US2005229296A1PendingUtilityA1

Plunger system and method

33
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 23, 2004Filed: Mar 19, 2005Published: Oct 20, 2005
Est. expiryMar 23, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Justin Lee Lanier
E03D 9/00
33
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A system and method for a plunger for unclogging a toilet. A plunger system comprising an elongated cylinder, a flexible material at a first end of the elongated cylinder, an air reservoir located inside the cylinder having an outlet extending through the flexible material, and a valve adapted to release compressed air stored inside the air reservoir through the outlet. The flexible material is capable of being expanded to seal the exit port of a toilet. A method for unclogging a toilet with a plunger device comprising the following steps: inserting a first end of a plunger device into an exit port of the toilet, expanding a flexible material attached to the first end of the plunger device to seal the exit port, and releasing a bolus of air into the exit port past the flexible material to unclog the toilet.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A device for unclogging a toilet comprising: 
 an elongated cylinder;    a flexible material at a first end of the elongated cylinder and capable of being inserted into an exit port of the toilet and then expanded to seal the exit port of the toilet;    an air reservoir located inside the cylinder having an outlet extending through the flexible material; and    a valve adapted to release air stored inside the air reservoir through the outlet.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is expanded by filling with a fluid.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is expanded mechanically.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , further including a reciprocal pump for increasing air pressure within the air reservoir.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4 , further including an elongated pump arm.  
   
   
       6 . A method of unclogging a toilet, comprising the following steps: 
 inserting a first end of a plunger device into an exit port of the toilet;    expanding a flexible material attached to the first end of the plunger device to seal the exit port; and    releasing a bolus of air into the exit port past the flexible material to unclog the toilet.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the expanding step includes pumping a handle at a second end of the plunger device to increase air pressure within the plunger device.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the expanding step includes mechanically expanding a dimension of the flexible material.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the expanding step includes forcing a fluid into the flexible material.  
   
   
       10 . A device for unclogging a toilet comprising: 
 an elongated cylinder;    a flexible material at a first end of the elongated cylinder;    an air reservoir located within the elongated cylinder and in communication with the flexible material;    a valve located within the flexible material and in communication with the air reservoir;    a nozzle extending outside the flexible material and in communication with the air reservoir; and    a handle attached to a second end of the elongated cylinder adapted to be moved in an upstroke and a down-stroke, wherein pressure within the air reservoir is increased during both the upstroke and down-stroke, the flexible material is inflated when the pressure increases, the valve is opened during a down-stroke releasing a bolus of air.    
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material is inflated inside an exit port of the toilet.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the handle includes a piston located in the interior of the elongated cylinder.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the piston includes a check valve.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the handle includes a transfer rod.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14 , further comprising a transfer tube attached to the elongated cylinder to receive the transfer rod.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising a flexible transfer tube connecting the transfer tube to the valve.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material resides into the elongated cylinder when not inflated.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material creates a seal inside the exit port when inflated inside the exit port.

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