Plunger with anti-splash shield

A device for clearing obstructed soil pipes without splashing water from a sink or toilet bowl comprises an elongate handle having a plunger member at a lower end and an anti-splash shield having a central passage to receive the elongate handle. The shield has a curvilinear circumference and includes an expandable resilient means at the outer edge thereof for transforming the shield from a folded condition to an expanded condition. Thus, the outer edge of the shield can sealingly engage the inner surface of the sink or toilet bowl to prevent water from splashing as the plunge is operated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates in general to a device for clearing 
obstructed soil pipes and, in particular, to a plunger having means for 
preventing water from splashing from a sink or toilet bowl when the 
plunger is operated. 
It has been estimated that the flush cycle of a toilet should be completed 
within ten seconds. One cause of sluggish flushing is a blockage at some 
point in the soil pipe or in the baffle or the bowl. As used herein a 
"soil pipe" is a conduit that carries liquid waste; and a "baffle" is a 
partition that is usually included in the outlet passage of a toilet to 
form a trap which maintains water within the bowl before and after 
flushing. If a small object becomes jammed across one of the baffle 
surfaces, flow will be restricted and flushing of the toilet will be 
unreliable. 
Obstructions other than roots growing through a soil pipe can usually be 
cleared by chemicals or by a manually operated plunger. There are several 
versions of plungers, but the operation of each type is similar. A plunger 
member is placed below the water surface, compressed over the drain area 
and pulled up sharply to create a vacuum. The resulting displacement in 
the drain usually frees the obstruction. Vigorous plunging action can 
splash water from the toilet onto the floor. The present invention is 
directed to the solution of this problem. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
The prior art includes several references that disclose devices for 
clearing obstructed pipes or means for preventing splashing when a toilet 
is used or flushed. In accordance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 et. 
seq., applicant states that the following references constitute the 
closest prior art of which he is aware. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,587 to Bates et al. relates to a device that includes 
sealing means for preventing the overflow of a blocked toilet. The device 
comprises a cover plate and gasket that sealingly engage the upper rim of 
a toilet bowl whereby the air trapped within the bowl is compressed when 
the toilet is flushed to augment the flushing action of the water. Thus, 
operation of the device depends solely on water pressure to clear the 
obstruction. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,859 to Anderson discloses a foldable anti-splash guard 
which can be removably secured to the upper rim of a toilet bowl to 
prevent splashing outwardly from the toilet bowl. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,133,062 to Fulbright describes a collapsible splash shield that extends 
between the toilet bowl and the seat to convert the toilet into a urinal. 
Although unrelated to the art of plumbing, U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,919 to 
Farner does disclose a plunger extending through a lid or shield for 
reciprocating movement. Specifically, the Farner device can be secured to 
a garbage container to break bottles within the container thereby reducing 
the danger of flying glass. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a device for clearing obstructed soil 
pipes without splashing water from the sink or toilet bowl. The device 
comprises an elongate handle having a plunger member at the lower end 
thereof and an anti-splash shield having a central passage to receive the 
elongate handle, the shield having a curvilinear circumference and 
including expandable resilient means at the outer edge thereof for 
transforming the shield from a folded condition to an expanded condition 
whereby the outer edge of the shield can sealingly engage the inner 
surface of the sink or toilet bowl to prevent water from splashing as the 
plunger is operated. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a plunger for clearing 
obstructed pipes having means for preventing water from splashing from a 
sink or toilet bowl when the plunger is operated. 
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the 
following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying 
drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The 
device, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, includes an 
elongate handle 12 having a plunger member 14 at the lower end thereof. 
The plunger member 14 can be pressfit or threadably secured to the 
elongate handle 12 in a conventional manner. As will be recognized by 
those skilled in the art, the plunger member 14 can include an annular 
flange 16 about the open end 18 to sealingly engage a working surface. 
A circular or oval-shaped shield 20 having a central passage 22 for 
receiving the elongate handle 12 is positioned about the handle 12 over 
the plunger member 14. The shield 20 can include a plurality of radially 
extending accordion-like pleats 24 to allow folding the shield inwardly 
towards the elongate handle 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the pleats 24 extend 
radially from the central passage 22 to the outer edge 26 of the shield 
20. 
Moreover, the outer edge 26 of the shield 20 includes resilient means 28 in 
the form of an expandable band of steel or plastic, for example, to hold 
the shield 20 in an expanded condition against the inner surface of a 
toilet bowl 30 as shown in FIG. 3. 
In a preferred embodiment, the resilient means 28 is molded within the 
outer edge 26 of the shield (which is formed of a flexible plastic or 
rubber and includes a passage 32 to receive the resilient means 28)--see 
FIG. 4. The ends of the resilient means 28 are slidably received by a 
locking collar 34 which allows the circumference of the shield 20 to be 
adjusted and the outer edge 26 to conform to the shape of the inner 
surface of the toilet bowl 30. 
Specifically, the collar 34 functions like a buckle whereby one end 36 of 
resilient means 28 is secured to the collar and the other end 38 can be 
slidably received by one or more openings 40 in the side portions of the 
collar 34 to increase or decrease the circumference of the shield. A tab 
42 at the end 38 prevents the resilient means 28 from passing through the 
opening 40 and being separated from the collar 34 when the resilient means 
is fully expanded. 
In an alternative embodiment, both ends 36 and 38 of the resilient means 28 
can include tabs 42 and can be slidably received by the openings 40 in the 
side portions of the collar 34. 
It will be understood that the device 10 can also be used in a sink bowl 
whereby the outer edge 26 of the shield 20 engages the inner surface of 
the sink. The shield 20 can take any number of shapes. A circular or ovoid 
shield is preferred, although any design having a curvilinear 
circumference can be used provided the outer edge 26 sealingly engages the 
inner surface of the sink or toilet bowl. 
The shield 20 includes a reinforced ring portion 44 defining the central 
passage 22 which frictionally, but slidably, engages the elongate handle 
12 to hold the shield 20 in a given position on the handle. The ring 
portion 44 can comprise a member separate from the shield adapted to 
engage the elongate handle 12 and prevent downward movement of the shield 
relative to the handle. As can be seen from the drawings, the opening in 
the ring portion that engages the elongate handle is the central passage 
22. By sliding the ring portion along the handle, the vertical distance 
between the plunger member 14 and the shield can be controlled. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the device 10 is shown positioned within the toilet 
bowl 30. In operation, the toilet bowl is partially filled with fresh 
water, the plunger member 14 is secured over the lower outlet portion 46 
of the bowl 30, and the shield 20 is moved upwardly along the elongate 
handle 12 until the shield, when expanded, sealingly engages the inner 
surface of the bowl 30 above the waterline near the upper rim 48. 
As the elongate handle 12 is moved vertically or reciprocated, the plunger 
member 14 acts in the conventional manner to create a partial vacuum and 
agitate the water within the bowl and the soil pipe 50 thereby clearing 
the obstruction. If the downward thrust does not clear the stoppage by 
forcing the passage of air, the pulling action may dislodge the 
obstruction enough for the water to flush properly. 
The shield 20 prevents water, agitated by the reciprocating action of the 
plunger, from splashing onto the floor about the toilet bowl. The 
advantages of this feature to health and sanitation are self-evident. 
It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in 
the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing from 
the spirit thereof, particularly as defined in the following claims.