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US 9,068,330 B2Granted
Dissolvable bathroom device
OwnerLarry D. Schultzinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bathroom device with a single use dissolvable functional head with a plunger head or a cleaning head is described. The bathroom device may include an elongated handle coupled at a first end to the to the single use dissolvable functional head. The device may also include a single use dissolvable sleeve covering a portion of the elongated handle and a release mechanism for releasing the single use dissolvable functional head from the first end of the elongated handle. The single use dissolvable sleeve may be configured to slide off the elongated handle when the single use dissolvable functional head has been released. A method of using the bathroom device is also described.
Claims26
A bathroom apparatus comprising:
- a single use dissolvable functional head comprising one of a plunger head and a cleaning head, the functional head having a flexible female socket connector having an inner concaved surface with respect to a centerline of the functional head;
- an elongated handle having a male ball socket connector releasably coupled at a first end to the female socket connector of the single use dissolvable functional head, wherein the male ball socket connector includes a convex outer surface having a complementary shape of the inner concaved surface of the female socket connector;
- a second end of the elongated handle being disposed opposite of the first end of the elongated handle, the second end having an orifice;
- a single use dissolvable sleeve covering a portion of the elongated handle;
- a release mechanism for releasing the single use dissolvable functional head from the first end of the elongated handle, wherein the release mechanism includes a rod axially disposed within the elongated handle, one end of the rod having an ejector plate coupled thereto and the opposing end of the rod being disposed below the orifice of the elongated handle;
- a punch device having a body with a protrusion adapted extend into the orifice to abuttedly engage said opposing end of the rod;
- the rod including a shoulder portion disposed between the ejector plate and the opposing end of the rod, the shoulder portion for aligning the rod within the elongated handl;
- the rod being axially movable relative to the elongated handle, the ejector plate configured to abut the dissolvable functional head and provide an axial force to the dissolvable functional head responsive to axial movement of the ejector plate towards the dissolvable functional head;
- wherein the single use dissolvable sleeve is configured to slide off the male ball socket connector of the elongated handle when the single use dissolvable functional head has been released from the elongated handle.
6 more elements
A plunger comprising:
- a dissolvable plunger head having a flexible female socket connector having an inner concaved surface with respect to a centerline of the functional head;
- an elongated handle having a male ball socket connector releasbly coupled at a first end to the female socket connector of to the dissolvable plunger head, wherein the male ball socket connector includes a convex outer surface having a complementary shape of the inner concaved surface of the female socket connector;
- a second end of the elongated handle being disposed opposite of the first end of the elongated handle, the second end having an orifice;
- and
- a release mechanism configured for releasing the dissolvable plunger head from the first end of the elongated handle;
- wherein the release mechanism includes a rod axially disposed within the elongated handle, one end of the rod having an ejector plate coupled thereto;
- and the opposing end of the rod being disposed below the orifice of the elongated handle;
- a punch device having a body with a protrusion adapted extend into the orifice to abuttedly engage said opposing end of the rod;
- the rod including a shoulder portion disposed between the ejector plate and the opposing end of the rod, the shoulder portion for aligning the rod within the elongated handle;
- the rod being axially movable relative to the elongated handle, the ejector plate configured to abut the dissolvable plunger head and provide an axial force to the dissolvable plunger head responsive to axial movement of the ejector plate towards the dissolvable plunger head to release the female socket connector from the male ball socket connector.
7 more elements
A method of disposing of a plunger head in a toilet comprising the steps of:
- providing air pressure to a drain to release a drain clog with an apparatus including a plunger head;
- causing a release mechanism to release a plunger head having a flexible female socket connector including an inner concaved surface with respect to a centerline of the functional head coupled to a male ball socket connector having a convex outer surface having a complementary shape of the inner concaved surface of the female socket connector, the male ball socket connector disposed at one end of an elongated handle;
- wherein the release mechanism includes a rod axially disposed within the elongated handle, one end of the rod having an ejector plate coupled thereto and the opposing end of the rod being disposed below an orifice of the elongated handle;
- the release mechanism including a punch device having a body with a protrusion adapted extend into the orifice to abuttedly engage said opposing end of the rod;
- the rod including a shoulder portion disposed between the ejector plate and the opposing end of the rod, the shoulder portion for aligning the rod within the elongated handle;
- the rod being axially movable relative to the elongated handle, the ejector plate configured to abut the dissolvable plunger head and provide an axial force to the dissolvable plunger head responsive to axial movement of the ejector plate towards the plunger head;
- and
- causing the plunger head to contact water in a toilet for a period of time sufficient in length to cause at least a portion of the plunger head to dissolve.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.