Suction cup article for a urinal screen
View Patent ↗A suction cup article includes at least one suction cup unit having a suction cup, a neck, and a head. The head points in a direction away from the direction in which the suction cup is oriented to suction to a surface. The head has a point at a distal end of the head, and a base that is adjacent to, and wider than the neck. The head can be passed through an opening in a basin article such as a urinal screen, resulting in the neck being disposed in the opening, and the head, having a base that is wider than the opening, providing interference that holds the suction cup unit in the basin article. The suction cup unit can further include an arm that extends from the suction cup unit near the neck. The arm prevents the suction cup article from passing through the drain of the basin.
1. A suction cup article for attaching a urinal screen to a urinal surface, comprising:
at least one suction cup unit including a suction cup, a head, and a neck disposed between the head and the suction cup, wherein the head is generally conic having a point that is directed away from the suction cup, and wherein the head has a plurality of channels that extend from a base of the head adjacent the neck toward the point thereby defining an equal number of fins between the channels; and
at least one arm connected to and extending from a position between the neck and the suction cup of the at least one suction cup unit in a direction generally perpendicular to an axis defined from the point of the head through the neck and suction cup.
2. The suction cup article of claim 1 , wherein the suction cup article comprises three suction cup units, wherein a first suction cup unit is joined by the at least one arm to a second suction cup unit at a position between a neck and a suction cup of the second suction cup unit, and the third suction cup unit is joined to the second suction cup unit by a second arm which extends from a position between the neck and the suction cup of the second suction cup unit to a position at the third suction cup unit between a neck and a suction cup of the third suction cup unit, and wherein the three suction cup units are each identical and arranged in a “V” formation.
3. The suction cup article of claim 1 , wherein the entire suction cup unit is a unitary molded polymer.
4. The suction cup article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels are positioned to each correspond with a position of a respective protrusion of the urinal screen disposed around an opening through the urinal screen.
5. The suction cup article of claim 1 , wherein the fins are configured to be deflected and return to their natural position.
6. The suction cup article of claim 1 , wherein the arm comprises a head subunit disposed at a distal end of the arm.
7. A suction cup article, comprising:
a suction cup unit having:
a suction cup;
a head;
a neck disposed between the head and the suction cup;
a base disposed between the neck and the suction cup;
an arm connected to and extending from the base; and
wherein the head is generally conic having a point that is directed away from the suction cup, and wherein the head has a plurality of channels that extend from a base of the head adjacent the neck toward the point thereby defining an equal number of fins between the channels, and wherein the fins are made of a resilient material such that the fins deflect into an adjacent channel when the head is inserted through an opening having a diameter smaller than the base of the head.
8. The suction cup article of claim 7 , further comprising a head subunit disposed at a distal end of the arm, the head subunit comprising:
a head having a conic shape and having a point;
a neck at a base of the head; and
a plurality of channels that extend from the base of the head adjacent the neck toward the point thereby defining an equal number of fins between the channels.
9. The suction cup article of claim 7 , wherein the suction cup unit is a first suction cup unit, the suction cup article further comprising a second suction cup unit at an opposite end of the arm.
10. The suction cup article of claim 9 , wherein the arm is a first arm, the suction cup article further comprising a second arm extending from the second suction cup unit to a third suction cup unit.
11. The suction cup article of claim 10 , wherein the first, second, and third suction cup units are arranged in a “V” shape.
12. A suction cup article, comprising:
a suction cup unit, having:
a base;
a suction cup extending from the base;
a neck extending from the base opposite from the suction cup;
an arm connected to and extending from the base;
a conic head extending from the neck opposite from the base, the conic head having a base adjacent the neck that extends outward beyond the neck, the conic head having a point opposite from the base of the suction cup unit, the conic head having a plurality of channels that extend from the base of the conic head toward the point, and wherein the plurality of channels define a plurality of fins, each fin of the plurality of fins between two channels of the plurality of channels, and wherein each of the fins of the plurality of fins are configured to deflect to a side when the conic head is passed through an opening.
13. The suction cup article of claim 12 , further comprising a head subunit disposed at a distal end of the arm.
14. The suction cup article of claim 12 , wherein the suction cup unit is a first suction cup unit, the suction cup article further comprises a second suction cup unit at an opposite end of the arm.
15. The suction cup article of claim 14 , where the arm is a first arm, the suction cup article further comprising a second arm extending from the second suction cup unit.