Combination urine meter and drainage receptacle
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a combination urine meter and drainage receptacle. 
     II. Description of the Prior Art 
     The most pertinent prior art known to applicants is shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,683,894, 3,601,119 and 3,345,980. The principal advantages of the present invention over such prior art is its simplicity of design and the ease and effectiveness of the means of draining the urine from the meter into the drainage receptacle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A combination urine meter and drainage receptacle comprising a liquid meter having at least one volume calibrated chamber and an inlet opening through which liquid may be introduced into such chamber. A liquid drainage receptacle of flexible material is connected to the meter and is in fluid communication therewith by means of a fluid communication means connected between the upper portions of the meter and drainage receptacle. The liquid communication means is adapted to permit relative movement of the meter with respect to the drainage receptacle to thereby facilitate drainage of liquid from the interior of the meter through the fluid conduit and into the drainage receptacle by simply tilting the meter with respect to the receptacle, such tilting movement of the meter being accomplished without disturbing the relative vertical hanging position of the receptacle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view (with parts broken away) of a preferred embodiment of the combination urine meter and drainage receptacle of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the combination urine meter and drainage receptacle shown in FIG. 1 with the parts thereof shown in the meter drainage position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The combination of the present invention is comprised of two basic parts, namely a urine meter 10 and a drainage receptacle 12. 
     The urine meter 10 is comprised of a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, a top wall 18, a bottom wall 20 and side walls 22,22 defining a semi-rigid container with an upper section 24, an intermediate section 26 of smaller internal volume per unit of height than the upper section and a lower section 28 of smaller internal volume per unit of height than the intermediate section. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a scale 30 is molded in or printed on the surface of the front wall 14 of the urine meter 10. The scale 30 serves as an indication of the volume of liquid in the meter. Since the lowermost section 28 of the meter is of smaller volume than the intermediate section 26, the scale markings for a given unit of volume measurement will be spaced further apart on such lower section than on the intermediate section to thereby facilitate the accurate measurement of smaller volumes of liquid in the lower section. The same is true with respect to the relationship of intermediate section 26 and the upper section 24. In the preferred embodiment the meter is made of transparent material such as clear cellulose propionate plastic. The use of a transparent material permits a volume reading to be made on the scale 30 and also permits the determination of urine coloration changes which may occur. 
     A hollow tube 32 opens into the interior of the meter 10 through a drip tube assembly 34 mounted in the top wall 18 of the meter. The tube 32 serves as a conduit through which fluid such as urine may pass into the meter from a body, such fluid originally being removed from the body through a catheter or similar device (not shown). 
     Drip tube assembly 34 is comprised of an upper tubular member 36 and a lower tubular drip projection 38 formed integrally with the top wall 18 of the meter. Member 36 is telescopically engaged with the projection 38 and is sealed therein by a suitable adhesive. A shoulder 40 is provided on member 36 to facilitate its installation in projection 38. Projection portion 38 has an opening 42 in the bottom portion thereof through which liquid flowing through tube 32 enters the interior of the meter. Said drip projection 38 is in the form of a sealed tube having a rounded end with said end having a cut-out portion to provide the opening 42. 
     Mounted in the bottom wall 20 of urine meter 10 is a sampling valve 44 which may be opened and closed to drain fluid from the interior of the meter. Any one of a number of commercially available valves such as push-pull valves or faucet type valves may be suitable for use as a drainage valve 44. Valve 44 shown in the drawings is a push-pull type valve which is opened by pulling down on its lower portion and closed by a reverse movement thereof. 
     Drainage receptacle 12 is comprised of a front sheet 46 and a back sheet 48 of fluid impervious flexible material. The front sheet 46 and back sheet 48 are sealed along their marginal edge portions 50 to form a flexible bag container. Receptacle 12 is also provided with a drainage valve 52 mounted in the lower portion thereof which may be of identical construction to the drainage valve 44 installed on the meter. In the preferred embodiment sheets 46 and 48 are made of polyvinyl chloride plastic film. The front sheet 46 of receptacle 12 is provided with scale 54 for purposes of indicating the approximate amount of liquid therein. 
     As best shown in FIG. 2, a liquid communication means 56 is provided between the upper portions of meter 10 and drainage receptacle 12. Communication means 56 is comprised of a tubular fitting 58 and a mating collar 60 surrounding an opening 62 in the rear wall 16 of meter 10 and formed integrally therewith. A slight depression 63 is formed on the inside surface of the rear wall 16 around the opening into collar 60 to facilitate flow of liquid through the opening. Fitting 58 has a flange portion 64 sealed to the front sheet 46 of receptacle 12 and a pair of concentrically spaced circular walls 66,68 providing a groove 70 therebetween in which collar 60 is sealed to complete the communication means between the two containers. An opening 72 in the front sheet 46 of receptacle 12 completes a liquid conduit 73 between the two containers having a relatively large diameter (approximately 0.6 inch) and a short longitudinal length (approximately 0.37 inch). 
     As best shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the liquid conduit connection 56 between the upper left hand portions of meter 10 and receptacle 12 (as viewed in FIG. 1), a strictly mechanical connection is provided between the upper right hand portions of the meter and receptacle. Such mechanical connection is in the form of a projecting arm 74 formed on the top wall 18 of the meter. Arm 74 has a transverse lip 75 formed at the end thereof adapted for engagement in an opening 76 formed in the receptacle. The sheets 46 and 48 of receptacle 12 are sealed to each other around opening 76 to prevent leakage of fluid from inside the receptacle. The combination of the fluid and mechanical connection 56 and the strictly mechanical connection arm 74 between the meter 10 and receptacle 12 serves to stabilize the mechanical connection between the containers. 
     In use the combination urine meter and drainage receptacle of the present invention is supported in a vertical hanging position adjacent the patient by a suitable cord support means 77 fastened to the top portion of receptacle 12. Urine draining into meter 10 through tube 32 and drip chamber assembly 34 will collect first in lower section 28, then in intermediate section 26 and then in upper section 24 of the meter. The amount of urine drained into the meter and its rate of flow can be measured by reference to scale 30. As drainage continues the level of liquid in the meter will eventually rise to the level of liquid communication means 56 after which liquid will flow through conduit 73 from meter 10 into drainage receptacle 12. 
     It is often desirable (particularly when measuring flow rate) to drain urine from meter 10 into receptacle 12 at some point before meter 10 becomes completely filled. This can be simply and effectively accomplished by tilting meter 10 with respect to flexible receptacle 12 from its vertical hanging position (FIG. 1) to its drainage position shown in FIG. 4. When so tilted, liquid in meter 10 will readily flow from the meter into depression 63 and then through conduit 73 into receptacle 12. It will be noted that due to the relative movement between meter 10 and receptacle 12 provided by the particular construction of the combination, when meter 10 is tilted as shown in FIG. 4, receptacle 12 will remain in substantially vertical hanging position to thereby insure a positive drainage flow between the two containers. 
     The body of urine meter 10 can be manufactured from any variety of materials which are impervious to water. In addition to cellulose propionate as specified previously, examples of materials suitable for this purpose are polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrates and styrene. The meter 10 may be formed by any variety of methods well known in the art such as injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding or vacuum forming. 
     As indicated previously, drainage receptacle 12 may be comprised of a bag made by sealing together front and back sheets of flexible material along their outer edges. In addition to polyvinyl chloride as specified previously, examples of materials suitable for construction of the front and back sheets forming the receptacle include flexible films of polyethylene, polypropolene and the like. 
     Although the present invention is concerned mainly with the provision of a meter and drainage receptacle for urine, it should be understood that it could also be utilized in the measurement and storage of other liquids.