Urine sampling vessel

Abstract

To provide a urine sampling vessel that can reduce capacity of the vessel when not being used, can readily perform operation of extending the vessel from contraction, and has excellent usability.SOLUTION: A cylindrical bottomed vessel body 11 includes: a bellows part 13 formed in a peripheral surface 12, extending and contracting in an axial direction, and deformable into an original form state when storing urine and a folded compression state; and a grip 16 installed in a bottom part 15 of the container body 11 and held and pulled when returning the container body 11 from the compression state to the original form state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a urine collection container for containing urine collected from a human body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various urine collection containers for storing urine have been proposed. For example, as a typical bag-type urine collection container, as shown in Fig. 28, a bag-shaped urine collection container is known, which is made by laminating and welding flexible sheets made of synthetic resin. A catheter 1 for collecting urine from the urethra of a patient is connected to the top of the flat bag-shaped bag 30, and a separate component such as an outlet tube 31 for discharging the collected urine to the outside is connected to the bottom of the bag 30.

[0003] However, in the bag-type urine collection container, since the bag 30 is a flexible bag, it cannot be placed on the floor and stand on its own, but must be hung from something, which restricts the installation during use and is inconvenient. Moreover, the bag 30 requires a large number of parts and assembly steps, such as overlapping and welding sheets to form a bag, or connecting a separate component to the bottom of the bag 30, which not only increases costs, but also raises the risk of urine leaking from the connection between the bottom of the bag 30 and the separate component.

[0004] Also, as a solution to the problems with bag-type urine collection containers, for example, bottle-type urine collection containers are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This is a container made of a regular plastic bottle made of synthetic resin, and a urine collection tube or the like is connected to a cap that is screwed onto the mouth opening at the top. Here, the plastic bottle itself has a degree of rigidity that does not easily deform, and it can be used by placing it on the floor so that it stands upright.

[0005] However, the bottle-shaped urine collection container has a drawback in that it is not easily deformed, and the overall shape is kept bulky, which causes problems such as taking up a lot of space for transportation and storage when not in use. Also, when opening and closing the cap, such as when discharging urine stored in the container, the screw-on cap must be sufficiently screwed both forwards and backwards, making the opening and closing operation cumbersome.

[0006] Furthermore, as a solution to the problems with bottle-shaped urine collection containers, for example, a urine collection container is known in which the upper and lower surfaces of the container body are made of rigid plate-like members that do not deform, and the side surfaces of the container body are made of a flexible sheet (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this case, the container body is formed by bonding both ends of a cylindrical sheet that forms the side surface of the container body to the upper and lower plate-like members, respectively, and an outlet etc. for discharging urine from within the container body is provided in the lower plate-like member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6803096 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-93129 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the above-mentioned urine collection container with flexible sides, the sides of the container body can be folded to save space, and the bottom can be placed on the floor for use, but the shape of the sides is unstable and easily crushed, making it difficult to use. Also, in addition to bonding the sides of the container body to the top and bottom, it is also necessary to connect a drainage outlet and the like on the bottom, and as with the bag-type urine collection container described above, there are many connections between the components, which not only increases costs but also raises the risk of urine leaking from the connections between the components.

[0009] In addition, because the container body has a structure in which the sides stretch as urine is stored, problems with the stretching of the sides are likely to occur, raising the risk of urine backflow. Therefore, it is conceivable to start introducing urine while the top and bottom of the container body are pulled apart in advance and the sides are stretched (paragraph 0020 of Patent Document 2), but even if there is a hanging tool on the top, there is no part on the bottom that can be used as a handle other than the outlet, etc., and there is a risk that the components such as the outlet will be damaged if pulled, and there is a problem that it is difficult to stretch the container body vertically and is not user-friendly.

[0010] In addition, the bottle-shaped urine collection container described above can be placed on the floor and used in a stable state, but the problem of the space required for transportation and storage when not in use cannot be solved. Furthermore, since the cap that closes the mouth of the container is screwed on, the operation of rotating the cap to open and close it is cumbersome and troublesome, and there is a problem that it is not easy to use.

[0011] The present invention has been made in response to the problems associated with the prior art as described above, and aims to provide a urine collection container that is extremely easy to use, which can be used by standing it up in a stable state, the volume of the container can be reduced when not in use, and the container can be easily expanded from a reduced state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to A urine collection container for storing urine, The container body is cylindrical and has a bottom, and at least a part of the peripheral surface is formed in a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction, and is deformable between an original state when storing urine and a compressed state in which the bellows-shaped part is folded, a mouth portion provided on an upper end side of the container body and through which urine can be put in and out, and a bottom portion provided on a lower end side of the container body and which allows the container body to stand on its own when placed on a placement surface, The container body is characterized in that a handle is provided at the bottom thereof for grasping and pulling when returning the container body from the compressed state to the original state. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The urine collection container of the present invention can be used in a stable, self-supporting state, the volume of the container can be reduced when not in use, and the container can be easily expanded from a reduced size, making it extremely easy to use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a catheter is attached to a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention and the container body is extended to its original state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a catheter is attached to a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention and the container body is contracted to a compressed state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from above, showing a state in which a lid is being removed from a container body of the urine collection container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a lid body has been removed from a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the urine collection container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view showing a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention with a lid removed from a container body. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a urine collection container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view seen from above, showing a state in which a lid is being removed from a container body of a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention with the lid removed from the container body. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention with the lid removed from the container body. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention with the lid removed from the container body. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a cover of a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 20] 13A and 13B are a plan view and a bottom view, respectively, showing a cover of a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] 13A and 13B are a right side view and a front view, respectively, showing a cover of a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 22. [Diagram 25] 13A and 13B are a right side view and a front view, respectively, showing an attachment structure for an opening portion and a cover body of a urine collection container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC, showing an engaged state of the mouth portion and the cover of the urine collection container according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC, illustrating the operation of removing the cover from the opening of the urine collection container according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a conventional bag-type urine collection container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Various embodiments representative of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 9 show a urine collection container 10 according to the first embodiment. The urine collection container 10 according to the first embodiment is for storing urine collected from a human body, and comprises a cylindrical, bottomed container body 11 and a lid body 20 that can be fitted over an opening 140 at the upper end side of the container body 11 to seal the container body 11. The components, shapes, values, etc. shown in the embodiments described below are all examples of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Note that terms indicating directions such as "up" and "down" are used based on the position of the urine collection container 10 placed on a substantially horizontal support surface such as a floor or bed.

[0016] <Container body 11> As shown in Fig. 1, container body 11, which constitutes the main part of urine collection container 10, has an internal space capable of storing urine, and is integrally molded into a bottle shape from synthetic resin with sufficient rigidity to maintain its overall shape even when urine is stored. At least a portion of peripheral surface 12 of container body 11 is formed into a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction (vertical direction), and can be transformed between an original state when storing urine (see Fig. 1) and a compressed state in which bellows portion 13, which is the bellows-shaped portion, is folded (see Fig. 2).

[0017] The upper end side of the container body 11 is formed as a disk-shaped upper part 14, and a cylindrical mouth part 140 that communicates with the inside of the container body 11 is formed in the center part of the upper part 14 so as to protrude upward. On the other hand, the lower end side of the container body 11 is formed as a substantially horizontal disk-shaped bottom part 15 that allows the container body 11 to stand on its own when placed on a placement surface, and is provided with a handle 16, which will be described later. Specifically, such a container body 11 can be blow molded from a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate. Therefore, there are no connection points such as joints between different members between the peripheral surface 12 of the container body 11 and the upper part 14 or bottom part 15, or between each part itself.

[0018] <<Bellows section 13>> The bellows portion 13 on the peripheral surface 12 of the container body 11 is formed so that the outer diameter of the top end of the mountain fold portion 13a is the same from the upper end side to the lower end side of the peripheral surface 12. In addition, between the vertically adjacent mountain fold portions 13a, there is a valley fold portion 13b that can maintain the compressed state folded back toward the inside of the container body 11. According to such a bellows portion 13, when a compressive force or a tensile force is applied from above and below along the axial direction of the container body 11, the alternating mountain fold portions 13a and valley fold portions 13b are bent and deformed, so that the container body 11 can expand and contract and can be maintained in each expanded and contracted state.

[0019] In the first embodiment, the number of mountain folds 13a in the bellows portion 13 is five, and the number of valley folds 13b is six, but these numbers are design matters that can be determined as appropriate. In the first embodiment, almost the entire area of ​​the peripheral surface 12 of the container body 11 is the bellows portion 13, but for example, the upper, lower, central, etc. in the axial direction of the peripheral surface 12 and at least a part of the peripheral surface 12 may be formed as the bellows portion 13. Note that the shape of the mountain folds 13a and the valley folds 13b of the bellows portion 13 is not limited to the concave and convex shape of the substantially triangular cross section shown in the figure, and can be determined as appropriate to be, for example, rectangular, semicircular, etc.

[0020] When the container body 11 is in its original state, the pitch of the bellows in the bellows portion 13, i.e., the lines on the peripheral surface 12 formed by the mountain folds 13a and the valley folds 13b, also serve as a scale for a certain amount. The scale allows the amount of urine stored inside the container body 11 to be easily confirmed visually. The capacity of the container body 11 in its original state is a design item that can be appropriately determined, but it is preferable to set it to, for example, 2500cc, which is several times the amount of urine a person urinates at one time. The container body 11 is molded from a transparent or semi-transparent synthetic resin so that the inside can be seen through.

[0021] <<Top 14>> As shown in Fig. 3, the upper part 14 of the container body 11 is basically formed in a flat disk shape, and a mouth part 140 that communicates with the inside of the container body 11 and allows urine to be put in and out is provided integrally in the center part of the upper part 14. The periphery of the upper part 14 is continuous with the upper end of the peripheral surface 12 at a substantially right angle with an arcuate cross section. The mouth part 140 is formed in a cylindrical short tube shape that opens in a perfect circle centered on the axis in the center part of the upper part 14, and its size (outer diameter) is about half the diameter of the upper part 14. A male screw 141 for attaching the lid body 20 described later is provided on the outer periphery of the mouth part 140.

[0022] Additionally, a pair of upper handles 143 are integrally provided on the upper surface of the upper portion 14, aligned in the diametric direction with the mouth 140 between them. Each upper handle 143 is formed in the shape of a small protrusion that protrudes perpendicularly to the upper surface of the upper portion 14, and is provided with a small hole 144 through which a strap or the like can be passed. The side edge of each upper handle 143 closer to the mouth 140 is separated from the outer periphery of the mouth 140 by the thickness of the peripheral wall of the lid 20, which will be described later.

[0023] <<Bottom 15>> 9, the bottom 15 of the container body 11 is also formed in a flat disk shape perpendicular to the axis, like the upper part 14, but the bottom 15 does not have any opening structure communicating with the inside and outside of the container body 11, like the mouth part 140. This bottom 15 allows the container body 11 to stand on its own when placed on a substantially horizontal placement surface. However, the lower surface of the bottom 15 is provided with a handle 16 that can be grasped and pulled to return the container body 11 from a compressed state to its original state.

[0024] The handle 16 is formed in a sheet shape that is thinner and more flexible than the upper handle 143. Therefore, the handle 16 can be deformed to a flat state that fits along the bottom surface of the bottom 15 when the bottom 15 is placed on a support surface. More specifically, the handle 16 is formed in a horizontally long tongue shape that fits within the range of the bottom surface of the bottom 15, and its upper edge is joined in the diameter direction of the bottom 15. One horizontally long edge (joint portion) of the handle 16 is joined to the bottom 15 by adhesive or thermal welding, but it may also be molded integrally with the bottom surface of the bottom 15.

[0025] The handle 16 is flexible and easily deformable. That is, when the bottom 15 is placed on a support surface, the handle 16 falls or collapses from one edge and lies flat along the underside of the bottom 15 (see FIG. 9), while when it is grabbed and pulled, it can stand up from the one edge from the underside of the bottom 15 (see FIG. 5). The handle 16 has a horizontally elongated oval long hole 17 that allows fingers to be hooked for easy gripping. The joint portion, which is one edge of the handle 16, is located at a position that overlaps with a diametric line connecting a pair of upper handles 143 on the upper part 14 in a plan view.

[0026] <Cover 20> As shown in Fig. 1, the lid body 20 can be fitted onto the mouth 140 of the container body 11 to seal it, and is integrally molded into a cap shape from, for example, synthetic resin. The top surface of the lid body 20 is a perfect circle in a plan view, and a female thread (not shown) that screws into a male thread 141 on the outer periphery of the mouth 140 is provided on the inner periphery of the inside of the lid body 20. In addition, the top surface of the lid body 20 is provided with an introduction section 21 for introducing urine into the container body 11 when the mouth 140 is covered and closed, and a ventilation section 22 for discharging air from the container body 11 to the outside. The introduction section 21 and the ventilation section 22 are arranged on the top surface of the lid body 20 so as to be aligned in the diameter direction at equal intervals from the axis.

[0027] The introduction part 21 is integrally provided on the top surface of the cover body 20 so as to protrude in the shape of a small diameter short tube, and the base end 1b of the catheter 1 can be fitted and connected to it. Here, the catheter 1 is, for example, a flexible tube used for urinary catheterization, and corresponds to a urological catheter with a balloon, the tip 1a of which is placed transurethrally in the bladder. The catheter 1 is equipped with accessories such as a clip 2 for blocking the lumen and a bifurcated connector 3. Note that the catheter 1 is not necessarily limited to a urological catheter placed in the bladder, and may be, for example, a urinary conduit connected to a urine receiving part not shown.

[0028] Similar to introduction part 21, ventilation part 22 is integrally provided on the top surface of lid body 20 so as to protrude in the shape of a small diameter short tube, and a filter cap is attached to it. Here, the filter cap is, for example, a small tubular cap filled with high density sterilized paper or nonwoven fabric made of synthetic resin, and allows air to pass through but not liquid. When urine is introduced into container body 11 from introduction part 21, air within container body 11 escapes from ventilation part 22 (filter cap), so that urine can be quickly introduced into container body 11.

[0029] <Function of urine collection container 10 according to the first embodiment> Next, the operation of the urine collection container 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. In Fig. 2, container body 11 is in a compressed state with its internal volume reduced. That is, bellows portion 13 on peripheral surface 12 of container body 11 is compressed from above and below along the axial direction, and container body 11 is maintained in a compact state with a low overall height. As a result, by keeping container body 11 in a compressed state when urine collection container 10 is not in use, it is possible to meet the demand for space saving without requiring bulky space for transportation and storage.

[0030] When using the urine collection container 10, with the container body 11 in a compressed state, the lid 20 attached to the mouth 140 of the container body 11 is placed up, and the lid 20, either one of the upper handles 143, or a string or strap threaded through each upper handle 143 is held in one hand, while the handle 16 on the bottom 15 is grasped with the other hand and pulled downward. This causes the bellows portion 13 of the container body 11 to expand in the axial direction, and the container body 11 returns to its original shape, which is maintained as is by the plasticity and rigidity of the synthetic resin material.

[0031] This ensures that the container body 11 has a sufficient capacity to store a sufficient amount of urine when the urine collection container 10 is used. In addition, when returning the container body 11 from a compressed state to its original state, the bottom 15, which is difficult to grasp by hand, has the handle 16, so that the container body 11 can be easily expanded to its original state by pulling the handle 16. Here, the handle 16 is in the form of a flexible soft sheet, and when the container body 11 is lifted with the mouth 140 facing up, it hangs down so as to stand from one edge (joint) of the lower surface of the bottom 15 as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the handle 16 can be easily grasped.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, the handle 16 (a joint portion which is one edge of the handle) on the bottom 15 of the container body 11 is disposed at a position where it overlaps in a plan view with a line connecting the upper handles 143 on the upper portion 14 located on the opposite side in the axial direction (up-down direction). This makes it easy to pull the handle 16 and the upper handle 143 in opposite directions, and the container body 11 can be extended to its original state with a minimum of force. In addition, when the container body 11 is integrally molded, the elongated hole 17 in the handle 16 faces the direction in which the mold opens when the molded product, the container body 11, is removed from the mold, which simplifies the mold structure and improves moldability.

[0033] Before collecting urine from a patient using the urine collection container 10, the container body 11 is placed in its original state, with the mouth 140 closed by the lid 20, as described above, on a support surface, for example, beside the patient's bed. When placing the container body 11 on the floor as a support surface, it is advisable to lay a sheet or the like thereon rather than placing it directly on the floor. When the container body 11 is placed on a support surface such as the floor, the handle 16 on the bottom 15 is deformed flat to fit along the underside of the bottom 15, so that the container body 11 can stand on its own in a stable state without being prevented from standing on its own.

[0034] Furthermore, the container body 11 can be not only supported on a placement surface, but can also be hung from a bedside frame or stand, etc., using a strap or the like passed through a small hole 144 in an upper handle 143 on the upper portion 14, if necessary. When installing such a urine collection container 10, whether placed on a surface or hung, the container body 11 is positioned lower than the tip 1a of the catheter 1 to be inserted into the patient.

[0035] When urine is collected using the urine collection container 10, the base end 1b of the catheter 1 is connected to the introduction part 21 in the lid 20, and the catheter 1 is connected to the inside of the container body 11. Here, the base end 1b of the catheter 1 may be connected to the introduction part 21 in advance by thermal welding or the like. The tip 1a of the catheter 1, which is on the opposite side to the base end 1b of the catheter 1 that is connected to the inside of the container body 11, is inserted from the urethra into the patient's bladder and left there. Urine collected by the catheter 1 passes through the catheter 1 and is stored inside the container body 11 via the introduction part 21.

[0036] The container body 11 itself has a degree of rigidity such that the original shape of the bellows portion 13 is not deformed by the weight of urine, so it can stand stably on a support surface and can store a sufficient amount of urine up to the capacity of the container body 11. In addition, the pitch of the bellows in the bellows portion 13 of the container body 11, i.e., the lines on the peripheral surface 12 formed by the mountain folds 13a and the valley folds 13b, also serve as a scale for a certain amount of urine. Therefore, the amount of urine stored inside the container body 11 can be easily confirmed visually.

[0037] When discharging urine from the container body 11, the lid 20 is removed from the mouth 140 of the container body 11 and the container body 11 is turned upside down, and the urine inside can be easily and quickly discharged from the mouth 140. When discharging urine from the container body 11, there is a risk that urine will adhere to the inner wall of the bellows part 13, so it is preferable to shorten the dimension by which the valley fold part 13b of the bellows part 13 is folded inward and recessed as much as possible. This makes it possible to prevent urine from adhering to and remaining on the inner wall of the bellows part 13 when discharging urine stored inside the container body 11.

[0038] Thereafter, when urine collection container 10 has been used, top 14 and bottom 15 of container body 11 are pressed against each other in the axial direction, so as to crush bellows portion 13 in the axial direction, thereby deforming urine collection container 10 into a compressed state. At this time, it is sufficient to press lid 20 on top 14 downward with bottom portion 15 placed on the palm of the hand or a placement surface, without particularly grasping handle 16 or top handle 143. Urine collection container 10 with container body 11 in a compressed state does not require bulky space for transportation, storage, or disposal, as described above, and can meet the demand for space saving.

[0039] <Second embodiment> 10 to 27 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The urine collection container 10A according to the second embodiment has a basic configuration in common with the urine collection container 10 according to the first embodiment described above, but differs in the attachment / detachment structure of the mouth 140 (outer periphery) of the container body 11 and the lid body 20A, as well as the configuration of the handle 18 provided on the bottom 15. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained, and the same parts as in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0040] <Handle 18> 11, handle 18 of the second embodiment is in the form of a flexible sheet like handle 16, but is formed in the form of a narrow band that crosses the lower surface of bottom 15 of container body 11 in the diameter direction. One end and the other end of handle 18 are not joined to the lower surface of bottom 15, but to the lower end side of peripheral surface 12 that is continuous with bottom 15 and does not overlap first-stage valley fold portion 13b. Here, one end and the other end of handle 18 are joined to the lower end side of peripheral surface 12 by adhesive or heat welding, but may be integrally formed.

[0041] The effective length of the handle 18, i.e., the length excluding the attachment portion that is joined to the peripheral surface 12, is set to a dimension that allows a finger to be inserted between the handle 18 and the bottom surface of the bottom portion 15 so that the handle 18 can be hung on the handle 18. The handle 18 is soft and easily deformable, and fits flat along the underside of the bottom portion 15 when the bottom portion 15 is placed on a support surface.

[0042] The handle 18 of the second embodiment can be formed very easily, like the handle 16, and is easy to use because of its simple structure and can be easily hooked with fingers and securely grasped and pulled. Moreover, when the handle 18 is grasped and pulled, it is possible to prevent localized force from being applied to the bottom 15 of the container body 11, and the joint strength of the handle 18 is increased, making it less likely to break.

[0043] <Detachable structure of the lid body 20A> 10, the lid body 20A of the second embodiment can be attached to and detached from the mouth part 140 of the container body 11, like the lid body 20, but is configured to be attached and detached with an easier operation. That is, the lid body 20A is configured to fit into the mouth part 140 simply by pressing it against the mouth part 140 in the axial direction, and to be detached from the mouth part 140 simply by rotating it slightly in one direction around the axis relative to the mouth part 140.

[0044] As in the first embodiment, the mouth 140 of the container body 11 is formed in a cylindrical short tube shape that opens in a perfect circle centered on the axis at the central part of the upper part 14. However, as shown in Figures 10, 16 to 18, the outer periphery of the mouth 140 does not have the male thread 141, and instead, the outer periphery of the mouth 140 is provided with an annular engaged part 142 that protrudes with a semicircular cross section around the entire circumference at a position near the lower end.

[0045] 10 and 17, a protrusion 145 that protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the upper portion 14 is integrally provided on the upper surface of the upper portion 14 between one side edge of each upper handle 143 closer to the mouth 140 and the outer periphery of the mouth 140. The protrusion 145 is formed in the shape of a protruding piece that is integrally connected to the lower end side of one side edge of the upper handle 143. The protrusion 145 is a portion that abuts relatively slidably against the opening edge of the lid body 20A.

[0046] <Cover 20A> 19 to 21, the lid body 20A is integrally molded into a cap shape from, for example, an elastically deformable synthetic resin, and its inner periphery and outer periphery are formed into an ellipse as a peripheral wall of a constant thickness that fits around the outer periphery of the mouth part 140. In Fig. 20, the minor axis S of the inner periphery of the lid body 20A almost matches the outer diameter of the mouth part 140, which is a perfect circle, and the major axis L of the inner periphery of the lid body 20A is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the mouth part 140.

[0047] Mouth 140 is elastically deformable, and the area or shape of the circular opening changes slightly, and lid 20A is also elastically deformable, and the area or shape of the elliptical opening changes slightly. In detail, container body 11 is actually molded from a softer resin than lid 20A, so mouth 140 is more likely to change elastically, but lid 20A can also change shape, for example, to become slightly closer to a circle.

[0048] As shown in Figures 19 and 20(b), the inner circumference of the lid body 20A is provided with a pair of engagement parts 23 that protrude toward the center at positions facing each other in the long axis direction. More specifically, the engagement parts 23 are formed as convex stripes with a substantially triangular cross section that extend in an arc shape parallel to the opening edge at a position close to the opening edge on the inner circumference of the lid body 20A. The specific length of the engagement parts 23 is set to a length that extends at a central angle of about 25 degrees on both sides of the long axis L that passes through the center of the engagement parts 23, for example.

[0049] When the lid body 20A is placed over the mouth portion 140 and pressed in the axial direction, the engaging portion 23 overcomes the engaged portion 142 around the outer periphery of the mouth portion 140 and engages with the underside of the engaged portion 142 due to elastic deformation of at least one of the lid body 20A itself and the mouth portion 140. In Fig. 10, when the lid body 20A is pressed against the mouth portion 140, the relative rotation angle position of the lid body 20A and the mouth portion 140 about the axis is defined as a "predetermined rotation angle position" where a straight line connecting the introduction portion 21 and the ventilation portion 22 in the lid body 20A overlaps with a straight line connecting a pair of upper handles 143 on both sides of the mouth portion 140 in a plan view.

[0050] 19 and 21, the opening edge of the lid 20A is provided with a tapered portion 24 whose starting end abuts exactly against the convex portion 145 beside the mouth 140 when the lid 20A is fitted to the mouth 140 at the predetermined rotation angle position. When the lid 20A is rotated in one direction about the axis from the predetermined rotation angle position relative to the mouth 140, the convex portion 145 moves relatively along the inclination of the tapered portion 24 so as to ride up from the starting end 24a due to the elastic deformation of the lid 20A and the mouth 140 against the engagement force between the engaged portion 142 and the engaging portion 23. Thus, the lid 20A is designed to be able to be removed from the mouth 140.

[0051] 20(b), the opening edge of the lid body 20A is divided into four equal parts by the major axis L and the minor axis S, and one pair of opposing parts (light black in the figure) is formed as flat edges 25 so as to be along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e., so as not to be inclined relative to said plane. The other pair of parts is formed as the tapered parts 24, and each is inclined from a starting end 24a connected to the flat edge 25 toward a terminal end so as to move away from said plane toward the top surface side of the lid body 20A, and then continues to the flat edge 25 via a stepped notch 24b.

[0052] In the urine collection container 10A of the second embodiment, when the mouth 140 of the container body 11 is closed with the lid 20A, the lid 20 is aligned with the mouth 140 at a predetermined rotation angle position and pressed in the axial direction. Then, the lid 20A fits over the mouth 140 until the start end 24a of the tapered portion 24 of the opening periphery of the lid 20A abuts against the protrusion 145 beside the mouth 140. During this time, due to the elastic deformation of the lid 20A and the mouth 140, the engaging portion 23 on the inner periphery of the lid 20A gets over the engaged portion 142 around the outer periphery of the mouth 140 and engages with the underside of the engaged portion 142, as shown in FIG. 25(a).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 26, the engaging portion 23 is located at a position facing the long axis direction on the inner circumference of the lid body 20A, that is, at a position where there is a slight gap from the outer circumference of the mouth portion 140. Therefore, the engaging portion 23 can be engaged so as to overcome the engaged portion 142 without any difficulty. Also, as shown in FIG. 25(b), the part facing the short axis direction on the inner circumference of the lid body 20A simply abuts against the engaged portion 142, and there is no engagement relationship between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 142. Note that unless the lid body 20A is pressed against the mouth portion 140 at a predetermined rotation angle position, the convex portion 145 beside the mouth portion 140 hits the middle of the tapered portion 24 on the lid body 20A side at other positions, so the lid body 20A cannot be completely fitted on the outside.

[0054] On the other hand, to remove the lid body 20A from the mouth 140 of the container body 11, it is sufficient to rotate the lid body 20A slightly in one direction (the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 27) about the axis from the predetermined rotation angle position relative to the mouth 140. By such rotation of the lid body 20A, the convex portion 145 beside the mouth 140 moves relatively along the tapered portion 24 from the starting end 24a to approach the notch 24b at the end.

[0055] In this way, by the projection 145 climbing up the tapered portion 24, the lid body 20A moves away from the mouth portion 140, the engaging portion 23 disengages upward from the engaged portion 142, and the lid body 20A is released from the mouth portion 140. At this time, the mouth portion 140 is elastically deformed, and the lid body 20A also elastically deforms to become slightly closer to a circle. Note that the angle by which the lid body 20A is rotated does not need to be one rotation (360 degrees); a central angle of about 45 degrees from the axis of the tapered portion 24 is sufficient.

[0056] According to the urine collection container 10A of the second embodiment, the lid 20A can be extremely easily removed from the opening 140 without screwing. In this way, the lid 20A can be attached and detached without the need for forward and reverse rotation operations as with screw-on caps in the prior art, and the lid 20A can be attached and detached extremely easily.

[0057] 19 and 23, an annular seal portion 26 that fits tightly to the inner circumference around the opening edge of the mouth portion 140 is integrally provided on the underside of the top surface of the lid body 20A. The seal portion 26 is a perfect circle that fits the inner diameter of the opening of the mouth portion 140, and is formed as a convex strip with a substantially rectangular cross section around the entire circumference. Such seal portion 26 can prevent urine from leaking from inside the container body 11 through a gap in the lid body 20A that closes the mouth portion 140, and can stably maintain airtightness.

[0058] <Configuration and Effects of the Present Invention> Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiment will be described below.

[0059] First, the present invention provides a urine collection container 10, 10A for storing urine, The container body 11 is cylindrical and has a bottom, and at least a part of the circumferential surface is formed in a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction, and is deformable between an original state when storing urine and a compressed state in which the bellows-shaped part is folded; The container has an opening 140 provided at the upper end side of the container body 11 and through which urine can be put in and taken out, and a bottom 15 provided at the lower end side of the container body 11 and which allows the container body 11 to stand on its own when placed on a placement surface, The container body 11 is characterized in that a bottom 15 thereof is provided with handles 16, 18 which can be grasped and pulled when returning the container body 11 from the compressed state to the original state.

[0060] With such urine collection containers 10, 10A, bellows-shaped portion 13 on the peripheral surface of container body 11 expands and contracts in the axial direction, so that container body 11 deforms between its original state and a compressed state. Therefore, when urine collection container 10, 10A is not in use, container body 11 can be kept in a compressed and compact state, so that bulky space is not required for transportation or storage, and the demand for space saving can be met.

[0061] Since the opening 140 for putting urine in and out of the container body 11 is provided on the upper end side of the container body 11, there is no need to provide an outlet or the like for discharging urine at the lower end side of the container body 11 as in the prior art. Here, the lower end side of the container body 11 forms a bottom 15 that allows the container body 11 to stand on its own when placed on a support surface, and the container body 11 can also be used in a stable state placed on the support surface.

[0062] Moreover, handles 16, 18 are provided on the bottom 15 of the container body 11, which can be grasped and pulled when returning the container body 11 from a compressed state to its original state. This allows the container body 11 to be easily expanded to its original state, making it easier to handle and improving usability.

[0063] In addition, in the present invention, the handles 16, 18 are formed in a flexible sheet-like shape and are capable of being deformed into a flat state that conforms to the underside of the bottom 15 when the bottom 15 is placed on a supporting surface.

[0064] According to this configuration, when bottom 15 on the lower end side of container body 11 is placed on a placement surface, handles 16, 18 on bottom 15 deform to fit the lower surface of bottom 15, and do not prevent container body 11 from standing on its own. Therefore, container body 11 can stand on its own in a stable state regardless of the presence of handles 16, 18 on bottom 15.

[0065] In addition, in the present invention, the handle 16 is formed in a tongue shape that fits within the range of the underside of the bottom 15, and when the bottom 15 is placed on a supporting surface, it fits flat along the underside of the bottom 15, but when it is grabbed and pulled, it can stand up from the underside starting from the joint part.

[0066] With this configuration, the handle 16 can be formed extremely easily, and the simple configuration allows the handle 16 to be securely grasped and pulled, providing excellent operability. Moreover, the handle 16 fits compactly under the bottom surface of the bottom 15 of the container body 11, so there is no risk of the handle spreading out to the side from the bottom 15 and getting caught on something else.

[0067] In addition, in the present invention, the handle 18 is formed in a band shape that crosses the lower surface of the bottom 15 in the radial direction, and one end and the other end are joined to the lower end side of the peripheral surface that is continuous with the lower surface of the bottom 15.

[0068] Even with this configuration, the handle 18 can be formed extremely easily, and the simple configuration allows it to be securely grasped and pulled, providing excellent operability. Moreover, when the handle 18 is grasped and pulled, the load is not concentrated on the bottom 15 of the container body 11, and the joining strength of the handle 18 can be increased.

[0069] The present invention is also characterized in that an upper handle 143 is provided on the upper end side of the container body 11, next to the mouth 140, opposite the handles 16, 18 on the bottom 15 in the vertical direction of the container body 11, and which is grasped and pulled together with the handles 16, 18 when returning the container body 11 from a compressed state to its original state.

[0070] According to this configuration, when returning the container body 11 from the compressed state to its original state, in addition to the handles 16, 18 that are grasped and pulled at the lower end side of the container body 11, the upper end side of the container body 11 can also be grasped by the upper handle 143 that is separate from the mouth part 140 and pulled in the opposite direction to the handles 16, 18. This makes it possible to more reliably extend the container body 11 from the compressed state to its original state. The upper handle 143 can be grasped not only directly with fingers but also indirectly by pulling it through a string or the like.

[0071] The present invention also provides a container having a lid 20, 20A that can be detachably fitted onto the mouth 140 to seal the container, The cover body 20, 20A is configured to be fitted into the mouth portion 140 by pressing it in the axial direction against the mouth portion 140, while the cover body 20, 20A is configured to be detached from the mouth portion 140 by rotating it in one direction around the axis relative to the mouth portion 140.

[0072] According to this configuration, the mouth 140 of the container body 11, through which urine is put in and taken out, can be opened and closed by the lids 20, 20A. Here, the lids 20, 20A are fitted to the mouth 140 by simply pressing them against the mouth 140 in the axial direction. On the other hand, the lids 20, 20A closing the mouth 140 can be easily removed by simply rotating them in one direction about the axis relative to the mouth 140.

[0073] In the present invention, the mouth portion 140 is formed in a tubular shape with a circular opening, and a ring-shaped engaged portion 142 is provided on the outer periphery of the mouth portion 140, the ring-shaped engaged portion 142 protruding outwardly over the entire circumference. The lid body 20A is formed in an elliptical shape such that the inner circumference of the lid body 20A fits around the outer circumference of the mouth portion 140, the minor axis of the inner circumference of the lid body 20A approximately matches the outer diameter of the mouth portion 140, and the inner circumference of the lid body 20A protrudes toward the center at a position opposing the major axis direction. When the lid body 20A is placed over the mouth portion 140 at a predetermined rotation angle position and pressed in the axial direction, an engaging portion 23 that overcomes the engaged portion 142 and engages with the engaged portion 142 is provided by elastic deformation of at least one of the lid body 20A and the mouth portion 140, A protrusion 145 that abuts against the opening edge of the lid 20A is provided on the upper end side of the container body 11 near the mouth 140, The opening edge of the lid body 20A has a starting end that abuts against the convex portion 145 when the lid body 20A is fitted around the mouth portion 140 at the specified rotation angle position, and when the lid body 20A is rotated in one direction around the axis from the specified rotation angle position relative to the mouth portion 140, the tapered portion 24 rides up on the convex portion 145 against the engagement force of the engaged portion 142 and the engaging portion 23, thereby inclining in a direction to remove the lid body 20A from the mouth portion 140.

[0074] According to this configuration, when the mouth 140 of the container body 11 is closed with the lid 20A, the lid 20A is aligned with the mouth 140 at a predetermined rotation angle position and pressed in the axial direction. Then, the lid 20A fits over the mouth 140 until the start end 24a of the tapered portion 24 on the opening periphery of the lid 20A abuts against the protrusion 145 beside the mouth 140.

[0075] At this time, due to elastic deformation of the lid body 20A and the mouth portion 140, the engaging portion 23 on the inner circumference of the lid body 20A climbs over the engaged portion 142 around the outer circumference of the mouth portion 140 and engages with the engaged portion 142. The engaging portion 23 is located at a position on the inner circumference of the lid body 20A that faces the engaged portion 142 in the long axis direction, that is, at a position where there is a slight gap from the outer circumference of the mouth portion 140. Therefore, the engaging portion 23 can be engaged so as to climb over the engaged portion 142 without any difficulty.

[0076] On the other hand, to remove the lid body 20A from the mouth 140 of the container body 11, the lid body 20A is rotated in one direction about the axis from the predetermined rotation angle position relative to the mouth 140. At this time, the convex portion 145 beside the mouth 140 moves relatively along the tapered portion 24. As a result, the lid body 20A moves away from the mouth 140, so that the lid body 20A can be removed from the mouth 140 very easily.

[0077] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the lid body 20, 20A is provided with an introduction portion 21 for introducing urine into the container body 11 and an air vent portion 22 for discharging air within the container body 11 to the outside.

[0078] With this configuration, while the mouth 140 of the container body 11 is kept sealed with the lid 20, 20A, urine can be introduced into the container body 11 from the introduction part 21 in the lid 20, 20A. Furthermore, when urine is introduced into the container body 11 from the introduction part 21, air inside the container body 11 escapes from the ventilation part 22, so that urine can be introduced quickly into the container body 11. To discharge urine from inside the container body 11, the lid 20, 20A can be removed.

[0079] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the urine collected using a catheter 1 is stored in the urine collection container 10, 10A, but urine may be introduced into the container body 11 through a tube using another urine collection device. Furthermore, the specific shapes and relative sizes of the container body 11 and the lids 20, 20A, etc. are not limited to those shown in the drawings. [Industrial Applicability]

[0080] The urine collection container according to the present invention is not limited to the case of storing urine collected using a catheter 1, but can also be used as a container for storing urine collected by various other methods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10, 10A…Urine collection container 11...Container body 12…Surrounding surface 13…Bellows section 14…Upper 140...Mouth 141...Male thread 142...engaged portion 143…Upper handle 145…Convex part 15...bottom 16…Handle 18…Handle 20, 20A…Cover body 21...Introduction 22…Ventilation section 23...Engagement portion 24…Tapered section

Claims

1. A urine collection container for storing urine, The container body is cylindrical and has a bottom, and at least a part of the peripheral surface is formed in a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction, and is deformable between an original state when storing urine and a compressed state in which the bellows-shaped part is folded, a mouth portion provided on an upper end side of the container body and through which urine can be put in and out, and a bottom portion provided on a lower end side of the container body and which allows the container body to stand on its own when placed on a placement surface, A urine collection container characterized in that a handle is provided at the bottom of the container body to be grasped and pulled when returning the container body from the compressed state to the original state.

2. 2. The urine collection container according to claim 1, wherein the handle is formed in a flexible sheet shape and is deformable so as to lie flat along the underside of the bottom when the bottom is placed on a support surface.

3. The urine collection container according to claim 2, characterized in that the handle is formed in a tongue shape that fits within the range of the underside of the bottom, and lies flat along the underside of the bottom when the bottom is placed on a supporting surface, but can rise up from the underside starting from the joint when grasped and pulled.

4. 3. The urine collection container according to claim 2, wherein the handle is formed in a band shape that crosses the lower surface of the base in the diameter direction, and one end and the other end are joined to the lower end side of the peripheral surface that is continuous with the lower surface of the base.

5. 2. The urine collection container according to claim 1, further comprising an upper handle disposed on the upper end side of the container body, beside the opening, facing the handle at the bottom in the vertical direction of the container body, and adapted to be grasped and pulled together with the handle when returning the container body from a compressed state to its original state.

6. A lid body that can be detachably fitted onto the mouth portion to seal the mouth portion, The urine collection container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid body is adapted to be fitted to the mouth portion by pressing the lid body against the mouth portion in an axial direction, and to be detached from the mouth portion by rotating the lid body in one direction around the axis relative to the mouth portion.

7. The mouth portion is formed in a tubular shape with a circular opening, and a ring-shaped engaged portion is provided on the outer periphery of the mouth portion so as to protrude outward over the entire periphery, the lid body is formed in an elliptical shape with its inner periphery fitting onto the outer periphery of the mouth portion, the minor axis of the inner periphery of the lid body approximately matches the outer diameter of the mouth portion, and the inner periphery of the lid body protrudes towards the center at a position opposing the major axis direction, and when the lid body is placed over the mouth portion at a predetermined rotation angle position and pressed in the axial direction, an engaging portion is provided that overcomes the engaged portion and engages with the engaged portion due to elastic deformation of at least one of the lid body and the mouth portion, a protrusion that abuts against an opening edge of the lid is provided on the upper end side of the container body near the mouth, The urine collection container according to claim 6, characterized in that a tapered portion is provided at the opening edge of the lid, the starting end of which abuts against the convex portion when the lid is fitted around the mouth at the predetermined rotational angle position, and the tapered portion is inclined in a direction such that, when the lid is rotated in one direction about the axis from the predetermined rotational angle position relative to the mouth, the tapered portion rides up on the convex portion against the engaging force between the engaged portion and the engaging portion, causing the lid to be removed from the mouth.

8. 7. The urine collection container according to claim 6, wherein the lid is provided with an introduction section for introducing urine into the container body, and an aeration section for discharging air within the container body to the outside.

Images