TELESCOPIC URINAL APPARATUS

Abstract

A urinal apparatus for facilitating urination from a standing position includes a base. A column is mounted to the base and comprises an upper member and a bottom member. The upper member is slidably coupled to the lower member such that the column is telescopically extendable. The upper member is securable to the lower member at various positions to adjust a length of the column. A bowl is coupled to the column opposite the base. The bowl defines a cavity for collecting urine. A tube is mounted in the column and is in fluid communication with the cavity of the bowl at a top end thereof. The tube is open at a bottom end thereof and is configured to drain the urine away from the column through the bottom end.

Claims

1. A urinal apparatus comprising: a base; a column mounted to the base, the column comprising an upper member and a bottom member, the upper member being slidably coupled to the lower member such that the column is telescopically extendable, the upper member being securable to the lower member at various positions to define various lengths of the column; a bowl coupled to the column opposite the base, the bowl defining a cavity for collecting urine; and a tube mounted in the column, the tube being in fluid communication with the cavity of the bowl at a top end of the tube, the tube being open at a bottom end thereof, the tube being configured to drain the urine away from the column.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a rear portion of a rim of the bowl is positioned farther from the column than a front portion of the rim.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a rim of the bowl is concave such that the rim is configured to extend around a crotch of a user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bowl has a width configured to fit between legs of a user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tube is fixed to the upper member of the column and being movable with respect to the lower member of the column.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lower member defines a slot through which the tube extends, the slot accommodating movement of the tube with respect to the lower member.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tube has a P-trap section at the bottom end.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hose coupled to the bottom end of the tube, the hose comprising a flexible material, the hose being open at a distal end thereof with respect to the tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the hose is configured to couple to a drain port in a toilet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the hose has external threads configured to engage internal threads of the drain port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clamp coupled to the upper member of the column and engageable with the lower member of the column to secure the upper member to the lower member.

12. A urinal apparatus comprising: a base; a column mounted to the base, the column comprising an upper member and a bottom member, the upper member being slidably coupled to the lower member such that the column is telescopically extendable, the upper member being securable to the lower member at various positions to define various lengths of the column; a bowl coupled to the column opposite the base, the bowl defining a cavity for collecting urine, a rear portion of a rim of the bowl being positioned farther from the column than a front portion of the rim, the rim being concave such that the rim is configured to extend around a crotch of a user, the bowl having a width configured to fit between legs of the user; a tube mounted in the column, the tube being in fluid communication with the cavity of the bowl at a top end of the tube, the tube being open at a bottom end thereof, the tube being fixed to the upper member of the column and being movable with respect to the lower member of the column, the lower member defining a slot through which the tube extends, the slot accommodating movement of the tube with respect to the lower member, the tube having a P-trap section at the bottom end; a hose coupled to the bottom end of the tube, the hose comprising a flexible material, the hose being open at a distal end thereof with respect to the tube, the hose being configured to couple to a drain port in a toilet, the hose having external threads configured to engage internal threads of the drain port; and a clamp coupled to the upper member of the column and engageable with the lower member of the column to secure the upper member to the lower member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a urinal apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure connected to a drain port of a toilet.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a first side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a second side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new urinal embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0019] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the urinal apparatus 10 generally comprises a base 12. A column 16 is mounted to and extends upwardly from the base 12. The column 16 comprises an upper member 18 and a lower member 20. The upper member 18 is slidably coupled to the lower member 20 such that the column 16 is telescopically extendable. The upper member 18 is securable to the lower member 20 via a clamp 24 to set the column 16 at different lengths. The clamp 24 comprises a ring which is threadably coupled to the upper member 18. However, any suitable clamp 24 means may be used. The base 12 has a planar bottom surface 14 for resting the base 12 on a support surface 50. The base 12 may be weighted with a heavy material or otherwise may be secured to the support surface 50 via fasteners.

[0020] A bowl 26 is coupled to the column 16 opposite the base 12. The bowl 26 defines a cavity 27 for collecting urine. The bowl 26 is shaped to accommodate male and female users. A rear portion 30 of a rim 28 of the bowl 26 is positioned farther from the column 16 than a front portion 32 of the rim 28. The rim 28 is also concave so that the bowl 26 may surround a crotch of a user. The bowl 26 has a width sufficient to fit between the legs of the user. As shaped, a female user may squat over the bowl 26 such that the bowl 26 is adjacent to and positioned to surround a crotch of the female user. A male user may stand at a distance from the bowl 26 and urinate such that the resultant urine stream enters the cavity 27 of the bowl 26 at an angle between a horizontal direction away from the male user and a downward direction away from the user.

[0021] A tube 34 is mounted in the column 16 which is include communication with the cavity 27 of the bowl 26 at a top end 36 of the tube 34. The tube 34 is open at the bottom end 38 thereof. The tube 34 may comprise a rigid or semi rigid material. The tube 34 is fixed to the upper member 18 of the column 16 and is movable with respect to the lower member 20 of the column 16. The tube 34 extends through a slot 22 defined by the lower member 20 which accommodates movement of the tube 34 with respect to the lower member 20. The tube 34 has a P-trap section 40 at the bottom end 38. A P-trap is a shape of pipe or tubing known to the art which is so made to maintain a quantity of fluid in the pipe to block sewer gases from flowing into the room via the pipe. The pipe or tubing in a P-trap has a U-shaped portion for collecting the fluid followed by a generally horizontal portion. As fluid such as urine is added into the U-shaped portion opposite the generally horizontal portion, the fluid rises to a level wherein most of the fluid is allowed to drain through the horizontal portion toward a sewer, a septic tank, or other suitable destination. Some fluid is again retained in the P-trap, as not all of the fluid will rise from the U-shaped section.

[0022] A hose 42 is coupled to the bottom end 38 of the tube 34 which comprises a flexible material. The hose 42 is open at a distal end 44 thereof with respect to the tube 34. With reference to FIG. 1, the distal end 44 of the tube 34 attaches to a drain port 54 at a base of a toilet 52 which places the hose 42 in fluid communication with a sewer line 58. The hose 42 may also drain directly into the sewer line 58, a septic tank, or the like in other embodiments. The hose 42 has external threads 46 which mesh with internal thread 56 of the drain port 54. In other embodiments, the hose 42 may have internal threads which mesh with external threads, or the hose 42 may attach via a hose clamp, a weldment, or other suitable attachment means to the toilet 52 or other suitable drainage means.

[0023] In use, a height of the bowl 26 above the base 12 is set by adjusting the length of the column 16. The hose 42 is may bend to accommodate adjustment of the column 16. A user may then urinate into the bowl 26, which collects the urine and drains it through the tube 34 and the hose 42 to be taken to a sewer system, septic tank, or the like. The distal end 44 of the hose 42 may be positioned to drain into the toilet 52 instead of attaching to the drain port 54.

[0024] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0025] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.