Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Obstruction remover – Piston
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-20
2004-08-24
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Obstruction remover
Piston
Reexamination Certificate
active
06779202
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical toilet
10
is illustrated in
FIG. 1
, comprised of an upwardly open bowl
12
having an annular generally horizontal upper rim
14
and side walls
16
that converge downwardly from the underside thereof to a recessed bottom well
18
. An outlet or trapway passage
20
from the bowl well
18
connects over an elevated weir dam
22
to an exit passage
24
, for directing liquid/waste flow via an exterior drain line to a sewer, septic field or the like (none-being shown). A water storage tank
26
typically supported vertically above the bowl
12
provides flush water that can be discharged by gravity via appropriate internal routing passages (not shown) through outlet jets
28
,
30
into the bowl
12
. The jets
28
direct flush water through the bowl well
18
for priming flow of water/waste therein over the dam
22
and from the toilet via exit passage
24
, and the jets
30
underlying the rim
14
direct flush water over the side walls
16
for rinsing them.
The dam
22
defines the maximum stable height (shown dotted along horizontal plane
32
) that water can remain in the bowl before leaking over the dam and out the exit passage
24
, which height might be 1-3 inches above the top opening of the well
18
and 4-8 inches below the bowl top
34
. The trapway passage
20
extends somewhat as a cylindrical bore a short distance horizontally from the bowl well
18
before curving up and over the weir dam
22
.
When the toilet is flushed, tank water flows into the bowl from both the jets
28
and
30
, priming the water/waste in the well
18
to flow toward the weir dam
22
while the water level in the bowl
18
will rise above the weir dam
22
, whereupon water/waste flow from the passage
24
will begin. This flow further can produce a siphoning action of the bowl well water/waste in flowing over the dam effective to substantially empty the bowl well
18
and the suction is broken. Continued flush water flow into the bowl from the jets
30
will rinse the bowl side walls
16
and refill the bowl
18
to the desired stable water level just below the weir plane
32
.
The now demanded low consumption toilets can release less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush; whereby the passages
20
,
24
have been made smaller in order to produce adequate velocities of discharging flow velocities. By way of example, some low consumption toilets have been sized for a 1 & ½ inch ball pass, meaning that the passages
20
,
24
(approximately only ⅛ inch larger) might be only 1 & ⅝ inch diameters. This might be contrasted against the older water saving toilets having 2 & ½ inch ball pass passages.
A common drawback to these low consumption toilets, with the small water flushing head and volume, and the small and bending water/waste flow passages, is that the flow passages
20
,
24
frequently become clogged by solid toilet waste/paper to preclude proper water/waste drainage from the toilet. With the toilet clogged, the flushed bowl water/waste levels can rise close to or even flow over the bowl top
34
and onto the surrounding floor.
Toilet plungers are commercially available suited for breaking up minor clogs, each typically having a long shaft with a bell-shaped head mounted at one end thereof. Specifically, the bell-shaped head-is made of a liquid-impervious deformable elastic material (rubber or synthetic polymer) and is sized to surround and cover the well top opening with its lower edge seated against the bowl side walls. The plunger head thus is significantly larger laterally than the well top opening, or possibly 4-6 inch diameter laterally and almost the same size axially of the shaft. Moreover, the shaft typically is approximately 3 feet long, to be gripped and manipulated with sufficient leverage from vertically above the toilet bowl for deforming the plunger head and creating water pressure surges to act against the blocked water/waste in the passages. The plunger thus commonly is large, unattractive, and difficult to hide near the toilet where needed; so that frequently it is inconveniently stored away from the toilet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A basic object of the invention is to provide a compact toilet plunger, having a shaft and head significantly smaller than conventional plungers, while yet effective when needed for clearing toilet clogs and for accommodating convenient and more attractive optional storage, such as in the bathroom, proximate its region of needed use.
A more detailed object of the invention is to provide a toilet plunger having a head sized to be fitted into the bowl well outlet or trapway passage, suited for establishing a sealed piston-like relationship therewith, whereby axial manipulation of the plunger head in bowl outlet trapway passage directly creates liquid surges and/or pressure variations within the passage suited to clear minor toilet clogs therein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 460350 (1891-09-01), Cole
patent: 1644436 (1927-10-01), Locke
patent: 2267064 (1941-12-01), Wikelund
patent: 3391026 (1968-07-01), Leiser
patent: 3480021 (1969-11-01), Eward, Jr.
patent: 4358861 (1982-11-01), Sard
patent: 5488749 (1996-02-01), Pearce et al.
patent: 6067668 (2000-05-01), Rudd
patent: 6216283 (2001-04-01), Tash
Huson Gregory L.
Le Huyen
Lind Charles F.
LandOfFree
Plunger appliance for toilets does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Plunger appliance for toilets, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Plunger appliance for toilets will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3321395