Patent Publication Number: US-9833816-B2

Title: Apparatus for quickly and efficiently cleaning and disinfecting sink drains and sink overflow holes

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application has the priority date of the Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/177,572 filed Mar. 19, 2015, and entitled: “E.O.C. (Easy Overflow Cleaner)”, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to devices for maintenance of sinks, and more particularly to devices for cleaning, unclogging, and disinfecting sinks. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Sinks in bathrooms rapidly accumulate hair, bacteria, soap residue, and other unsanitary matter. Although it&#39;s straightforward to clean such accumulated material from the exposed portions of the sink, such as the bowl, the counter top, etc, it is very difficult to clean the recessed and concealed portions of a sink, such as the drain, and the overflow hole near the top of the bowl. 
     Further, because the surfaces of the drain, the overflow hole, and the conduit that connects the overflow hole to the sink drain are not seen, and are not easily accessible for cleaning, such hidden surfaces tend to accumulate substantial amounts of unsanitary biomaterial, such as dead skin, hair, bacterial, fungus, mold, and viruses. 
     Many people do not have an understanding of the inner structure of sinks to know about such hidden unsanitary surfaces, and even people with such understanding cannot clean such surfaces with currently available equipment. Consequently, they are often compelled to call a plumber when the drain gets excessively clogged. However, because they are often unaware of the odor and disease breeding ground within the inner contours of many sinks, they often fail to even attempt to clean and disinfect the inner and typically inaccessible surfaces inside many sinks. 
     SUMMARY 
     A general aspect of the invention is an apparatus for quickly and efficiently cleaning and disinfecting sink drains and sink overflow holes. The apparatus includes: a cleaning fluid dispenser, the dispenser having a cleaning fluid reservoir, and a dispensing mechanism with a fluid dispensing port, operation of the dispensing mechanism resulting in cleaning fluid being forced from the cleaning fluid reservoir and out the fluid dispensing port; a tube sealed to and in fluid communication with the fluid dispensing port; and a support wire affixed at a proximal end to the fluid dispensing port, and having cylindrical brush extending from a distal end of the support wire, the support wire running inside the tube along its length from the dispensing port to the cylindrical brush, thereby being able to provide cleaning fluid to the cylindrical brush. 
     In some embodiments, the cleaning fluid dispenser having a suction cup for affixing the dispenser to a surface on or near the sink having the drains and overflow hole to be cleaned. 
     In some embodiments, the support wire is affixed at a proximal end to an inner surface of the fluid dispensing port. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush is rotatably attached to the distal end of the support wire. 
     In some embodiments, the cleaning fluid reservoir holds at least 30 oz of cleaning fluid. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush is reusable. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush has bristles suitable industrial use. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a sink overflow hole to be cleaned. 
     In some embodiments, the tube is flexible. 
     In some embodiments, the tube is longer than a distance within the sink from the overflow hole to the sink drain. 
     In some embodiments, the tube is made of a material that is durable under repeated use sliding in and out of the overflow hole and the drain of a sink. 
     In some embodiments, the wire is reinforced so as to prevent the wire from kinking while the tube is grasped and pushed into and pulled out of the overflow hole and the drain of a sink. 
     Another general aspect of the invention is an apparatus for quickly and efficiently cleaning and disinfecting sink drains and sink overflow holes. This apparatus includes: a squeezable cleaning fluid reservoir with a fluid dispensing port, squeezing of the dispensing mechanism resulting in cleaning fluid being forced from the cleaning fluid reservoir and out the fluid dispensing port; a flexible tube sealed to and in fluid communication with the fluid dispensing port; and a support wire affixed at a proximal end to an inner surface of the fluid dispensing port, and having a cylindrical brush rotatably attached to and extending from a distal end of the support wire, the support wire running inside the tube along its length from the dispensing port to the cylindrical brush, thereby being able to provide cleaning fluid to the cylindrical brush. 
     In some embodiments, the squeezable cleaning fluid dispenser has a suction cup for affixing the dispenser to a surface on or near the sink having the drains and overflow hole to be cleaned. 
     In some embodiments, the cleaning fluid reservoir holds at least 30 oz of cleaning fluid. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush is reusable and has bristles suitable industrial use. 
     In some embodiments, the cylindrical brush is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a sink overflow hole to be cleaned. 
     In some embodiments, the flexible tube is longer than a distance within the sink from the overflow hole to the sink drain. 
     In some embodiments, the flexible tube is made of a material that is durable under repeated use sliding in and out of the overflow hole and the drain of a sink. 
     In some embodiments, the wire is reinforced so as to prevent the wire from kinking while the flexible tube is grasped and pushed into and pulled out of the overflow hole and the drain of a sink. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following Detailed Description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front right side perspective view of the sink maintenance apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a right side view of the bottle portion of the sink maintenance apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the cylindrical brush of the sink maintenance apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom side perspective view of the bottom of sink maintenance apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of another embodiment of the invention having a squeezable container that is squeezed to push cleaning solution into the distribution tube towards the cleaning brush. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , where the distribution tube has been inserted into a sink overflow hole, and pushed downwards into the sink overflow until the cleaning brush reaches the drain popup assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the device  10  or  50  enables the average home owner to clean and disinfect the overflow hole  62  and overflow channel  63  of a bathroom sink  60 , and to clean and disinfect the pop-up assembly  64  of a bathroom sink  60 , so as to keep the sink  60  free from accumulation of bacteria-causing sludge. 
     The cleaning brush  24  of the device  10  or  50  is adapted to be inserted into the sink overflow hole  62 , and also into the drain  68  that is closed using the pop-up assembly  64 . Then, the homeowner operates the pump mechanism  18  or squeezes the solution jug (squeezable reservoir)  52 , which is filled with a cleanser of choice  14  or  53 , so as to send the cleanser  14  or  53  through the distribution tube  16  to the soft bristle cleaning brush  24 . 
     Then, the homeowner grasps the distribution tube  16  and pulls and pushes the cleaning brush  24  into and out of the overflow hole  62 , and then into and out of the drain  68  past the pop-up assembly  64 . Then, one can swab the overflow hole  62  and the drain  68  so as to clean up all of the sludge dislodged from the overflow hole  62  and the drain  68 . 
     The device  10  or  50  can be inserted far down the drain  68  of the sink  60 , past the pop up plug  66  of the popup assembly  64 , so as to clean out the tail piece  70  below the pop up assembly  64 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show an embodiment of the device  10  having a bottle (reservoir)  12  containing a cleaning solution  14  that can have detergent, anti-bacterial, and/or caustic properties, so as to physically and chemically remove hair, soap, fungus, mold, bacteria, calcium deposits, etc. When the pump mechanism (dispensing mechanism)  18  is operated, cleaning solution  14  is drawn up into the tube  20 , and is then forced into the tube  16 , which is attached via a collar  21  that anchors a proximal end of the wire cable  22  that runs within the tube  16  to the brush  24  connected to the distal end of the wire cable  22 . The brush  24  can rotate  3  about the longitudinal axis of the wire cable  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a close-up view is shown of the cleaning brush  24  at the distal end of the wire cable  22 , the brush  24  being able to rotate. The brush  24  can also be in fixed relationship with the wire cable  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the bottle  12  can have a suction cup  30  on its bottom for securing the bottle to a flat surface near the sink. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the plastic bottle (squeezable cleaning fluid reservoir)  52  can be made of flexible plastic so that it can be squeezed so as to force cleaning solution  53  into the tube  16 . The tube  16  can be grasped, and since there is a wire cable  22  running inside of the tube  16  along the entire length of the tube  16 , the tube  16  and the wire cable  22  inside can be pushed down into a drain, or into an overflow hole, as explained above, and with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
     Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.