Safety bag, in particular for hygienic purposes

A safety bag of flexible material such as a thin sheet of transparent plastics material, the bag having an opening of dimensions appropriate for its use with an edge that is suitable for being bonded to reinforcement for facilitating the opening of a passage to the inside of the bag starting from a flattened position in which the opening is closed, said bag also including a first tubular element bonded in leakproof manner to the bag in the vicinity of its opening and extending into the bag from its opening over an appropriate distance, e.g. about 15 cm. A second tubular element is disposed between the facing walls of the bag and of the first tubular element, second tubular element being also bonded in leakproof manner to the bag in the vicinity of its opening and extending to the inside of the bag over a distance greater than that of the first element.

The present invention relates to a safety bag of flexible material for 
receiving waste of various origins, in particular of human origin, and 
under particularly hygienic conditions. Bags of this kind are already 
known, generally presented in flattened form and intended for use to 
collect urine or vomit, for example. In this respect, mention may be made 
of the flexible bags described in published documents DE-A-2 515 159, 
FR-A-2 169 957, GB-A-2 227 728, or indeed EP-A-591 144 (WO 91/03994), and 
those constituting the subject matter of DE-A-2 936 622 or 2 949 132 or, 
indeed U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,261,253 and 5,056,932. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Such bags are made of thin sheets of paper or plastics material, they are 
optionally transparent, and they have an opening of dimensions appropriate 
for their function. In some cases, the rim of the opening is associated 
with reinforcement suitable for being deformed by the user starting from 
the flat position so as to make it easier to open up a passage to the 
inside of the bag. In addition, known safety bags are generally equipped 
with a device for preventing untimely egress of the substances that have 
been inserted therein, particularly if those substances are liquid. Thus 
it is common to provide a kind of non-return valve constituted merely by 
one or two tubular elements generally made of flexible material analogous 
to that used for the bag itself. These elements are connected in sealed 
manner to the bag in the vicinity of its opening and they extend axially 
into the bag from its opening over an appropriate distance. When the 
substances received in the bag in question are liquid, the axial length of 
the tubular elements is about 10 cm, and generally a little longer, with 
the inner tubular element being axially shorter than the tubular element 
adjacent to the inside walls of the bag. 
It has nevertheless been observed that the above-outlined dispositions are 
insufficient to ensure under all circumstances that a safety bag remains 
sealed after use, particularly when it is intended to receive liquids and 
a high degree of hygiene is essential. This applies in particular if the 
bag is used as a urinal, e.g. in a hospital, and at least one of the 
tubular elements is in the form of a funnel. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention seeks to remedy the observed drawbacks of known 
hygienic bags while seeking to provide a product that is easy and cheap to 
manufacture, given the frequent need to discard or destroy it after use. 
The invention thus relates to a safety bag as defined in the preamble of 
claim 1. 
According to a first characteristic of the invention, the internal 
transverse edges of the tubular elements extend transversely over 
substantially the entire width of the bag when it is in its flattened 
position. 
Because of this disposition, the non-return valve effect provided by the 
tubular elements is greatly improved and the substances, in particular 
liquids, inserted into a bag can no longer escape therefrom whatever 
movements are applied to the bag or whatever the position in which it is 
placed, and there is no risk of back flow while said substances are being 
inserted into the bag. 
Various secondary dispositions may be provided to make the non-return valve 
effect sealing the opening of the bag even more effective, and they are 
described below.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Although the description which follows and the accompanying drawings relate 
to a bag having only two tubular elements, the invention is naturally not 
limited to bags of that type. More precisely, the bag must include at 
least two valve-forming tubular elements. 
With reference initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there can be seen a safety bag 1 
designed to be used as a urinal, constituted by a thin sheet of 
transparent plastics material and having an opening given general 
reference 2. The shape of the bag is not determined by the invention, but 
in the example shown it comprises a working portion 1a which, in the 
flattened position shown in FIG. 1, is substantially rectangular, ignoring 
the exception explained below. The working portion 1a of the bag is 
connected to the opening 2 via a portion 1b having any appropriate 
profile. Preferably, and as can be seen in FIG. 1, one of the side edges 
1c of the bag is substantially rectilinear and extends perpendicularly 
from the opening 2 over the combined length of the portions 1a and 1b of 
the bag. In contrast, the edge diametrically opposite to the edge 1c 
comprises a substantially rectilinear segment 1d in the portion 1a of the 
bag and a curvilinear segment 1e connecting to the opening 2 in the 
portion 1b. 
It can already be specified that the segment 1d advantageously extends away 
from the opening 2 so as to form an acute angle A with the edge 1c. Also, 
the bag 1 is easily made either from a tube of thin transparent plastics 
material or from superposed sheets. In either case, at least one of the 
edges 1c and 1d and also the bottom if and the curvilinear segment 1e are 
advantageously defined by lines of heat sealing 1'd, 1'e, and 1'f between 
the two walls of the bag, performed either before or after the outside 
profile of the bag has been cut out. 
It is also mentioned at this point that the bottom if is advantageously cut 
so as to have a tab 1g extending beneath the heat seal line 1'f. A notch 
1'g is formed in the tab 1g but without extending as far as the heat seal 
line 1'f. Similarly the segment 1e has a tab 1h situated beyond the heat 
seal 1'e and including a hole 1'h. The purposes of these various auxiliary 
dispositions appear below. 
With reference now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, it can be seen that the opening 2 
of the bag is constituted by a sleeve 2a that is suitable, like the bag 
itself, for occupying a flattened position. Reinforcement constituted by 
two relatively rigid but flexible blades 3a and 3b is secured inside the 
bag. Although the invention does not relate in any way to the 
reinforcement and the manner in which it is connected to the edge of the 
opening, it appears to be advantageous for the blades 3a and 3b to be heat 
sealed to the inside wall of the sleeve, preferably by strips 3'a and 3'b 
of flexible plastics material (FIG. 4). 
As can be seen in FIG. 1a, it is also desirable for the blades to have 
axial extensions 3"a and 3"b extending a suitable distance into the inside 
of the bag, e.g. over two to five times the width of the blades. These 
extensions may be partial as shown, or they may correspond to the entire 
transverse width of the neck of the bag. 
Two "tubular elements" are disposed inside the bag 1 and given overall 
references 4 and 5. They are constituted by thin sheets of transparent 
plastics material, preferably thinner than the material constituting the 
bag 1 itself. 
As can be seen clearly in FIG. 4, a first tubular element 4 extends into 
the inside of the bag from a region close to the edge of the opening 2, 
i.e. the sleeve 2a. The element 4 is bonded in sealed manner to the bag 1, 
e.g. by heat sealing to the sleeve 2a along a continuous line 2'a all 
around the sleeve. The second tubular element 5 is disposed between the 
facing walls of the bag 1 and is also fixed in sealed manner to the bag 1, 
more specifically to its sleeve 2a, by a line of heat sealing that 
preferably coincides with the above-mentioned line 2'a. Thus, in the 
region of the sleeve 2a close to the edge of the opening 2, there exists 
no possible pathway between the bag 1 and one or other of the tubular 
elements 4 and 5 for any substances and in particular for any liquids that 
may be contained in the bag 1. 
The first tubular element 4 extends inside the bag over an appropriate 
length which is generally close to 10 cm and preferably not less than 15 
cm even though the second element 5 itself extends over a greater length, 
e.g. a length that is 2 cm longer than the first tubular element. 
As mentioned above with reference to the bag 1 itself, the tubular elements 
can be made from tubes of appropriate diameter or they can be made from 
superposed sheets. In either case, when in the flattened position shown in 
the drawings, the lateral edges of the elements facing the edges 1c and 1e 
of the bag are, if necessary, closed by axially extending lines of heat 
sealing. Nevertheless, it is preferable, as shown in the drawings, for the 
lateral edges of the tubular elements to be cut to match the shapes of the 
edges 1c and 1e and to be assembled to said edges along common lines of 
heat sealing 1c and 1e (FIG. 3c). 
In any event, and as already emphasized, it can be seen that it is 
important for the internal transverse edges 4a and 5a of the tubular 
elements to extend transversely over the major portion of the width, and 
if possible over the full width, of the bag 1 when it is in its flattened 
position (FIG. 1). 
Nevertheless, depending on the structure of the tubular elements when they 
are fixed to the bag, for example if they are constituted by tubes of 
plastics material having dimensions close to those of the opening 2, it is 
necessary only for at least one of the lateral edges of the element 5 to 
be fixed to the bag 1 (FIG. 3a) or indeed for only at least one of the 
lateral edges of the element 4 to be fixed to the corresponding lateral 
edge of the element 5 (FIG. 3b). 
It is also highly advantageous for localized bonds to be provided in the 
vicinity of the internal transverse edges 4a and 5a of the tubular 
elements between the walls of said elements which face one another when 
the bag 1 is in its flattened position. These localized bonds are 
preferably constituted by heat sealing points 6 or 7 located in alignment 
along each transverse edge. The heat sealing points 6 situated along the 
transverse edge 4a serve at least to hold together the two walls 
constituting the tubular element 4 and preferably also to hold them to the 
walls of the element 5. Naturally, along the transverse edge 5a, the 
points of heat sealing 7 serve only to assemble together the two walls of 
the element 5. 
With reference to FIG. 1, it must nevertheless be emphasized that the 
localized bonds 6 of the line situated in the vicinity of the edge 4a are 
axially staggered relative to the localized bonds 7 in the line situated 
in the vicinity of the edge 5a. 
These localized bonds do not significantly alter the useful width of the 
opening of the valve 4-5 in the bag, and consequently they do not increase 
in any way the risk of back flow occurring when substance is inserted into 
the bag. 
Because of these dispositions taken together, substances and in particular 
liquids inserted into the bag 1 are held captive therein whatever movement 
may be imparted to the bag or whatever the position in which it may be 
placed. The liquid contained in the bag cannot engage along the internal 
edge 4a between the facing walls of the element 4 because of the localized 
bonds 6 between those two walls, given the additional presence of the 
localized bonds 7 along the internal edge 5a between the walls of the 
element 5. As can be seen on examining FIG. 4, any mass of liquid 
contained in the bag 1 can move only in the space C situated between the 
walls of the bag 1 and the element 5, and closed at the line of heat 
sealing 2'a. Furthermore, should a small quantity of liquid manage to 
penetrate into the space situated between the walls of the elements 4 and 
5, it will necessarily be held captive in the space D that is also closed 
at the line of heat sealing 2'a. 
In certain applications of the bag of the type described, it may 
nevertheless be desirable to be able to empty out the substance contained 
in the bag before discarding it. To this end, the tab 1g (FIG. 1) and its 
notch 1'g enable the bag 1 to be ripped open from beyond the line of heat 
sealing 1'f, after which it can be emptied. 
In contrast, if it is desired to conserve, at least temporarily, the bag 
together with the substances it contains, the hole 1'h in the tab 1h (FIG. 
1) enables the bag to be suspended from any appropriate support. 
Also, it may be observed that because of the above-specified inclination 
between its two lateral edges 1c and 1d (FIG. 1) the full bag can rest 
without any danger of spilling on a horizontal plane parallel to its edge 
1d. 
Finally, it is mentioned that the axial extensions 3"a and 3"b of the 
blades 3a and 3b serve to prevent the bag folding while it is in use, e.g. 
along a line X--X (FIG. 1a), thereby constituting a pseudo-tube that would 
be liable to give rise to troublesome back flow. 
Naturally, any appropriate appendix may be placed in the opening 2 for 
various specific uses of the bag and can be held therein by the 
reinforcement 3a-3b or can even replace the reinforcement (FIGS. 1 and 2). 
Finally, it is recalled that the bag of the invention may include more than 
two valve-forming tubular elements and that the above-described 
dispositions can be applied without difficulty by the person skilled in 
the art to any number of tubular elements. In practice, it generally seems 
that three or four tubular elements suffice.