Pot for sinus cavity rinse

• US 8,486,029 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cacka, Joseph W., Taylor, Kurt M., Hair, Kenneth A., Williams, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, PHILLIP A
• Application Number:
  US12/970,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20110139824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 604/275, 604276-279, 604/73, 604 82- 94, 604/514
• US Class Current: 604/275
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/246 for cleaning of the nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0245 Containers therefor, e.g. with heating means or with storage means for cannula

Abstract

A vessel for use in rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal cavities includes a main body, a spout extending from the main body, a nozzle attached to the spout, and a handle forming an aperture in communication with the main body. The aperture is sealable by a user to control a flow of a fluid held in the main body out of the nozzle. The nozzle defines an outer skirt deflectable upon engagement with the walls of the user'"'"'s nasal cavity. A lid is removably engageable with the main body, provides fluid ingress when removed, and creates a watertight seal between the lid and the main body when engaged with the main body. An annular raised periphery may surround the aperture for facilitating sealing of the aperture with the user'"'"'s finger.

Claims

1. A vessel for use in rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal passage comprising

a main body forming a cavity for receiving a fluid;

a spout extending off a front portion of the main body;

an elastomeric nozzle attached to the spout, the elastomeric nozzle having a tip and including

an inner collar for engagement with the spout, the inner collar extending downwardly from the tip; and

an outer skirt extending outwardly and downwardly from the tip, the outer skirt deflectable upon engagement with the walls of the user'"'"'s nasal cavity, wherein the outer skirt extends further downwardly from the tip than the inner collar;

a handle extending off a back portion of the main body opposite the front portion, the handle being partially hollow and in communication with the cavity formed by the main body; and

an aperture formed in the handle in communication with the cavity by way of the partially hollow handle, said aperture for use in controlling a flow of the fluid positioned in the vessel out of the nozzle.

2. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the aperture is formed at a top portion of the handle.

3. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the aperture comprises a raised periphery extending from the handle.

4. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the outer skirt comprises a faceted outer surface.

5. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the main body includes an opening and a lid removably positioned over the opening and engageable with the main body to create a watertight seal between the lid and the main body.

6. The vessel of claim 5, wherein the lid comprises a sealing element for engaging with a top portion of the main body.

7. The vessel of claim 6, wherein the sealing element comprises a lip seal for engaging with a terminal end of a collar extending from the top portion of the main body.

8. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the spout comprises a rectangular top surface extending from the main body and an angled surface extending from the top surface, wherein the nozzle is received at an end portion of the spout, the end portion extending at a right angle from the angled surface.

9. The vessel of claim 8, wherein the end portion forms a conical section tapering down as the spout extends towards a spout portion forming a spout aperture, and the outer skirt is deflectable into a void space formed between the conical section and the outer skirt.

10. The vessel of claim 9, wherein the spout portion forming the spout aperture comprises an annular rib around an external circumference configured to detachably couple with an annular channel of the nozzle.

11. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the annular channel of the nozzle is formed in an inner collar of the nozzle, and the inner collar forms a nozzle aperture such that fluid positioned in the vessel flows from the spout aperture and out of the nozzle through the nozzle aperture.

12. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the outer skirt is spaced away from the inner collar along at least a portion of its length.

13. The vessel of claim 12, wherein a void space is formed between the outer skirt and the inner collar, and the outer skirt is deflectable into the void space.

14. The vessel of claim 13, wherein the spout forms a conical section adjacent to the outer skirt such that another void space is formed between the outer skirt and the conical section beyond a terminal edge of the inner collar, and the outer skirt is deflectable into the another void space.

15. The vessel of claim 14, wherein the skirt includes a terminal edge which engages a cylindrical portion of the spout adjacent to the terminal edge, wherein the cylindrical portion is proximate the main body and the conical section extends distally from the cylindrical portion.

21. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the outer skirt surrounds the inner collar and is spatially separated from the inner collar defining a void space between the outer skirt and the inner collar.

22. The vessel of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the outer skirt of the nozzle is in a form of a plurality of stacked frustums defining a faceted surface.

23. The vessel of claim 22, wherein the plurality of stacked frustums comprises a first frustum, a second frustum positioned on top of the first frustum, and a third frustum positioned on top of the second frustum.

24. The vessel of claim 23, wherein

a first inflection point is defined at an intersection between the first frustum and the second frustum;

and

a second inflection point is defined at an intersection between the second frustum and the third frustum.

25. The vessel of claim 24, wherein

the first frustum has a first tangent that includes a top edge of the frustum and the first inflection point and intersects with a center axis of the nozzle to form a first angle;

the second frustum has a second tangent that that includes the first inflection point and the second inflection point and intersects with a center axis of the nozzle to form a second angle;

the third frustum has a third tangent that includes the second inflection point and a bottom edge of the third frustum and intersects with a center axis of the nozzle to form a third angle;

the first angle is large than the second angle; and

the second angle is larger than the third angle.

16. A vessel for use in rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal passage comprising

a main body forming a cavity for receiving a fluid and an opening for allowing the fluid to enter the cavity;

a lid removably positioned over the opening and engageable with the main body to create a watertight seal between the lid and the main body;

a spout extending off the main body;

an elastomeric nozzle detachably coupled to the spout, the elastomeric nozzle having a tip and defining

an inner collar for engagement with the spout, the inner collar extending downwardly from the tip; and

an outer skirt extending outwardly and downwardly from the tip, the outer skirt deflectable upon engagement with the walls of the user'"'"'s nasal cavity, wherein the outer skirt extends further downwardly from the tip than the inner collar;

a handle extending off the main body, the handle being at least partially hollow and in communication with the cavity formed by the main body;

an aperture formed in a top portion of the handle in communication with the cavity by way of the at least partially hollow handle, said aperture for use in controlling a flow of the fluid in the main body out of the nozzle; and

an annular raised periphery surrounding the aperture and extending from the top portion of the handle, said raised periphery for facilitating sealing of the aperture with the user'"'"'s finger.

17. The vessel of claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the outer skirt is faceted.

18. The vessel of claim 17, wherein the spout forms a conical section tapering down as the spout extends towards a spout portion forming a spout aperture, and the nozzle is detachably coupled to said spout portion.

19. The vessel of claim 18, wherein the outer skirt is deflectable into a void space formed between the conical section and the outer skirt.

20. The vessel of claim 17, wherein the outer skirt is comprised of at least two frustum sections stacked in series on top of one other, wherein the first frustum section has an average larger diameter than the second frustum section.