Water Assisted Toilet Plunger

Abstract

A typical toilet plunger is disclosed that allows the operator to optionally choose to manually vent a plunger's cup of the air that is naturally trapped within the cup that renders the plunger less efficient as a result of the compressibility of air. The venting of air is accomplished by the opening of a shut off valve located within the inside and top of the cup. The shut off valve is connected to a longitudinal rod supported within the hollow shaft of said plunger. The rod protrudes through the grab handle of the plunger and terminates at a depressible button attached to the rod. Venting occurs when the operator depresses the button, which causes the rod to move longitudinally within the shaft, resulting in the shut off valve moving sway from its seat. Air entrapped is allowed out through holes located in the shaft.

I therefore claim: 
     
         1 . A venting mechanism incorporated in a toilet plunger consisting of at least two basic elements; a handle/shaft assembly and an attached cup, bellows, or bulb, comprising:
 a rod located interior to a shaft of the said handle/shaft assembly, which extends a length longitudinally of the said shaft from the said cup, hollows, or bulb of said plunger to a handle of the said handle/shaft assembly;   the said of the said handle/shaft assembly, cylindrical and hollow in shape, provides means for venting air through ports in the side walls of said shaft as well as means for supporting the said rod through the use of bearings comprising;   the said bearings: two cylindrically shaped bearings attached to an interior wall of the said shaft, a first bearing located at a distal end of the said shaft from a handle end of the said handle/shaft assembly and a second bearing located at the said handle end of the said handle/shaft assembly, each having a centrally located shaft bore for the facilitated axial movement of the said rod;   a depressible button attached to a end of the said rod terminating at the said handle of the said handle/shaft assembly and said second bearing in a cylindrical hole in the said handle of the said handle/shaft assembly, and;   a spring located within the said shaft of the said handle/shaft assembly providing a bias upon the said rod;   a shut off/vent valve located within a underside of the said cup, bellows, or bulb of said typical/conventional toilet plunger and at a top underside interior surface; wherein a top being defined by a position of the said plunger when the said shaft of the said handle/shaft assembly is held in a vertical position of the said cup, bellows, or bulb of the said plunger; is connected to a distal end of the said rod, said shut off/vent valve being biased in a normally closed or shut position as a result of the said bias upon the said rod and allows the transference of air or fluid between the top of the underside interior of said cup, bellows, or bulb and an exterior of said cup, bellows, or bulb;   wherein depression of said button displaces said rod within said shaft of said handle/shaft assembly and unseals the said shut off/vent valve allowing a passage way for air or fluid interior to the said cup, bellows, or bulb of said typical plunger to travel to the top and exterior of said cup, bellows, or bulb through the said means for venting air provided by the said shaft of said typical plunger, all of which occurring during the placement of said plunger into a toilet bowl where a lower portion of said cup, bellows, or bulb is seated against a lower opening of the said toilet bowl that contains a fluid level less than, equal to, or greater than a height of said cup, bellows, or bulb.