FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to handheld urinals and in particular to a closing insert for avoiding odour leaks of urinals. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Clinical personal may experience odour leaks from handheld urinals very unpleasant. Since urinals may not be closed after use, odours from urinals may accumulate and create a strong urine odour in the hospital room during a short time. On the other hand urinals must be easy to use since patients are often too weak or ill to manage even simple closure mechanisms. Accordingly, there is a need for a urinal which reduces odour leaks from urinals and which are easy to use. US 5,839,123 discloses an insert for handheld urinals for eliminating backflow and spillage of urine includes a funnel portion adapted for securement within a standard handheld urinal bottle. The funnel portion has a central cylindrical portion and an upwardly extending tapered portion. The central cylindrical portion is positionable within an upwardly extending neck of the urinal bottle. The central cylindrical portion has a peripheral gasket disposed on an upper end thereof. The peripheral gasket engages an open mouth of the urinal bottle. Whereas US 5,839,123 discloses an improved urinal this reference does not provide a solution for efficiently reducing odour leaks from urinals. Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has devised the present invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It would be advantageous to achieve improvements of handheld urinals. In particular, it may be seen as an object of the present invention to provide a solution that solves the above mentioned problems with odour leaks, or other problems, of the prior art. To better address one or more of these concerns, in a first aspect of the invention a closing insert configured to be inserted into a funnel comprised by an associated urinal for urine collection is presented, where the funnel has a receiving end for receiving urine and a termination end with an opening for passage of the urine into a container comprised by the urinal, where the closing insert comprises - a funnel-shaped passageway with a receiving end for receiving urine and a termination end with an opening for passage for the urine, and
- a positioning mechanism defining at least first and second positions of the closing insert relative to the funnel,
where a part of the closing insert is configured to close the opening of the funnel when the positioning mechanism is in the first position, and to enable passage of the urine into the container when the positioning mechanism is in the second position. Since the closing insert has a closing feature or is shaped to enable closing of the opening of the funnel, odour leaks from the urinal can be eliminated or reduced. This odour reduction capability of the insert is achieved without causing any complication of use of the urinal since the closing insert simply is can be inserted as an inner funnel into another funnel. The other funnel may be an original funnel which is used with the urine bottle and not designed for use with the closing insert, or the other funnel may be a funnel which is particularly designed for use with the closing insert, e.g. the funnel may be provided with fastening features which matches corresponding fastening features of the closing insert. The closing insert as well as the funnel may be disposable or reusable. In an embodiment the closing may comprise a connector for providing an odour proof connection with the funnel. The connector may be formed as a thread or other suitable locking means such as a click-on locking mechanism. The connector may be comprised by the positioning mechanism. For example, a thread may both facilitate connection of the closing insert with the funnel and positioning of the insert relative to the funnel. In an embodiment the positioning mechanism may enable displacement of the closing insert relative to the funnel along a longitudinal direction of the closing insert or the funnel. In an embodiment the positioning mechanism may comprise positioning features shaped to interact with matching positioning features of the funnel so as to provide displacement of the closing mechanism between the first and second positions. The positioning features of the funnel may have other primary functions of the funnel such as hand grips for inserting the funnel into the urinal bottle. The positioning features of the positioning mechanism and the funnel may be configured according to anyone of: a pair of matching threads, a bayonet coupling, a click coupling or a gliding coupling. In an embodiment the part of the closing insert may be configured to close the opening of the funnel has an outer surface dimensioned to make contact with at least part of an inner surface of the funnel when the positioning mechanism is in the first position so as to enable part of the outer surface of the closing insert to close the opening of the funnel, where the opening constitutes a radial opening. For example, the opening or openings of the funnel may consist of one or more holes formed in the shell of the funnel. In an embodiment the part of the closing insert may be configured to close the opening of the funnel is a plug shaped to close the opening of the funnel, where the opening constitutes an axial opening and/or a radial opening, when the positioning mechanism is in the first position, and where holes provided in the shell of the closing insert provides passage of the urine into the container when the positioning mechanism is in the second position. The plug may be dimensioned to fit to the inner surface of the funnel so that the odour passage through the axial opening and/or a radial opening or openings is inhibited. Holes may be provided in the closing insert above the plug to provide a liquid passage in the gap between the plug and the inner surface of the funnel. A second aspect of the invention relates to a urinal assembly for urine collection, the urinal assembly comprises - a container for storage of urine,
- a funnel having a receiving end for receiving urine and a termination end with an opening for passage of the urine into the container,
- a funnel shaped closing insert according to the first aspect.
The container and the funnel may be integrally formed in a single piece of material or the container and the funnel may be separate component which are connectable by a connector such as a thread. A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for use of a urinal assembly for urine collection, the method comprises, - providing a container for storage of urine,
- providing a funnel having a receiving end for receiving urine and a termination end with an opening for passage of the urine into the container,
- providing a funnel shaped closing insert configured to be inserted into the funnel, where the closing insert comprises
- a funnel-shaped passageway with a receiving end for receiving urine and a termination end with an opening for passage for the urine,
- a positioning mechanism defining at least first and second positions of the closing insert relative to the funnel,
- closing the opening of the funnel by moving the closing insert to a first position, and
- enabling passage of the urine into the container by moving the closing insert to a second position.
In general the various aspects of the invention may be combined and coupled in any way possible within the scope of the invention. These and other aspects, features and/or advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which - Fig. 1
- shows a urinal bottle,
- Fig. 2
- shows examples of funnels,
- Fig. 3
- shows a closing insert,
- Fig. 4
- shows a urinal assembly,
- Fig. 5
- shows a detail view of the funnel and the closing insert,
- Fig. 6
- shows on open-closed indicator,
- Fig. 7
- shows a closing insert with a plug,
- Fig. 8
- shows operation of the closing insert with the plug,
- Fig. 9
- shows a funnel with a bottle connector formed as a press fitting,
- Fig. 10
- shows an alternative positioning mechanism of the closing insert,
- Fig. 11
- shows bayonet positioning mechanism, and
- Fig. 12
- shows a click or gliding positioning mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 shows a side view of urinal bottle 100 and a cross sectional view 101 of the urinal. The urinal bottle 100 comprises a container 102 for storage of urine. The urinal bottle may have a thread 103 or other connection means for fixation of a funnel for guiding urine into the container 102. Fig. 2 shows a first example of a funnel 201 and a second example of a funnel 202 for guiding urine into the container 102. The funnel is formed as a pipe such as a conic pipe or a differently shaped pipe which generally has an opening 206 in one end and where the inner diameter generally decreases along the longitudinal direction from a maximum diameter at the opening 206 to a smaller diameter at the termination end 207. The opening 206 constitutes the receiving end for receiving urine. The termination end 207 has an opening 208 for passage of the urine into the container. In the first funnel 201 the opening 208 is provided by a radial opening provided in the wall of the pipe. In the second funnel 202 the opening 218 is provided by an axial opening provided at the end of the pipe. The funnel 201, 202 may be provided with a bottle connector 204, here a thread, which matches the thread 103 of the urinal bottle 100 for connecting the funnel to the urinal bottle so that the termination end 207 is positioned within the cavity of the container 102. The top view 203 of the funnel 201, 202 shows that the outer periphery of the funnel may be provided with protruding members or hand grips 220 for eased attachment of the funnel to the urinal bottle. The funnel 201 may ease the use of the urinal bottle; however, most importantly the funnel acts as a one-way valve which ensures that urine stored in the container 102 cannot easily escape from the container in case the urinal is dropped on the floor or turned around. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a closing insert 301. The closing insert 301 makes it possible to close the opening 208 of the funnel so that odour leaks from the container 102 is eliminated. The closing insert 301 is shaped as a pipe of arbitrary shape, e.g. conic, with dimensions enabling it to be inserted into the funnel 201, 202. The pipe comprises a funnel-shaped passageway 302 with a receiving end 306 for receiving urine and a termination end 307 with an opening 308 for passage of the urine. The insert 301 further comprises a positioning mechanism 304 which enables displacement of the closing insert relative to the funnel along a longitudinal direction of the closing insert or the funnel. As shown in Fig. 3, the positioning mechanism 304 may be embodied by a thread provided at the inner periphery of a flange 310 dimensioned to match a corresponding thread 205 provided at the outer periphery of the funnel's receiving end 206. The positioning means 304 also embodies a connector for providing an odour proof or liquid proof connection with the funnel. Fig. 4 shows a urinal assembly 400 comprising the urinal bottle 100, the funnel 201, 202 and the closing insert 301. The top view of Fig. 4 shows the urinal assembly 400 where the positioning mechanism 304 defines a first position of the closing insert relative to the funnel where a part of the outer periphery of the narrow end of the closing insert covers the opening 208 formed radially in the shell of the funnel. Accordingly, the closing insert 301 is configured to close the opening 208 of the funnel by dimensioning the outer surface at the narrow end of the closing insert to make contact with at least part of an inner surface of the funnel when the positioning mechanism 304 is in the first position. The bottom view of Fig. 4 shows the urinal assembly 400 where the positioning mechanism 205 defines a second position of the closing insert relative to the funnel where the narrow end-part of the closing insert is withdrawn so that urine is able to pass through the opening 308 of the closing insert and trough the opening 208 of the funnel into the container 102. By operating the positioning mechanism 304, the user is able to close the urine passage opening 208 after use of the urinal bottle 100 so that odour leaks from urine stored in the container 102 is reduced or eliminated. The urinal bottle 100 may be integrally formed with the funnel 201, 202 in a single piece of material as a urinal, or the urinal bottle 100 and the funnel 201, 202 may be assembled via connection means such as threads 103, 204 into a urinal. For eased operation of the positioning mechanism 304, the closing insert 301 may be provided with an open-closed indicator 311. The open-closed indicator 311 may be embodied by a window or hole provided in the flange 310 of the insert 301 - as shown by the perspective view 320 of the flange part of the insert in Fig. 3 - in combination with open-closed indicators provided at the outer periphery of the flange 210 of the funnel 201, 202. Fig. 5 shows the closing operation of the closing insert in detail, where in the top figure the closing insert 301 is positioned in the first position so that an end-part 501 of the narrow end of the pipe closes the opening 208 of the funnel, and where in the bottom figure the insert 301 is positioned in the second recessed position so that at least part of the opening 208 is open. Fig. 6 shows an assembly of the funnel 201, 202 and the closing insert 301 where the open-closed indicator is visible through the window 311. Fig. 7 shows a different embodiment of a closing insert 701 which is designed to be inserted into the second example of a funnel 202 and to enable closure of the axial opening 218. For that purpose the closing insert 701 is designed so that the end part 307 is configured as a plug 709 shaped to close the axial opening 218 of the funnel 202 when the closing insert 701 is in the first position. The outer periphery of the plug 709 is dimensioned to make contact with the inner periphery of the funnel 202 near the axial opening 218 when the plug 709 is displaced towards the axial opening 218 so as to make an odour proof connection. In order to enable passage of urine through the axial opening 218 when the positioning mechanism 304 is in the second position, the closing insert 701 is provided with one or more radial openings 708 above the plug 709 so that a passage is provided between the outer surface of the plug 709 and the inner surface of the funnel 202 when the closing insert 701 is recessed to the second position. Fig. 8 shows the operation of the closing insert 701 with a plug and the assembly of the funnel 202 and the closing insert 701. In illustration 801 the closing insert is in a first position where the conic plug 708 is pressed against the inner conic surface of the funnel 202 and, thereby, closes the axial opening 218 of the funnel 202. In illustration 802 the plug is recessed to the second position so that the urine is able to pass through the passage provided between the outer plug surface and the inner surface of the funnel 202 as illustrated by flow lines 810 in the close up illustration 803. Instead of a single axial opening 218, the funnel 202 may alternatively be provided with a plurality of smaller holes provided axially and/or radially in the funnel shell forming the termination end 207 and where the holes are arranged below the plug 209 when the closing insert 701 is in the first position so passage via any the plurality of holes is inhibited. Fig. 9 shows a funnel 901 which only differs from the funnel 201 in Fig. 2 by the bottle connector 904 which is configured as a press fitting in Fig. 9. For improved attachment the press fitting may comprise click locking means (not shown). The funnel 901 may be a commercially available funnel which is not provided with any specific connection means for attachment of the closing insert. Fig. 10 shows a closing insert 1001 which only differs from the closing insert 301 in Fig. 3 by the positioning mechanism 1004 which in Fig. 10 is comprises first and second notches 1002, 1003 instead of the thread of the positioning mechanism 304. The first and second notches 1002, 1003 are provided on the inner periphery of the flange of the positioning mechanism 1004, and are shaped so that the protruding members or hand grips 220 of the funnel are able to mesh with the notches 1002, 1003, so that the first and second notches 1002, 1003 defines first and second positions of the closing insert relative to the funnel. Fig. 10 shows that the closing insert is in the first position in the upper illustration where the opening 208 of the funnel is closed, and in the second position in the lower illustration where the opening 208 is open. The positioning mechanism 1004 may be configured as a bayonet mechanism where a switch between the first and second notches 1002, 1003 and, thereby, the first and second positions, is enabled by a longitudinal notch which guides the protruding member 220 to translate between the first and second notches 1002, 1003. Alternatively, the positioning mechanism 1004 may be configured as simple click mechanism where a switch between the first and second notches and, thereby, the closed and open configurations of the urinal is possible by simply pushing or pulling the closing insert 1001. Fig. 11 shows the closing insert 1001 of Fig. 10 where the positioning mechanism 1004 is configured as a bayonet coupling with first and second positioning notches 1002, 1003 and a guiding notch 1105. A switch between the first and second positions is performed by rotating the insert 1101 clockwise or counter clockwise, and pulling or pushing the insert followed by a rotation in opposite direction. Fig. 12 shows the closing insert 1001 of Fig. 10 where the positioning mechanism 1004 is configured as a click coupling, i.e. a push-pull coupling, where a switch between the first and second positioning notches 1002, 1003 is accomplished by exerting a push or pull force to the closing insert 1001 to switch between the closed and open configurations of the urinal. A step 1201 is provided between the first and second notches 1002, 1003 to facilitate a perceptible switch between the first and second positions. In an alternative embodiment the positioning mechanism is configured as a gliding coupling where the switch between the first and second positions of the insert relative to the funnel is accomplished simply by pushing the closing insert to a bottom stop for closing the opening 208 of the funnel and by pulling the insert to a top stop for opening the opening 208. Any of the closing inserts 1001, 1101 may be configured as the closing insert 701 in Fig. 7 with a plug 709 for closing the opening of the funnel. Any of the positioning mechanisms 1004, 1104 as well as the described gliding coupling may additionally provide the required odour proof connection and attachment with the funnel. |
