Patent Publication Number: US-6701540-B1

Title: Disposable plunger construction

Description:
This invention relates to disposable plungers of the kind adapted for use in clearing clogged drains. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hand operated plungers long have been used for clearing household drains which become clogged. A typical plunger of this kind has a force cup formed of rubber or rubbery material which is coupled to one end of a handle of such length as to enable the user to place the cup in sealing relation to the drain following which the handle may be used to deform the cup and displace water within the cup forcibly into and through the drain in a direction to unclog the latter. The standing water above the drain can contain materials capable of contaminating the area adjacent the drain, the force cup, and that portion of the handle which may be immersed in the water. 
     Following the use of a plunger in an effort to unclog a drain it is believed to be fairly common for the handle and at least the upper portion of the force cup to be rinsed. However, cleaning of the inside of the force cup is more difficult because cleaning may require removal of the force cup from the handle or manipulating the cup to expose its inner surface to a cleansing stream. Placing the cup in such position may be impeded by the lack of sufficient space to enable the cup to be turned to the proper position, particularly if the handle remains attached. In either case handling of the cup and the handle after use of the plunger is unpleasant and can be quite messy. 
     Conventional plungers of the household kind have a threaded socket upstanding from the upper surface of the force cup and into which the correspondingly threaded end of a handle may be inserted. If it becomes necessary to separate the force cup from the handle before the components can be cleaned, the hands of the operator can become soiled. 
     Because of the difficulty in some instances and the unpleasantness associated with cleaning a plunger after use, the cleaning may in some instances be less than desirable as a consequence of which the parts of the plunger may be a source of contamination between periods of use. 
     An object of the invention is to provide a disposable plunger which enables the force cup to be discarded after each use and which protects the handle from contamination during use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A plunger constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention has a conventional force cup formed of flexible, resilient material having on its exterior an upstanding socket for the removable accommodation of one end of an elongate handle. Preferably, the handle and the socket have cooperable latching means for enabling and disabling rapid and easy separation of the handle from the force cup. 
     A pliable, waterproof, cylindrical sleeve has one end thereof sealed to the plunger socket on the outer surface thereof so that water cannot flow past the sealed end into the socket or the interior of the sleeve. The sleeve in its initial condition is coiled to form an annulus encircling the socket. Following the introduction of one end of the handle into the socket and latching the handle therein, the material forming the sleeve can be uncoiled so that the sleeve extends from the force cup in the direction of the handle and encloses or encircles at least the major portion thereof. It is contemplated that the sleeve will be of such length that, during the use of the plunger, the sleeve will extend to a level above that of the water that has collected above the clogged drain thereby ensuring that water will not enter the sleeve from its upper end. 
     Following use of the plunger the handle may be released from the force cup by a latch release actuator that preferably extends from the upper end of the handle downwardly through the latter so as to enable the handle to be released from the force cup without the operator&#39;s having to touch the latter. Once the force cup has been released from the handle the force cup, together with the sleeve, may be discarded. 
     The force cup and the sleeve should be formed of inexpensive materials so they may be disposed of readily. The material from which the sleeve is made should be pliable, waterproof, and easily uncoiled so as to encircle and protect the handle against contamination. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     A disposable plunger constructed in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view illustrating a force cup, a handle removably coupled to the force cup, and a coiled sleeve secured to the force cup in condition to be unrolled to the condition indicated in dotted lines; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of a portion of the handle showing the latching projections in retracted positions; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the latching projections in extended positions; and 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view, taken on the line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A disposable plunger constructed in accordance with the disclosed embodiment comprises a force cup  1  having a flexible, resilient wall  2  formed of rubber, rubbery, or other suitable material of the kind from which plunger force cups conventionally are formed. The wall  2  defines a chamber  3  having an open bottom  4  and an upstanding, centrally located boss  5 . Accommodated within the boss  5  is a socket-forming member comprising a tubular socket  6  having an annular sidewall  7  and a flat bottom  8 . The socket member  6  is permanently secured in sealed relation to the inner surface of the boss  5  by a suitable adhesive or in any other conventional, well-known manner. The socket member  6  has an axially extending, blind bore  9  open at its upper end. The bore is provided between its ends with an annular receiving groove  10  for a purpose presently to be explained. 
     Sealed to the exterior of the boss  5  and adjacent the upper edge thereof is one end of a cylindrical sleeve  11  formed of pliable, waterproof plastic or other suitable material of known kind. A reinforcing band  12  encircles the sealed end of the sleeve and is secured thereto in such manner as to guard against inadvertent separation of the sleeve from the boss. The sleeve is sealed to the upper end of the boss by a suitable, waterproof adhesive. 
     As shown in full lines in FIG. 1 the sleeve  11  is convolutedly coiled to form an annulus  13  which encircles the boss  5  and the socket member  6 . In its annular form the coiled sleeve does not interfere with access to the open end of the bore  9 . 
     A handle  14  is provided for removable assembly with the force cup  1  and comprises a preferably hollow, elongate tube  15  of such size as snugly to be accommodated in the bore  9 . Adjacent that end of the handle which is adapted to be accommodated in the bore  9  is an anchor disc  16  that is fixed to the sidewall of the tube  15 . Adjacent but spaced from the disc  16  is a ring  17  which also is fixed to the sidewall of the handle tube. Each one of a pair of arms  18  formed of springy metal or plastic has a flange  19  trapped between the disc  16  and the ring  17 . Each of the arms  18  extends downwardly and terminates in a latching projection  20  which extends laterally of the tubular handle member  15 . The tubular wall  15  is provided with openings  21  through which the projections  20  may extend, and the sidewall  7  of the socket member  6  is provided with an annular receiver groove  22  into which the projections  20  can be accommodated. 
     Actuating means  23  is provided for effecting extension and retraction of the latching projections  20  and comprises a spool-like body  24  having a central portion  25  terminating at its upper end in an arcuate retracting rim  26  and at its lower end in a disc  27 . The rim  26  is positioned externally of the arms  18 , whereas the disc  27  occupies a position below the projections  20 . The body  24  has an axial bore  28  in which is fixed one end of an operating rod  29  which extends through the disc  16  to and somewhat beyond the upper end (not shown) of the handle  14 . Fixed to the rod  29  is a disc  30  and between the discs  16  and  30  is a spring which normally urges the rod  29 , and consequently the actuator body  24 , in an upward direction. However, downward movement of the rod  29  manually enables both the rod and the actuator body  24  to be displaced downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG.  2 . The actuator body  24  is prevented from rotating within the handle and is guided in its movements by a guide rail  33  which is fixed to the tubular wall  15  and slideably accommodated in a vertically extending groove  33  formed in the body  24 . 
     When the actuator body  24  occupies its normal position as determined by the reaction between the spring  31  and the operating rod  29 , the projections  20  will be in their extended positions and the disc  27  will be at a level below that of the latching projections  20 , as is shown in FIG.  3 . When the operating rod  29  is depressed, however, the actuator  24  will move downwardly and the retracting rim  26  will bear against the spring arms  18  and cause them to move or retract radially inwardly so as to withdraw the latching projections  20  through the openings  21  and into the interior of the handle  14 . See FIG.  2 . 
     To condition the plunger for use, and assuming the handle  14  is not attached to the force cup  1  and that the sleeve is in the annular, coiled condition, the operating rod  29  is depressed so as to position the latching projections  20  within the tubular handle as is shown in FIG.  2 . That end of the handle containing the actuator body  24  then may be introduced into the bore  9  of the socket member  6  and moved downwardly. During this movement the rod  29  may be released whereupon the spring  31  may move the rod  29  upwardly, thereby enabling the spring arms  18  to extend the projections  20  through the openings  21  and into the receiver groove  22  in the socket member  6 . The handle then will be coupled to the force cup. 
     Following coupling of the handle to the force cup the sleeve  11  may be uncoiled and moved upwardly as is indicated in dash lines in FIG. 1 so as to form a protective sheath encircling the handle for as great a distance as is desired. 
     Following uncoiling and extension of the sleeve the plunger may be operated in the conventional manner by placing the force cup over a clogged drain. If the drain is at the bottom of a sink or the like and if the sink contains a quantity of water, the force cup and the lower end of the handle may be submerged. However, the seal between the lower end of the sleeve  11  and the force cup will prevent any water from entering the bore  9  and contaminating the handle. At the same time, and since the sleeve encircles a desired length of the handle and is formed of waterproof material, no part of the handle which may be submerged will be contaminated by the contents of the sink. 
     When use of the plunger no longer is required, it may be removed from the clogged drain area and placed in a position overlying a refuse container whereupon the operating rod  29  may be depressed to move the actuator  23  to the position shown in FIG.  2 . The latching projections  20  will be retracted, thereby enabling the handle to be uncoupled from the force cup. The sleeve still will be attached to the force cup and the sleeve may be discharged to the refuse container for disposal. The uncontaminated handle then may be stored for future use. 
     It may be desirable in some instances to form the sleeve of a known elastic, waterproof material, thereby enabling the sleeve, following use of the plunger, to be pulled over the force cup so as to stretch the sleeve laterally and enable the force cup  1  to be retained wholly within the sleeve. 
     The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred form of the invention, but is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined by the claims.