US3771523A - Disposable douche - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable douche is provided which comprises a cannula and a flexible bellows portion, which interfit by simply pressing of the two, together. The cannula is provided with at least one discharge port that is substantially free of any plastic minutia and is formed during the molding operation of the cannula.

Description

United States Patent [191 Zanca Nov. 13, 1973 [5 DISPOSABLE DOUCHE 3,626,939 12/1971 Maltenfort 128/232 1,413,789 4/1922 Schafi' 128/232 UX [76] JsePh Zanca Zanca Mldmg 2,568,915 9/1951 Friedman... 128/232 ux Q9 1 1 j -J j9 19 3,454,007 7/1969 Salis 128/232 N.Y. 11204 3,581,743 6/1971 Stein 128/232 [22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1972 Primary Examiner-Lucie H. Laudenslager PP 277,195 Attorney-Geoffrey R. Myers 521 US. Cl. 128/232 [57] ABSTRACT [5l] Int. Cl A6lm 7/02 A disposable douche is provided which comprises a [58] Field of Search 128/232, 233, 248, cannula and a flexible bellows portion, which interfit 128/25l 'by simply pressing of the two, together. The cannula is provided with at least one discharge port that is sub- [56] References Cited stantially free of any plastic minutia and is formed UNITED STATES PATENTS during the molding operation of the cannula.

2,047,437 7/1936 Sinkler 128/232 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented Nov. 13, 1973 3,771,523

HG. I

DISPOSABLE DOUCHE This invention relates to douches and more particularly to a disposable douche fabricated from low cost synthetic resinous materials by conventional and readily available molding equipment.

It is known, as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,626,939, that a disposable douche may be fabricated in a single piece, preferably by blow molding. Blow molding the entire douche in a single operation has been found to require a precise control of the parison size, blow pressures and other process variables, owing to the very different thickness of the cannula and the flexible bag to which it is attached in a unitary structure.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the manufacture of the douche.

Another object of the invention is to improve over disposable douches shown in the prior art as exemplified by Kempel US. Pat. No. 2,664,893,; McKenna U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,352; Ellis Us. Pat. No. 3,144,866,; Sokolic US. Pat. No. 3,495,706 and others, and especially in the manner in which the cannula and bellows portion of the disposable douche of this invention are interfitted.

Still a further object of this invention is to. provide a disposable douche in which the two components are fitted together by simply pressing and which does not involve a threaded connection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a douche which is more economical to manufacture than douches heretofore known in the art.

Still another object is to provide a douche with a built-in safety feature which prevents the application of excessive pressure to the user in the event that a blockage occurs in the cannula portion.

These and other objects of the invention will be pointed out or will become apparent from the descrip: tion which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in partial section showing the two parts of a douche in accordance with this invention as they are assembled;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded view of a modification of the douche of FIG. 1 showing the parts separated; I

FIG. 3 is a similar view, partly in section showing an other modification of the douche in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, one example of a douche in accordance with this invention comprises a cannulaportion and a bellows portion 20. The douche is com.- pleted by inserting cannula portion 10 into bellows portion as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The cannula 10 is formed, preferably by blow molding or other conventional molding technique, with a generally cylindrical or oval shape of dimensions suitable for insertion into a vagina or other use area. Cannula 10 is usually provided with one or more holes 12, connecting the head end of the cannula with a central passageway 14 which extends along the central axis of the cannula. Holes or bores 12 may be made by piercing the walls of the cannula by drilling or by other piercing means, or they may be formed by the use of pins or cores during the blow molding. A particularly preferred technique for forming these holes is described in my copending patent application filed concurrently herewith and entitled Mold and Process. In this application there is disclosed a mold which provides within its walls a reciprocating piercing means which forms these holes simultaneously with the molding of the cannula. As further disclosed in this copending application, cannulas are usually formed of a conventional plastic material which when drilled by conventional port forming techniques will result in holes formed therein that are frayed (i.e., present plastic minutia about the circumference of the hole). Such minutia become a potential contaminant. In accordance with the above-described techniques of this copending application, this problem is substantially eliminated and the resulting holes so formed are non-frayed in that they are free of any substantial amount of plastic minutia. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. Holes 12 may extend perpendicular to the axis or bore 14 or they may bev inclined thereto at any suitable angle.

The end of the cannula opposite from the head end tapers inwardly so that the end 16 is narrower than the body of the cannula 15. The tapered section 1 8 is connected to the. main body of the cannula by a ring or bulb 17, by an undercut section 19 as best seen in FIG. 2.

Bellows 20 comprises a bag portion 22 which may be pleated, for example as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,495,706. An accordian shaped section 24 connects the bag 22 with the mouth portion 26 of the bellows 20. Themouth portion 26 comprises a straight sided out wardly tapered portion 28 into which the inwardly tapered portion 18 of the cannula fits. As shown in FIG. 2, there may be provided, adjacent to the outer extremity of the mouthpiece 26, an annular enlargement 29 adapted to fit into undercut 19 of the cannula.

The cannula 10 fits into the bellows in much the same manner as a stopper fits into a bottle.

As will be readily apparent, the enlargement can be at the end of the cannula, as shown at 40 in FIG. 3, and the undercut may be provided at the inner end of the mouthpiece 26, as shown at 42 in FIG. 3. It is also possible to provide more than a singlev locking ring and, of course, if more than one ring is provided any of the rings may be snapped into a single undercut or a plurality of undercuts may be provided to mate with a plurality of rings.

Furthermore, the annulus 29 and/or undercut 19 may be omitted and, if desired, the mating surfaces of mouthpiece 26 and cannula portion 16 may be roughened or otherwise prepared to insure a tighter fit. In a particularly preferred form'of this invention, neither annulus 29 nor enlargement 40 and undercut 42 are employed. Nor is it necessary to roughen the aforesaid mating surfaces. Rather, an excellent and economical joint for the purposes of this invention is formed by employing the simple design illustrated in FIG. 1.

The location of ring 29and undercut 19, if employed, may be at any points along the length of the tapered sections but to obtain the maximum effect it is preferred that they be located at the ends of the tapered sections.

It will be seen that the douche parts are fitted together in a simple and positive manner without the use of screw threads or other configurations which may complicate the molding procedure, including the ejection of the molded parts form the molds.

Furthermore, should a blockage occur in any of the passages in the cannula, with consequent buildings of I claim:

1. In a molded cannula adapted for use in a douche device, said cannula having a head end provided with at least one discharge port and, in communication with said port, a bore extending along its axis, said cannula being formed of a plastic material which would normally present plastic minutia about the port if said port were drilled therein, the improvement comprising said at least one port being substantially free of any plastic minutia and formed during the molding operation of the cannula.

2. A cannula according to claim 1 wherein said cannula is substantially tubular in shape and there are a plurality of said ports in the longitudinal walls of said cannula.

3. In a disposable douch including (1) a cannula and (2) a collapsible, flexible container adapted to contain a fluid and having an open mouth section through which a fluid in said container may be expelled through said cannula, the improvement comprising the cannula of claim 1 and means for connecting said cannula to said collapsible, flexible container, said means consisting of a tapered section at the end opposite said head end of said cannula and a taper on said mouth section whereby said cannula and said container may be assembled for use by simply bringing the two tapered parts together and exerting pressure along the axis of the cannula to cause the tapered end of the cannula to slide into the open mouth section of the container.

4. The douche of claim 3 whereinthe mouth section of said container includes at least one annular portion, thicker than the remainder of the tapered mouth section and the end of the cannula which is to fit therein includes an annular undercut portion adapted to receive said thicker portion of said container.

5. The douche of claim 3 wherein the end of said cannula which is to fit into the mouth of said flexible container including a thicker annulus and the mouth of said flexible bag includes an annular undercut adapted to receive said thicker annulus portion of said cannula.

6. The douche of claim 3 wherein said tapered section at said opposite end of said cannula tapers inwardly as the taper approaches said opposite end, and wherein said taper on said mouth section tapers outwardly as the taper approaches the end of said mouth section.

Claims (6)

1. In a molded cannula adapted for use in a douche device, said cannula having a head end provided with at least one discharge port and, in communication with said port, a bore extending along its axis, said cannula being formed of a plastic material which would normally present plastic minutia about the port if said port were drilled therein, the improvement comprising said at least one Port being substantially free of any plastic minutia and formed during the molding operation of the cannula.

2. A cannula according to claim 1 wherein said cannula is substantially tubular in shape and there are a plurality of said ports in the longitudinal walls of said cannula.

3. In a disposable douch including (1) a cannula and (2) a collapsible, flexible container adapted to contain a fluid and having an open mouth section through which a fluid in said container may be expelled through said cannula, the improvement comprising the cannula of claim 1 and means for connecting said cannula to said collapsible, flexible container, said means consisting of a tapered section at the end opposite said head end of said cannula and a taper on said mouth section whereby said cannula and said container may be assembled for use by simply bringing the two tapered parts together and exerting pressure along the axis of the cannula to cause the tapered end of the cannula to slide into the open mouth section of the container.

4. The douche of claim 3 wherein the mouth section of said container includes at least one annular portion, thicker than the remainder of the tapered mouth section and the end of the cannula which is to fit therein includes an annular undercut portion adapted to receive said thicker portion of said container.

5. The douche of claim 3 wherein the end of said cannula which is to fit into the mouth of said flexible container including a thicker annulus and the mouth of said flexible bag includes an annular undercut adapted to receive said thicker annulus portion of said cannula.

6. The douche of claim 3 wherein said tapered section at said opposite end of said cannula tapers inwardly as the taper approaches said opposite end, and wherein said taper on said mouth section tapers outwardly as the taper approaches the end of said mouth section.

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