Urination apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to urination apparatus for urine sample collection for testing of urine, waste urine collection for disposal of urine resulting from urination away from toilets, and simplification of urination by women without sitting on a toilet. A urine sample collection apparatus has a tubular portion having a coupling in the side thereof formed for releasably mounting an open topped urine sample collection container thereto in a direction extending generally away from the axis of the tubular portion. The apparatus also has a urine receiving receptor with a surface portion extending from a rim, bounding an inlet surface which is symmetrical about the axis of the tubular portion, to an aperture from which the tubular portion extends in a direction generally away from the inlet surface. The edge of the rim on the side corresponding to the coupling is displaced along the axis of the tubular portion further from the aperture than the opposing edge of the rim

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A urine funneling trumpet for collecting urine, comprising
 (a) a housing having a tapered wall portion ( 4 C) defining a bell-shaped chamber and containing an elongated inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening ( 2 C) at an opposite end communicating with said chamber, said chamber receiving urine from said inlet opening;   (b) said housing wall portion including a rim ( 5 ) surrounding said inlet opening for positioning the trumpet relative to vagina and pubis areas of a female, said rim being symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis (X) of said inlet opening and including a lower vaginal locating portion ( 7 ) at the rear of said housing and an upper pubic locating portion ( 6 ) at the front of said housing, said vaginal locating portion having a first curvature defined by a first arc (θV) and said pubic locating portion having a second curvature defined by a second arc (θP), said vaginal and pubic locating curvatures meeting (M) on said rim, said pubic locating portion being arranged within an extended curvature of said vaginal locating portion; and   (c) said outlet opening having an axis (Z) which is arranged at an angle of between 125° and 145° relative to a radius ( 10 ) which bisects said first arc.   
   
   
       17 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the outlet opening is located at least partially within the first arc subtended by the vaginal locating curvature. 
   
   
       18 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein a side of the chamber flaring out from the outlet opening meets the pubic locating portion at the rim substantially as a tangent to the pubic locating curvature to provide a generally curved surface in that region, the intersection of said curved surface with a vertical plane passing through said long axis defining a straight line. 
   
   
       19 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the vaginal locating portion is dimensioned to fit substantially closely around the vaginal lips of a female user. 
   
   
       20 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the vaginal locating portion along said longitudinal axis has a constant radius which is no more than 20% smaller than the constant radius of the curvature of the pubic locating portion along said axis. 
   
   
       21 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 20 , wherein the point from which the radius of curvature of the pubic locating portion along said longitudinal axis extends is located remote from the point from which the radius of curvature of the vaginal locating portion along said longitudinal axis extends. 
   
   
       22 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the outlet opening defines a generally planar circular cross section and the outlet opening axis extends perpendicularly from that cross section. 
   
   
       23 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion is between 20° to 30°. 
   
   
       24 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the arc of curvature subtended by the pubic locating portion is between 45° to 75°. 
   
   
       25 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein a surface of the chamber extending from the outlet opening along said longitudinal axis towards a pubic locating portion defines an angle of between 15 to 25 relative to a radius which is central to the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion. 
   
   
       26 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 , wherein the surface of the chamber extending from the outlet opening along said longitudinal axis towards said rim comprises a first section which is parallel to the outlet opening axis and a second section arranged an angle of between 5° to 20° relative to a radius which is central to the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion. 
   
   
       27 . A urine sample collection apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 . 
   
   
       28 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the outlet opening joins a generally elongate tubular portion with the outlet opening axis aligned with the axis of the elongate tubular body, and further wherein the elongate tubular body has an outlet in a side thereof including a coupling for releasably connecting an open topped urine sample collection container thereto in a direction extending generally away from the axis of said tubular portion. 
   
   
       29 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said outlet in the side of said elongate tubular body is spaced from the outlet aperture of the urine funneling trumpet. 
   
   
       30 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein k the outlet in the side of said elongate tubular body is spaced from the outlet opening of the urine funneling trumpet by at least 1.5 cm. 
   
   
       31 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the coupling is directed away from the axis of the tubular portion at a fixed angle other than a right angle. 
   
   
       32 . A waste urine collection apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 . 
   
   
       33 . A leisure urination apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 . 
   
   
       34 . A female incontinence device having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 16 . 
   
   
       35 . A urine funneling trumpet for collecting urine, comprising
 (a) a housing having a tapered wall portion defining a bell-shaped chamber and containing an elongated inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening at an opposite end communicating with said chamber, said chamber receiving urine from said inlet opening;   (b) said housing wall portion including a rim surrounding said inlet opening for positioning the trumpet relative to vagina and pubis areas of a female, said rim being symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of said inlet opening and including a lower vaginal locating portion at the rear of said housing and an upper pubic locating portion at the front of said housing, said vaginal locating portion having a first curvature defined by a first arc and said pubic locating portion having a second curvature defined by a second arc, said vaginal and pubic locating curvatures meeting on said rim, said pubic locating portion being arranged within an extended curvature of said vaginal locating portion; and   (c) said outlet opening being substantially arranged within said first arc and having an axis which intersects a radius which bisects said first arc to define an obtuse angle.   
   
   
       36 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the side of the chamber flaring out from the outlet opening meets the pubic locating portion at the rim substantially as a tangent to the pubic locating curvature to provide a generally curved surface in that region, the intersection of said curved surface with a vertical plan passing through said long axis defining a straight line. 
   
   
       37 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the vaginal locating portion is dimensioned to fit substantially closely around the vaginal lips of a female user. 
   
   
       38 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the curvature of the vaginal locating portion along said longitudinal axis has a constant radius which is no more than 20% smaller than the constant radius of the curvature of the pubic locating portion along said axis. 
   
   
       39 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the curvature of the pubic locating portion along said longitudinal axis has a constant radius and the point from which the radius of curvature of the pubic locating portion along said longitudinal axis extends is located remote from the point from which the radius of curvature of the vaginal locating portion along said longitudinal axis extends. 
   
   
       40 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion is between 20° to 30°. 
   
   
       41 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein the arc of curvature subtended by the pubic locating portion is between 45° to 75°. 
   
   
       42 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein a surface of the chamber extending from the outlet along said longitudinal axis towards a pubic locating portion defines an angle of between 15° to 25° relative to a radius which is central to the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion. 
   
   
       43 . A urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 , wherein a surface of the chamber extending from the outlet opening along said longitudinal axis F towards said rim comprises a first section which is parallel to the outlet opening axis and a second section arranged at an angle of between 5° to 20° relative to a radius which is central to the arc of curvature subtended by the vaginal locating portion. 
   
   
       44 . A urine sample collection apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 . 
   
   
       45 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the outlet opening joins a generally elongate tubular portion with the outlet opening axis aligned with the axis of the elongate tubular body, and further wherein the elongate tubular body has an outlet in the side thereof including a coupling for releasably connecting an open topped urine sample collection container thereto in a direction extending generally away from the axis of said tubular portion. 
   
   
       46 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein said outlet in the side of said elongate tubular portion to be spaced from the outlet opening of the urine funneling trumpet. 
   
   
       47 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 46 , wherein the outlet in the side of said elongate tubular portion is spaced from the outlet opening of the urine funneling trumpet by at least 1.5 cm. 
   
   
       48 . A urine sample collection apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the coupling is directed away from the axis of the tubular portion at a fixed angle other than a right angle. 
   
   
       49 . A waste urine collection apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 . 
   
   
       50 . A leisure urination apparatus having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 . 
   
   
       51 . A female incontinence device having a urine funneling trumpet according to  claim 35 .