Combined plunger and scrub brush
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.
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 ARTHeretofore 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.
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.
Referring to
As shown in
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 11, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 14, 2013
Inventor: Mary Loughman (Fox River Grove, IL)
Application Number: 13/136,823
International Classification: A47K 11/10 (20060101); A46B 15/00 (20060101);