Disposable douche

• US 4,200,097 A
• Filed: 08/04/1978
• Issued: 04/29/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C. B. Fleet Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: C. B. Fleet Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Stephens, Eugene A., Hobbs, Thomas G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wallen, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US05/931,241
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 128/230-232, 128/251, 128/274, 128/272, 222/92, 222/96, 222/206, 401/133, 137/522, 251/82
• US Class Current: 604/213
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0208 before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0262 manually, e.g. by squeezing a bulb

Abstract

A disposable douche for dispensing fluids contained therein including a collapsible container, a sealing closure, a nozzle assembly having a passageway communicating with the interior of the container for dispensing the contents of the container, a portion of the nozzle being retractable into the interior of the container to a storage position and being extendable to a use position, seals between the nozzle and the closure and between the closure and the container for preventing leakage from the container, a sleeve valve mounted on the nozzle for controlling the flow of fluids from the container through the nozzle, abutments on the closure and sleeve valve for opening the sleeve valve when the nozzle is extended from the retracted to the use position.

Claims

1. A disposable device for dispensing douche liquids and the like contained therein, said disposable device comprising a collapsible container having a quantity of liquid therein, a nozzle telescopically mounted on said container and having a passageway with an inner end communicating with the interior of said container for dispensing said liquid contents of said container, a portion of said nozzle being retractable into the interior of said container to a storage position and being extendable to a use position, a first valve means mounted in the inner end of said passageway of said nozzle internally of said container for controlling the flow of said liquid from said container into said passageway, means for opening said first valve means in response to movement of said nozzle to its use position from said storage position, and a second valve means mounted in said passageway for permitting the flow of said liquid through said passageway in response to the opening of said first valve means and the creation of a predetermined pressure on the said liquid contained in the container wherein said second valve means opens to permit the flow of liquid into and through said passageway.

2. The disposable device of claim 1 wherein said container includes a bellows portion to permit the nozzle to be moved relative to the container thereby permitting the user to orient the nozzle to the most convenient position relative to said container.

3. The disposable device of claim 1 wherein said first valve means includes a cylindrical sleeve valve body slidably mounted in said nozzle passageway and sized to sealingly engage the wall of said nozzle passageway, said sleeve valve body having a flow passageway therethrough communicating with the passageway in said nozzle and selectively communicable with the interior of said container, and wherein said means for opening said first valve means includes an abutment flange on said sleeve valve body and an abutment on said container for engaging said abutment flange on said sleeve valve body and moving said sleeve valve body in said nozzle passageway to cause said passageway in said sleeve valve body to communicate the interior of said container with said nozzle when said nozzle is extended to the use position.

4. The disposable device of claim 3 wherein said second valve means includes a ball valve surface on said sleeve valve body through which said valve body passageway opens, a ball seatable on said ball valve surface, and means for retaining said ball on said ball valve surface until said sleeve body is moved by said abutments and said container is collapsed to apply a predetermined pressure to the fluid contained therein.

5. The disposable device of claim 4 wherein said retaining means includes at least two spaced apart and extending fingers on said sleeve valve body adjacent said ball valve surface and oriented to extend along the passageway in said nozzle, said fingers having inner portions forming a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said ball to retain said ball on the ball valve surface and wherein said nozzle passageway includes a tapered section engageable with an outer surface on said fingers when the valve sleeve body is in the closed position to deflect the fingers around said ball to force the ball against the ball valve surface until the nozzle is extended to the use position.

6. The disposable device of claim 5 wherein said container includes a bellows portion to permit the nozzle to be moved relative to the container thereby permitting the user to orient the nozzle in the most convenient orientation relative to said container.

7. A disposable device for dispensing douche liquids and the like contained therein, said disposable device comprising a collapsible container having liquid contents, a nozzle telescopically mounted on said container and having a passageway communicating with the interior of said container for dispensing the liquid contents of said container, a portion of said nozzle being retractable into the interior of said container to a storage position and being extendable to a use position, said nozzle passageway having a length thereof by a cylindrical wall portion in the inner end of the nozzle, a sleeve valve mounted in the inner end of said nozzle for controlling the flow of liquids from said container through said nozzle, said sleeve valve including a cylindrical valve body insertable in said cylindrical wall portion of said passageway and dimensioned to sealingly engage with the cylindrical wall portion, said cylindrical valve body having a flow passageway communicating through one end thereof with the passageway in said nozzle, said valve body having a valve port extending radially therethrough communicating with the valve body flow passageway at the inner end thereof and being selectively communicable with the interior of said container, and an abutment flange on said cylindrical valve body and an abutment on said container including a cylindrical abutment skirt mounted on said container in surrounding relation to a portion of said nozzle extending into said container and engageable with said abutment flange on said cylindrical valve body to move said cylindrical valve body relative to said nozzle and cause said valve port in said cylindrical valve body to communicate the interior of said container with said nozzle when said nozzle is extended to the use position.

8. The disposable device of claim 7 additionally including a ball valve means mounted on said nozzle for preventing the flow of fluid through said nozzle passageway when said sleeve valve is open until said container is collapsed by the user to create a predetermined pressure on the fluid contained therein whereby said ball valve means permits the flow of liquid through said nozzle passageway.

9. The disposable device of claim 8 wherein said ball valve means includes a ball valve surface on said sleeve valve body through which said valve body passageway opens, a ball seatable on said ball valve surface, and means for retaining said ball on said ball valve surface until said sleeve body is moved by said abutments and said container is collapsed to apply a predetermined pressure to the fluid contained therein.

10. The disposable device of claim 9 wherein said container includes a bellows portion to permit the nozzle to be moved relative to the container thereby permitting the user to orient the nozzle to the most convenient position relative to said container.

11. The disposable device of claim 9 wherein said retaining means includes at least two spaced apart and extending fingers on said sleeve valve body adjacent said ball valve surface and oriented to extend along the passageway in said nozzle, said fingers having inner portions of diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said ball to retain said ball on the ball valve surface and wherein said nozzle passageway includes a tapered section engageable with an outer surface on said fingers when the valve sleeve body is in the closed position to deflect the fingers around the ball to force the ball against the ball valve surface until the nozzle is extended to the use position.

12. The disposable device of claim 11 wherein the container includes a bellows portion to permit the nozzle to be moved relative to the container thereby permitting the user to orient the nozzle to the most convenient position relative to said container.

13. The disposable device of claim 11 wherein said container has a threaded inlet and said sealing means between said nozzle and said container includes a cap threadably engageable with said threaded inlet, said cap having a circumferentially sealing ridge thereon yieldingly engageable with a circumferential portion of said inlet to provide a fluid tight seal between said cap and said container when said cap is threadably engaged with said threaded inlet, said cap having an opening therethrough with said nozzle extending through said opening, said abutment skirt mounted on said cap and surrounding said opening, said cap having an inwardly directed bead wiper in said cap opening to yieldingly engage a circumferential surface on said nozzle to provide a fluid-tight seal between said cap and said nozzle in the various positions of the nozzle.

14. The disposable device of claim 7 additionally including a threaded inlet on said container and having a circumferential portion, a cap threadably engageable with said threaded inlet, said cap having a circumferentially sealing ridge thereon yieldingly engageable with the circumferential portion of said inlet to provide a fluid tight seal between said cap and said container when said cap is threadably engaged with said threaded inlet, said cap having an opening therethrough with said nozzle extending through said opening, said abutment skirt mounted on said cap and surrounding said opening, said cap having an inwardly directed bead wiper in said cap opening to yieldingly engage a circumferential surface on said nozzle to provide a fluid-tight seal between said cap and said nozzle in the various positions of the nozzle.

15. The disposable device of claim 14 wherein said sleeve valve body includes a ball valve surface on said sleeve valve body at a location near the innermost extent of said sleeve valve body in said nozzle, said valve body passageway extending through and being encircled by said ball valve surface, a ball seatable on said ball valve surface, and means for retaining said ball on said ball valve surface until said sleeve body is moved by said abutments and said container is collapsed to apply a predetermined pressure to the fluid contained therein.

16. The disposable device of claim 15 wherein said retaining means includes at least two spaced apart and extending fingers on said sleeve valve body adjacent said ball valve surface and oriented to extend along the passageway in said nozzle, said fingers having inner portions of diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said ball to retain said ball on the ball valve surface and wherein said nozzle passageway includes a tapered section engageable with an outer surface on said fingers when the valve sleeve body is in the closed position to deflect the fingers around the ball to force the ball against the ball valve surface until the nozzle is extended to the use position.

17. The disposable device of claim 15 wherein said container includes a bellows portion to permit the nozzle to be moved relative to the container thereby permitting the user to orient the nozzle to the most convenient position relative to said container.

18. A disposable douche comprising a collapsible container, a nozzle telescopically mounted on said container and having a passageway with an inner end and an outer end, said inner end communicating with the interior of said container for receiving liquid from the container and dispensing the liquid outwardly through opening in said outer end, a portion of said nozzle being retractable into the interior of said container to a storage position and being extendable to a use position, a first valve means movably mounted on said nozzle for controlling the flow of liquids from said container through said nozzle, means for opening said first valve means in response to movement of said nozzle to said use position, said container having a threaded inlet and sealing means between said nozzle and said container including a cap threadably engageable with said threaded inlet, said cap having a circumferentially sealing ridge thereon yieldingly engageable with a circumferential portion of said inlet to provide a fluid tight seal between said cap and said container when said cap is threadably engaged with said threaded inlet, said cap having an opening therethrough with said nozzle extending through said opening, said cap having an inwardly directed sealing bead wiper in said cap opening to yieldingly engage a circumferential surface on said nozzle to provide a fluid-tight seal between said cap, and said nozzle in the various positions of the nozzle, and a second valve means mounted on said nozzle for preventing the flow of fluid through said nozzle passageway when said first valve means is open until said container is collapsed by the user to create a predetermined pressure on the fluid contained therein whereby said second valve means permits the flow of liquid through said passageway, wherein said second valve means includes a ball valve surface on said sleeve valve body through which said valve body passageway opens, a ball seatable on said ball valve surface, and means for retaning said ball on said ball valve surface until said sleeve body is moved by said abutments and said container is collapsed to apply pressure to the liquid contained therein.

19. The disposable device of claim 18 wherein said retaining means includes at least two spaced apart and extending fingers on said sleeve valve body adjacent said ball valve surface and oriented to extend along the passageway in said nozzle, said fingers having inner portions of diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said ball to retain said ball on the ball valve surface and wherein said nozzle passageway includes a tapered section engageable with an outer surface on said fingers when the valve sleeve body is in the closed position to deflect the fingers around the ball to force the ball against the ball valve surface until the nozzle is extended to the use position.