U.S. patent application number 10/210996 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-11 for toilet plunger cabinet system.
Invention is credited to Benson, Mary J..
Application Number | 20030226777 10/210996 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29714806 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030226777 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Benson, Mary J. |
December 11, 2003 |
Toilet plunger cabinet system
Abstract
A toilet plunger cabinet system for conveniently storing a
plunger in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The toilet plunger
cabinet system includes a base for receiving a lower segment of a
plunger and a cover removably connected to the base. The base has a
lower plate with an extended portion extending upwardly from an
upper surface thereof defining an upper opening. A support portion
extends upwardly from the upper surface of the lower plate thereby
allowing liquids to be removed from the inner portion of the
suction cup of the plunger. The cover preferable includes a handle
member for grasping by the user, wherein the cover removably fits
about the extended portion.
Inventors: |
Benson, Mary J.; (Coeur d'
Alene, ID) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Michael S. Neustel
2534 South University Drive, Suite No. 4
Fargo
ND
58103
US
|
Family ID: |
29714806 |
Appl. No.: |
10/210996 |
Filed: |
July 31, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60386848 |
Jun 6, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 11/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/349 |
International
Class: |
A45C 011/26 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A toilet plunger cabinet system for storing a plunger,
comprising: a base having a lower plate and an extended portion
extending upwardly from an upper surface of said lower plate
defining a lower cavity for receiving a suction cup of said
plunger; and a cover removably attachable about said extended
portion of said base.
2. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 1, wherein said cover
is comprised of an elongate tubular structure.
3. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said cover
has an enclosed upper end and an open lower end.
4. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, including a handle
member attached to an upper end of said cover.
5. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said cover
has a lower end positionable about said extended portion.
6. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said base
includes a support portion within said upper surface of said lower
plate.
7. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 6, wherein said
support portion has an X-shaped structure.
8. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said cover
has an upper end, a body portion and a lower end, wherein said body
portion has a circular cross section.
9. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said lower
plate has a flat structure.
10. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 2, wherein said
extended portion has a height less than 3 inches.
11. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 10, wherein said
extended portion and said cover have a similar cross sectional
shape.
12. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 1, wherein said
extended portion has an elongate tubular structure with an upper
opening, and where said cover has a lower lip that fits within said
upper opening of said extended portion of said base.
13. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, wherein said
cover is comprised of a flat structure.
14. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, including a
handle member attached to an upper end of said cover.
15. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, including a
hinge pivotally connected between said cover and said extended
portion for pivotally supporting said cover.
16. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, wherein said
base includes a support portion within said upper surface of said
lower plate.
17. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 16, wherein said
support portion has an X-shaped structure.
18. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, wherein said
lower plate has a flat structure.
19. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, wherein said
extended portion and said cover have a similar cross sectional
shape.
20. The toilet plunger cabinet system of claim 12, wherein said
handle member has a spherical shape.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] I hereby claim benefit under Title 35, United States Code,
Section 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Serial No.
______ filed Jun. 6, 2002. This provisional application is
currently pending and is hereby incorporated by reference into this
application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable to this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates generally to toilet plunger
accessories and more specifically it relates to a toilet plunger
cabinet system for conveniently storing a plunger in an
aesthetically pleasing manner.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] Examples of patented devices which may be related to the
present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,933 to Wanek; U.S.
Pat. No. 393,169 to Cross et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 374,584 to Freeman;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,451 to Hooser; U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,100 to
Ramsey et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 403,906 to Gotti; U.S. Pat. No.
6,109,429 to Cunningham et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,059 to Massaro;
U.S. Pat. No. 425,744 to McGuire; U.S. Pat. No. 414,064 to
Shafik.
[0007] While these devices may be suitable for the particular
purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for
conveniently storing a plunger in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Conventional toilet plunger storage devices do not provide
convenient access to the plunger nor do they provide an
aesthetically pleasing appearance.
[0008] In these respects, the toilet plunger cabinet system
according to the present invention substantially departs from the
conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing
provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of
conveniently storing a plunger in an aesthetically pleasing
manner.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of toilet plunger accessories now present in the prior art,
the present invention provides a new toilet plunger cabinet system
construction wherein the same can be utilized for conveniently
storing a plunger in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
[0010] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new
toilet plunger cabinet system that has many of the advantages of
the plunger covers mentioned heretofore and many novel features
that result in a new toilet plunger cabinet system which is not
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of
the prior art plunger enclosures, either alone or in any
combination thereof.
[0011] To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a
base for receiving a lower segment of a plunger and a cover
removably connected to the base. The base has a lower plate with an
extended portion extending upwardly from an upper surface thereof
defining an upper opening. A support portion extends upwardly from
the upper surface of the lower plate thereby allowing liquids to be
removed from the inner portion of the suction cup of the plunger.
The cover preferable includes a handle member for grasping by the
user, wherein the cover removably fits about the extended
portion.
[0012] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the
present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There
are additional features of the invention that will be described
hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims
appended hereto.
[0013] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment
of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0014] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
toilet plunger cabinet system that will overcome the shortcomings
of the prior art devices.
[0015] A second object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet
system for conveniently storing a plunger in an aesthetically
pleasing manner.
[0016] Another object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet system
that is capable of receiving and storing toilet plungers, brushes,
toilet paper and other bathroom related items.
[0017] An additional object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet
system that provides convenient access to a plunger being
stored.
[0018] A further object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet
system that promotes a hygienic bathroom environment that prevents
the transmission of disease and germs.
[0019] Another object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet system
that receives various sizes and shapes of toilet plungers.
[0020] A further object is to provide a toilet plunger cabinet
system that is positionable within various locations of a
bathroom.
[0021] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects
and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
[0022] To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this
invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however,
that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be
made in the specific construction illustrated and described within
the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of
the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same
becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate
the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and
wherein:
[0024] FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of the present
invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 is an exploded upper perspective view of the present
invention with a plunger.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of
FIG. 1.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a top view of the base.
[0028] FIG. 5 is an upper perspective view of a first alternative
embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 6 is an exploded upper perspective view of the first
alternative embodiment with a plunger.
[0030] FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of a second alternative
embodiment illustrating the opening of the cover.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar
reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several
views, FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrate a toilet plunger cabinet system
10, which comprises a base 20 for receiving a lower segment of a
plunger 12 and a cover 30 removably connected to the base 20. The
base 20 has a lower plate 22 with an extended portion 26 extending
upwardly from an upper surface thereof defining an upper opening
27. A support portion 24 extends upwardly from the upper surface of
the lower plate 22 thereby allowing liquids to be removed from the
inner portion of the suction cup 16 of the plunger 12. The cover 30
preferable includes a handle member 32 for grasping by the user,
wherein the cover 30 removably fits about the extended portion 26.
The base 20 and cover 30 may be comprised of various well-known
materials including but not limited to plastic, metal and wood.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings, the base 20
includes a lower plate 22 and an extended portion 26 that extends
upwardly from an upper surface of the base 20. The lower plate 22
may have various shapes and structures including but not limited to
a flat circular structure as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the
drawings.
[0033] The extended portion 26 extends a finite distance
(preferably less than 3 inches) upwardly forming an interior cavity
within the base 20 that receives either all or a portion of the
suction cup 16 of the plunger 12. The extended portion 26
preferably has an outer perimeter shape and size sufficient to
allow removable positioning of the cover 30 upon as best illustrate
in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The extended portion 26
preferably has a shape similar to the shape of the cover 30 with
the outer perimeter slightly smaller than the inner perimeter of
the cover 30.
[0034] The base 20 further preferably includes a support portion 24
extending upwardly from the upper surface of the lower plate 22 for
supporting the suction cup 16 of the plunger 12 upwardly from the
upper surface for allowing drainage of water from the interior of
the suction cup 16. The support portion 24 preferably is comprised
of a raised X-shaped structure as best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the
drawings. However, the support portion 24 may have various other
shapes and structures to elevate the suction cup 16 from the upper
surface of the lower plate 22.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, the cover 30
preferably has an elongate tubular structure with a lower end 36,
an upper end 34 and a body portion 38. The cover 30 preferably has
a length sufficient to enclose the plunger 12 including the suction
cup 16 and the elongate handle 14. The cover 30 may have various
cross sectional shapes such as but not limited to circular, square,
rectangular and oval. The upper end 34 of the cover 30 is
preferably enclosed, however various other structures may be used
to construct the upper end 34 including partially open
structures.
[0036] A handle member 32 is preferably attached to the upper end
34 of the cover 30 as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the
drawings. The handle member 32 preferably has a spherical shape,
however various other shapes may also be utilized to construct the
handle member 32. To remove the cover 30 from the base 20 to
provide access to the plunger 12, the user simply grasps the handle
member 32 and then elevates the cover 30 from the base 20 thereby
exposing the plunger 12.
[0037] The lower end 36 of the cover 30 is comprised of an opening
that removably fits about the extended portion 26 of the base 20.
The lower end 36 of the cover 30 preferably has size and shape
sufficient to removably fit about the extended portion 26.
[0038] FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings illustrate a first alternative
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates that the
first alternative embodiment has a vertically elongate base 20
wherein the extended portion 26 is extended significantly upwardly
compared to the main embodiment of the present invention. The cover
30 preferably is comprised of an upper end 34 having a flat
structure with a lower lip 39 extending downwardly from thereof
that fits within the upper opening 27 of the base 20 as further
show in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The cover 30 is simply removed to
access the plunger 12 within the base 20. In a second alternative
embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 7, the
cover 30 is similar in structure to the first alternative
embodiment except pivotally attached to the base 20 about the upper
opening 27 by a hinge 40.
[0039] As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and
operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent
from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion
relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
[0040] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and
all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0041] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
1 Index of Elements for Toilet Plunger Cabinet System .quadrature.
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS .quadrature. .quadrature. .quadrature.
.quadrature. .quadrature. .quadrature. .quadrature. .quadrature.
.quadrature. .quadrature. 10. Toilet Plunger Cabinet System
.quadrature. 11. .quadrature. 12. Plunger .quadrature. 13.
.quadrature. 14. Elongate Handle .quadrature. 15. .quadrature. 16.
Suction Cup .quadrature. 17. .quadrature. 18. .quadrature. 19.
.quadrature. 20. Base .quadrature. 21. .quadrature. 22. Lower Plate
.quadrature. 23. .quadrature. 24. Support Portion .quadrature. 25.
.quadrature. 26. Extended Portion .quadrature. 27. Upper Opening
.quadrature. 28. .quadrature. 29. .quadrature. 30. Cover
.quadrature. 31. .quadrature. 32. Handle Member .quadrature. 33.
.quadrature. 34. Upper end .quadrature. 35. .quadrature. 36. Lower
End .quadrature. 37. .quadrature. 38. Body Portion .quadrature. 39.
Lower Lip .quadrature. 40. Hinge .quadrature. 41. .quadrature. 42.
.quadrature. 43. .quadrature. 44. .quadrature. 45. .quadrature. 46.
.quadrature. 47. .quadrature. 48. .quadrature. 49. .quadrature. 50.
.quadrature. 51. .quadrature. 52. .quadrature. 53. .quadrature. 54.
.quadrature. 55. .quadrature. 56. .quadrature. 57. .quadrature. 58.
.quadrature. 59. .quadrature. 60. .quadrature. 61. .quadrature. 62.
.quadrature. 63. .quadrature. 64. .quadrature. 65. .quadrature. 66.
.quadrature. 67. .quadrature. 68. .quadrature. 69. .quadrature. 70.
.quadrature. 71. .quadrature. 72. .quadrature. 73. .quadrature. 74.
.quadrature. 75. .quadrature. 76. .quadrature. 77. .quadrature. 78.
.quadrature. 79.
* * * * *