Patent Publication Number: US-10327421-B2

Title: Feces collection device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to collection devices and more particularly pertains to a new collection device for sanitary collection and disposal of fecal matter. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that defines an internal space. An orifice is positioned in a front of the housing. A first grate is positioned in the housing proximate to a back of the housing. A power module and a motor are coupled to the housing and positioned in the internal space. The motor is selectively operationally couplable to the power module. A fan is coupled to the motor and is positioned in the internal space. The motor is positioned to rotate the fan. The fan is configured to pull air and fecal matter through the orifice into the internal space. The fecal matter is retained in the internal space as the air exits the internal space through the first grate. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a feces collection device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new collection device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the feces collection device  10  generally comprises a housing  12  that defines an internal space  26 . In one embodiment, the housing  12  is substantially cylindrically shaped. The housing  12  has a top  14 , a front  16 , and a back  18 . In another embodiment, the back  18  is convexly arcuate so that the back  18  is rounded. In yet another embodiment, the top  14  is arcuate and tapered proximate to the front  16 . 
     The housing  12  comprises a handle  20  that extends from a bottom  22  of the housing  12  proximate to the back  18 . The handle  20  is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user to position the front  16  of the housing  12  proximate to fecal matter. 
     A panel  24  is positioned in the top  14  of the housing  12 . The panel  24  is hingedly coupled to the housing  12 . The panel  24  is configured to hingedly open so that the internal space  26  is accessible to the user. In one embodiment, the panel  24  is hingedly coupled by a first end  28  to the housing  12 , proximate to the front  16 . The panel  24  extends along the top  14  toward the back  18  of the housing  12  to define a second end  30  of the panel  24 . In another embodiment, a latch  32  is coupled to the second end  30  of the panel  24 . The latch  32  is configured to reversibly couple to the housing  12  to couple the panel  24  to the housing  12 . 
     An orifice  34  is positioned in the front  16  of the housing  12  and a first grate  36  is positioned in the housing  12  proximate to the back  18  of the housing  12 . In one embodiment, the orifice  34  is substantially circularly shaped. In another embodiment, the first grate  36  is substantially ovally shaped. In yet another embodiment, the first grate  36  is positioned in a respective opposing side  38  of the housing  12 . 
     A power module  40  and a motor  42  are coupled to the housing  12  and are positioned in the internal space  26 . The motor  42  is selectively operationally couplable to the power module  40 . In one embodiment, the power module  40  comprises at least one battery  44 . In another embodiment, the at least one battery  44  is rechargeable. In yet another embodiment, the power module  40  is positioned in the handle  20 . 
     A fan  46  is coupled to the motor  42  and is positioned in the internal space  26 . The motor  42  is positioned to rotate the fan  46 . The fan  46  is configured to pull air and the fecal matter through the orifice  34  into the internal space  26 . The fecal matter is retained in the internal space  26  as the air exits the internal space  26  through the first grate  36 . 
     A second grate  48  is coupled to the housing  12  proximate to the fan  46  and defines a chamber  50  that extends from proximate to the fan  46  to the front  16  of the housing  12 . The second grate  48  is configured to retain the fecal matter in the chamber  50  as the air passes through the second grate  48  to exit the internal space  26  through the first grate  36 . 
     The device  10  comprises a plurality of liners  52 . Each liner  52  is substantially complementary to and positionable in the chamber  50 . The liner  52  is configured to separate the fecal matter from the housing  12 . The liner  52  that retains the fecal matter is configured to be removed through the top  14  of the housing  12  to sanitarily dispose of the fecal matter. In one embodiment, the liners  52  comprise plastic. 
     A switch  54  is coupled to the housing  12  proximate to the handle  20 . The switch  54  is operationally coupled to the power module  40  and the motor  42 . The switch  54  is positioned to selectively couple the power module  40  to the motor  42  to rotate the fan  46 . The fan  46  is configured to pull the air and the fecal matter through the orifice  34  into the internal space  26 . The fecal matter is retained in the internal space  26  as the air exits the internal space  26  through the first grate  36 . In one embodiment, the switch  54  comprises a trigger  56  that is pivotally coupled to and extends from the housing  12 . 
     A bar  58  that has opposing endpoints  60  coupled to the housing  12  is positioned around the trigger  56 . The bar  58  is configured so that a finger of the hand grasping the handle  20  can be positioned between the bar  58  and the trigger  56 . The trigger  56  is configured to be pulled toward a palm of the hand to selectively couple the power module  40  to the motor  42  to rotate the fan  46 . The fan  46  is configured to pull the air and the fecal matter through the orifice  34  into the internal space  26 . The fecal matter is retained in the internal space  26  as the air exits the internal space  26  through the first grate  36 . The bar  58  also is configured to prevent inadvertent contact with the trigger  56 . 
     The device  10  comprises a strap  62  that has opposing ends  64 . Each opposing end  64  is coupled to a respective opposing side  38  of the housing  12  proximate to the back  18 . The strap  62  is configured to position over a shoulder of the user to couple the housing  12  to the user. 
     In one embodiment, each of a pair of first couplers  66  is coupled to a respective opposing end  64  of the strap  62 . Each of a pair of second couplers  68  is coupled to a respective opposing side  38  of the housing  12  proximate to the back  18 . The second couplers  68  are complementary to the first couplers  66 . The second couplers  68  are positioned to couple singly to the first couplers  66  to couple the strap  62  to the housing  12 . 
     In yet another embodiment, each second coupler  68  comprises a slat  70 . The slats  70  are arcuate. Each slat  70  has opposing termini  72  that are coupled to the housing  12  so that the slat  70  and the housing  12  define a slot  74 . In this embodiment, each first coupler  66  comprises a quick release hook  76 . In still yet another embodiment, each of a pair of rings  78  is coupled to and positioned between a respective opposing end  64  of the strap  62  and a respective quick release hook  76 . 
     In use, the strap  62  is configured to position over the shoulder of the user to couple the housing  12  to the user. The handle  20  is configured to be grasped in the hand of the user to position the orifice  34  proximate to the fecal matter. The trigger  56  is positioned to be pulled to selectively couple the power module  40  to the motor  42  to rotate the fan  46 . The fan  46  is configured to pull the air and the fecal matter through the orifice  34  into the internal space  26 . The second grate  48  is configured to retain the fecal matter in the chamber  50  as the air passes through the second grate  48  to exit the internal space  26  through the first grate  36 . The liner  52  that is positioned in the chamber  50  is configured to separate the fecal matter from the housing  12 . The liner  52  that retains the fecal matter is configured to be removed through the top  14  of the housing  12  to sanitarily dispose of the fecal matter. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.