Spring biased canister for toilet brush or plunger
AssigneeHelen of Troy Limited
InventorsKeith Brown, Allen Zadeh, Antonio Celestin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A canister for housing a tool such as a toilet brush or plunger and the canister has a pair of walls which pivot between an open and closed position via actuation of a platform which moves vertically within the canister upon receipt or removal of the tool therefrom. An actuator is provided to actuate the walls and a bias member may retain the walls in an open position when the tool is removed from the canister.
Claims30
A canister comprising:
- a base;
- a wall attached to the base and moveable between a first and second position;
- a platform bias mounted on the base;
- and
- an actuator disposed between the wall and the platform so that upon movement of the platform the wall is moved between the first and the second position.
The canister of clam 13 wherein the actuator includes a pivot member and the pivot member includes a rod having exposed ends and the ends received in the slots of each pair of flanges.
A method of operating a canister for housing a tool comprising the steps of:
- providing a canister having a pair of walls and a platform bias mounted therein;
- inserting an end of the tool between the pair of walls;
- placing the end of the tool on the platform;
- actuating the platform via the weight of the tool applying a downward force on the platform;
- pivoting the walls from an open position to a closed position in order to enclose the end of the tool;
- lifting the tool so that it is not resting on the platform;
- pushing the platform upward via the bias member mounted under the platform;
- and
- pivoting the walls from the closed to the open position via the platform's movement upward.
A method of assembling a canister comprising the steps of:
- providing a platform having a flange, a bias member, a base having retention fingers and a wall having a pivot structure and a pivot member;
- attaching the pivot structure of the wall to the retention fingers of the base so that the wall pivots on the base;
- mounting the bias member to the base;
- mounting the platform to the base so that the platform is supported by the bias member;
- and
- attaching the flange to the pivot member so that vertical movement of the platform is translated to pivotal movement of the pivot member and the wall.
A canister comprising:
- a base;
- an actuator bias mounted to the base;
- and
- a closer member attached to the actuator and biased in an open position and the closer member movable away incrementally from the open position, but the actuator automatically biases the closer member back to the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.