Systems and Methods for Producing Streams of Fluid

Abstract

The present invention provides a fluid stream producing device comprising a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in the shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of fluid stream producing devices, and more particularly to a portable device that can be used to produce conveniently streams of fluid, such as for washing body parts and objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

Streams of fluid are used for many things. Streams of water are particularly useful for cleansing body parts and objects. However, one does not always have access to a source of water when cleansing an object or body part is desired. In particular, the problem of personal hygiene in public places is one that confronts people of all ages. Public bathrooms are usually not equipped with washing mechanisms such as bidets due to costs and maintenance concerns. Typically, the only available cleansing mechanism in the public bathroom is toilet paper. While acceptable to a significant portion of the public, toilet paper leaves residues that can adhere to undergarments, which can cause discomfort and irritation, particularly to individuals suffering from various medical conditions exacerbated by abrasive cleansing. Furthermore, physically disabled individuals often have difficulties in cleansing private body parts.

An alternative to the use of toilet tissue is to spray liquid onto body parts that require cleansing. Stationary bidets have been in use for some time and more recently, the need for relatively simple cost-effective hygienic devices has led to the development of a number of hand-held, portable bidets which have the advantage of being portable and allowing the user to control the temperature of the cleansing fluids.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,896 describes a large portable bidet apparatus with an integrally formed or separable reservoir.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050187526 describes a bidet device that is similar to commonly available laboratory squeeze bottles.

U.S. Patent Application No. 20060207007 describes another type of portable bidet device comprised of several different parts including a separable bottle and nozzle.

PCT Publication WO 03/086160 describes a battery-powered portable bidet that uses intricate pumping mechanisms in order to achieve a stream of water at the spray end.

Japanese Patent Application JP2007282973 describes a portable cleaning cap that comprises a threaded opening for screwing installation of cleaning liquid storage container like bag, pack, pouch, tube, or polyethylene terephthalate bottle with a single specific threaded opening.

JP2007307317 proposes a portable cleaning instrument for washing the private areas of a person. This device has an expandable and contractible accordion reservoir and a removable threaded nozzle.

JP2008284013, JP2008284014, and JP2008284015 are directed to different embodiments of a portable washing device for connecting to PET bottles of different sizes using different sized adapters, washers and collars, some of which are configured to grip to the annular flange of PET bottles. These embodiments require removable parts to couple different bottles to the device.

JP2006280834 describes a toilet shower device configured to be attached to the neck at the outlet of a PET bottle.

It is against this background that various embodiments of the present invention have been developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a portable device and system for producing conveniently and easily a stream of fluid. In one embodiment, the present invention can be used for cleansing private body parts, which addresses heretofore unrecognized shortcomings of prior art portable bidet systems. It has been recognized that a wide variety of reusable containers are available. These containers have resilient and dependable closure systems that could be readily adapted to a simple portable bidet device to remove the need for transporting a bidet reservoir.

Such containers are in common use and readily obtained at supermarkets, convenience stores, or vending machines all over the world.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable fluid stream-producing device that can be combined with an easily obtainable container to provide a functional device that may be assembled, used, and easily disassembled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable personal hygiene device of simple lightweight construction which eliminates the need for moving parts and is easily and inexpensively manufactured to specifications for attachment to the most commonly available containers, thereby providing significant advantages not contemplated by the portable bidet systems described in the prior art.

It is a further object of the invention to reduce the space required for storage and transport of a fluid steam-producing device in a pocket, purse, or handbag for example.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for producing a stream of fluid comprising a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in the shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected. The inner wall and the outer wall may be substantially concentric.

Plastic bottles are convenient examples of portable containers that contain fluid. According to North American standards, most plastic bottles have outlets of two sizes, which are generally known as “wide-mouthed” and “narrow-mouthed” outlets. Examples of common product brands using wide-mouthed bottles include GATORADE™, AQUAFINA™, and VITAMIN WATER™. The narrow-mouthed bottle is in more common usage and one of the best-known product brands using this outlet size is the plastic COCA-COLA™ bottle.

In some embodiments, the hollow body is a rigid tubular body. In this embodiment, the nozzle may be disposed at a fixed angle projecting outwards from the elongate axis of the tubular body.

In other embodiments, the hollow body is an adjustable “accordion-type” body that is deformable along its elongate axis or in any other direction to facilitate the setting of the angle between the nozzle and the elongate body as desired for the process of directing the nozzle towards the desired location for cleansing of body parts and objects.

In some embodiments, the nozzle comprises a plurality of discharge orifices, which, in some embodiments are disposed in a cross-shaped pattern to increase the surface area of discharged fluids for cleansing body parts or objects. A person skilled in the art will realize that any number or pattern of discharge orifices are possible and are still within the scope of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the hollow body and nozzle are of unitary construction while in other embodiments, the hollow body, nozzle, and connector end are separable components. In some embodiments of the device where the body and nozzle are separable, the nozzle is provided as a push-pull cap. When the push-pull cap is in the closed position, fluids are prevented from escaping from the nozzle.

Another aspect of the invention is a fluid stream producing system that represents the assembled combination of a fluid stream-producing device with a coupled container. The device has a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in the shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected. The connector inlet can be configured for coupling of containers having different sized outlets and for transmission of fluid stored in the containers through the connector inlet into the hollow body to the nozzle for washing of body parts and objects. It is advantageous if the container used in the fluid stream producing system is configured to be deformable with a light squeezing action of the hand. The deformation of the container provides the pressure required to force the fluids from the container through the device connector inlet into the hollow body and through the nozzle.

Other embodiments of the present invention include systems corresponding to the devices described herein, as well as methods of utilizing the devices described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features described above will become more readily apparent from the following description of an example embodiment, which is accompanied by the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable hygiene device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of the portable hygiene device taken along line 2′-2′ of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows two examples of perspective views of portable hygiene systems constructed from an embodiment of a personal hygiene device in combination with two different bottles having different sized outlets.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the section labeled 4′ in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the section labeled 5′ in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the portable hygiene device.

FIG. 7 is a cut-away side view taken along line 7′-7′ of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the portable hygiene device.

FIG. 9 is a cut-away side view of the second embodiment of the portable hygiene device taken along line 9′-9′ of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the section labeled 10′ in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 shows the third embodiment of FIG. 13 being attached to a water bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 7, there is shown one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is of a device of unitary construction that may be formed of moldable resin material. The skilled person will recognize that, while certain advantages are realized by embodiments of unitary construction, alternative constructions of the device which have separate parts are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as will be discussed in an additional embodiment below.

Advantageously, resin materials that may be used in forming the embodiment of the device having unitary construction are durable and produce a substantially smooth surface. The hollow body may be generally tubular and have a consistent or tapered diameter. The deformable container is advantageously a bottle, preferably constructed of disposable or recyclable plastic or resin, but the container may also be in the form of a bag or a box. It is advantageous if the plastic used in certain embodiments the fluid stream producing device is made from flexible medical-grade plastic that is resistant to bacterial growth by inclusion of anti-bacterial polymers such as MICROBAN™ that are compatible with plastics. This is an advantageous feature because the areas being cleansed may be susceptible to bacterial infections.

The perspective view of FIG. 1 shows a portable hygiene device 10 with a main hollow body 12, and a nozzle 14 having a front face defined by a plurality of orifices 15. In this particular embodiment, the orifices 15 are disposed in a cross shaped pattern across the face of the nozzle 14. The nozzle 14 is disposed at an angle relative to the elongate axis of the hollow body 12 with an elbow 17. While in this embodiment, the angle of the nozzle 14 provided by the elbow 17 is slightly more than ninety degrees downward from the elongate axis of the hollow body 12 (as seen more clearly in FIGS. 6 and 7), a wide range of nozzle angles are possible and are within the scope of the invention. For example, the hollow body 12 could end with an opening having threads for connection of a separate nozzle portion provided with a means for adjusting the nozzle angle (not shown).

In this particular embodiment, a flared base 16 is integrally formed at one end of the hollow body 12. The base 16 has a tapered upper base wall 18 and outer base sidewall 20 that is substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the hollow body 12. The cut-away perspective view of the device 10 of FIG. 2 (along lines 2′-2′ of FIG. 1) exposes the interior of the hollow body 12 and details of a connector inlet 22 formed by the base 16. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the base 16 represents a flared section. In alternative embodiments (not shown), a flared base section such as the base section 16 may not be necessary if the hollow body 12 is designed with a diameter that is sufficiently wide. Other embodiments that do not contain a flared base section are also within the scope of the invention.

The outer wall 20 is provided with o-ring grooves and o-rings to provide a substantially airtight seal with a container of fluid. Alternative embodiments of the present invention accommodate containers of different sizes by being made in different diameters.

FIG. 3 is a front view of two variations of a fluid flow producing system 200 and 300 which are constructed from the fluid stream producing device 10 and either a wide-mouthed bottle 210 or a narrow-mouthed bottle 310. Enlarged perspective views of sections 4′ and 5′ are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively. FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate the interactions of the o-rings with the wall of a bottle. The skilled person will recognize that coupling mechanisms other than the o-rings described herein may be incorporated into the fluid stream-producing device and are within the scope of the invention.

Second Embodiment

With reference to FIGS. 8 through 12, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention, which is constructed of separable parts that provide a streamlined design.

The perspective view of FIG. 8 shows a fluid stream-producing device 510 with a main hollow body 512, and a removable nozzle cap 514 having a front face defined by a plurality of orifices 515. The removable nozzle cap 514 may be substituted with additional nozzle caps having different arrangements of orifices that will vary the spray of liquid from the device 510 when in use. Details with respect to the interface between the main hollow body 512 and the nozzle cap will be discussed in more detail below.

As described in the previous embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7, the orifices 515 of the device 510 are disposed in a cross shaped pattern across the face of the nozzle cap 514. The nozzle cap 514 is disposed at an angle relative to the elongate axis of the hollow body 512 with an elbow 517.

The fluid stream-producing device 510 has a flared base 516 integrally formed at one end of the hollow body 512. The base 516 has a tapered upper base wall 518 and outer base sidewall 520 that is substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the hollow body 512. The cut-away perspective view of the device 510 of FIG. 9 (along lines 9′-9′ of FIG. 8) exposes the interior of the hollow body 512 and the interior structure of a connector inlet 522 formed by the base 516. In alternative embodiments (not shown), a flared base section such as the base section 516 may not be necessary if the hollow body 512 is designed with a diameter sufficiently wide to accommodate differently sized outlets of different containers. Other embodiments that do not contain a flared base section are also within the scope of the invention.

In this embodiment, the body 512 has an upper opening 534 that is covered by nozzle cap 514 as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 11. This provides the means to have interchangeable nozzle caps with different orifice sizes and/or patterns which may be useful when the fluid stream producing system 510 is used in various applications such as, for example, washing an individual's face or hair. In such an application, it may be desirable to have a more diffuse spray of liquid to cover a larger area of the body. A nozzle cap with larger orifices arranged uniformly across its face may be desirable in this case. The nozzle cap 514 has a hook 536 that engages a groove 538 in the outer wall of the main body 512 near the upper opening 534. An o-ring groove 540 is formed in the main body 512 at the circumferential edge of the opening 534 to provide a seat for an o-ring 542 in order to prevent leakage of liquid at the interface of the opening 534 and the nozzle cap 514.

While this embodiment employs a hook and groove coupling means, the device 512 could be readily modified with threads or other fastening means.

Third Embodiment

With reference to FIGS. 13 through 16, there is shown a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the nozzle 1302 is connected via a hallow body 1304 to connector inlet 1306 having a plurality of o-rings attached thereto.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 13. Element 1308 (not visible in FIG. 13) shows an angled connection of the hallow body 1304 to the nozzle 1302.

FIG. 16 shows the third embodiment of FIG. 13 being attached to a water bottle. As shown in FIG. 16, the personal hygiene device 1602 is inserted into a water bottle 1604, or other bottle, and the o-rings create a substantially watertight seal between the personal hygiene device 1602 and the bottle 1604.

Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is a device for producing a stream of fluid, comprising: a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in a shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected.

In one embodiment, said connector inlet, said hollow body, and said nozzle detach from each other.

In one embodiment, said device is used to wash body parts or any other objects.

In one embodiment, said hollow body has a flared base forming an outer edge of said connector inlet.

In one embodiment, said inner wall and said outer wall are substantially concentric.

In one embodiment, said hollow body is an accordion type body.

In one embodiment, said accordion type body is configured so an angle of said nozzle can be altered relative to an elongate axis of said accordion body.

In one embodiment, said nozzle comprises a plurality of discharge orifices.

In one embodiment, said orifices are disposed in a cross-shaped pattern.

In one embodiment, said nozzle, said hollow body, and said connector inlet are of unitary construction.

In one embodiment, said nozzle comprises a push-pull cap for opening and closing said nozzle.

In one embodiment, said nozzle can be disposed at an angle relative to an elongate axis of said hollow body.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a stream of fluid and conserving fluids using a device, including the steps of: (1) utilizing a device having a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in a shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected; (2) attaching said device to said container; and (3) deforming said container to cause a stream of fluid to emerge from said nozzle.

Example

Use of a Fluid Stream Producing Device in Combination with a Commercially Available Plastic Water Bottle for Personal Hygiene

In this example, it is described how an individual would use an embodiment of the fluid stream-producing device 10 described herein. The individual would have the device 10 on hand and stored in a pocket, handbag, or purse during transit. When the use of the device 10 is desired, the individual would purchase an available bottle of water. In this example, the retail establishment only has a product with a wide-mouthed bottle, for example a bottle of AQUAFINA™ water, in this case, exemplified by bottle 210 (the skilled person will recognize that other brands of products having wide-mouthed bottles would also have similar or identical dimensions to bottle 210). The closure would be unscrewed from the bottle 210 and the inlet connector 22 of the portable hygiene device 10 would be inserted into the opened bottle 210 to make a substantially airtight seal. This construction provides an example of personal hygiene system 200 shown in FIG. 3. The individual would squeeze the bottle 210 to force the water out of the bottle 210, through the hollow body 12 of the device 10 such that the water sprays out of the orifices 15 and onto the body part for which cleansing is desired. If the individual desires to keep the required storage space to a minimum, disengaging the bottle 210 from the device 10 can disassemble the system 200. The bottle 210 may be re-sealed for further use, discarded, or recycled. The device 10 could then be dried and stored until the next use is desired.

While the methods disclosed herein have been described and shown with reference to particular operations performed in a particular order, it will be understood that these operations may be combined, sub-divided, or re-ordered to form equivalent methods without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of the operations is not a limitation of the present invention. Each reference cited in the present application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for producing a stream of fluid, comprising:

a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in a shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said connector inlet, said hollow body, and said nozzle detach from each other.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is used to wash body parts.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said hollow body has a flared base forming an outer edge of said connector inlet.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are substantially concentric.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said hollow body is an accordion type body.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said accordion type body is configured so an angle of said nozzle can be altered relative to an elongate axis of said accordion type body.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said nozzle comprises a plurality of discharge orifices.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said orifices are disposed in a cross-shaped pattern.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said nozzle, said hollow body, and said connector inlet are of unitary construction.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said nozzle comprises a push-pull cap for opening and closing said nozzle.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said nozzle can be disposed at an angle relative to an elongate axis of said hollow body.

13. A system for producing a stream of fluid, comprising:

a device comprising a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in a shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected; and

a deformable container coupled to said device by connecting said container to said second end.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said system is used to wash any item.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said system is used to wash body parts.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said deformable container is selected from the group consisting of a bottle, a box, and a bag.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said deformable container is a bottle selected from the group consisting of a recyclable bottle and a disposable water bottle.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said deformable container is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of resin and plastic.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said device is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of flexible plastic, anti-bacterial plastic, and medical-grade plastic.

20. A method for producing a stream of fluid, comprising:

utilizing a device having a hollow body having a nozzle at a first end and a connector inlet at a second end, wherein said connector inlet is in a shape of a circular inner wall and a circular outer wall, said outer wall containing one or a plurality of o-ring grooves and o-rings for forming a substantially air tight seal between said second end to a container of fluid, so transmission of said fluid through said connector inlet, into said hollow body, and out of said nozzle to produce a stream of fluid can be effected;

attaching said device to said container; and

deforming said container to cause a stream of fluid to emerge from said nozzle.