Combination snake and plunger
A combination snake and plunger, in an integral body, wherein the snake feeds through an aperture in the plunger cup, allowing use, as a plunger, a snake, or a combination device, for removing clogs from drains. The present invention includes a feed mechanism for the snake; a spool for snake storage; a hose adaptor to clean the snake and add hydraulic pressure; and a crank-wheel to re-spool the snake.
This invention relates to tools and equipment, specifically to tools used for the maintenance of plumbing systems. This invention is a combination snake and plunger, designed to be practical, easy-to-use, and hygienic.
Both residential and commercial plumbing systems are prone to clogging. With the advent of low-flow toilets over the past decade, this problem has become more common-place. The tools to fix the problem, though, have remained relatively static. When a plumbing system becomes clogged, it can be fixed by using either a plunger or a snake. Plungers are more frequently used than snakes. Plungers can unclog toilets in most circumstances. However, for larger clogs, or for more difficult to dislodge clogs, a snake may be needed.
A traditional plunger is comprised of a rubber cup mounted on the end of a pole or stick. The plunger works by placing the rubber cup over the opening in the toilet. The plunger is forced, up and down, alternately, elevating the hydraulic pressure in the water between the plunger cup and the clog while the plunger is forced down, and reducing the hydraulic pressure in the water while the plunger is being pulled up. The cycling hydraulic pressure loosens the clog, until the matter clogging the toilet is dislodged. A plunger will only remove minor clogs, which are relatively easy to dislodge. A plunger is usually only cleaned by rinsing it in a clean toilet, once the clog has been removed.
A snake is comprised of a flexible piece of wound metal, which can be forced down the opening of a toilet or a drain. The snake dislodges the clog by penetrating it, mechanically breaking the clog apart. A snake can remove more difficult or stubborn clogs. Most snakes come on spools. The snake is usually forced down the toilet by hand. The snake can also be twisted, to help it go around curves in the plumbing system. The snake can then be retracted by using a crank or lever to rewind it on the spool. The use of a snake often leaves the bathroom with contaminated toilet water splashed on the floor, toilet base and cabinetry, due to the physic of re-winding the snake on a coil. Clearly, the snake itself is contaminated with fecal water, and it is difficult to properly rinse a coiled snake.
The plunger and the snake are imperfect solutions to most commercial and residential plumbing clogs. The plunger is ineffective on some clogs. The snake is unhygienic and difficult to use.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the current tools by combining them in a single tool.
The present invention 1 is a combination plunger 8 and snake 10. The invention comprises a combination snake and plunger, in an integral body 21. Using the two symmetrical handles 6, 20, the user can use the invention as a conventional plunger. Using the squeeze handle on top 3, the user can feed the snake 10, 13 down the toilet. The snake can be retracted using the hand-crank 7, 22. The invention has a hose opening 30 to create hydraulic pressure and to rinse the snake 10 and plunger 8.
The bottom part of the present invention is a traditional plunger cup 8, except that the center of the cup has an aperture 14 for the snake 10, 13. The tight fit of the aperture to the snake, along with the seal of the plastic body, minimizes hydraulic loses. Using the hose connection 30 to attach a hose will create additional hydraulic pressure.
The plunger is held to the body of the invention with a collar 12. The collar 12 can be design to attach the plunger cup 8 to the body 21 either using fasteners, adhesives, ultra-sonic welding, or integral molding.
The body of the invention 21 can be made of any rugged plastic, through a variety of manufacturing processes, including, but not limited to, injection molding, thermo-forming, gas injection molding, and over-molding. The body will mostly likely be constructed in two halves, allowing for the assembly of the interior mechanism 17, 16, 19, 15, before sealing the body. The body 21 can also be produced by over-molding the body 21 around the interior assembly.
The snake mechanism 10, 13, 16, 18 is interior to the rugged plastic body 21. The snake mechanism originates on a reel 22. The snake connects to a feed mechanism 17 and extends downward through the body of the invention 15, 16, 19, and through the upper aperture 14. The snake, itself, is of standard construction 10, 13, 16, 18. The snake is a flexible, wound-metal, narrow-diameter tube 10, 13, 16, 18.
In the preferred embodiment, the snake is fed into the toilet through the interaction of the upper rubber portion 5, the interior metal stabilizer or stanchion mechanism 15, 17, 19, and the squeeze-handle portion 3. The metal stanchion 15, 19 centers the snake-feed mechanism 16. The user then, manually, compresses the upper rubber portion 5. Compression of the upper rubber portion 5 forces an additional length of snake 10, 13 through the aperture 14. By releasing the squeeze handle 3, the user will cause the feed-mechanism 17, 19, 15, to “relax”, thus keeping the snake 10, 13 stationary while the upper rubber portion expands 5. The user can feed addition snake 18 off the reel 7 by repeating the process. Of course, many different methods of self-feeding the snake through such an invention exist.
When feeding a snake 10 into a toilet, often time, the snake can become stuck when going around tight bends in the plumbing system. Traditionally, this is overcome by rotating the snake in the toilet. The rotating motion allows the wound-metal snake to pivot on a narrower bending radius, allowing it to “snake” past the bend in the plumbing. The best mode of the present invention has a mechanism that will rotate the snake. The upper ring 23 is attached to a mechanism 17 that rotates the length of snake 10 that has been fed down into the toilet. The results of using this mechanism are analogous to twisting a traditional snake, by hand. To activate the upper ring 23, the user slides the activation button 4 while the squeeze handle is squeezed 3. Now, by rotating the upper ring 23, the snake 10, 13 will rotate, making the wound metal tighten to a narrower diameter. The narrower diameter will allow the snake to bend in a tighter bending radius.
Once the clog is removed, the best mode of the present invention has a crank-wheel 22 that will re-coil 7 the snake. The user can leave the snake and plunger combination, in situ, and can crank the wheel 22. The snake will re-coil on the storage coil 7 while the plunger portion 8 prevents any fecal water from being splashed by the retracting snake.
The best mode of the present invention also includes a hose attachment 30 that serves two purposes. By connecting a standard water hose and turning on the water, the snake portion 10 will be rinsed as it is retracted. Second, the hose connection 30 allows the user to create additional hydraulic pressure. The heightened hydraulic pressure will assist in dislodging certain types of clogs, if the user wishes. When no hose is attached, a spring securely closes the hose fitting 30, so that the combination snake and plunger 1 is hydraulically sealed.
Claims
1. A combination snake and plunger in an integral body.
2. The invention from 1, in which the snake is confined to the inside of an integral body and is fed through an aperture in the plunger cup.
3. The invention from 2, in which the snake is fed through the aperture, either manually or automatically, by an internal feed-mechanism.
4. The invention from 2, in which the snake is stored on a coil, interior to the integral body.
5. The invention from 4, in which the snake can be re-coiled by use of a hand-crank.
6. The invention from 1, in which there is also a hose attachment to feed water into the integral body.
7. The invention from 1, in which there is a mechanism to allow the snake to be rotated while it is being fed into the plumbing system.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 27, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 30, 2014
Inventor: Frank Dwight Washington, JR. (Detroit, MI)
Application Number: 13/559,915
International Classification: E03D 9/00 (20060101);
