U.S. patent application number 13/136823 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-14 for combined plunger and scrub brush.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mary Loughman. Invention is credited to Mary Loughman.
Application Number | 20130036542 13/136823 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47676560 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130036542 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Loughman; Mary |
February 14, 2013 |
Combined plunger and scrub brush
Abstract
The combined plunger and scrub brush device comprises a hollow
cylinder connected to a plunger with an elongate handle rod or
shaft movably received in the hollow cylinder and having a scrub
brush mounted to a lower end of the handle rod or shaft, the
plunger cup having a closing flap connected by a living hinge to
the plunger cup and positioned to cover a lower opening of the
hollow cylinder when the scrub brush is moved from a lowered
scrubbing position upwardly to a closed position in the hollow
cylinder above the closing flap. The hollow cylinder mounts a
locking ring having a protrusion extending radially inwardly
therefrom for being received in a slot or in one of two notches or
in a notch in a disk body fixed to the handle shaft for locking the
handle shaft in a lower scrubbing position or in the retracted
upper closed position.
Inventors: |
Loughman; Mary; (Fox River
Grove, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Loughman; Mary |
Fox River Grove |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47676560 |
Appl. No.: |
13/136823 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/255.11 ;
15/106 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D 9/00 20130101; A47K
11/10 20130101; A46B 2200/304 20130101; A46B 15/0055 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/255.11 ;
15/106 |
International
Class: |
A47K 11/10 20060101
A47K011/10; A46B 15/00 20060101 A46B015/00 |
Claims
1. A combined plunger and scrub brush device comprising a hollow
cylinder connected to a plunger cup with an elongate handle rod or
shaft movably received in the hollow cylinder and having a scrub
brush mounted to a lower end of the handle rod or shaft, said
plunger cup having a closing flap connected by a living hinge to
the plunger cup and positioned to cover a lower opening in the
hollow cylindrical body portion when the scrub brush is moved from
a lowered scrubbing position upwardly to a closed position in the
hollow cylindrical body portion above the closing flap.
2. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein
said hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a
protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received
in a notch in or in an axially extending slot in a shaft assembly
for locking the scrub brush in an upper retracted position.
3. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein
said hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a
protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received
in a notch in or an axially extending slot in a shaft assembly for
locking the scrub brush in a lower scrubbing position.
4. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein
said scrub brush is releasably mounted to the lower end of said
handle rod or shaft to facilitate replacement of said brush.
Description
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a combined plunger and
scrub brush device wherein the scrub brush is movable on a rod or
shaft past a hinged closing flap in a plunger cup from an extended
position to a closed position into a hollow cylindrical body
portion above the hinged closing flap which closes a central
opening in the plunger below the hollow cylindrical body portion to
provide an effective sealed plunger. The single piece device
performs the function of a toilet plunger and a toilet scrubber.
However the device is different from those presently in use in that
this device combines both functions into one device. The handle can
be rotated to lock and unlock the brush. The brush shaft can be
extended or retracted to allow for use of the brush or plunger. At
no time does the operator's hands need to touch any of the
cleaning/plunger surfaces. When the scrubber brush is retracted it
is completely concealed and can be locked in place in a separate
compartment in the hollow cylindrical body portion in the plunger
device. When the brush is extended it is of sufficient distance and
can be locked in place from the plunger cup so as not to interfere
with a cleaning operation
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Heretofore a number of combined plunger and scrub brush
devices have been proposed. See the following prior art US Patents
and published patent applications for examples of the previously
proposed combined plunger and scrub brush devices.
TABLE-US-00001 US Patent or Patent Application No. Patentee
6,804,839 McMaster 7,299,519 Garry 7,430,779 Garry 7,752,684
Pieretti 2005/0125922 Szarawarski 2007/0240254 Moore
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to the present invention there is provided a
combined plunger and scrub brush device comprising a hollow
cylindrical body portion connected to a plunger with an elongate
handle rod or shaft movably received in the hollow cylindrical body
portion and having a scrub brush mounted to a lower end of the
handle rod or shaft, the plunger cup having a closing flap
connected by a living hinge to the plunger cup and positioned to
cover a lower opening of the hollow cylindrical body portion when
the scrub brush is moved from a lowered scrubbing position upwardly
to a closed position in the hollow cylinder above the closing flap.
The hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a
protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received
in a slot or in one of two notches or in a notch in a shaft
assembly fixed to the handle for locking the handle shaft in a
lower scrubbing position or in the retracted upper closed
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combined plunger and
scrub device of the present invention showing the scrub brush in a
lower extended position.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in
FIG. 1 showing the scrub brush in a raised closed position.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in
FIG. 1 showing the scrub brush in a lowered extended position for
scrubbing.
[0007] FIG. 3a is an enlarged sectional view of a middle portion of
the device shown in FIG. 3.
[0008] FIG. 3b is an enlarged sectional view of an upper portion of
the device shown in FIG. 3.
[0009] FIG. 3c is an enlarged sectional view of a lower portion of
the device shown in FIG. 3.
[0010] FIG. 4 is sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3
through a locking ring mounted around a plunger shaft.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the combined plunger
and scrub brush.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Referring to FIG. 1 in greater detail there is illustrated
therein a combined plunger and scrub brush device 10 constructed
according to the teachings of the present invention. The device 10
comprises a plunger cup 12 having a cup portion 14 and an upper
hollow body portion 16 extending upwardly from the cup portion 14.
An upper outer body tube 18 extends upwardly from an upper end 20
of the upper hollow body portion 16. A rod or shaft 22 extends
upwardly into the plunger cup 14 and into the upper hollow body
portion 16 and through the upper outer body tube 18 to a handle 24
connected to the upper end of the rod or shaft 22. Inside the
plunger cup portion 14 is a closing flap 26 which is connected by a
living hinge 28 to the plunger cup 14 adjacent a central opening 30
in the plunger cup portion 14 leading to the upper hollow body
portion 16. As shown a cylindrically shaped brush 32 is attached to
the lower end of the rod 22 between an upper hard metal material
ring 34, FIG. 3, and a lower hard metal material cap 36, as shown
in FIG. 3.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, when the brush 32 is retracted into the
upper hollow body portion 16, the closing flap 26 seals the opening
30 to completely seal the plunger cup portion 14. At this stage a
protrusion 38, FIG. 4 which extends the length of the outer body
tube 18 and is used as a guide for the notch 44 and which extends
radially inward from a locking guide ring 40 mounted within an
upper end 42 of the outer body tube 18 locks into a notch 44 in a
disk body 45 fixed to the rod 22 or into an axially extending slot
in the disk body 45 fixed to the rod 22 for securing the brush 32
in a closed position. The disk body 45 on the rod or shaft 22
forming a shaft assembly.
[0014] A cap 46 is mounted on the top of the outer body tube 18 and
provides a void space for the disk body 45 to turn in.
[0015] The locking guide ring 40 disk body 45 needs to be rotated
directly or by rotating the handle 24 to lock the brush 32 in the
closed position and prevent it from being extended.
[0016] When it is desired to extend the brush 32, the guide locking
ring 40 disk body 45 is rotated to unlock the brush 32 or the
handle 24 is rotated to rotate the notch 44 of the disk body 45
over the protrusion 38 of the outer body tube 18 into the notch 44
in the disk body 45 and the handle 24 is pushed downwardly to move
the brush 32 past the closing of the opening 30 to a brush extended
position show in FIG. 3. Here the guide locking ring 40 disk body
45 is rotated or the handle 24 is rotated to lock the protrusion 34
in an upper notch 44 in the disk body 45 fixed to the shaft or rod
22 or in an axially extending slot in the body 45 fixed to the
shaft or rod 22. In this way the rod 22 is locked in a lowered
position where the brush can be used for scrubbing without axial
movement of same.
[0017] From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the
combined plunger and brush device of the present invention have a
number of advantages such as a completely closed plunger cup when
the brush is retracted, a locked extended brush for scrubbing and a
locked retracted brush to prevent accidental extension thereof.
Accordingly the combined plunger and brush device of the present
invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying
claims.
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