Hand-held drain opening apparatus
View Patent ↗A portable and compact, hand-held electrically powered vacuum tool, designed expressly for suctioning clogs from the drains and traps of sinks and bathtubs to pull clogs out of drains and traps thereby clearing the clog without use of chemicals and recover items such as rings and toothpaste-tube caps that have gone down the drain.
1. A hand-held drain opening apparatus for suctioning drain clogs from drain openings comprising:
an upper section comprising:
a cylindrical bottom portion having internal threads;
an intermediate portion tapering upwardly and inwardly from said bottom portion so as to delineate a hollow interior;
a pair of opposed vertical sections extending from said intermediate portion with each vertical section terminating at a distal end, said opposed vertical sections defining a space therebetween;
an elongated handle portion secured to said distal ends of said pair of opposed vertical sections;
a motor-suction fan unit disposed within said hollow interior and configured to provide a source of vacuum when powered;
a power cord for suppling power to said motor-suction fan unit;
a power switch configured to interrupt the supply of power to said motor-suction fan unit;
a plurality of exhaust air vents for expelling air from said upper section when said motor-suction fan unit is supplied with power;
a lower section comprising:
an elongated cylindrical container having an interior volume defined by an open upper end and a lower end closed by a bottom wall, said open upper end having external threads configured to matingly engage with said internal threads of said upper section, said bottom wall having an inlet port for the ingress of drain clogs;
a one-way valve disposed within said interior volume and comprised of a hinged flap, said hinged flap having a first position in which said flap covers said inlet port, said hinged flap having a second position in which said flap uncovers said inlet port in response to said vacuum provided by said motor-suction fan unit when powered; and
a flexible vacuum hose having a first end and an opposed second end, said first end being fitted to said inlet port, said second end being configured to be placed into a position over said drain opening such that when said motor-suction fan unit is powered said vacuum pulls said drain clog into said cylindrical container.
2. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a gasket disposed within said inlet port, said first end of said vacuum hose being sealingly engaged with said gasket so as to provide a water tight fit with said inlet port.
3. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said hinged flap is pivotally mounted to said gasket for movement between said first position and said second position.
4. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said power switch is configured to adjust a speed of said motor-suction fan unit.
5. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said cylindrical container comprises a sensor configured to interrupt the supply of power to said motor-suction fan unit when said cylindrical container is full.
6. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second end of said vacuum hose comprises a sealing ring.
7. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an elongated extension hose having a first end of a first diameter configured to matingly receive said second end of said vacuum hose.
8. The hand-held drain opening apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said extension hose has a second end of a second diameter smaller than said first diameter and configured to be inserted into said drain openings.