Plunger appliance for toilets

• US 6,779,202 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew L Alldredge
• Original Assignee: Andrew L Alldredge
• Inventors: Alldredge, Andrew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US10/370,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 425/501-255, 425/508-255
• US Class Current: 4/255.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 11/10 Hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl , seat or cover, e.g. toilet brushes cleaning devices without flushing A47K17/00; mechanical devices for cleaning toilet bowls E03D
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/00 Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30

Abstract

The disclosed portable plunger has an elongated shaft with a hand gripping portion adjacent one end and a plunger head fixed to the shaft adjacent the opposite end. The plunger head has an impervious flexible material defining an exterior surface sized slightly larger than an outlet passage of a toilet bowl to be plunged. The head is also resilient and elastic to allow reduction of the exterior head surface to become smaller than the bowl passage to allow plunger head insertion into the passage, while then expanding and seating against the bowl passage walls in the mode of a piston positioned in the passage. Thus, axial shifting of the plunger head in the passage hydraulically creates water/waste pressure and/or flow surges in the passage, serving to break up downstream clogs therein.

Claims

1. A portable plunger for low water per flush toilets having bowl walls defining a top edge and an underlying small bore outlet passage, comprising

an elongated shaft having a hand gripping portion adjacent one end thereof;

a plunger head fixed to the shaft adjacent the other end thereof;

said shaft being substantially nonextendable axially, and of a length to position said hand gripping portion generally above the top bowl edge opposite the outlet passage while said head is fitted in the bowl outlet passage;

said plunger head being made of an impervious flexible material that is also resilient and elastic;

said plunger head defining a maximum exterior surface larger than the bowl outlet passage, operable as the plunger is fitted into the bowl passage in the mode of a piston, to be automatic reshaped radials inward and outward as needed locally to present an annular region substantially seated against the bowl passage wall so as to substantially block the bowl outlet passage;

whereby

axial shifting of the shaft concurrently shifts the plunger head axially in the bowl passage, operable to hydraulically force water/waste in the outlet passage axially thereof to serve to break up blockage in the outlet passage downstream thereof.

2. A portable plunger according to claim 1, further comprising said shaft having an overall length less than two feet and being bowed between its ends approximately 25-40 degrees from being straight, operable to have said plunger head angled approximately 25-40 degrees from said hand gripping portion so as to minimize head misalignment relative to the bowl outlet passage and to allow axial head shifting within the passage while in sealed association therewith.

3. A portable plunger according to claim 1, further comprising said plunger head exterior surface being in the form of a flexible impervious membrane, and resilient structure underlying the membrane and connected relative to the shaft operable to radially bias the membrane against the bowl passage walls when the plunger head is inserted into the bowl passage.

4. A portable plunger according to claim 1, further comprising said plunger head exterior surface having a plurality of flexible and resilient annular radially extended narrow lobe each radially larger than the passage and axially separated from one another across generally narrow gaps, with said annular region that is seated against the bowl passage wall being defined on the radial ends of said lobes.

5. A portable plunger according to claim 1, further comprising said plunger head is suited for use with a 1.6 gpf toilet having a bowl outlet passage as small as 1 &

⅝

inch inner diameter, and said plunger head has a maximum exterior surface larger than 1 &

⅝

toilet bowl outlet passage.