Squeeze bottle for sinus cavity rinse
First Claim
1. An article for rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal cavity comprisinga main body defining a reservoir for receiving a liquid, the main body having resiliently deformable walls, the main body having an upper opening defined by a rim;
- a nozzle having an outer wall forming a tip and defining an aperture formed therein and further extending radially outward and downward to form a skirt ending at a terminal edge, an inner wall forming a fluid passageway in communication with the aperture and extending inside the outer wall, a nozzle void space being formed between the outer wall and the inner wall;
a check valve in fluid communication with the nozzle and enclosed within a valve housing, wherein the valve housing further defines a first opening, a second opening, and a valve associated with the second opening;
a liquid delivery tube extending from the check valve into the reservoir that provides fluid communication between the reservoir and the check valve; and
an annular collar having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a plurality of collar threads extending between the to edge and the bottom edge, wherein the collar threads are threadingly engaged with corresponding body threads on the main body;
whereinthe annular collar couples the nozzle and the check valve to the upper opening of the main body;
a collar void space is defined between the body threads on the main body and the collar threads on the annular collar when the annular collar is connected with the rim;
the skirt of the nozzle above the terminal edge extends beyond the top edge of the annular collar;
the first opening formed through the valve housing allows fluid communication between the reservoir of the main body and the void space in the nozzle;
the second opening formed through the valve housing allows fluid communication between an exterior of the main body and the reservoir of the main body;
the valve associated with the second opening allows fluid to flow from an area exterior to the main body into the reservoir; and
the collar void space is in selective fluid communication with the second opening to define a fluid path between the exterior of the main body and the reservoir.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vessel for use in rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal cavity provides a resiliently collapsible main body, a self-sealing nozzle that increases in internal pressure when the vessel is squeezed, and a check valve in the nozzle to reduce back-wash into the vessel. A collar connects the nozzle and check valve to the main body. The check valve includes a first opening that provides fluid communication between the main body and a void formed in an interior of the nozzle and may allow pressure within the nozzle to increase upon deforming the main body. A second opening may provide fluid communication between an exterior of the main body and a fluid reservoir formed in the main body. The second opening may cooperate with a valve that allows selective fluid communication between the exterior of the main body and the reservoir formed in the main body.
124 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An article for rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal cavity comprising
a main body defining a reservoir for receiving a liquid, the main body having resiliently deformable walls, the main body having an upper opening defined by a rim; -
a nozzle having an outer wall forming a tip and defining an aperture formed therein and further extending radially outward and downward to form a skirt ending at a terminal edge, an inner wall forming a fluid passageway in communication with the aperture and extending inside the outer wall, a nozzle void space being formed between the outer wall and the inner wall; a check valve in fluid communication with the nozzle and enclosed within a valve housing, wherein the valve housing further defines a first opening, a second opening, and a valve associated with the second opening; a liquid delivery tube extending from the check valve into the reservoir that provides fluid communication between the reservoir and the check valve; and an annular collar having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a plurality of collar threads extending between the to edge and the bottom edge, wherein the collar threads are threadingly engaged with corresponding body threads on the main body;
whereinthe annular collar couples the nozzle and the check valve to the upper opening of the main body; a collar void space is defined between the body threads on the main body and the collar threads on the annular collar when the annular collar is connected with the rim; the skirt of the nozzle above the terminal edge extends beyond the top edge of the annular collar; the first opening formed through the valve housing allows fluid communication between the reservoir of the main body and the void space in the nozzle; the second opening formed through the valve housing allows fluid communication between an exterior of the main body and the reservoir of the main body; the valve associated with the second opening allows fluid to flow from an area exterior to the main body into the reservoir; and the collar void space is in selective fluid communication with the second opening to define a fluid path between the exterior of the main body and the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An article for rinsing a user'"'"'s nasal cavity comprising
a main body defining a reservoir for receiving a liquid, the main body having resiliently deformable walls, an upper opening defined by a rim, and a plurality of body threads defined on a to portion of the main body; -
a nozzle having an outer wall forming a tip and defining an aperture formed therein and further extending radially outward and downward to form a skirt ending at a terminal edge, an inner wall forming a fluid passageway in communication with the aperture and extending inside the outer wall, a nozzle void space formed between the outer wall and the inner wall, and an annular bead formed on an inner surface of the terminal edge of the outer wall; a check valve in fluid communication with the nozzle enclosed within a valve housing, wherein the valve housing further defines a first opening, a second opening, and an annular groove in an outer surface of the valve housing; a liquid delivery tube extending from the check valve into the reservoir that provides fluid communication between the reservoir and the check valve; an annular collar including a plurality of collar threads threadingly engaged with the body threads to connect the annular collar to the main body;
whereina collar void space in fluid communication with the second opening is formed between the body threads and the collar threads when the body threads and the collar threads are engaged; the annular bead is received into the annular groove to connect the nozzle to the check valve housing; the first opening formed through the check valve housing allows fluid communication between the reservoir of the main body and the void space in the nozzle; and deformation of the resiliently deformable walls of the main body causes fluid in the cavity to flow through the first opening and into the nozzle void space to increase pressure in the nozzle void space; and the second opening formed through the valve housing allows fluid communication between an exterior of the main body and the reservoir of the main body; and after deformation of the resiliently deformable walls of the main body, the check valve allows air to flow from the collar void space into the reservoir via the second opening to return the resiliently deformable walls to an original position. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification