropylene (PP).

The soft nature of the ring (3) provides greater use comfort and other advantages as described below, while its removable nature makes it easy to sanitize and replace in case of deterioration.

The combination of a rigid collector (4) and extender (5) with a soft ring (3) allows the urinal (1) to be used with one hand and exert pressure on the pelvic floor to adjust it to the contour of the body and prevent urine leaks. This feature exhibits a very important additional advantage for women suffering from anterior prolapse or cystocele, where the bladder falls towards the front wall of the vagina and makes urination difficult. In this circumstance, the rigidity of the device, the comfort provided by the ring (3) and the presence of the rear projection (8) of the collector (4) allow the user to push the urinal upwards without experiencing the discomfort of a rigid edge. In this circumstance, the rear projection (8), which in a use position is supported by means of the ring (3) that covers the same on the perineum, between the rear end of the vulva and the anus (perineal nucleus), raises the internal organs and solves the blockage to the urine flow caused by the fall of the bladder. For greater efficiency of this aspect of the urinal, it is contemplated that the height of the soft ring (3) be greater in the part that covers the rear projection (8) than in the rest of the contour of the inlet opening (6), such as it can be clearly seen in Figure 3A. For example, the height of the rear end (7) can be about 2 times the height of the front end. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the height of the soft ring (3) is substantially homogeneous in the 4/5 front, while in the rear fifth the height gradually increases backwards to the rear end (7). In the illustrated embodiment, the thickness of the soft ring is 7 mm in its 4/5 front, and 15 mm in the rear end (7).

For greater comfort and efficiency, the rear projection (8) of the collector (4) should have rounded edges (that is, not angular) and should be wide enough so that when it exerts pressure on the pelvic floor, it raises the organs without hurting or causing discomfort. For example, the rear projection (8) can be in the form of a tab or spatula, among others, with an average width, measured with the elastomeric ring (3) placed in the inlet opening (6) of the collector (4), of at least 18 mm, preferably at least 20 mm, more preferably between 25 mm and 35 mm. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the width of the rear projection (8) is 25 mm measured on the X-X' axis of Figure 4.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the inlet opening (6) of the collector (4) preferably has a concave profile when viewed from the side. This allows the inlet opening to rest against the user's body when applied to the pelvic floor, thus reducing, or even eliminating, the risk of overflow and leakage. This aspect is better appreciated in Figure 3A.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the ring (3) is an elastomeric seal. Among the elastomers suitable for manufacturing the ring (3) are thermoplastic elastomers based on block copolymers, such as styrene block copolymers. In the example of this application, ring (3) was manufactured with FORTIPRENE TPE 7301 A35CO and with FORTIPRENE TPE 7101 A45CO, preferring FORTIPRENE TPE 7301 A35CO. According to a more particular embodiment, the ring (3) in the form of an elastomeric seal is securely attached to the edge of the inlet opening (6) by means of an outwardly facing flange (12) present in said inlet opening (6) that is inserted into a groove (13) present along the internal face of the elastomeric seal.

The inlet opening (6) of the urinal (1) must be wide enough so that when applied against the pelvic floor, at least substantially surrounds the contour of the vulva, and, in particular, aligns with the urinary meatus in such a way that the flow of urine from the urinary meatus to the urinal (1) is free. Considering female anatomical variations, the width of the entry opening (6), that is, its transverse diameter, with the ring (3) in place, is preferably between 35 mm and 55 mm, and its length, that is, its front-rear diameter, is between 95 mm and 115 mm. It is specifically contemplated that these measures be minor in the case of urinals intended for girls. In the urinal (1) of the illustrated embodiment, the transverse diameter measured at line Y-Y' of Figure 4 is 40 mm, and the transverse diameter measured at line Z-Z" of Figure 4 is 48 mm, while the maximum front-rear diameter (measured perpendicular to lines YY' and ZZ' ) is 105 mm.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, taken independently or in combination with any of the particular embodiments described above, and as it can be better seen in Figure 4, the inlet opening (6) of the collector (4) has a round-edged isosceles triangle outline with a base:height ratio between 1 :1.7 and 1 :2.3; in which the base (14) of the triangle is in the front position and in which the angle at the apex forms the rear projection (8) of the inlet opening (6). According to a more particular embodiment, the base:height ratio is 1 :2.

As mentioned above, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the extender (5) or discharge tube is a removable piece with a free end (15) and an end (16) opposite the free end in which the projection (11) of the collector (2) is embedded in a leak-proof manner, at whose end the outlet opening (10) of the collector (4) opens. Alternatively, when the collector (2) and the extender (5) are two separate pieces, it is also contemplated that the attachment between the end (16) of the extender (5) and the projection (11) of the collector (2), be made by means of a threaded joint or another type of fast attachment. Preferably, the area of the outlet opening (10) of the collector (4) is greater than the cross-sectional area of the free end (15) of the extender, giving the extender the shape of a truncated cone.

Different lengths of the extender (5) are contemplated according to the user population for which the urinal (1) is intended. For example, in a particular embodiment intended for use by pregnant or obese women, the extender (5) is a separate piece between 14 and 17 cm, more preferably between 15 and 16 cm, and most preferably 15.5 cm. Extenders intended for use by non-pregnant, non-obese women, the length of the extender (5) may be shorter. For example, between 7 cm and 12 cm, preferably between 8 and 11 cm, most preferably between 9 and 10 cm. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the extender (5) has a length of 9.5 cm.

In order to ensure that the stream of urine exits the urinal of the invention as far forward as possible, that is, that it moves as far as possible from the user's body, and that according to yet another particular embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal axis of the extender (5) forms an angle a (see Figure 3A) of between 35° and 55° with respect to the major axis of the larger opening (6) of the collector (4) when the urinal is in a side view. Preferably, the angle a between the longitudinal axis of the extender (5) and the major axis of the largest opening (6) of the collector (4) is between 43° y 48°; even more preferably, the angle a between the longitudinal axis of the extender (5) and the major axis of the largest opening (6) of the collector (4) is 46° .

It will be evident to a person skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the invention and its embodiments are merely illustrative and are in no way limiting the scope of this invention, which is defined purely by the appended claims.