Patent Description:
Nasal cleaning and medical care are very important clinically, so products with nasal mucus suction functions are developed for cleaning or medical use. Especially in home care, it is necessary to provide simple and quick nasal care including a function of sucking of patient's nasal mucus or phlegm.

According to the conventional technology, the nasal mucus suction device uses an air pump as a power source to generate suction, but unnecessary noise is often caused by the air pump during the operation of the nasal mucus suction device. In addition, in order to prevent the stored nasal mucus from overflowing, the conventional nasal mucus suction device must have a limitation in a holding angle; however, when the user operates the conventional nasal mucus suction device and rotates the holding angle of the conventional nasal mucus suction device, nasal mucus easily overflows an outer shell of the conventional nasal mucus suction device.

Therefore, the present invention provides a nasal mucus suction device having a channel for preventing backflow of nasal mucus and reducing noise, and a channel forming method thereof, so as to improve practicability in the industry.

Chinese Patent <CIT>, the closest prior art, discloses an accessory for a nasal aspirator, the accessory comprising an accessory body suitable to be gripped and a terminal nozzle placed at a distal end of said accessory body and suitable to be at least partially inserted into a nostril of a user. However, it fails to disclose a noise reduction space, and the channel in the nasal aspirator is not long enough to prevent backflow.

An objective of the present invention is to disclose a nasal mucus suction device and a channel forming method, and provide a structure formed in a nasal mucus suction channel to prevent backflow and overflow of nasal mucus. Another objective of the present invention is to disclose a nasal mucus suction device and a channel forming method thereof, to provide a noise reduction structure formed in an outlet channel to reduce noise caused by operation of an air pump.

In order to achieve the obj ective, the present invention provides a nasal mucus suction device including an air pump and a head structure. The air pump includes an intake tube and an outlet tube. The head structure is coupled to the intake tube and the outlet tube of the air pump, wherein the head structure defines a channel between a nasal mucus suction inlet and a gas outlet, the channel includes a first channel section in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet, and a second channel section in communication with the gas outlet, the first channel section includes at least one mucus storage cavity, and the second channel section in communication with the intake tube and the outlet tube of the air pump. The first channel section includes an air channel and a nasal mucus channel, the second section is extended from the air channel to the gas outlet. A path length of the first channel section is maximized, and the first channel section comprises an anti-backflow channel structure. The second channel section includes a noise reduction space in communication with the outlet tube of the air pump. The nasal mucus suction device is characterized in that: the outer cup comprises a lower ring wall extended from a bottom of an inner side thereof, and the inner cup comprises an upper ring wall extended from a bottom of an outer side thereof and surrounding a lower ring wall of the outer cup, wherein the upper ring wall and the lower ring wall form a plurality of curved paths of the first channel section inside the second mucus storage cavity; the noise reduction space and the gas outlet are spaced by two partition plates, each of which forms a small groove thereon, so that noise goes into the noise reduction space with air through the small grooves and is circulated therein.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first channel section of the head structure includes a front cover, an inner cup and an outer cup. The front cover includes the nasal mucus suction inlet. The inner cup includes the first mucus storage cavity in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet. The outer cup includes the second mucus storage cavity in communication with the intake tube of the air pump, wherein the second mucus storage cavity accommodates at least one part of the inner cup, so that nasal mucus overflowing from the first mucus storage cavity is accommodated in the second mucus storage cavity. The first channel section further includes a cup cover having a flow guidance tube, the cup cover is coupled to between the front cover and the cup lid, so that the guidance tube passes through the opening of the cup lid, the flow guidance tube guides nasal mucus from the nasal mucus suction inlet to flow into the first mucus storage cavity. The outer cup includes a middle tube formed on a bottom thereof, the middle tube is in communication with the intake tube of the air pump and the second mucus storage cavity, and an inner channel length of the middle tube is greater than a bottom thickness of the outer cup. The lower ring wall surrounds the middle tube.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second channel section of the head structure includes a connection block, the connection block includes an intake channel and an outlet channel, the intake channel is in communication with the second mucus storage cavity of the outer cup and the intake tube of the air pump, and the outlet channel is in communication with the outlet tube and the gas outlet of the air pump. The first channel section includes a cup lid having an opening, and the cup lid covers a cup edge of the inner cup.

In order to achieve the objective, the present invention provides a channel forming method for a nasal mucus suction device, the nasal mucus suction device includes an air pump and a head structure, and the air pump includes an intake tube and an outlet tube, and the head structure defines a channel between a nasal mucus suction inlet and a gas outlet, the channel comprises a first channel section in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet, and a second channel section in communication with the gas outlet, and the channel forming method includes steps of: forming a plurality of curved paths in the first channel section; disposing at least one mucus storage cavity in the first channel section; disposing a noise reduction space in the second channel section and in communication with the outlet tube of the air pump, wherein the noise reduction space (<NUM>) has two small grooves formed on walls thereof, so that noise goes into the noise reduction space (<NUM>) with air through the small grooves and is circulated therein.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the channel forming method of the present invention further includes steps of: disposing a front cover in the first channel section, wherein the front cover includes a nasal mucus suction inlet; disposing an inner cup in the first channel section, wherein the inner cup includes a first mucus storage cavity in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet; disposing an outer cup in the first channel section, wherein the outer cup includes a second mucus storage cavity in communication with the intake tube of the air pump and configured to accommodate at least one part of the inner cup, so that the nasal mucus overflowing from the first mucus storage cavity is accommodated in the second mucus storage cavity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the channel forming method further includes a step of forming the plurality of curved paths of the first channel section in the second mucus storage cavity between an outer side bottom of the inner cup and an inner side bottom of the outer cup.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the channel forming method further includes steps of: disposing a base in the second channel section to define the noise reduction space in communication with the gas outlet; disposing a connection block in the second channel section, wherein the connection block includes an intake channel and an outlet channel, and the intake channel is in communication with the first channel section and the intake tube of the air pump, and the outlet channel is in communication with the outlet tube and the gas outlet of the air pump.

Therefore, the nasal mucus suction device and the channel forming method of the present invention can prevent nasal mucus from easily overflowing when a user holds the nasal mucus suction device and rotate a holding angle, and the noise reduction structure in the channel can effectively reduce the noise caused by the air pump when the device of the present invention is in operation.

The structure, operating principle and effects of the present invention will be described in detail by way of various embodiments which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The following embodiments of the present invention are herein described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show specific examples of the embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It is to be acknowledged that these embodiments are exemplary implementations and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention in any way. Further modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are also included within the scope of the appended claims.

These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. Regarding the drawings, the relative proportions and ratios of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated or diminished in size for the sake of clarity and convenience. Such arbitrary proportions are only illustrative and not limiting in any way. The same reference numbers are used in the drawings and description to refer to the same or like parts.

It is to be acknowledged that, although the terms 'first', 'second', 'third', and so on, may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. Thus, a first element discussed herein could be termed a second element without altering the description of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be acknowledged that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.

In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the words "comprise" and "include", and variations such as "comprises", "comprising", "includes", or "including", will be acknowledged to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows an exploded view of a nasal mucus suction device of the present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, a nasal mucus suction device includes a head structure <NUM> and an air pump <NUM>, and the air pump <NUM> includes an intake tube <NUM> and an outlet tube <NUM>. The head structure <NUM> is coupled to the intake tube <NUM> and the outlet tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the head structure <NUM> is formed by a front cover <NUM>, a cup cover <NUM>, a cup lid <NUM>, an inner cup <NUM>, an outer cup <NUM>, a base <NUM> and a connection block <NUM>; the inner cup <NUM> includes a first mucus storage cavity <NUM>, and the outer cup <NUM> includes a second mucus storage cavity <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, an O-shaped ring <NUM> is disposed between an outer side of the inner cup <NUM> and an inner side of the outer cup <NUM>, to restrict the flowing path for the nasal mucus overflowing the first mucus storage cavity <NUM>; that is, the O-shaped ring <NUM> disposed between the outer side of the outer cup <NUM> and the inner side of the cup cover <NUM> prevents the nasal mucus overflowing the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> from flowing outside the cup cover <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows a sectional view of a head structure of a coupled to the air pump <NUM>, according to a nasal mucus suction device of the present invention, and <FIG> is taken along a section line BB of <FIG>. In an embodiment, the front cover <NUM> includes a nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM>, the base <NUM> includes a gas outlet <NUM>. The head structure <NUM> defines a channel between a nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> and a gas outlet <NUM>. The channel includes a first channel section in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM>, and a second channel section in communication with the gas outlet <NUM>; the first channel section serves as a common channel for an air channel and the nasal mucus channel and include paths A, B, C, D and E, as shown in <FIG>; the second channel section is extended from the air channel of the first channel section to the gas outlet <NUM>, and includes paths F, G, H, I and J, as shown in <FIG>.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows a sectional view of a head structure of a nasal mucus suction device of the present invention, and <FIG> is taken along section line AA of <FIG>. In an embodiment, the front cover <NUM> includes a hollow channel in a trumpet shape, and is coupled to the cup cover <NUM>. The nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> is in communication with the hollow channel of the front cover <NUM>. The cup cover <NUM> includes a flow guidance tube <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the cup lid <NUM> includes an opening <NUM>, an internal diameter of the opening <NUM> is slightly greater than an outer diameter of the flow guidance tube <NUM>, so that the nasal mucus stored in the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> can overflow to a space between the inner cup <NUM> and the cup cover <NUM> through an edge of the opening <NUM> (such as the path B). The cup lid <NUM> has a protruding edge structure formed on a lower surface thereof and near a periphery thereof, and the protruding edge structure is used to make the cup lid <NUM> tightly cover the cup edge of the inner cup <NUM>. The flow guidance tube <NUM> of the cup cover <NUM> is inserted into the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> of the inner cup <NUM> through the opening <NUM> of the cup lid <NUM>, so that the nasal mucus from the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> is stored in the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> of the inner cup <NUM> through the flow guidance tube <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows a perspective view of the outer cup <NUM> of the nasal mucus suction device of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, the outer cup <NUM> includes a second mucus storage cavity <NUM>, the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> has a protruding edge <NUM> formed on an inner sidewall thereof, the protruding edge <NUM> is configured to support a bottom periphery of the inner cup <NUM>. The second mucus storage cavity <NUM> has a middle tube <NUM> formed on a central part of a bottom (the space below the protruding edge <NUM>) thereof, and an inner channel length of the middle tube <NUM> is greater than a bottom thickness of the outer cup <NUM>. A lower ring wall <NUM> is extended from the bottom of the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> to surround the middle tube <NUM>, and a height of the lower ring wall <NUM> is lower than a height of the middle tube <NUM>. The inner cup <NUM> includes an upper ring wall <NUM> extended from a bottom of an outer side thereof. When the inner cup <NUM> is disposed inside the outer cup <NUM> and the protruding edge <NUM> supports the bottom periphery of the inner cup <NUM>, the upper ring wall <NUM> surrounds the lower ring wall <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM>, and the upper ring wall <NUM> and the lower ring wall <NUM> form a plurality of curved paths E of the first channel section inside the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>), so that a path length of the first channel section can be maximized. Furthermore, the inner side of the cup cover <NUM> is downwardly extended to cover a part of the outer side of the outer cup <NUM>, and the O-shaped ring <NUM> disposed between the outer side of the outer cup <NUM> and the inner side of the cup cover <NUM> prevents the nasal mucus overflowing the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> from flowing to outside the cup cover <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows a perspective view of a base <NUM> of a nasal mucus suction device of the present invention. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the base <NUM> includes an annular inner wall <NUM>; the annular inner wall <NUM> defines a channel in a central part of the base <NUM>, and the channel is configured to link the intake channel <NUM> of the connection block <NUM>. When the base <NUM> is coupled to the bottom of the outer cup <NUM>, the bottom surface of the outer cup <NUM> is supported by the annular inner wall <NUM>, and the middle tube <NUM> on the bottom of the outer cup <NUM> is inserted into the intake channel <NUM> of the connection block <NUM>. Furthermore, the annular inner wall <NUM> defines an annular noise reduction space <NUM> inside the base <NUM>, and an outlet chamber having a gas outlet <NUM>. The outlet chamber includes a hole <NUM> in communication with the outlet channel <NUM> of the connection block <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the noise reduction space <NUM> and the outlet chamber are spaced by two partition plates, the two partition plates form a small groove, so that the noise entering the outlet chamber through the hole <NUM> is circulated to the noise reduction space <NUM> with air through the small groove, thereby achieving the effect of reducing noise. The O-shaped ring <NUM> disposed between the outer edge of the base <NUM> and the outer cup <NUM> can be made by rubber, so as to effectively isolate the noise of the air pump <NUM> inside the noise reduction space <NUM>, thereby optimizing the noise reduction effect of the nasal mucus suction device of the present invention.

As shown in <FIG>, the connection block <NUM> is coupled between the bottom of the base <NUM> and the air pump <NUM>, and the connection block <NUM> forms an intake channel <NUM> and an outlet channel <NUM> independent from each other. The intake channel <NUM> is in communication with the middle tube <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM> and the intake tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM>, and the outlet channel <NUM> is in communication with the hole <NUM> of the base <NUM> and the outlet tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM>. In other words, the connection block <NUM> is used to make the intake tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM> in communication with the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM>, and make the outlet tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM> in communication with the noise reduction space <NUM> of the base <NUM>. The following paragraphs describe the maximization of the path length of the first channel section between the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> and the gas outlet <NUM> to provide prevent the nasal mucus from backflow and overflow, and describe the noise reduction space <NUM> of the second channel section to reduce noise caused by operation of the air pump <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>, which shows a sectional view taken along a section line AA of <FIG>. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first channel section of the head structure <NUM> includes the paths A, B, C, D and E, and includes the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> passing through the inner cup <NUM> and the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> passing through the outer cup <NUM>. The channel between the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> and the gas outlet <NUM> provide a common channel for the air channel and the nasal mucus channel. The middle tube <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM> is in communication with the intake tube <NUM> of the air pump <NUM>, and when a suction force is generated in the path F, the nasal mucus from the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> can stay in the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> and the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> along the paths A, B, C, D and E. As shown in <FIG>, a groove <NUM> is formed on an inner sidewall of the outer cup <NUM>, and the section line AA passes through the groove <NUM>. The groove <NUM> provides an overflowing path C for nasal mucus not restricted by the O-shaped ring <NUM> between the outer sidewall of the inner cup <NUM> and the inner sidewall of the outer cup <NUM>. With the restriction of the O-shaped ring <NUM> disposed on the outer sidewall of the inner cup <NUM>, the nasal mucus overflowing through the path B from the first mucus storage cavity <NUM> only can flow into between the outer sidewall of the inner cup <NUM> and the inner sidewall of the outer cup <NUM> through the path C of the groove <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>. The inner cup <NUM> has a groove formed on the bottom thereof to provide a path D, so that the nasal mucus between the outer sidewall of the inner cup <NUM> and the inner sidewall of the outer cup <NUM> flows into the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> under the inner cup <NUM> through the path D. More particularly, the groove of the path D is disposed opposite to the groove <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM>, so that the path length of the first channel section can be maximized. When the nasal mucus passing through the path D flows into the second mucus storage cavity <NUM>, the plurality of curved paths E formed by the upper ring wall <NUM> of the inner cup <NUM> and the lower ring wall <NUM> of the outer cup <NUM> in the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> can maximize the path length of the first channel section for flowing nasal mucus. Maximizing the path length of the first channel section can prevent the nasal mucus stored in the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> from backflowing to the nasal mucus suction inlet <NUM> when the air pump <NUM> of the nasal mucus suction device of the present invention is not in operation. In the second mucus storage cavity <NUM>, the height of the lower ring wall <NUM> is lower than the height of the middle tube <NUM>, so that the nasal mucus stored in the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> is prevented from flowing into the second channel section; furthermore, the middle tube <NUM> disposed on the central part can deflect the angle of holding the nasal mucus suction device, to prevent the nasal mucus stored in the second mucus storage cavity <NUM> from flowing to the second channel section easily.

Claim 1:
A nasal mucus suction device, which includes an air pump (<NUM>) and a head structure (<NUM>), wherein the air pump (<NUM>) includes an intake tube (<NUM>) and an outlet tube (<NUM>); the head structure (<NUM>) is coupled to the intake tube (<NUM>) and the outlet tube (<NUM>) of the air pump (<NUM>), wherein the head structure (<NUM>) has a nasal mucus suction inlet (<NUM>), a gas outlet (<NUM>) and a channel defined between the nasal mucus suction inlet (<NUM>) and the gas outlet (<NUM>), wherein the channel has a first channel section in communication with the nasal mucus suction inlet (<NUM>) and a second channel section in communication with the gas outlet (<NUM>), wherein the first channel section has at least one mucus storage cavity and the second channel section is in communication with the intake tube (<NUM>) and the outlet tube (<NUM>) of the air pump (<NUM>), wherein the first channel section has an air channel and a nasal mucus channel and the second channel section is extended from the air channel to the gas outlet (<NUM>), wherein the second channel section has a noise reduction space (<NUM>) being in communication with the outlet tube (<NUM>) of the air pump (<NUM>); the nasal mucus suction device is characterized in that:
the outer cup (<NUM>) comprises a lower ring wall (<NUM>) extended from a bottom of an inner side thereof, and the inner cup (<NUM>) comprises an upper ring wall (<NUM>) extended from a bottom of an outer side thereof and surrounding a lower ring wall (<NUM>) of the outer cup (<NUM>), wherein the upper ring wall (<NUM>) and the lower ring wall (<NUM>) form a plurality of curved paths of the first channel section inside the second mucus storage cavity (<NUM>);
the noise reduction space (<NUM>) and the gas outlet (<NUM>) are spaced by two partition plates, each of which forms a small groove thereon, so that noise goes into the noise reduction space (<NUM>) with air through the small grooves and is circulated therein.