Patent ID: 8118726

Claim:
An incontinency abatement system comprising: a body portion formed of a first segment and a similarly configured second segment, the segments being shaped to include a generally spherical interior enlargement and a generally spherical exterior enlargement, an intermediate section between the enlargements, a slit extending through the exterior enlargement and the intermediate section, the body portion being fabricated of an essentially rigid material for allowing the body portion to be pivoted between a collapsed orientation with the slit at a reduced spacing and an expanded orientation with the slit at an enlarged spacing; and an operational zone with a plurality of operational components, the system adapted to be reoriented between the collapsed orientation and the expanded orientation by a user applying a radial force to the intermediate section by the user's external anal sphincter muscle whereby axial movement of the segments will both contract and retain expanded segments while axial movement of the segments will both expand and retain contracted segments, wherein the plurality of operational components include a sleeve, a first actuator, a second actuator and a coil spring, the sleeve being positioned within the exterior enlargement, the first actuator having an interior end positioned within the sleeve, the first actuator having an exterior end with an exterior recess and V-shaped teeth, the second actuator having an interior end with a projection positioned within the exterior recess of the first actuator, the second actuator having an exterior end with a shoulder, the second actuator having intermediate ramp-shaped teeth in sliding contact with the V-shaped teeth of the first actuator, the first actuator being rotatable and the second actuator being axially shiftable, the coil spring having an interior end in bearing contact with the shoulder, the coil spring having an exterior end.