They Invented What? (No. 153)

U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,240: Float tube urinal.

 

What is claimed is:

1. A containment device for receiving and containing urine and being capable of direct attachment and support along a leg of an individual between the leg and external forces that would tend to collapse the containment device against the leg, the containment device being configured for use by a person using a float tube, said device comprising:

          a substantially rigid case having opposing inner and outer walls, said inner wall being configured for support against the leg of the individual, said outer wall being configured for counter support against the external forces, said rigid case defining a containment volume between the inner and outer walls for receiving and temporarily containing the urine;
          support means extending between the inner and outer walls for maintaining the containment volume and resisting collapse of the outer wall against the inner wall in response to the external forces;
          a fluid containment compartment positioned within the containment volume;
          inlet means for transporting urine from the individual to the containment compartment; and
vent means disposed in communication with the containment volume between the inner and outer walls for venting air from the containment volume to thereby facilitate receiving and temporarily containment of urine within the containment volume, the vent means comprising a flexible tube configured for extending from the case to a position out of a pair of waders to vent air from the containment area.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the rigid case includes a bottom wall attached to a lower end of the inner and outer walls and including means for supporting any fluid contained in the containment volume.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner wall is configured with a concave interior surface having a curvature corresponding the curvature of the leg against which the interior surface is supported, said outer wall having a convex exterior surface which supplies an arch support against the exterior forces.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the rigid case includes fluid containment means within the containment volume, said rigid case having an opening at an upper end for receiving urine from the inlet means.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein the fluid containment means comprises interior wall structure of the rigid case which is configured as a fluid tight container.

6. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein the fluid containment means comprises a urine receiving sack which is removably insertable within the containment volume, said urine receiving sack including an opening for attachment at the inlet means and means for attachment to the vent means so as to vacate air from within the urine receiving sack when urine is received in the urine receiving sack.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein a sack is disposed in the containment volume in the rigid case for receiving urine, and wherein the vent means is disposed in communication with the rigid case to permit displacement of air from the containment volume in response to inflow of urine, the sack being disposed so as to isolate the urine from the air contained in the containment volume and vented through the vent means.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises valve means disposed in the vent means for preventing urine to flow out through the vent means.

9. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises one-way valve means disposed in the inlet means to prevent urine from flowing from the case to the user.

10. A urine disposal system for use with a pair of waders, the system comprising:

          a housing defining a containment volume and having a plurality of substantially rigid side walls disposed at opposing sides of the containment volume and configured to prevent compressive force to the side walls from collapsing the containment volume, the housing having a first side configured for placement adjacent a human leg;
urine inflow means for directing urine into the housing; and
          vent means connected to the housing for venting air contained in the housing when urine flows into the housing, wherein the vent means comprises an elongate flexible tube attached to the housing, the tube being of sufficient length to extend from the housing to the tog of a pair of waders when the housing is disposed in the waders below the crotch thereof.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a urine containment sack disposed within the housing for receiving urine from the urine inflow means.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vent means is disposed out of fluid communication with the urine receiving sack such that urine within the urine containment sack is prevented from flowing into the vent means by the urine containment sack.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the urine containment sack is removable from the housing.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the fluid inflow means comprises a condom catheter.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the housing is arcuate.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises valve means disposed in the vent means for preventing urine to flow out through the vent means.

17. A method of making a float tube urinal, the method comprising:

          a) selecting a compression resistant housing;
          b) attaching a urine inflow tube from the user to the housing for channeling urine from a user to the housing; and
          c) attaching a flexible vent tube to the housing so as to vent air in the housing when urine is received from the urine inflow tube, the flexible vent tube being sufficiently long to extend out of a pair of waders worn by a user, when the housing it attached to the user’s leg.

18. A method for using a float tube urinal by a person wearing waders, and the method comprising:

          a) selecting a housing having an inner containment volume and being configured to resist compressive forces, said housing and inner containment volume having a urine inflow tube and a flexible vent tube;
          b) attaching the urine inflow tube to the person such that urine excreted by the person flows down the urine inflow tube and into the housing; and
          c) positioning the flexible vent tube so that an end of the vent tube extends beyond the waders such that flow of urine into the housing forces air out of the housing and out of the opposing end of the event tube.