Patent Application
20140116901
The present disclosure relates to a toilet plunger containment system and, more particularly, to a sanitary toilet plunger containment system.
It is often necessary to employ a toilet plunger to force objects stuck in the drain tube to become dislodged by exerting pressure on the plunger. Unfortunately, this is often a messy task both during the plunging process and afterward when the plunger is removed from the toilet bowl for storage. Controlling the unsanitary nature of using and storing the toilet plunger is therefore highly desirable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sanitary toilet plunger containment system that includes a tray, a disposable disinfectant housed by the tray and, optionally, a specialized plunger and/or a decorative shell for receiving the plunger during periods of non-use.
The shell generally is injection molded component having a lower portion which receives a specially designed tray including a disposable disinfectant and an upper portion which serves to conceal at least a portion of the plunger head. The tray is shaped to seat within the lower portion of the shell and includes a recessed area which contains the disposable disinfectant. During periods of non-use, the plunger head is stored on the tray so as to be in contact with the disposable disinfectant.
The plunger also contributes to the overall cleanliness of the system in that the plunger head and handle portions are uniquely designed to reduce adhesion of the toilet bowl contents to the plunger. As will be described in greater detail below, the plunger head is formed from a low porosity material which is further processed to essentially eliminate the limited porosity. The handle portion is formed from a thermoplastic material which is resistant to adhesion of the toilet bowl contents. By design, the upper portion of the plunger head engages the lower end of the handle shaft to provide a smooth tapered transition which eliminates the edging which often occurs with known toilet plungers.
Under an alternative embodiment of the invention, the upper portion of the decorative shell is eliminated.
Under still another embodiment, the disposable disinfectant and the tray come as a pre-packaged unit whereby upon use, the tray and disinfectant are discarded.
Still other aspects of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings and detailed description provided below.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The shell 12, otherwise referred to herein as a housing, is typically formed from a moldable plastic material and is defined by a body 22 including a base 24 and cover 26 as best shown with reference to
The cover 26, which only partially covers the base 24, includes an open area 56 so as to allow for insertion and removal of the toilet plunger, includes a side wall 50 and a semi-circular top wall 52 which serves as a splash guard. The top wall 52 preferably includes a cut-out area 54 sized to receive a lower portion of the toilet plunger handle.
The selectively removable tray 14, as best shown in
The tray itself is designed to host a disposable, moisture absorptive material which includes a disinfectant component. This disposable disinfectant can be formed from a variety of moisture absorptive materials including, without limitation, charcoal, cellulosic materials such as wood chips, paper and cardboard or absorbent fibers by way of non-limiting example. The disposable disinfectant should be somewhat hydrophilic and may include disinfectant compositions, deodorizing additives and/or scented materials such as pine or floral scents, among others.
As should be appreciated, the moisture absorptive material 90 should be capable of being treated with disinfectants and deodorants in liquid, solid or gaseous form, and yet still be sufficiently absorptive after treatment with these types of compositions to consume waste water coming off of the plunger. Preferably, the moisture adaptive material is contained within the tray. A liquid permeable and/or perforated layer 92, is separated from the absorptive material and is sealed to the edge of the tray as shown in
Under a highly preferred embodiment, the moisture absorptive material 90 will be in the form of replaceable packets that can be sold separately when refills are needed.
As for the plunger 18, the major elements include a suction cup 70, the shaft 72 and the handle 74. The cup 70 includes a body 76, a peripheral lip 78 and a coupling portion 80 extending upwardly from the body. The cup is formed from a material such as 60-90 a durometer silicone, butyl rubber or other liquid injection moldable material or elastomeric thermoplastics which is sufficiently durable and flexible to carry out effective plunging. An added benefit of this type of material is that it has limited porosity and is generally resistant to absorption; that is, toilet matter generally does not stick to it. Under a highly preferred embodiment, the plunger cup will be post treated to substantially eliminate the porosity all together. A high polished diamond lapping process can be employed to eliminate any surface porosity in the plunger head which is molded from a silicone or other low porosity elastomeric or thermoplastic elastomeric material.
The shaft 72 is formed from a sufficiently rigid material to withstand the force applied to the plunger during use. Example materials include nylon 66, ABS, polypropylene and other thermoplastic materials that include Teflon like functions that prevent are reduce adhesion of toilet debris to the structure shaft 72 includes an elongated stem 84 and a coupling member 86 extending from the lower end of the shaft which mates with the coupling portion 80 of the cup. As shown, this coupling arrangement is in the form of a male and female threaded embodiment, but as should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various mechanical coupling arrangements could be utilized. Further, the male and female aspects could be on either the cup or the shaft as long as effective mating is achieved.
Extending along the upper end 86 of the shaft 72 is an enlarged handle 74. As shown, the upper end has a substantially bulbous shape to enhance the ergonomics of the plunger during use. The handle may also include an end cap 88 which is formed from a material which is particularly useful for ergonomic purposes. Alternatively, the upper end 86 can be over molded with an elastomeric material for comfort.
Referring particularly to
Referring to
The packaging (not shown) for the construct would preferably be moisture resistant to preserve the moisture absorbing characteristics of the absorptive material.
Still another variation of the present invention is shown in
The plunger containment systems described herein may be offered commercially as a kit. The kit may include at a minimum, a tray and a moisture absorbing component as described above. The kit may also include a decorative shell and optionally a plunger. Again, once the moisture absorptive component is exhausted, refills could be purchased separately.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
