Abstract:
A portable urinal is provided with a reservoir having a low center of gravity, a flexible corrugated hose which will maintain its position in either a contracted or expanded condition or a shape or curve to which it is placed for convenience in use wherein the flexible corrugated hose maintains its shape and degree of extension or contraction and including receptacles suitable for use by males and females in various positions including seated, standing and stooping.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable urinal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable urinal usable by both a male and a female. wherein a corrugated hose is provided such that it provides the desired length of hose without coiling of extra hose material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There has been a long felt need for a portable urinal which is usable by both males and females in various locations. The need arises with respect to people having frequency, urgency or merely not having access to suitable toilet facilities for extended periods of time. Some of the people that may not have access to toilet facilities include pilots, people traveling, and incapacitated persons. Furthermore, a suitable portable urinal is often desired for convenience. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides the advantage of a portable urinal. 
     Furthermore, the present invention provides an advantage of a portable urinal which is stable, easily positioned and which may be conveniently utilized where the reservoir container needs to be placed at various distances from the point of urination. 
     The present invention enables length of adjustment of a flexible hose with no excess hose which may coil or loop and cause problems including those of retention of urine within a loop of the coiled hose. 
     The present invention provides a corrugated hose which maintains its selected desired length for the duration of the urination. 
     The portable urinal of the present invention enables storage of urine in a stable container. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that the user is able to see at a glance the absence of urine or the amount of urine contained within the reservoir container. 
     Briefly and basically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a reservoir container for holding urine. The reservoir container is provided with a low center of gravity when it contains urine. An input opening is provided on an upper portion of the reservoir container. A handle is also provided on the reservoir container for ease of positioning and transport. The input of the reservoir container is provided with a means for sealing the input. The portable urinal includes a corrugated hose with a first end and a second end. The corrugated hose is flexible, extendable and contractible and each corrugation of the corrugated hose is releasably lockable in a contracted condition and is releasably lockable in an extended condition. In this manner, the hose may be adjusted by placing each corrugation in a desired locked condition to provide the desired hose length. A first end of the corrugated hose is releasably attachable to the input of the reservoir container when the means for sealing the input is not on the input. The second end of the corrugated hose is attachable to a receptacle for receiving urine from a human being. The receptacle is shaped for either receipt of urine from a male or a female. The reservoir container is constructed of an opaque plastic material except for a vertically arranged elongated transparent area along a sidewall of the reservoir container for viewing the absence or the amount of urine in the reservoir container. 
     In a presently preferred embodiment, the corrugated hose may be releasably lockable in a contracted or expanded condition for a portion of the circumference of each corrugation, that is for a radial section of the hose, thereby enabling the formation of the hose into a curved section which is retained by the hose, providing a shapeable hose, which shape is retained by the hose during urination. 
     In presently preferred embodiments, the portable urinal may be provided with a receptacle for receiving urine from a male which is in the form of an enlarged vessel for receiving a glans penis with an offset opening for urine flow. The offset opening is curved downward from the vessel and is in communication with the second end of the corrugated hose. In a presently preferred embodiment, the opening of the enlarged vessel is provided with a soft rubber or resilient rim on its outer edge. The rim is made of a softer material than the vessel. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the portable urinal is provided with a receptacle for receiving urine from a human being which includes a generally elliptical shaped vessel with flattened ends and a substantially crescent curved upper periphery conforming to the shape of a vulva. 
     In a presently preferred embodiment, the periphery of the vessel is provided with an edge member softer than the vessel and which further conforms to the shape of the vulva when the vessel is held against the vulva. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
         FIG. 1  is a view in perspective of a portable urinal in accordance with the present invention being utilized by a female shown in dotted outline form. 
         FIG. 2  is a view in perspective of a portable urinal in accordance with the present invention being utilized by a male shown in dotted outline. 
         FIG. 3  is a view in perspective of a urine receptacle for use in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  by a female. 
         FIG. 4  is a view in perspective of a urine receptacle for use by a male as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of a portion of flexible corrugated hose  40  in the area identified at  100  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5A  is an enlarged cross sectional view taken in the area identified as  200  in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a portable urinal  10  being utilized by a female  12 . In a similar manner,  FIG. 2  shows a portable urinal  20  being utilized by a male  22 . Both portable urinals  10  and  20  are the same in that they have a reservoir container  30  and a flexible corrugated hose  40 . The reservoir container  30  is provided with a low center of gravity when it contains urine by reason of it being of relatively large cross section with respect to its height or, in other words being shallow. The presently preferred dimensions of reservoir  30  may be a height H as shown on  FIG. 1  of approximately two inches, a length of approximately seven inches and a width of approximately three and three quarter inches. However, it is understood that other variations of height length and width may be utilized so long as orthogonal dimensions of the area of the bottom is larger than the height. Further, other shapes may be utilized other than rectangular. However, in the presently preferred embodiment, the shape would be rectangular with dimensions as provided. 
     Reservoir container  30  is provided with an opening  32  on its upper portion and a handle  34  for ease in positioning and carrying reservoir  30 . Input opening  32  is provided with a means for sealing input  36  of input  32  when hose  40  is not connected to input  32 . Reservoir  30  is preferably made of an opaque plastic material except for a vertically arranged elongated transparent area  38  on a sidewall of reservoir container  30  for viewing the absence of or the amount of urine in reservoir container  30 . Substantially transparent area  38  may be provided with graduations or a scale  14  to measure the amount of urine in the container. 
     Corrugated hose  40  is provided with a first end  42  and a second end  44 . Corrugated hose  40  is flexible, extendable and contractible. Each corrugation of corrugated hose  40  is releasably lockable in a contracted condition and releasably lockable in an extended condition. The corrugations are structured such that the legs of the corrugation are designed such that one leg is slightly longer than the other creating a snapping or locking effect locking the corrugation in either an expanded or contracted condition, and this locking feature is applicable for a radial section of the corrugated hose, thereby enabling the hose not only to be extended or contracted and remain locked in that condition for as long as desired, such as the time duration of urination or the time duration of storage of the portable urinal. Further, since a radial section of each corrugation may be locked in either contracted or expanded condition, the corrugated hose may be curved and retained in that curved condition until moved or forcibly changed. In this manner, the corrugated hose may be lengthened to the desired length and positioned with the desired angles for comfortable urination in either sitting, standing or stooping positions or any other position and the hose will maintain that shape or position during the period of urination. After urination, the hose may be contracted for storage in less space, and the corrugated hose will remain contracted until extended. These features will be discussed hereinafter with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
     As described above, since each corrugation of the corrugated hose is releasably lockable in a contracted condition an/or an extended condition, the corrugated hose  40  may be easily adjusted to the desired length without having any coiling or flopping of unnecessary extra hose length. Such coiling, loops or bows of excess hose could be a place of undesirable accumulation of small amounts of urine which may then be unsightly to deal with when the hose is being removed for storage. 
     First end  42  of corrugated hose  40  is releasably attachable to opening  32  by threaded union or fastener  46 . It is understood that other types of fasteners may be utilized other than threaded fasteners, such as snap on fasteners. But in a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, union  46  would be threadable onto opening  32 . In other words, union  46  releasably attaches the first end of corrugated hose  40  to input  32  of reservoir container  30  when means for sealing  36  is not on input  32 . The second end  44  of corrugated hose  40  is attachable to a receptacle for receiving urine from a human being, such as female receptacle  50  in  FIG. 1  and male receptacle  60  in  FIG. 2 . Female receptacle  50  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 3  and male receptacle  60  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  in connection with  FIG. 1 , there is shown enlarged view in perspective of a female receptacle  50  comprised of a generally elliptical shaped vessel  52  with flattened ends  54  and  56 . The Generally elliptically shaped vessel  52  has a crescent shaped curved periphery  58  which corresponds to the shape of a vulva. The generally elliptically shaped vessel  52  is provided with an output opening  72  which may be threadably connected by means of threads  74  to second end  44  of flexible corrugated hose  40 . Preferably, the periphery  58  of elliptical vessel  52  is provided with an edge member  70  made of a softer material than the material from which the vessel is made and which further conforms to the shape of the vulva when the vessel is held against the vulva. This helps prevent leaks and provides comfort in use. Edge member  70  may be made of rubber or other suitable resilient plastic materials which provide a soft edge, softer than the material from which vessel  52  is constructed, which conforms completely to the shape of the vulva when used by a female. Edge member  70  made of a soft, resilient material such as rubber provides both a sealing function between the urinal receptacle and the vulva and provides added comfort to the user. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  in connection with  FIG. 2 , there is shown a male receptacle  60  which is comprised of a large offset vessel  62  for receiving the glans penis of a male. The upper or outer edge  64  of vessel  62  is provided with a resilient rim  66  which may be comprised of rubber or other resilient material. This provides an outer or opening edge of vessel  62  which does not irritate or cause discomfort to a male user using receptacle  60 . Vessel  62  connects to offset opening  68  which is angled downwardly from enlarged vessel  62  insuring urine flow out of offset opening  68  and into second end  44  of corrugated hose  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the offset opening  68  is connected to second end  44  of flexible corrugated hose  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , male receptacle  60  may be provided with a closure  80  in the form of a threaded cap. Threaded cap  82  may be threadably mounted onto threads  82  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . However, it is understood that other means of securing a closure or cap on the upper end of receptacle  60  may be provided within the scope of the present invention. 
     The angle  84  at the junction of offset output  68  and the vessel  62  for receiving urine from the glans penis is important for insuring that the urine empties completely into flexible corrugated hose  40  and does not back flow onto the user. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown an enlarged elevation view of the portion of flexible corrugated hose  40  shown in the area defined as  100  in FIG.  2 .  FIG. 5A  is an enlarged cross sectional view of the area of  FIG. 5  shown in circle  200  in  FIG. 5 . As may be seen in  FIG. 5 , portion identified at  90  of hose flexible corrugated hose  40  illustrates the flexible corrugated hose  40  in its contracted position where it is retained in its contracted position or shortened condition. Area  110  of hose  40  illustrates flexible corrugated hose  40  in its extended position. In both cases, in the case of the contracted corrugations of  90  and in the expanded or extended corrugations shown at  110 , the hose is retained in that condition by the structure of the corrugated hose itself. This is due in part to the structure of the flexible corrugated hose wherein the two legs of a corrugation are of different length causing a snap type locking condition when the hose is forced into its compressed position or forced into its extended position. As illustrated best in  FIG. 5A , it may be seen that there is shown a corrugation  112  which is comprised of a longer leg  114  and a shorter leg  116 . 
     The entire 360 degrees of a corrugation does not need to be in the same contracted or expanded condition. In other words, a radial section, such as 180 degrees of a corrugation may be in its contracted position or condition and a diametrically opposite or opposing radial section may be in its expanded condition. For example, looking at area  120  of hose  40 , there is shown expanded corrugations  122  and contracted corrugations  124  causing the flexible corrugated hose to be retained or locked in a condition of a turn wherein as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , hose  40  is bent to the right in area  120  and is retained in that bent position. 
     In a similar manner, there is another curve or turn or bend in flexible corrugated hose  40  at area  130  wherein corrugations are expanded on the right hand side, or the radial section comprised of approximately 180 degrees on the right hand side of  FIG. 5  is expanded and contracted corrugations at  134  on the left hand side to create a curve, bend or turn which is locked in or retained until forced otherwise. In other words, corrugated hose  40  is provided with a plurality of corrugations which are flexible, extendable and contractible for at least a radial section portion of the corrugated hose such that the hose may be deformed or curved and the lockable corrugations will retain the hose in a curved shape. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.