Patent Publication Number: US-8112823-B2

Title: Combination garbage disposal scraper, safety poker and deodorizer

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This patent relates to a combination garbage disposal scraper, safety poker and deodorizer/sanitizer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Combination garbage disposal pokers and scrapers are known in the art. For example, each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,395,792; Des. 269, 302; Re. 32,141 and 5,488,749 discloses a combination poker and scraper for use with garbage disposals. Also known are various means for deodorizing and/or sanitizing a sink or garbage disposal, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,112,499; 5,354,468 and 6,866,440. However, no reference known to the inventor teaches a utensil that can be used as a scraper for scraping food debris into a garbage disposal drain, a plunger or poker for tamping the food debris past the safety guard and into the disposal, and a deodorizer/sanitizer for keeping the drain and garbage disposal deodorized and sanitized. 
     Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a utensil that combines a scraper with a garbage disposal plunger and deodorizer/sanitizer. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a utensil having interchangeable handles and strainers and a detachable scraper that can be replaced. 
     Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a combination garbage disposal poker, scraper and deodorizer/sanitizer device to be used with a sink drain mounted garbage disposal unit. The device comprises a scraper attached to the lower end of a hollow tubular stem defining a deodorizer compartment that can hold a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet. A drain member, such as a strainer or sink stopper, may be mounted to the upper end of the stem. 
     The strainer is generally cup-shaped and comprises a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall extending upward from the bottom wall. Water drainage holes disposed in the bottom wall communicate with the deodorizer compartment, thereby exposing a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet held within the compartment to water. The strainer also comprises a handle attached to the strainer bottom wall, preferably by screw threads. The handle can be separated from the strainer bottom wall to expose a relatively larger hole in the strainer bottom wall that communicates with the deodorizer compartment. When the handle is removed a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet can be introduced into the deodorizer compartment. 
     The hollow stem comprises a cylindrical wall that includes openings through which water can pass into and out of the deodorizer compartment. The device further comprises a connector for attaching the scraper to the hollow stem. The connector comprises a body and a horizontal upper wall that serves as a bottom wall of the compartment when the connector is attached to the stem. 
    
    
     
       THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the present invention, a combination scraper, plunger and deodorizer/sanitizer device for use with garbage disposals. 
         FIG. 2  is plan view of the device of  FIG. 1 , shown installed in a garbage disposal drain. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments, with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments. 
     Turning to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  one embodiment of the present invention, a combination garbage disposal safety poker, scraper and deodorizer/sanitizer device  10 . The device  10  comprises a drain member  12  for suspending the device  10  within a garbage disposal drain, a handle  14  attached to a drain member  12 , a hollow cylindrical stem  16  extending downward from and attached to the drain member  12 , and a replaceable rubber scraper/poker  18  connected to the lower end of the hollow stem  16  by a connector  19 . 
     The drain member  12  can be a strainer as shown in the figures, a stopper, or a combination strainer and stopper. The strainer shown in the figures is cup-shaped and comprises a bottom wall  28  and a cylindrical side wall  30  extending upward from the bottom wall  28 . The bottom wall includes water drainage holes  32 , some of which may communicate with the hollow interior  22  of the stem  16 , while others, closer to the strainer side wall  30 , communicate directly with the space within garbage disposal unit G. Optional elongated openings  31  in the strainer side wall  30  allow additional water drainage into the garbage disposal unit G. 
     The drain member  12  also comprises a female screw mount base  36  extending downward from the strainer bottom wall  28 . The base  36  receives the stem  16  by means of a threaded connection. 
     Alternatively, a stopper (not shown) may be mounted to the upper end of the hollow stem  16 . The stopper can be any shape, including but not limited to dome shaped, and may or may not have holes through which water can pass. 
     The handle  14  is connected to the drain member  12  by a screw mount  26  and can be removed to expose a hole  21  located in the bottom wall  28  of the drain member  12 . The hole  21  communicates with the hollow interior  22  of the stem  16  so that a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet  23  ( FIG. 2 ) can be added to the interior compartment  22  by dropping it through the hole  21 . A washer  33  may be mounted to the screw mount between the handle  14  and the strainer base wall  28  to serve as a water tight seal. The handle  14  and drain member  12  can be replaced with handles and strainers of different styles. 
     The hollow cylindrical stem  16  has an upper end and a lower end and defines the interior compartment  22  that contains a deodorizing and/or sanitizing compound, such as a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet  23  or other solid chemical deodorizer. Optional openings  20  in the stem wall allow water to enter and exit the compartment  22 , thus exposing the deodorizer/sanitizer tablet  23  to water and allowing the tablet  23  to slowly dissolve and deodorize and sanitize the disposal system. 
     The scraper  18  is attached to the lower end of the stem  16  by a connector  19 , and extends downward from the connector  19 . The scraper  18  comprises a substantially cylindrical body  38 , a base  40  extending upward from the body  38  and configured to receive set screws  41 , and an extension  24  centrally mounted to the underside of the body  38 . The extension  24  and body  38  can be used to guide food debris into the disposal system. The scraper  18  can be made of any suitable material, but preferably is made from an elastomeric material such as rubber or plastic to prevent the scraper from scratching dishes or sinks. The scraper base  40  comprises upper and lower sections and a middle section  45  having a diameter less than the diameter of the upper and lower sections so that the set screws  41  can firmly secure the scraper  18  to the connector  19 . The scraper  18  is detachable and can be replaced when worn. 
     The connector  19  comprises a body having female threads at its upper end and a horizontal upper wall  25  ( FIG. 2 ) that serves as the bottom wall of the compartment  22  when the connector  19  is attached to the stem  16 . The connector  19  further comprises a bottom wall  49  that mates with the scraper body  38  in the assembled device  10 . An opening in the connector bottom wall  49  communicates with a space  50  within the connector  19 . The space  50  is configured to accommodate the scraper base  40 . The connector further comprises channels bored into the connector body for receiving the set screws  41 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the device  10  supported by a sink  43  and extending into the space within a garbage disposal unit G. When the device  10  is inserted into a garbage disposal unit G as shown in the figure, water from the sink can drain through the holes  32  in the drain member  12  and then either into the deodorizer compartment  22  or directly into the disposal unit G. 
     The invention works in the following manner. The scraper extension  24  can be used to collect food debris and other wastes that gather in the sink  43  and to move those materials into the area  44  within the garbage disposal drain  46 . The scraper extension  24  can also be used to scrape food off dishes. Once the food debris is in the drain opening area  44 , the device  10  can be used as a poker to tamp or push the food debris past the rubber safety guard  48  and into the garbage disposal unit G safely, without endangering fingers. 
     To use the deodorizer feature, a deodorizer/sanitizer tablet  23  or other deodorizer material may be inserted into the deodorizer compartment  22  by removing the handle  14  and exposing the central opening  21  in the strainer bottom wall  28 . The tablet  23  then can be dropped into the compartment  22  and the handle  14  screwed back onto the drain member  12 . Alternatively, the connector  19  can be removed from the lower end of the stem  16  and the tablet  23  inserted into the stem lower end. 
     It should be understood that the embodiments of the invention described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.