Urine Bag Inlet Valve Structure for Clean Anti-Reflux Emptying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing urine collection bags with anti-reflux valves are difficult to empty without making a mess and can be unhygienic, often requiring separate equipment like catheters or tearing the bag, which complicates disposal.
Innovation Solution
A urine collection bag with a foil anti-reflux valve and a tube member that allows easy bypassing of the valve for emptying, using the tube member to direct fluid out of the bag without contact, and a method involving pushing the inlet back to expose the tube member into the bag for fluid drainage, then re-establishing the seal for cleanliness and convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an anti-reflux valve is installed in the urine collection bag, then urine flow control and prevention of backflow is improved, but the ease of emptying the bag deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet structure is segmented into multiple functional components: the anti-reflux valve mechanism and the separate tube member. This segmentation allows the valve to remain closed during normal operation while providing a dedicated pathway (tube member) for controlled emptying, resolving the contradiction between maintaining urine flow control and enabling easy emptying.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube member acts as an intermediary element that bypasses the anti-reflux valve mechanism during emptying. By introducing this intermediate structure, the system enables urine discharge without requiring the valve to open or be manually manipulated, thus maintaining both reliable flow control and ease of emptying.
2Reliability
If the anti-reflux valve is made tight to prevent leakage, then the reliability of urine containment is improved, but the ease of bypassing the valve for emptying deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tube member is pre-positioned within the inlet structure during manufacturing, with its first end attached at the opening and second end extending into the bag but shorter than the foil valve length. This preliminary arrangement ensures that during emptying, the inlet can be pushed back to automatically expose the tube member, providing easy bypassing without compromising the tight seal during normal containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet structure is designed to be dynamically repositionable. By pushing the inlet back towards the opening, the system transitions from a sealed state (tube member covered by foil valve) to an emptying state (tube member exposed). This dynamic adjustment maintains reliable containment during storage and transport while enabling easy bypassing during emptying.
3Volume of moving object
If the bag is made compact and discrete for transport, then the portability is improved, but the ease of emptying without additional equipment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The emptying function is merged into the bag structure itself through the integrated tube member. This eliminates the need for separate catheters or tubes, allowing the compact bag to be emptied using only its own components. The tube member is incorporated during manufacturing, enabling easy emptying by simply pushing the inlet back and squeezing, thus maintaining both compactness and ease of emptying without additional equipment.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A urine collection bag (1) comprising an anti-reflux valve in the form of a foil valve (8), located at the inlet (5) of the bag. The valve secures a liquid tight seal of the bag when filled and that no reflux occurs during catheterisation. The bag comprises a tube member (11) that can be brought in a position so as to bypass the foil valve and the bag can be emptied in an easy and non-messy way.