Plunger assembly and plunger assembly housing

Abstract

A toilet plunger assembly includes a plunger having a handle and a cup. The cup includes a continuous interface with the handle and the cup includes a suction-inducing face, wherein the cup is operatively coupled with a lower distal end of the handle at the interface by an over-molding process. A base and housing are provided, the housing having a first vertically extending side wall, a second vertically extending side wall adjacent and orthogonal to the first vertically extending side wall, an open third side, an open fourth side, and a top horizontal wall coupled with the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall. The first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall are supported by the base when the housing is in a stored condition and the plunger is concealed with the housing are in their respective stored conditions.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A plunger comprising:
 a handle having an upper proximal end and a lower distal end, wherein the lower distal end comprises an outwardly extending flange disposed about an outer periphery of the lower distal end; and   a cup having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the cup including an interface with the handle, the interface comprising a recess and an outwardly extending groove at a base of the recess, and the lower portion of the cup including a suction-inducing face;   wherein the cup is injection over-molded from an elastomeric material about the lower distal end of the handle; and   wherein the recess and the outwardly extending groove at the base of the recess are formed by the outwardly extending flange disposed about the lower distal end of the handle and the interface of the cup with the handle is continuous.   
     
     
         2 . The plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is rubber. 
     
     
         3 . The plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material of the cup is chemically bonded to the lower distal end of the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises an impermeable solid surface disposed on the lower distal end. 
     
     
         5 . The plunger according to  claim 4 , wherein the handle is hollow and the impermeable solid surface comprises an end cap disposed on the lower distal end of the handle to block and prevent flow of the elastomeric material into an interior cavity of the handle. 
     
     
         6 . The plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the suction-inducing face of the lower portion of the cup comprises a semicircular concave surface. 
     
     
         7 . The plunger according to  claim 6 , wherein the suction-inducing face of the lower portion of the cup further comprises a flexible flap formed about an outer circumferential periphery of the suction-inducing face and wherein the flexible flap includes an opening at a lower distal end of the plunger. 
     
     
         8 . The plunger according to  claim 7 , wherein the flexible flap is adapted to fold out from inside semicircular concave surface of the cup. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a triangular cross section and a tapered portion along a longitudinal length of the handle. 
     
     
         10 . The toilet plunger according to  claim 1 , wherein the handle is injection molded from a plastic resin. 
     
     
         11 . A toilet plunger assembly comprising:
 a plunger having a handle having an upper proximal end and a lower distal end and a cup having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the cup including an interface with the handle and the lower portion of the cup including a suction-inducing face, wherein the cup is operatively coupled with the lower distal end of the handle at the interface;   a base upon which the plunger is supported when in a stored condition; and   a housing having a first side defined by a first vertically extending side wall, a second side defined by a second vertically extending side wall adjacent and orthogonal to the first vertically extending side wall, and at least one of an open third side or an open fourth side, and a top horizontal wall coupled with the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall;   wherein a lower portion of each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall are supported by or proximate to the base when the housing is in a stored condition; and   wherein the plunger is concealed from view with the plunger and the housing are in their respective stored conditions.   
     
     
         12 . The toilet plunger according to  claim 11 , wherein the handle and base are injection molded from a plastic resin. 
     
     
         13 . The toilet plunger according to  claim 12 , wherein the housing is injection molded from a plastic resin. 
     
     
         14 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the lower distal end of the handle comprises an outwardly extending flange disposed about an outer periphery of the lower distal end and the interface comprises a recess and an outwardly extending groove at a base of the recess;
 wherein the cup is injection over-molded from an elastomeric material about the lower distal end of the handle, whereby the recess and the outwardly extending groove at the base of the recess is formed by the outwardly extending flange disposed about the lower distal end of the handle and the interface of the cup with the handle is continuous.   
     
     
         15 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the suction-inducing face of the lower portion of the cup further comprises a flexible flap formed about an outer circumferential periphery of the suction-inducing face and wherein the flexible flap includes an opening at a lower distal end of the plunger; and   the base comprises a support platform elevated relative a floor surface, wherein the support platform includes a raised circular protuberance corresponding with and adapted to receive the opening at the lower distal end of the plunger.   
     
     
         16 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the base comprises four vertical base side walls and the support platform is disposed at an elevation between an upper edge and a lower edge of each of the base side walls such that an air passage is formed below the support platform and drip tray is formed above the support platform and defined by an upper portion of the base side walls and the raised circular protuberance. 
     
     
         17 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the lower edge of at least one of the base side walls and a lower edge of at least one of the first vertically extending side wall or the second vertically extending side wall include an air vent. 
     
     
         18 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the top horizontal wall, the raised circular protuberance, the lower edge of at least two adjacent base side walls, and the lower edge of each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall include an air vent. 
     
     
         19 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall comprise an inwardly and downwardly extending flange on an interior surface thereof and the base comprises an upwardly extending flange proximate a first side and a second side of the base and proximate the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall, wherein the upwardly extending flange extends into and is received within a gap formed between inwardly and downwardly extending flange and the interior surface of each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall. 
     
     
         20 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 19 , wherein each of the inwardly and downwardly extending flange on the interior surface of each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall and each of the upwardly extending flange proximate the first side and second side of the base and proximate the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall each comprise a continuous band. 
     
     
         21 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall comprise a relief notch at a lower inward edge thereof to provide clearance for a baseboard of an interior room of a building. 
     
     
         22 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the relief notch is formed by a mechanically weakened boundary edge proximate the lower inward edge of each of the first vertically extending side wall and the second vertically extending side wall. 
     
     
         23 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first vertically extending side wall or second vertically extending side wall are inclined toward the open third side and open fourth side, respectively. 
     
     
         24 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the first vertically extending side wall or second vertically extending side wall are inclined toward the open third side and open fourth side, respectively, at an angle of at least 5 degrees. 
     
     
         25 . The toilet plunger assembly of  claim 23 , wherein both the third side and the fourth side are open. 
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing a toilet plunger comprising the steps of:
 providing a first mold assembly adapted to receive a prefabricated plunger handle, wherein the plunger handle has an upper proximal end and a lower distal end and the lower distal end comprises an outwardly extending flange disposed about an outer periphery of the lower distal end, wherein a first exposed surface of the first mold assembly comprises a semi-spherical recess for forming an upper portion of a cup;   providing a second mold assembly, wherein a second exposed surface of the second mold assembly comprises a semi-spherical protuberance for forming an lower portion of the cup;   installing the plunger handle in the first mold assembly;   closing the first mold assembly relative the second mold assembly, wherein the first exposed surface of the first mold assembly and the second exposed surface of the second mold assembly cooperate to form a cavity corresponding to a finished shape of the cup and the lower distal end of the plunger handle extends into the cavity;   injection over-molding the cup by injecting an elastomeric material into the cavity and about the lower distal end of the plunger handle to form the cup, wherein the cup further comprises:
 an interface between the upper portion of the cup and plunger handle, wherein the interface comprises a recess and an outwardly extending groove at a base of the recess, such that the outwardly extending groove at the base of the recess is formed by the outwardly extending flange disposed about the lower distal end of the handle and the interface between the upper portion of the cup and the plunger handle is continuous; and 
 a suction-inducing face on the lower portion of the cup; 
   separating the first mold assembly relative the second mold assembly after the elastomeric material is cured; and   removing the toilet plunger from the first mold assembly or the second mold assembly.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising the step of positioning an impermeable end cap on the lower distal end of the plunger handle to block and prevent flow of the elastomeric material into an interior cavity of the plunger handle prior to the step of closing the first mold assembly relative the second mold assembly. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the elastomeric material of the cup is chemically bonded to the lower distal end of the plunger handle.