TOILET PLUNGER CADDY WITH CLEANING MECHANISM

A plunger caddy and cleaning assembly includes a housing that accommodates a plunger; a fluid reservoir mounted within the housing; tubing extending from an interior of the fluid reservoir; and a fluid dispersing assembly in connected to the fluid reservoir by way of the tubing. The fluid dispersing assembly has a spray wand with a handle and is removably mounted to the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a toilet plunger and, more particularly, to a toilet plunger with a cleaning mechanism.

After plunging a clogged toilet, the plunger cup is covered in human excrement. The plunger is then typically placed back in its stand or in the tub to be cleaned later. In most cases, the plunger is never cleaned and sits covered in germs and waste. Generally, plungers do not have any built-in cleaning mechanism. Rinsing a plunger in the tub or sink or anything else spreads the germs to those vessels. A user may set it in a container with disinfectant but then the container with dirty disinfectant must be handled, emptied, and cleaned. Other methods of cleaning a plunger require multiple steps which typically lead to delaying the process of cleaning the plunger, avoidance of cleaning the plunger, or cleaning the plunger in a manner that spreads germs. Buying replacement plungers is costly and unnecessary between uses.

As can be seen, there is a need for a cleaning mechanism that allows a plunger to be cleaned after use without spreading germs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a plunger caddy and cleaning assembly comprises a housing configured to accommodate a plunger; a fluid reservoir mounted within the housing; a tubing extending from an interior of the fluid reservoir; and a fluid dispersing assembly in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir by way of the tubing, the fluid dispersing assembly having a spray wand with a handle, wherein the fluid dispersing assembly is removably mounted to the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a plunger caddy with an integrated plunger cleaning apparatus.

The location of a pump, when present, is not particularly limited, as long as it is effective to move the liquid from the reservoir to the nozzle.

In some embodiments, the pump is a manual reciprocating pump. The exertion of force on the pump may push air through the tubing. The forced air may expel fluid through the spray wand over the outside parts of the plunger cup.

In other embodiments, the pump is electronically actuated and may be battery powered.

The cleaning mechanism may clean the exterior of the plunger cup using fluid held in a fluid reservoir. The plunger may be cleaned immediately after use, in one step, so that it may be stored in a clean or disinfected state, such as next to the toilet, therefore eliminating the spread of germs outside the toilet.

The present invention also provides a method to clean a toilet plunger with a mechanism present within the plunger receptacle.

In some embodiments, a plunger caddy according to another embodiment comprises a housing which may be monolithic or may be modular, such as comprising an upper housing shell coupled to a lower housing shell. The housing may further comprise a neck element, forming a channel. The housing may, for example, be molded by injection molding. The caddy may have an integrated cleaning apparatus comprising a spray wand with a handle having an actuator. The housing may have a base operative to conduct air into the plunger cup. The housing may have multiple compartments formed therein. A first compartment, operative to accommodate the plunger, may have a sidewall defining a spray wand receptacle. The housing may have a plunger retention clasp, a wand support, and a tubing guide or retainer, which may comprise an upper hook and a lower hook in some cases.

The materials of manufacture are not particularly limited. The plunger cup may be formed from any suitable material, including but not limited to rubber. The handle may be made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing or wood, for example. The spray wand handle grip may be rubber or plastic. The plunger receptacle and fluid reservoir may be injection molded plastic. Tubing may be made in any suitable manner known in the art.

Referring toFIGS.1through7,FIG.1shows a plunger10according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising an elongate tubular handle18with a handle grip14and a pump actuator button or spray button12at an upper end, a plunger cup24at a lower end, and a reservoir16attached therebetween. The reservoir16may include a reservoir cap16aand a reservoir volume or level indicator window16band may be clamped to the handle18with a reservoir wrap16c. The plunger cup24has a concave inner (or lower) surface and a convex outer (or upper) surface.

Housed within the handle18, the spray button12extends from a battery retainer13a, a reservoir pump16d, and a fluid conduit comprising a flexible tube20with a hose barb fitting22, as shown inFIGS.2and5. The conduit is operative to feed a cleaning fluid to a spray assembly or fluid dispersing assembly comprising an upper component or upper sprayer assembly, comprising a central body28coupled to the handle18and a distributor26with spray nozzles, apertures, or orifices36distributed around the plunger cup24, and a lower component, lower sprayer assembly, or bottom sprayer30. The reservoir16is in fluid communication with the bottom sprayer30by way of the conduit, i.e., the tube20and barb fitting22.

As shown inFIG.3, the battery retainer13ais removably inserted into the top of the handle18. The battery retainer13aincludes a battery holder13bto hold batteries13c.

As shown inFIG.4, the bottom sprayer30may have ports32fluidly communicating with the distributor26, as well as orifices34.

As shown inFIG.6, the plunger10includes orifices34,36both interior to and exterior to the plunger cup24.

FIG.7illustrates operation of the plunger10. When a user depresses the spray button12, cleaning fluid or cleaning solution16eis released from the reservoir16and urged through the flexible tube20and hose barb fitting22to the bottom sprayer30by the reservoir pump16d. The spray button12may, for example, close a circuit allowing electricity to flow and activating the reservoir pump16d. The bottom sprayer30extends through a central aperture in the plunger cup24directs spray of a first portion of the cleaning solution16ethrough the ports32to the top sprayer orifices36to coat the exterior of the plunger cup24and directs spray of a second portion of the cleaning solution16ethrough the bottom sprayer orifices34so that discharged cleaning solution16fcoats the interior of the plunger cup24. In other words, the spray assembly is operative to spray both inner and outer surfaces of the cup simultaneously. As the plunger does not require external components to clean the plunger cup, it is referred to herein as a self-cleaning plunger.

Referring now toFIGS.8through11, a plunger caddy according to another embodiment is shown inFIG.8with an exemplary plunger40. The plunger40comprises a plunger cup40A and a handle40B and is otherwise not particularly limited. The caddy comprises an upper housing42A and a lower housing42B. The caddy further comprises an integrated cleaning apparatus comprising a spray wand44with a handle44A, having an actuator lever or button operative to actuate the spray wand44. As shown inFIG.9, the lower housing42B includes a circular base having parallel ridges or grooves operative to enable air to enter an interior of the cup40A. The upper housing42A has two adjacent rounded compartments formed therein and is coupled to the lower housing42B.

As illustrated inFIG.9, a first compartment, aligned with the circular base, has curvilinear sidewalls operative to accommodate the plunger40, each wall curving around the plunger cup40A. One sidewall further defines a spray wand holster, adjacent to the plunger cup40A, operative to accommodate the spray wand44in a stored position. The sidewalls taper to join at a top region, having an elongated vertical channel, having an outer surface and an inner surface with a plunger retention clasp40C operative to securely accommodate the plunger handle40B in a stored position. The outer surface has a wand support44B extending therefrom, aligned with the holster. The spray wand44receives cleaning fluid from a fluid reservoir46A via tubing46B. The tubing46B fluidly communicates with the fluid reservoir46A and with the spray wand44via the handle44A. The tubing46B passes through a cap on the fluid reservoir46A and is clipped to a tubing guide joined to the exterior surface of the elongated vertical channel, as shown inFIGS.8,10, and11.

A second compartment has an elevated bottom wall relative to the circular base, as most clearly seen inFIG.11, with a cylindrical sidewall rising therefrom. The second compartment accommodates the fluid reservoir46A.