GB2500197A - Sheath for a users arm allowing user to manually unblock toilet - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a toilet unblocking apparatus (24 figure 3) in the form of a sleeve or sheath or glove 26 having an opening 26a and a closed end. The sheath 26 is dimensioned so as to be suitable for receiving a human arm 30, which may be inserted into the opening 26a until the hand reaches the closed end. Since the sheath is waterproof and extends sufficiently far up the arm, no part of the arm comes directly into contact with the contents of the bowl 12. The sheath may comprise reinforced portions, have retainers (28 figure 3) for suspending the sheath and may also be made from biodegradable water soluble material. Furthermore, the frusto-conical shape of the sheath allows for a relatively close fit with the arm, such that the opening 26a of the sheath does not fall into the water, thereby exposing the arm to contamination. A later embodiment relates to a method of unblocking the toilet.

Description

thttaair Appiflts:4 14ó thod L) prsent tn*átion relnu A1skLn7 appatus 44 mettrod, :tnd ±s onetened avt&ct]fl2.y,: 3Jttio1fl flt S lU4iey. Uth a!W*ttt and a:SttzcE ±14r iahLocki?g a flEh%4: xatwt:ibssts t:jii:�PQifl * $ówI *!& it tin £M f:5 *it p±e *4 * tM4dr tfl J:c 14:pjj flhtá water which: suppi±ed ta the:bot by a inlet ptp, Th exit pe will nortraliy Sat1e a bend tG aflo' citan fIusKin t�t t* prtt fl41 àJ4fl tpteasatt awet qs tUs:b4CPttt fl8 floiu tittt t4 t:t1; óflt% bMSa)se fl sjyae Qt ti:sSE tM blr-k4ge hetomes: svLdent wbet an A:ttt :jtEje: to flush the totket3 VrSota tE bi4ng such: ;q:ac urrty apl: yed�^ *fl pf whith sppLySg pts o :j� bZockage usint a dGvtce 41 s*me k*;y* WMth: SI; . tt IDrtIsh', iip»=i*s flsxibte niiztt atuh as a: Mite: caat :hafigez, G I 49!: tRfl p$ pg �r: O:1hSt usa-made apparatus.

2$ tG O&t:, e1fX S *flZ4tUtr 2n the pazpose, a key problem with all of the prior methods of 4tl4wk3nq t:h *oUet nises: ttc*m tl1e Eaet. tha tM contszits: :o the biec& ti3t b4$i i4fl: MAafli totitan4nated fl t ist itt: it tM iMbl&k: 4n. Ió ttocsZi4 ard the tnSüs are aUowS to dtin tM Ap*rtut $4I :xtsquft't nriLtsnton *r}iy 1:fl:jj;

I

brush or:!.ntr:ov1en atroaratus may not have sufficient length to reach d..on to the biockas thoucia bo3. fdi..l of ti.ushinq water, which can. lead to S the cperative a band or arm ccodrq.intc contact tth the contents Of foe Accord.ncj2y, embodiments of the oflsent irltthti on aim to Drovide a simpie. hyqi.ekuth fo effective aicara.tus and method.unbtLochihq a fluih toilet which addre.;& the aborementioned o.rO.oJ,erns The:nvent.fo defi. xd in the attached indeendent.

clams, ttwh:chre f eoce shdid O$ made.. urtbar p; rferred featu.res may be found the sub-claims apended thereto, to once scect: of the fo'nticn there i provfcieh lcc-cr ra a ± -""ci ock g a * l't * c4czpri.s.tnn an elonqate fleonthie, water-p cof "k.-ra oin: . cca.n-for rooc vr'i.

human &tm and a closed end for ac othrfociat log a. human hand Preferably the sheath is tapered. In a prefo.rrad.

2.5 arra.naerne.nt the sheath is.generaIl traperoihel or ocDnicai.

orf.rusto..rô ccl.l. shape The apparatus may cornor I a0nt jn0. ortiofl et-raned for mount.irl the The mountinc portion may comprise a iro renoe, cranqec an usc to onego fist sushc.ndin.o the amoaratus The.retainLtnq memOer may b-c integral with the annaratus arid v oorrpr.isc a.hook or loop.

In a preferred arracTererr. the ret:ainin mmhe:r comprie:s A. reinfcrgecl portion. or portions, of the sheath.

oreferitecj trt;ata*ement: tie sheath is of bildeqradabie material, Preferably the sheath is: of wateHolble it) The pp*art:ns rftEy. comprise Wie means, . more pnferabl y a drew stririg At an openinq of the alteath, The invent.i on a rc\v a.thct pt tnbLoc.khng floshe tcjjlet hav.inq an oit:let. pipe 0moiri.sinc t hand, wherein the method uses an: elonnate nibl'z: terproof i nod crcnenc: rei t:n e -o n' rtc openirq of the sthath, until the hand is sutata.ntiailv ac:ccmmodated at a.c:l.osed and of the.shenh, and insert tip 2.0 the sheathed hand and arm into the bowl of a blocked fluab toS. let.

Frefi'rav the method includes inserting the sheathS hand and arm into the bowl ontil has bend Sr rkached, and cUotr thc nanctaaansc the bend.

Alternatively or in t-j tha tha� .:Y cprpjse i.nset incv the sheathed hand and arm into the bowl of a bl.dcked f.lu&i toilet hnti an ccci blccid.ncj the toilet is reached, cT.ra sping the object., and w..th.cirawihg it from the bowl jh:e: nethod prefexablv.rci.udes w1t.hdr.wmnct the arm frtm the tcii.et ath eve:ti.nq the. sheath t.ly to erlC.loae a r:rstco u:itr' no ca:' $ 9:ht method iv &rther i.n.c!cLty-e otir. the ttec ahsat:b to seal. a contaminated suflace. wit.hir the èvertad sheath.

ihltarnatjvaic'r or it addit bn, hhe method ny.ncnde tying tO a tha*bttihg of the apparatus to seal a ctntaminated no cvn-nd ch The method may clods fiuhinc the: ao.aratua down the L-1⁄4a1⁄4 The iiwenz ion tv rvntirr. of the feattfres or U. Jtanicns referred to hereth, excapt soc a con initich of fthatres a..s a tuily xcl lye..

Aprefe rred enbo.dimnent. of the present inventilonwi i how be destnibed,. by way of example only, with retTerence tothe ace paotn cqatt.

I shows in schematjc sectional vicw a flush toilet; Flours 2 shows the toilet ol! Fiqure. in a bloheed state; *Fioo.re i shows schematically unblockino accordino to dO smbodimtnt of the nresent.nvent±or.; end Fiqpre 4 shows the up araths of Fiqure.3 beint used to unb.ok. the toilet. oil Figure. 2.

T rt s''s, rtraJ t:, tout, *compriirm a bci 1:2, ccr'taini.q wStex 14, n mis-b J a.rd an outlet 18. The bow1 inlet. arid outlet may:e ihtegraliy fQrrved., ec frcn ceramic 9st..ics or metal In ar a! Lernut.iv*s embodiment not shown) to be 1:-owi, nde sd tut at tfl b fotned ibob sepa±at:e donp.onents. The. toilet f C -----C--. - .-. . >-bA I k.

h-ni s ct commercial bui.Idinn:, H) flushing watelt enters, the hcw.1. vi he inlet. the drecition of arrow A from. cistern {.not ar:c-.jc h oL1'u IS r-e etroct aarrn., tfl it thV aate tn ne tc-The.

tIu:s heo4 water and..: 4 e.arriod tCO a. sewer ct aeten the bow.! 1$ and i3 ±sa.he.nd 2Ct when. the h.thi c.onains. water, as it. normally doe.s after a fiushinq cJoe.ratton, the botid-f<tdt a. teal hr bibb tti rL!J se-er ? c4o istreo or re outlet 3 TurnInc to Ficure 5, i-his shows t:h: ici hetUl. in a b!ccked: Lonnquratlc.r:L.. tncer_airi cond.rnons, .sucri;ç mucLt.

toilet; tissue hs been placed in the bowl 12, *a blockaqa 27 font. r ci 70 after:sir-, : 2.5 uLn.Lor.cu.riat.e. situation can occur in any toilet. of this kind, is rtoré lik1: id hapE-n htn. tr-:c-bore of i s rcie-t:vely:a:rot as ci. ct a se P s-ye nct.r or Despite-the ptessu.rt-thetted b' hd of flushed r:er behind the b3.-ddkaçe, the benc i b1.dce th if; 1. *.}tejv to hecoms rt.btboi.:ed in th of inner venc.ior.

Figflra* 3 shows enblocki.n apparatuis.2.4 accoroin.g to an embod.imentc f the ntesnt invention. T:he &paratus 24 is in the f;o:nt of sleeve or theath 2 há:vino an openl.pq. 26a snd * closed end ZSb. T.*ie sheath is th.wa.tc:ctocf matetiJ, such. as ciiastics $ ahd sày he m1⁄2.de: ct pclyprcspylene or a :bletd &f hlsti. he niatdriai7 and ta snace.c gn.eraLi.y ic a.

1(1 tanerinc, fruste--ocsic&l shape. I.e sheath 26 is din enslonad so as. t:c. be euitabte tot tao ei\'in:q vntn w.bic.:h may he inserted into thn cttih 26. ott II the ha:nd rflches the cloeed end 2$b. At doe end, which in this *ehenciimerft* where the. epenino $6..a ts..uocated, tee j5: is provide mouetn mean in the cnn.yf a. paIr of hook-ahaned. atner $8 for: ap,natts from rojecti.on such as a coat hook ot similar. ite retainers 28 ocpnish stttnrjthene 0 omens o the sheath, and.jn this e.x.hH::hIe are. .intecpTaUy formed with the sheath. in an alternatfog enthdtnpt. n4t; shown the tatters cOuld comprise discrete components sr4cth as inserts located in pcccet.s Ci the iPUc.

Figure 4 is. a athematic representation cit t.t..apparat.us $4 :s it tie OCCt O1let c3wn i' gra 2 A human a.nm.ts erted into the 26 and the arm is then.tP:$ertch into the bOwi. ot the tol lOt. :SirR'O i2ht 26 to waicrpxcf sitc:e it ntn:ds suttzicieritly $0 far p the arm, no part. the rw. OQflS: direCtiy into contact with the. centents of the howl l2 Furtharnore. the :fruati-ccnicai. shane cIT the sheath allows the a.r:a14tiv_:ay (.

ft. dtb the am s*xtE that itS t'I tM thU) does t ±ati 1ttc the 1tet t:h P atm to tttthati6!t,.

3 tJtent. is eçt,Se4 Into the Watt t hand 2 tb rath the beM 2th. t:t!4s poLst; k M. $PP44: $iP*t thó wai 0 the b:eM a tite 1G(age4 Thi: :tt an partly Ibr;eaks ót dS$ISGn the bliekge *A aiXo the head of sQater behind the bibcttage to begin tD escape to tO O:flS.M the ntt t'.gsns to; iior it; starts, t take %dth it tt: t boks'ge, utitjI,,tM bi*ekage hecpaes completely renved arid fhtthed:it1t the qflet 4 Tht art ahd Sheath fl tMn tilt Lrpj, the. ;t,&i* bowt.

fl $*Ufl' stI:jtiz the,, zw, *bve, tl1⁄2e bowi the' hand rasps the Lastds z.e sheath "tt th* ttfthdrawn torn. tht shsth:, ee'y:Pt' . t� bsorne:ê?Wttë4, to tpfté4 iS 1 ti tb lw, pitmtnated Stttf&e ilew beisq * the nde *: kM an then be viM Li he sheath at a posU�n above wSte at,pa: tfl. :P*4e 4k Ute SE'theti tj1' :sIte$th IE flY t1:ëCy *ni&n t Pt s*tae th t jzt,si4a. fl ths: fl a&t4t4tiQc, ;or S Addit.ó t dtàtittz'irVg AMy' tx 2 tpDOtidd St thE t4fltt t $t t tt :*é&i the, shAt'h tá:t:ér use..

the apparatus may then tr Lpted. Pretttab'i::y tflé ppars is t&detsthb1e td $ be:i4sO4 �bw tJté tót)e.t.

X clue betd is iced by 5c*iJ3.

C 3 toy e>r(p)e, the usar of the unbieching de.vi.c -r t' c" rc a-o tera ctote "oe t aL.

t' cj'C cb'zct ctc - urcrz S-c' e"btrer'ts of ne fl7z dscr.ibad above, DrOVS:deS a hygienic, mnexucmsive. and *ette:ctive way of unblocktno: a flush toilet i.hjch is bitcked ny toit.et U.s su and/or human. waté, Use of the eppazatof* IC) requires cqrest. strenoth, and no secianst. knowledqe or flQLOU:tifl9 to. ché foregd.in zpdci.ficat ito to draw attontion: tcx thooe features of the.ibventicn beiie*'ed to be: 1:3 pr'4uz £.moortance. to. stcui.d be understc'od that the appncat2tci.uT1s prttctibt it tepee.t of any p»=uentable feature or c.cnnbi. flat ton of features ±eferred to hsre:in1 end/ct.cwn it th. dwi.ngs, *wh.ethcr or: not.r:ttou]. a: Sphasis has been placed thereon.