US3228396A

US3228396A - Vaginal syringe

Info

Publication number: US3228396A
Application number: US231481A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert L Potts; John R Tully
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-18
Filing date: 1962-10-18
Publication date: 1966-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-11

Description

11, 1966 A. L. POTTS ETAL 3,223,395

VAGINAL SYRINGE Filed Oct. 18, 1962 INVENTORS ALBERT L. POTTS JOHN R. TULLY FIGB ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,228,396 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,396 VAGINAL SYRINGE Albert L. Potts, 2901 Monroe, and John R. Tully, 2305 E. Chandler, both of Evansville, Ind. Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 231,481 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 128-232) The present invention is directed to certain new and useful improvements in vaginal syringes.

The major purposes of the present invention are to so construct and arrange a vaginal syn'ng that economical manufacture thereof is permitted, thus enabling economical disposability of the unit, to so arrange the nozzle and actuating bulb for the cleansing fluid used with the syringe that the bulb is easily filled while at the same time enhancing convenience in the use of the syringe, and to so construct the unit that physical damage during use of the syringe is minimized, these and other purposes being more fully set out in the course of the ensuing specification and claims, when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the syringe constituting the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of one element utilized in the assembled syringe of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View of the element illustrated in FIGURE 2 and taken along the section lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side view of the nozzle or stem utilized in the assembled syringe of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the nozzle or stem illustrated in FIGURE 4, and taken along the section lines 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the syringe in disassembled condition and illustrating the compactness of the assembly for ease in packaging.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instance to FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 generally designates the elongated and straight nozzle, shaft or stem of the assembled syringe. Nozzle 10 is a hollow tube, and as is seen more particularly in FIGURES 4 and 5, includes an enlarged end portion 11 which is defined by angularly spaced ribs 12, which are equally spaced about the axis of the nozzle and which radial dimensions such that they are positioned outwardly of the inner portion 13 of the nozzle. The valleys 14 between the ribs are approximately equal, in radial dimensions, to the cross sectional radial dimensions of the remainder 13 of the nozzle.

Nozzle 10 includes spaced apertures 15 in the enlarged end portion thereof which apertures are positioned in the innermost portions of the valleys 14. These apertures 15 are spaced inwardly from the extreme outer end 16 of the nozzle by a distance of approximately one-half inch /2) for reasons that will appear more fully hereinafter. These apertures 15 extend inwardly through the tubular wall of the nozzle 10 so as to establish communication with the hollow opening 15a extending along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle. As is illustrated in the drawings, .two such apertures may be positioned in each of the valleys 14.

The inner end 17 of the nozzle is tapered slightly so as to enhance a frictional engagement within a bore 18 of a connecting plug 19. Bore 18 has a uniform diameter. This friction fit provides a sufiicient seal between the nozzle and plug. Connecting plug 19 includes a second bore 20 which extends at right angles to the bore 18 and which is in communication therewith. Plug 19 has a generally circular cross section and a height on the order of its width, as is particularly seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. The lower end of plug 19 includes a flange 21 extending circumferentially thereof so as to hold the neck 24 of a bulb 22 thereon.

The lower end surface 23 of the plug 19 is formed somewhat as an inverted conical surface so as to enhence the positioning of the neck portion 24 of the bulb 22 over the flange 21.

Bulb 22 may be generally balloon-like in formation and may consist of flexible and expandable material. Materials which are suitable in the formation of the bulb 22 are rubber-like materials or thin walled polyethylene plastic materials. These materials have a natural shape which is collapsed, as in FIGURE 6, while they may be expanded when filled with liquid as in FIGURE 1. The neck of the tube-like bulb may terminate in a reinforcing bead 25 which is illustrated in FIGURE 3. The material used in the formation of bulb 22 should, of course, be slightly resilient to enable a more or less snap fitting over flange 21.

The entire assembly is so formed that it may be easily assembled and disassembled. The unit may be shipped in an unassembled condition as is illustrated in FIGURE 6. Bulb 22 is easily fitted to the connecting plug 19 simply by snapping the open neck of the bulb over the flange 21. When so fitting the neck of the bulb over the flange, bead 25 may be brought to bear against the inclined surface 23 and gradually forced outwardly, thus expanding the neck until the head 25 snaps over the retaining flange 22. The resiliency of the bead 25 and the neck portion of the bulb create a sufficiently tight fit with the flange as to substantially seal the connecting plug and bulb together during use. Nozzle 10 is easily inserted into bore 18 so as to provide a frictional engagement therewith, which engagement provides a relatively sturdy connection.

All parts of the assembled unit may be formed from inexpensive materials and packaged in the unassernbled condition. Connecting plug 19 and nozzle 10 may be readily formed from molded plastic. Bulb 22 may be formed from a rubber-like or resilient plastic material through a molding process quite similar to the formation of toy balloons.

By virtue of the right angular disposition of the nozzle 10 with respect to the connecting plug 19 and bulb 22, bulb 22 may easily be filled when the nozzle 10 is removed, through opening 18. The sidewise disposition of this opening 18 enhances convenience in the filling of the bulb for the reason that the bulb and plug are then naturally held in a somewhat horizontal position beneath a filling faucet instead of the more or less customary filling of such bulbs with the bulb in a vertically suspended position beneath a faucet. The angularity of the nozzle 10, which is formed along a straight axis with respect to bulb 22, also provides convenience in the use of the syringe. In this regard, the disposition of the bulb, when in use, is naturally upwardly with respect to the plug 19 for ease in manipulation of the bulb and at the same time enhancing a more or less gravitational flow of liquid through nozzle 10.

When so used, the straightness of the nozzle tends to dispose it naturally towards the back of the user, thus tending to minimize contact with the cervix uteri, which contact can provide physical damage. The upward and right angular disposition of the bulb, when in use, aids in this same result. Any upward pulling force on the bulb, which may result during squeezing thereof to expel the cleansing fluid therefrom, tends to tilt the nozzle away from the uterus.

It should be noted that the positioning of apertures 15 away from the outer end 16 of the nozzle also tends to minimize the possibility of the cleansing fluid entering the cervix uteri since these apertures, during normal use, will be positioned away therefrom.

It should be noted that by positioning the apertures in the valleys of the enlarged ribbed portion of the nozzle, some space is provided between these apertures and the walls of the vaginal canal, thus tending to minimize any build up in pressure. The spaces allow suflicient space for the flow of the cleaning liquid without building up pressure within the canal which can be hazardous from a medical standpoint. The inner end portion 13 of the nozzle 10, which is also smaller than the ribs, also tends to minimize any build up in pressure. Connecting plug 19 presents a curvilinear surface which curves away from the entrance to the vaginal canal and thus also minimizes any obstruction wihch would tend to build up pressure within the canal.

The unit is so formed that it may provide a relatively gentle flow of cleansing liquid within the vaginal canal and outwardly therefrom.

Whereas we have shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description thereof should be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will fall within the scope and spirit thereof and which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vaginal syringe including a fillable, disposable, flexible tubular bulb having a natural collapsed shape and a nozzle connecting member, said bulb having a resilient end portion and an opening in said end portion, said connecting member having an annular flange at one end thereof and formed around a fluid passage through the member, said end portion of said bulb being positioned over said flange in a removable, resilient sealing engagement therewith, thereby enabling insertion and removal of said plug from said bulb, said member having a hollow nozzle extending transversely with respect to the axis of said passage at the other end thereof, said nozzle having a tapered inner end removably and frictionally seated in a bore in said connecting member, said bore being formed about an axis extending transversely with respect to the axis of said passage and being in communication with said passage, said nozzle having outlet apertures in communication with the hollow interior thereof, said bore, said passage and said bulb.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said bore has a uniform diameter to provide a wedging frictional engagement with said tapered end of said nozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,412 4/ 1902 McMurran 128-239 X 758,673 5/1904 Meinecke 128-232 1,064,307 6/ 1913 Fleming 128-239 1,089,595 3/1914 Sopha 128-232 1,145,520 7/1915 Smith 128-239 2,047,437 7/ 1936 Sinkler 128-239 2,075,577 3/1937 Gerhardstein 128-232 X 2,987,223 6/1961 Armour 128-232 X 3,154,075 10/1964 Weckesser 128-251 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,813 1900 Great Britain.

810,967 3/1938 France.

1,110,485 10/ 1955 France.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 214,552 4/1879 Connable. 2,568,915 9/1951 Friedman. 2,664,891 1/ 1954 Kempel. 2,664,893 1/1954 Kempel. 2,815,753 12/1957 Hoflman et al. 2,925,084 2/ 1960 Brewer.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A VAGINAL SYRINGE INCLUDING A FILLABLE, DISPOSABLE, FLEXIBLE, TUBULAR BULB HAVING A NATURAL COLLASED SHAPE AND A NOZZLE CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID BULB HAVING A RESILIENT END PORTION AND AN OPENING IN SAID END PORTION, SAID CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR FLANGE AT ONE END THEREOF AND FORMED AROUND A FLUID PASSAGE THROUGH THE MEMBER, SAID END PORTION OF SAID BULB BEING POSITIONED OVER SAID FLANGE IN A REMOVABLE, RESILIENT SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, THEREBY ENABLING INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF SAID PLUG FROM SAID BULB, SAID MEMBER HAVING A HOLLOW NOZZLED EXTENDING TRANSVERSELYL WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGE AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID NOZZLE HAVING A TAPERED INNER AND REMOVABLY AND FRICTIONALLY SEATED IN A BORE IN SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, SAID BORE BEING FORMED ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGE AND BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGE, SAID NOZZLE HAVING OUTLET APERSAID BORE, SAID PASSAGE AND SAID BULB.