US3377631A - Disposable bedpan liner - Google Patents

Description

W. G. WHITNEY 3,377,631

DISPOSABLE BEDPAN LINER AprilV 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 'l Filed Oct. 22l 1965 INVENTOR. ///4/W G Maf/77145K April 16, 1968 w. G. wHlTNEY 3,377,631

DISPOSABLE BEDPAN LINER Filed OGt. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

Mz A4/v 6T Mam/v y ffm/afg @60 af/WATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,377,531 Patented Apr. 16, 1965 3,377,631 DISPOSABLE BEDPAN LINER William G. Whitney, Evanston, Ill., assigner to W. G. Whitney Corporation, Evanston, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,654 '8 Claims. (Cl. 4--112) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLGSURE The present invention relates to nursing service aids and more particularly relates to a disposable bedpan liner for use in the nursing of a bedridden patient.

While many and varied counterparts have been devised, the conventional steel bedpan which finds such widespread use today comprises generally a low liat bowl having generously rounded corners and a wide, flat seat. Suchl pans are of necessity quite shallow so that they can readily be slid between the patient and the bed to provide adequateV stability in use but they must accord ingly be rather wide so as to insure that the volumetric capacity will be as high as is required.

The conventional steel pans are generally formed from a single sheet of metal with a completely free and open, unobstructed cavity therein defined by a base, side wall, and seatingange. While such pans are currently in widespread use, they have not proven entirely satisfactory.

For instance, such pans are cold to the patient, particularly whenv stainless steel as opposed to some hard plastic is used. In addition, the conventional pans are not readily emptied since fecal matter may adhere to the walls of the pan and, further, such pans prove difficult to clean inasmuch as a good part of the inner Wall of the cavity underlies the seating flange.

Attention is invited to the fact that others skilled in this art have recognized that some sort of a disposable bedpan might otter a satisfactory solution to the problem.

Many such disposable bedpans have been developed but none has met with any marked success. Disposable pans have forexample been disclosed which amount to little fore than wax-coated paper bags having virtually no support otherl than their own inherent stiffness. Others have been devised which are adapted to lit within a complementary cavity in a bed mattress and While such disposable pans can be comparatively deep and in many senses admirably suited for their intended function, they pose more problems than they cure inasmuch as they require special mattresses and bedding and means for closing the cavity when not in use. They are, in short, very expensive and have not found much acceptance. Partial liners have been `designed for use with conven tional pans but `such liners do not avoid many of the objectionable features of the conventional pans. Lastly, disposable inserts have been developed for use with con- Ventional bedpans but such inserts have limited the capacity of the pans and have still not avoided many of the objectionable features of conventional pans.

The disposable bedpan liner which I have devised obviates all of the above noted disadvantageous characteristics of prior disposable type pans as well as those of the conventional steel pans by providing a fresh, new`approach to the problem. The conventional wide steel pai with the low profile is employed as a support in the con ventional manner and the disposable bedpan liner is pro vided to iit on and within the steel pan which liner, fo want of a better expression, is referred to as a disposabh bedpan liner. The novel disposable liner disclosed hereii comprises basically two interconnected parts; namely (l) a at insulating collar having substantially the sam: peripheral dimension and configuration as the seating flange of a conventional steel pan and (2) a bag-likt recptacle or lining member connected to the collar an( positionable within the cavity formed in the steel par in a manner such that the bag can balloon sufficiently to actually line the inner walls of the cavity, thereby noA decrease the volumetric capacity thereof.

The receptacle is preferably formed of a pliant, thin strong, impervious plastic film such as polyethylene or the like and may have a flap formed integrally therewitl'. as a by-product of the process of manufacture which can be used as an aid in directing waste into the receptacle.

I have also devised an efiicient and orderly method of manufacturing the disposable bedpan liner which requires very few steps and this method will hereafter be more fully described.

It is therefore a principal object of the present inven Vtion to provide an improved disposable bedpan liner ol the type which will fit on and within conventional rigid pans.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for insulating the patient from the usually cold surface or the supporting pan.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of a disposable bedpan liner which will f1t on and within a conventional low profile pan and yet which will not diminish the volumetric capacity of such pans.

A still further and important object of the invention relates to the provision of a disposable bedpan liner which can be completely removed from a supporting pan and disposed of in one piece, thereby eliminating the dificult task of cleaning out the inside of the supporting pan.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a disposable bedpan liner that can be stored flat and readily handled and which requires a minimum amount of space in storage and yet which can be used effectively with a supporting pan.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a. novel method for manufacturing a disposable bedpan liner of the type above described.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a disposable bedpan liner constructed in accordance: with the principles of the present invention -mounted on and within a conventional steel supporting pan;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view through the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 and taken along lines Il-II Of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the disposable bedpan liner in a first stage of manufacture; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the disposable bedpan liner in another and final stage of assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a con ventional steel bedpan 10 having a side wall 11 which is higher at the front 12 of the .pan than at the rear 13. The side wall 11 leads through curvilinear edges 12 and 13 to the at base 14 and seating ange 15 of the pan. The seatin-g flange 15 slopes gently downwardly from the curvilinear edge 13 toward the center of the pan and is deigned to provide a comfortable seating surface for the iatient. The inner margin 16 of the flange 15 is turned )ver on itself as at 17 so as to insure a generally rounded :dge which will not cut the patient. The opposed end :dges of the seating ange terminate at the front end )f the pan in spaced relation to one another to provide a nouth through which the contents of the pan can be zmptied. Conventional pans such as these are generally iesigned so that the minimum height of the seating flange tbove the base 14 at the rear of the pan is something on Lhe order of 21/2 inches so that the rather large required :apacity of the pan is achieved through the width rather .han the depth of the pan. In fact, it is important to under- ;tand that more than 1/2 of the total liquid capacity of :he interior or cavity of the pan underlies the seating flange 15. Some rather unsatisfactory attempts have been made to provide a bag of sorts which had an outer dimension not greater than the dimension between the opposed marginal edge 16 of the seating ange 15 but such a bag of course has such a limited capacity as to be virtually useless for most applications today. Present day nursing techniques require the administration of as large as 2000 cc. enemas and only those low profile pans which utilize the space underlying the seating ange as well as the space directly underlying the opening can handle such volume.

FIGURES 1 through 4 disclose one embodiment of a disposable bedpan liner constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. In general, it will be noted that this disposable bedpan liner includes a collar 19 which is preferably formed of flexible card or heavy paper stock and which is peripherally confgurated and dimensioned to conform to the seating surface 15 of the supporting pan 10. The inner margin 20 of the collar 19 lies in juxtaposition to the inner margin 16 of the supporting pan 10 and terminates in a pair of rounded inturned fingers 21. A fiexible bag 22 is preferably formed of a thin, strong, impervious plastic film and has its upper edge 23 adhered to the undersurface 24 of the collar 19 adjacent the edge 20 thereof. It is important to understand that the film is dimensioned so that it can be ballooned out in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 so as to conform to the inner surfaces of the walls of the supporting pan and thereby not decrease the volumetric capacity of that pan. A flap 25 is lformed integrally with the film 22 and extends out of the mouth of the supporting pan 10 and can be used as a shield to assure that all waste will be directed into the pan and additionally serves as a convenient means for facilitating removal of the disposable bedpan in a manner hereafter to be described.

As has already been noted, the bag or lining member may be made from a variety of materials but the use of a thin plastic film is rfelt to be most preferable from the standpoint of its impermeability, cost, pliability, and because it is so readily flattened and stacked easily. However, because of the non-fiushable characteristics of most yplastics today, this type of bag will of course require discarding in a waste receptacle rather than through ordinary plumbing facilities. It should, therefore, be understood that it is also possible to fabricate the bag from a wet strength material such as one of the papers used in toilet seat liners which would permit disposal of the entire disposable bedpan liner in the plumbing system. Such a material would not, of course, prevent liquid from penetrating through the bag and the pan would, therefore, require rinsing after use. The collar may, as earlier indicated, be made from any number of materials but it is preferably made from a stiffer material than the bag itself such as board stock or heavy moisture resilient paper.

Attention is invited to FIGURES 3 and 4 which disclose the method by which the disposable bedpan liner of the present invention is most advantageously manufactured. The stiff card stock collar 19 is laid down with what is to become its under-surface facing upwardly and with the fingers 21 facing toward the right. The first real 4 assembly step in the process is to bond the lm 22 to the collar 19.

It will be observed that the film 22 is bilobate in design having first and second curved sections 26 and 27 which are separated by a restricted neck 28. Each of the sections 26, 27 is of somewhat greater external dimension than the collar 19 so that, as shown in FIGURE 3, the lobe 26 when laid upon the `collar 19 completely overlaps the collar. The film is positioned with the lobe 26 overlying the collar and with the restricted neck 28 positioned adjacent the fingers 21.

If the film 22 is of a heat sealable plastic material, the joining of the lobe 26 to the collar 19 and the yformation of the tongue 25 can be performed in a single operation. A heat seal bar having a configuration substantially identical to that of the inner margin 20 of the collar 19 but of slightly greater over-all dimension is impressed on the film 22 along the contact line 29, terminating, however, at points overlying the outmost ends of the fingers 21. Such action will then bond the lobe 26 to the collar 19 along the bonding line 29. That portion of the film 22 contained within the perimeter of the bonding line 29 can then be pulled away from the collar to form the tongue 25.

The next step in the operation is to bond the peripheral edge of the lobe 26 to the peripheral edge of the lobe 27. This is done by sim-ply folding the lobe 27 over the lobe 26 from the restricted neck 28 and then heat sealing the congruent periphcries of the two lobes together. In FIGURE 4 I have shown the lobe 27 folded over on top of the lobe 26 and bonded thereto along the line 30. For the sake of illustration, the tongue 25 formed in the first step has been pulled out `from under the now folded over lobe 27 and is shown extending out toward the right in FIGURE 4.

To use the disposable -bedpan liner it is laid over the top of the supporting steel pan with the shield lying out wardly over the mouth of the supporting pan. It is then possible to reach inside the clean bag and push it down into the pan while the collar seats itself around the seating flange of the supporting pan. When in use, if necessary or desirable, the shield may be held up to deiiect any urine down into the pan. After use, the rear portion of the collar may be folded forward and the shield laid back over the opening defined by the collar so as to form a cover for the disposable bedpan liner while being transported to the disposal area. The pan is emptied by laying the shield over the front edge of the pan and pouring out the contents of the bag in the normal manner. If it is desired to save a specimen, the bag may be lifted from the pan by the collar and shield and readily slid out of the mouth of the supporting pan.

It will be understood that these embodiments of my invention have been used for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications and variations in the invention will be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a supporting pan having a base, a side wall, and a seating ange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pan, comprlsmg:

a horseshoe-shaped collar positionable on said ange with its inner margin substantially coincident with the inner margin of said ange and being so configuratcd and dimensioned as to completely overlie said seating flange; and

a flexible bag-like lining member connected to said collar and being positionable within said cavity and being of a size sufficient to completely line the walls of said cavity.

2, A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a supporting pan having a, base, a side wall, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pan and wherein the inner margin of said flange defines the opening to said cavity, comprising:

a horseshoe-shaped collar positionable on said flange with its inner margin substantially coincident with the inner margin of said flange and being formed of card stock; and

a flexible bag-like lining member formed of thin, impervious, pliant stock connected to said collar and being positionable within said cavity and being of a size sufiicient to completely line the walls of said cavity.

3. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a supporting pan having a base, a side wall, and a seating flange extending inwardly fro-m the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side Wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pan and wherein the inner margin of said flange defines the opening through said cavity, comprising:

a collar positionable on said flange with its inner margin substantially coincident with the inner margin of said flange;

a flexible impervious bag-like lining member connected to said collar and being positionable within said cavity and being of a size sufficient to completely line the walls of said cavity;

wherein material of the outer surface of the said lining member is connected to the undersurface of said collar.

4. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a supporting pan having a base, a side wall, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side Wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pan and wherein the inner margin of said flange defines the opening through said cavity, comprising:

a collar positionable on said flange with its inner margin substantially coincident with the inner margin of said flange;

a flexible impervious bag-like lining member connected to said collar and being positionable within said cavity and being of a size sufficient to completely line the walls of said cavity;

wherein material of the outer surface of the said lining member is connected to the undersurface of said collar; and

wherein said bag is formed of at least two pieces having material of their inner surfaces joined together along a line coincident with the natural fold line formed by the bag when the bag is flattened against the collar.

5. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a low, wide supporting pan formed of a single piece of rigid stock and having a base, a side wall extending upwardly from the base, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and dene a cavity within said supporting pan comprising:

a horseshoe-shaped collar formed of stiff and flexible thenmally insulating stock adapted to lie on said seating flange and being so configured and dimensioned as to conform to said seating flange;

a bag connected to the undersurface of said collar adjacent the inner margin thereof and being formed of a pliant, thin-walled, impervious, plastic film and being of a size sufficient to line the inner surfaces of said base, side wall, and seating flange.

6. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a low, wide supporting pan formed of a single piece of rigid stock and having a base, a side wall extending upwardly from the base, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base and being yoke-like in configuration and defining an opening to the interior of the pan with a mouth a1 one end thereof, comprising:

a collar formed of stiff, flexible, thermally insulating card stock adapted to lie on said seating flange and being so configurated and dimensioned as to conform to said seating flange;

a bag connected to the undersurface of said collar adjacent the inner margin thereof and being formed of a thin-walled, pliant, impervious plastic film and being of a size sufllcient to line the inner surfaces of said base, side wall, and seating flange; and

a shield formed integrally with said bag and of the same material as said bag and extending therefrom through the mouth of said supporting pan.

7. A disposable bedpan liner for use in combination with a low, wide supporting pan formed of a single piece of rigid stock and having a base, a side wall extending upwardly from the base, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pan, comprising:

a collar formed of stiff and flexible thermally insulating stock adapted to lie on said seating flange and being so configurated and dimensioned as to conform to said seating flange;

a bag connected to the undersurface of said collar adjacent the inner margin thereof and being formed of a pliant, thin-walled, impervious, plastic film and being of a size sufficient to line the inner surfaces of said base, side wall, and seating flange, wherein material of the outer surface of said bag is c-onnected to the undersurface of said collar to connect said collar and bag together.

8. A disposable bedpan liver for use in combination with a low, wide supporting pan formed of a single piece of rigid stock and having a base, a side wall extending upwardly from the base, and a seating flange extending inwardly from the said side wall in spaced relation to the said base, wherein said base, side wall, and seating flange are formed integrally with one another and define a cavity within said supporting pans, comprising:

a collar formed of stiff and flexible thermally insulating stock adapted to lie on said seating flange and being so configured and dimensioned as to conform to said seating flange;

a bag connected to the undersurface of said collar adja cent the inner margin thereof and being formed of a pliant, thin-walled, impervious,l plastic film and being of a size sufficient to line the inner surfaces of said base, side wall, and seating flange,

wherein material of the outer surface of said bag is connected to the undersurface of said collar to connect said collar and bag together and wherein said bag is formed of at least two film parts having material of their inner surfaces joined together along a line coincident with the natural fold line formed by the bag when the bag is flattened against said collar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,155 8/1921 Abraham 4-112 2,169,834 8/1939 Englert 4-112 2,320,845 6/1943 Bolton 4-112 2,855,608 10/1958 Painter 4-112 3,061,840 11/1962 Pressisen 4-112 3,066,315 12/1962 Huber 4-112 3,263,241 8/1966 Saulson 4--112 FOREIGN PATENTS 908,451 10/ 1962 Canada.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

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