US2304708A - Douche - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1942.

c. RlTTER.

DOUCHE Filed Sept. 12, 1940 Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES pATg fNTj nouonn Harry G. Bitter, Jersey Shore, Pa., assignor of one-tenth to Harold F. French, Troy, Pa., onetenth to Jacob F. Matthews, Williamsport, Pa., two-tenths to John C. Patchen and Gertrude H. Patchen, Cogan Station, Pa., one-twentieth to Charles K. Derr, one-twentieth to Howard S. Reese, one-tenth to Lewis 0. Tirrell, all of Wil iiamsport, Pa., one-tenthto Wilbur B. Grossman, Oanaseraga, N. "-Y., and one-tenth to Edward J. Corson, Jersey Shore, Pa.

Application September 12, 1940, serializ 356,554 2 Claims. 91. 128-226)" The invention relates to syringes and particularly those adapted for use as rectal and vaginal douches, and has for an object to present a syringe of the water-bag type having special advantages in use, for producing at will a hydro-,

static head in the nozzle either less or greater than that resulting from the more action of gravity on the content of the bag.

While I am aware of hand-pressed bag fountain reservoir devices for producing pressures in,

syringe nozzles, it is an aim of the present invention to present a construction in such devices whereby a comparatively large capacity collapsible reservoir may be utilized with advantages in Y. that respect over prior devices, and also one in;

ject to present a large capacity'reservoir device which does not require a special support, but may be suspended on the person of the user, and particularly one adapted to be specially located on the body so that useful massage may be attained at the same time that a douche or other syringe treatment is administered.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will more fully appear and be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the reservoir body and syringe. I

Figure 2 is a detail of the closure in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a front view of a modification of the reservoir body.

Figure 4 is an edge View of the reservoir body and showing also the modification of Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross section of the stopper lever mounting.

There is illustrated a flexible rubber bottle or bag type of reservoir l0, having an enlarged mouth Ii, including a neck portion I2 nearly or quite cylindrical and made with thickened walls adapted to hold the mouth in form and tapered in thickness downwardly so as to merge into the walls I 3 and l 4 'of the reservoir at back and front,

The bag portion is suitably enlarged to adapt it to hold the desired quantity of liquid, according to themes to which it is to be applied, and at the lower end is formed with an integral outlet nipple 5 with suitably thickened and filleted walls into which there is inserted a ferrule duct 16, onto which the usual hose of any desired length is frictionally engaged. At the extremity of the hose a nozzle i8 is indicated, having a properly shaped tenon end inserted in the hose. The nozzle is of course removable and replaceable with other shapes adapted to the several uses or treatments required.

The bag element has a structure such that its front and back walls tend to lie initially in parallel spaced relation, substantially as in Figure 4, and has also a somewhat thickened upper lateral edge portion is at each side where the front and back walls of the bag join, and on these external ears are formed respectively, these cars being suitably apertured to receive suspension devices such as the hooks 2| shown in Figure 1, to which respective ends of an adjustably extensible strap 22 are attached. The strap may be formed in two parts connected adjustably by a buckle 23, or other connection.

The mouth or interior of the neck is interiorly threaded with large threads as at 24, and the mouth is closed by means of an externally threaded stopper 25 conforming to the shape 'of the mouth. The walls of the mouth or neck are interiorly sloped, the opening being smaller at the lower or inner part, so that as the stopper is screwed thereinto it becomes tightly wedged in the opening, and so effects a secure closure.

In the present instance the stopper is formed with a port 26 therethrough having a conical seat 21 at the inner side and there is provided a corresponding valve 28 of rubber or metal adapted to fit. the seat and having a metal stem 29 extended therefrom longitudinally outward and above the top side of the stopper. A spider piece 313 is engaged or integrally formed on the outer' part of the port, this spider being centrally apertured to receive the stem 29 slidably therethrough. The upper end of the stem 29 is transversely apertured, and pivoted in the furcated end of a valve lever 3| which is so shaped that when the lever is moved to an opened position transverse to the stem 29 it may lie closely over the top face of the stopper 25, with the valve relieved from and spaced from the seat 21, so that air may flow into the reservoir through the port. The outer end portions of the lever adjacent the pivot are formed with cam portions 32, of a greater radius than that between the axis of the valve 28 thereby be lifted and held snugly to its seat, closing off the access of air to the reservoir. The high faces 33 of the cam are also preferably flattened so that the lever will tend to remain in valve-closing position and slightly oppose movement toward opened position. If the stopper body is also made of moderately resilient rubber and the spider faced withmetal 34 under the lever, and the lever made of rigid material, the passage of the corners on the cam portion will cause the valve to slightlycompressthe material of the stopper, which will then expand again after passage of the corners past dead center relation to the pivot, and so hold the lever erect and the valve properly seated. By extending the metal up beside the lever, forming ears 35, and anchoring the metal 34 to the stopper in approved fashion, the lever may be used as a lever or wing to screwand unscrew the stopper 25.

The efficiency of the cleansing action of the douche is in many instances enhanced by intermittent surges of liquid from the nozzle, and this may be efiected, it will be readily appreciated, by intermittent manual pressure upon the bag and relief of the manual pressure.

It should be appreciated that in the use of the reservoir directly upon the abdomen, a massage effect is produced that is beneficial in many conditions,,and also, in case a warm liquid is employed in the treatment, the Warmth applied over the abdomen is also beneficial in many conditions which would also involve treatment with the douche. In addition, the useris protected from becoming chilled.

In the use of the device as described, the strap 22 is adjusted so that it may be engaged around the neck of the user, to hold the reservoir in position on a level with and resting against the abdomen, or it may be adjusted higher, so as to rest thereabove, or over the chest, or the strap may be adjusted to such length at it may extend voir, due to the latter tending to hold its distended position, and the decanting of the liquid now is opposed by atmospheric pressure. The reservoir being hung in proper position, the nozzle 13 is properly placed, and the user then presses against the outer wall of the reservoir so that the reservoir becomes compressed between the body of the user and the hand or hands. If the reservoir is placed against the abdomen the pressure thereagainst maybe exerted by pressing the palms and wrists, or both forearms against the bag, either being a normal and natural action of a person, and corresponding to pressure of the hands or arms against the abdomen, as so often is done by human beings. Such pressures will cause an expulsion of the contents of the reservoir with a force at the nozzle directly corresponding to the pressure exerted against the sides of the reservoir. If it the pressure on the reservoir is relieved and the reservoir allowed to expand, the valve 28 being left closed.

If it is desired to utilize simply the force of gravity in efiecting the discharge of the liquid content of the reservoir through the nozzle, the lever 3| is raised to vertical position for as long as such discharge is desired. The reservoir may be refilled from time to time without interrupting the flow therefrom induced by gravity, by simply unscrewing the stopper 25, and pouring the proper liquid into the mouth of the reservoir while it is suspended on the person of the user, and by replacing the stopper and closing the valve the content may be ejected by application of pressure to the reservoir as described, at any time. When it is desired to discontinue a treatment, the lever Si is raised to close the valve,

after which the nozzle may be removed and the whole equipment carried to some convenient point for discharge of the remainder of the content of the reservoir and for cleansing of the apparatus. voir may be effected by simply opening the valve by lowering of the lever 3 I.

If desired, fingerholds may be'provided on the Walls of the reservoir, to facilitate its compression, and if desired to aid or effect its expansion for causing suction through the nozzle. In Figures 3 and .4 finger stalls 40 are indicated secured upon the front wall of the reservoir in the form of loops of a serpentine strap, affording respective openings 4| for the insertion of the fingers of the user, while upon the back wall a thumb loop or stall 42 is provided, one of each of these being provided and secured on the lateral portions of one Wall of the reservoir, so that the fingers are properly spaced to compress a large area of the wall portion, and also so that when the user exerts an effort to move the fingers and thumbs from each other, the walls will be pulled outwardly from each other, expanding the bag.

If desired, the reservoir may be formed with the ordinary structure familiar in fountain syringe reservoirs. That is to say, the walls may be extremely flexible and tending to collapse, into close parallel relation, in which event the device will not have a function of a barometric chamber, nor will it tend to draw back liquid through the nozzle. Such a reservoir may otherwise be used the same as above described.

It should be noted that the walls of the reservoir are formed with central'thickened or otherwise stiffened parts 36 which tend to remain in planiform, in the present instance, although other forms may be chosen as desired, and these are extended and attenuated, as inwardly curved mutually convergent parts 31, which are joined to each other'in the medial plane of the reservoir. The thin parts 31 are also so formed as to tend to regain their divergent relation, so as to hold the wall parts 36 spaced apart, but readily yieldable to manual pressure on the parts 36, which may be exerted by compressing the two wall parts 26 between the: thumb and finger of one hand, or the thumb and fingers of both hands, applied at opposite edges of the reservoir below or adjacent the ears 20.

While I have described with great particularity the specific embodiment of the invention,

it will be understood thatthis is purely exem plary, and that various changes in construction, arrangement, proportion of parts, and substitution of equivalents may be made in the device without departing from the spirit of the inven- Decanting or emptying of the reser tion as more particularly set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A douche device consisting of a flexible reservoir having a filling opening and a discharge outlet including a hose and nozzle, a pressure retaining closure for said filling opening, said reservoir being formed with two main walls including central parallel thickened parts and mutually convergent and joined flexible and resilient edge portions tending to hold said thickened parts at a predetermined spaced relation, ears formed at opposite lateral edges of the reservoir adjacent the upper part thereof, a suspension loop device having its ends attached to the ears, one of said thickened walls having a plurality of finger-receiving stalls positioned inwardly 0f the outer edge portions of the douche bag, and the other thickened wall having respective thumbreceiving stalls.

2. A douche device consisting of a flexible reservoir having a filling opening and a discharge outlet including a hose and nozzle, 2, pressure retaining closure for said filling opening, said reservoir being formed with two main walls including central parallel thickened parts and mutually convergent and joined flexible and resilient edge portions tending to hold said thickened parts at a predetermined spaced relation, ears formed at opposite lateral edges of the reservoir adjacent the upper part thereof, a suspension loop device having its ends attached to the ears, one of said thickened walls having a plurality of finger receiving stalls positioned inwardly orthe outer edge portions of the douche bag, the open ends of which lie in a plane parallel to a vertical axis of the douche, and the other thickened wall having a pair of stalls positioned at a point for accommodation of respective thumbs of a user.

HARRY C. RI'I'IER.

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