US20060143822A1

US20060143822A1 - Urinal flush valve drink rest holder

Info

Publication number: US20060143822A1
Application number: US11/028,116
Authority: US
Inventors: Shawn Kelley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-03
Filing date: 2005-01-03
Publication date: 2006-07-06

Abstract

This invention is simply a drink beverage coaster that is specifically meant to attach to the common urinal flush valve top cap. It attaches itself by little legs that come down from underneath the top coaster part that conform around the urinal flush valve top cap and hook to the underside lip of the top cap. When laying a bottle, can or glass on the chrome top cap or plumbing apparatus, a drink is prone to fall off on the floor because the surface is not large enough, flat enough and is too slippery to accommodate a beverage container. This invention snaps over the top cap allowing for easy removal for maintenance of the flush valve and may be put back on easily to accommodate those who have a beverage in hand at the urinal allowing for hands free operation of said bodily functions at the urinal without losing ones drink.

Description

A device that allows you to rest your drink on the common urinal flush valve by attaching itself to the components of said urinal flush valve. This drink rest has a horizontal level surface on it which acts as a holder and or coaster or resting location to allow one to rest their drink on the urinal flush valve in bathrooms while they use the bathroom facility thus allowing for hands free operation of the urinal or toilet the flush valve is attached to. It is comprised of a hard resilient material that can be made to shape with apparatus that attaches itself to the urinal flush valve by way molding to the shape of certain sections of the urinal flush valve by way of anchors that wrap around sections of the urinal flush valve holding it to the flush valve in place firmly.
A urinal flush valve drink holder made from a hard resilient material that allows itself to be molded, shaped, or machined into shape thus allowing it to attach itself to a urinal flush valve while receiving a drink on the flat level surface. A hard resilient material such as plastic, wood, metal, carbon fiber, or any other resilient material.
The invention is simple, it is a flat level surface with a mounting apparatus underneath that attaches itself to the top cap of the urinal flush valve by way of anchors extending down from the top level surface conforming around the shape of the urinal flush valve top cap and having small anchors that grab the underside of the urinal flush valve's top cap.
The device could be plastic injection molded by making a mold and injecting hot porous plastic into the mold and cooling it to create a hard finished product. The invention could be plastic but not limited to plastic and could be made from other hard resilient materials that may be carved or machined out of wood or metals, by using the machining process whereby a (computer numeric controlled) CNC Machine lathe could manufacture one by shaping it on computer aided designing 3-D software program and a CNC machine lathe makes the item to specification based on the computer drawing input into the machining device.
A top surface of the device has a flat non porous surface that allows a drink to be rested on top. Simply snap the invention on top of a urinal flush valve top cap and rest your drink on top of the invention.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The invention pertains to drink coasters, drink rests, drink holders and devices invented to hold a drink in place while the user has hands free operation. When one enters a bathroom of a business, night club, bar, restaurant, stadium event or other establishment with a drink in hand, one must rest their drink somewhere on a urinal in order to free their hands in order to free “themselves” from their binding pants to go to the bathroom. When doing so one normally has to rest their drink on the urinal flush valve top cap, or lean the beverage against the top cap and the wall. This option has on many occasion turned out to be a bad place as top cap is not suited wide enough with a flat enough surface to allow for a drink to be safely rested and being chrome plated turns out to be too slippery and the drink has a tendency to fall on the floor. Other areas on the urinal or toilet are less sanitary and one would not want to rest their drink.
When going to the bathroom it is somewhat cumbersome to hold one's self while relieving one's self while holding a drink. Furthermore, in night clubs and bars or stadium events, under heavy influence of alcohol, it becomes even more difficult to hold one's self while holding one's drink while doing your best not to drench your pants, not to mention if the drink falls off the top cap it could splash on your pants thus making it appear that you had a major accident in the bathroom much to your embarrassment as well as destroying a perfectly good beer that would either crack or land in a very unsanitary place. This device allows you to rest your drink in a fashion that is sanitary, safe from falling off and allow you to do your business in the bathroom while your drink would rest stationary on the horizontal surface of the invention.

PRIOR ART

As to prior art, no prior art is mentioned. I have never seen such a device as the one I have invented. I have seen the typical drink coaster like anyone has. Simple in design, a flat surface made of plastic, metal or wood, to put under a drink that rests on a flat surface such as a table. I have seen no prior art to be compared with my invention in retrospect as to fasten to a Urinal Flush Valve and after making my own patent search online I find there is no such device.

DRAWING OUTLINE AND DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 Shows a side view of the common Urinal Flush Valve.
FIG. 2 Shows a side view of the two different styles of Top Caps, ANGLED on LEFT, ROUND on RIGHT.
FIG. 3 Shows a side view of both styles of Top Caps for flush valve are same height.
FIG. 4 Shows a side view and top view to show width and diameters are the same.
FIG. 5 Shows 45 degree top angle of inventions three main parts in upper left.

- 1) Top Coaster with 1 a) beveled upaward lip 2) Curved “Ears” 3) Anchors on ear ends that hold unit down. To the right, shows top coaster segment with 1 a) Lip and side view cross section view below it. Below left shows 45 degree top view of the Ears segment of the unit separate and it's Anchors.

FIG. 6 Shows a 45 degree top fiew of invention and how it attaches over top of the Top Cap.
FIG. 7 Shows side view of invention and side view of separated parts, consisting of coaster, ears, and anchors.
FIG. 8 Shows same views as FIG. 7 only in a cros section view.
FIG. 9 Shows a side view of angled and rounded Top Caps.
FIG. 10 Shows a side view of the invention.
FIG. 11 Shows a side view of the invention over the two style top caps.
FIG. 12 Shows a side view of the invention when in position over two style Top Caps.
FIG. 13 Shows a 45 degree top view of invention over both style Top Caps.
FIG. 14 Shows a 45 degree top view of the invention attached to the Top Caps and Top Caps underneath.
FIG. 15 Shows a side cross section view of the two styles of Top Caps.
FIG. 16 Shows a side cross section view of the invention.
FIG. 17 Shows a side cross section view of the invention over top of the Top Caps.
FIG. 18 Shows a side cross section view of the invention fitted over an attaching itself to both style Top Caps.
FIG. 19 Shows a 45 degree bottom view of the invention.
FIG. 20 Shows a 45 degree top shot of newer auto flush style top cap with electric eye window noted by #4.
FIG. 21 Shows a 45 degree top and bottom view of alternative design of invention for auto flush top caps.
FIG. 22 Shows other style shapes of tops of invention and 45 degree top views of how they fit on ears.
FIG. 23 Shows side view of other alternative designs to mount to the Urinal Flush Valve clamps and below are top 45 degree, shaded top 45 degree and underside 45 degree views of alternative mounting to Flush Valve.
FIG. 24 Shows a 45 degree top angle of the invention with other type apparatus for other uses attached to the invention.
FIG. 25 Shows a 45 degree top angle of the invention with drainage holes.
FIG. 26 Shows on left a 45 degree top view and side view of original Top Cap. On right a new Flat Top Cap Design with indented hexagon wrench area and below, how it fits in original Top Cap spot on the Urinal Flush Valve.
FIG. 27 Shows a side view of other support mechanisms that attach to the actual Urinal.
FIG. 28 Shows another design of Urinal Beverage Rest Holder that attaches to the Urinal itselve buy use of suction cups.
FIG. 29 Shows advertising devices that use the same top cap attachment principle that could either be stationary, moveable or play a recorded advertisement via a motion sensor and computer chip that would start to move or play when motion is sensed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A simple Beverage Rest Holder consisting of a flat surface to which a drink rests, that has apparatus underneath that attaches itself to a Urinal Flush Valve. A simple Beverage Rest Holder consisting of a flat surface to which a drink rests, and ears that come down from the underside of said top flat surface that have pointed angled hooks at the bottom ends pointing inward like anchors that attach themselves to the underside of the common Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap.
The invention could also be designed as a sleeve like device made to fit over the same outside shape and size of a Automatic Flush Valve Top Cap that simple slides over the existing sleeve with the same level top surface which works with Autoflush Urinal Flush Valves.
This also may be a simple flat tray that rests on top of the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap or other areas of said flush valves with other types of permanent attachments that allow the device to be fastened to the Urinal Flush Valve via the other parts of the Urinal Flush Valve, whether Automatic or Manual flush designs.
A Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder that attaches itself to the common Urinal Flush Valve (FIG. 1.) used in bathrooms widely in businesses, buildings, stadiums, night clubs and restaurants.
A Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder that attaches itself to the common Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap that allows the user to rest their beverage on the holder allowing for hands free from any beverage while one uses the Urinal or Toilet that the Flush Valve is attached to.
This new idea was invented for the countless times I laid my beer in a night club wedged up against the wall and on the top of the Urinal Flush Valve, and while using the urinal with my hands preoccupied, watched my beer vibrate off the flush valve onto the floor in the bathroom. To my horror the beer would either break or land in some unfavorable wet area and thus I'd have to trash the beer. After spending most of my life out of work, the loss of a three dollar beer over and over due to the same place I rested my beer while I went to the bathroom made me think of the idea to avoid spending more money on another beer to replace it, which was money that I didn't have. After all, at three bucks a pop plus tip, when you are out of work, a beer is a terrible thing to waste.
This invention most likely will be a plastic injection molded drink coaster with an apparatus that attaches itself to the common standard Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap. (See FIG. 5) In FIG. 5 you will see the invention has only three major parts. A top part (#1), the horizontal surface to which a drink rests, two curved “Ears” below it (#2), and the anchors (#3) at the bottom of the Ears which curve inward and upward to hold the invention to the underside of the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap by using the anchors (#3) to hold the invention to the underside of the Urinal Flush Valve's Top Cap. The invention material mentioned is plastic injection molded but not limited to plastic injection molding and it could be made by other modem ways of manufacturing to include but not limited to metals plastics and other hard resilient materials known to man that can be molded or manufactured to shape.
See FIG. 5 (#1). A Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap Beverage Rest Holder consisting of a flat top horizontal surface that may have an outer lip that is angled upwards from 1 degree to 179 degrees inward towards the center or outward away but is not limited to having an outer lip by design, see (#1 a) of FIG. 5. For purposes of this patent let's say the lip is 45 degrees angled upward and outward from the horizontal top of the Beverage Rest Holder. Below the top horizontal surface, at least two or more pieces of plastic extend 90 degrees vertically downward from the top horizontal surface which I call the “Ears” see FIG. 5 (#2). These “Ears” come down from underneath the top coaster, see FIG. 5 (#1) and FIG. 6, whose vertical walls curve in the same shape of curve of the side of Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap, see FIG. 5 (#2) and FIG. 6, at which the furthest bottom inside edge curves inward and angles upward to shape anchors see FIG. 5 (#3) and FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, that snap around the bottom lip of the Top Cap of the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap holding it into place thus allowing you to place your beer or drink comfortably on top of the Urinal Flush Valve allowing for hands free operation of your hands and keeping your beverage safely rested from vibration off the top of the urinal flush valve onto the floor.
There are also Automatic Flush Valve Tops that work under a slightly different shaped Top Cap, see FIG. 20. A slightly altered design of the same idea, see FIG. 21, fixes that problem as well and will be discussed later. Also, drink coasters could be constructed to fit other areas of the Urinal Flush Valve by attaching themselves to the pipes on the flush valve as well, See FIG. 23.
The standard Urinal Flush Valve, see FIG. 1, has two different type style of Top Caps, see FIG. 2. The only difference between the two Top Caps is in style! There is a round top version and an angled version, see FIG. 2. Both are exactly the same size in height, width, length and diameter, see FIGS. 3 & 4, only the angled top tapers up straight towards the top and the round one simply curves up to the top of the Top Cap. Further explanation of the patent idea is illustrated via other views and cross-sections of the patent idea to further explain it.
The top of the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder is horizontal and circular in shape like the typical drink coaster, but it is not limited to a round shape. Other cosmetic shapes that sit horizontally flat such as a stars, corporate logos that lend themselves to fit, rectangles, stars or squares, or any other flat shape that would allow you to rest your drink on it are possible, See FIG. 22. The flat horizontal level top may have a angled lip in various heights or angles that angle away from the horizontal surface that acts as simply an edge to stop a drink from sliding off but, mostly for cosmetic appeal, see (#1 a) of FIG. 5. Also a non slip surface could be added to the horizontal top to prevent further slippage such as cork or rubber but not limited to those materials.
The flat coaster has two pieces of plastic under it that come downward from it vertically which I continue to refer to as “EARS”, see (#2) of FIGS. 5, through 8, and at the ends of the ears there is a lip that turns inward which I will refer to as “ANCHORS” see (#3) of FIGS. 5, through 8, which grab the underside of the TOP CAP of the Urinal Flush Valve and hold it down into place over the TOP CAP stationary, see FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and FIG. 14, as well as a side view in FIGS. 11 and 12 together in sequence and cross section side view in FIGS. 17 and 18 together in a sequence that show how the invention fits over the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap. (See FIGS. 13 and 14 for a top angle 45 degree view) The ears that extend downward from the coaster on the under side of it conform to the outer diameter circular shape of the urinal flush valve TOP CAP and the ANCHORS at the end of the ears snap around the round diameter of the TOP CAP holding it in place on top of the urinal flush valve.
See FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12 for a side view. Both views of the “angled” cap and the “rounded” cap are shown. Furthermore, a cross-section view of the Beverage Rest Holder, as seen in FIGS. 15, 16, 17, and 18, from a side view angle, better illustrates just how the Beverage Rest Holder attaches itself to the bottom of the angled and rounded style Top Caps of the Urinal Flush Valve. The Beverage Rest Holder attaches to the top cap of the urinal flush valve via the two “ANCHORS” see FIG. 6 (#3), located at the bottom of to the two “EARS” of plastic extending downward from the bottom of the coaster vertically at which ends have a small lip anchors angled inward towards the metal TOP CAP and grab under the lip of the urinal flush valve TOP CAP thus holding into place. This small lip on the Beverage Rest Holder that grabs the underside of the top cap which holds the Beverage Rest Holder into place is called the anchor and anchors the coaster down over the urinal flush valve top cap, See FIG. 5. Both “EARS” that extend vertical, curve inward in the direction of the urinal flush valve top cap and follows it's contour with the same diameter and shape of the outer edge of the urinal flush valve top cap.
There are two “Ears” see FIG. 5 (#2), one on each side of the Beverage Rest Holder, allowing for the Beverage Rest Holder to be held down to the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap, yet spun on The Urinal Top Cap with ease if the Beverage Rest Holders are imprinted with advertising of any kind thus preventing the advertising from being read upside down. This also allows for easier removal of the Beverage Rest Holder from the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap over a clamp that would clamp all the way around in a complete circle.
There are two ears mentioned; however, this is not limited to two in design. A minimum of two ears are required to hold the Beverage Rest Holder down to the Top Cap; however, there could be three ears or four in smaller size widths horizontally at opposite sides of the holder as seen in FIG. 5 but at four points of the compass north, south, east and west.
Due to the Beverage Rest Holders application it will be in a high volume visibility area thus it could be used for Advertising purposes as well. Company logos and messages could be imprinted on the holder, and company logos that lend themselves to this type of idea such as the Apple Computer logo seen in FIG. 22 could be made along with stars, stop signs, etc.
The Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder, as mentioned earlier, could be made from other materials other than plastic, such as kevlar, metal alloys like steel, glass or glass products like fiberglass, woods or any other resilient material that would be efficient. For this example plastic will be used.
The common urinal flush valve you see on toilets and wall mounted urinals has a top cap that is most paramount in my invention. After exploring other areas where a coaster could be mounted with the same type of mounting apparatus I felt the Top Cap was the best suited for the idea behind the invention. This mounting area is not limited to the invention. Other designs could be made such as a flat platter that would rest via two clamps around the piping on the Urinal Flush Valve. One could easily be made to clamp around the round tubes on the left and right sides of the flush valve, see FIG. 23.
The design is not limited in it's function either. Other design ideas of different styles of Beverage Rest Holders that attach to a Urinal Flush Valve that would have any flat horizontal surface that could be used for holding a beverage could have other ideas as part of the invention to go along with it for instance a Beverage Rest Holder designed with a cigarette holder or a place to hold match books as seen in FIG. 24.
See FIG. 2. There are two types of Urinal Flush Valve Top Caps. A cap with angled sides and one with a rounded side to it. For this patent, either style of cap will do as it turns out, both caps fit interchangeably and both are the same exact size in height, diameter and width. See FIGS. 3, and 4. The only change in from the rounded cap and the angled cap is just that, the style of the cap where to sides taper inward towards the top of the cap.
Seeing both caps are the same other than the look, the Beverage Rest Holder will fit both types of styles easily without any change in manufacturing. In other words, one size will fit all!
There are many types of Urinal Flush Valves made by other companies. The most common in the United States is the one made by SLOAN. The Beverage Rest Holder could be simply adapted in size if need be to fit the top cap of other brands but for sake of argument and as an example we will deal with the Sloan variety shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This does not limit the idea to the Sloan variety. The invention could be easily adapted to fit any other top cap of any other flush valve top cap.
There is another variety of top cap known as the AUTOMATIC Urinal Flush Valve. These units are the same exact type units only the top section where the top cap mounts is an Automatic Flushing device located under a black colored plastic cap, see FIG. 20, that has an electric eye of sorts located forward facing the user, see FIG. 20 (#4). A simple design change of the idea would allow the unit to be put on these Automatic type flush valves. The black plastic top is taller in design over the smaller top cap in metal. By extending the Beverage Rest Holder “EARS” longer, see (#2) of FIGS. 19 and 21, the unit could simply slide down over the Automatic Flush Valve Top Cap and although could be held by anchors, anchors on the ears would not have to be used. An indented design on the underside of the Beverage Rest Holder, see FIG. 21, would hold the holder in place so that the ears would not block the electric eye window of FIG. 20 (#4).
For drainage purposes, holes could be drilled into the top surface of the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder as seen in FIG. 25.
A completely new Top Cap Design could be manufactured with a flat top surface that would allow for a drink to be held by incorporating a coaster like design into the new design Top Cap as seen in FIG. 26. The new design Top Cap could be made of the same material and threaded on the inner wall as the current Top Caps are designed, to match the current designed threads which allow the new Top Cap to be screwed down and securely fastened to the Urinal Flush Valve in place of the current Top Cap only a flat coaster like surface would be incorporated into the new design cap thus eliminating my invention.
Furthermore, other devices could be made to secure the invention further by attaching to other areas of the Urinal or Toilet surface itself as in FIG. 27 via extra supports or suction cups.
Alternative Urinal Beverage Rest Holder designs could be made that attach directly to the Toilet or Urinal via suction cups as well as seen in FIG. 28.
Lastly, advertising devices used like small billboards or advertising devices that would attach themselves to the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap that are stationary or could be equipped with electric eyes that would sense movement of a person in front of the urinal that would trigger a recorded message or movement of a advertisement revolving or moving back and forth to get the persons attention could use the same clamping apparatus to attach to the Urinal Flush Valve to allow for advertising while one uses the urinal as seen in FIG. 29.

Claims

1. I claim a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder, made of a non-porous hard resilient material, that attaches itself to the common Urinal Flush Valve that allows the user to rest their beverage on the holder allowing for hands free from any beverage while one uses the Urinal or Toilet that the Flush Valve is attached to.

2. The subject matter in claim (1) where in a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder is made from a non-porous hard resilient material such as plastic but not limited to plastic and may include any other non-porous hard resilient material known to man that may be manufactured into shape such as metals like steel, aluminum titanium, copper, brass and other metal based alloys, woods such as birch, oak, cedar, pine and other types of woods, glass and glass like materials such as lexan, lucite, and fiberglass, carbon fibers, rubber, other types of plastics and other hard resilient materials known to man that are moldable or shapeable by example.

3. The subject matter in claim (1) where in a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder, attaches to the common Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap and other components of the common Urinal Flush Valve.

4. The subject matter in claim (1, 2 and 3) where in a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder attaches via “Ears” attached to underside of the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder that come downward at which bottom edges have pointed anchors angled inward which grab the underside of the Urinal Flush Valve Top Cap thus holding it in place.

5. The subject matter in claim (1) where in a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder attaches via clamps attached to the underside of the Urinal Flush Valve Drink Beverage Rest Holder which clamp around other areas of said Urinal Flush Valve thus holding it in place.

6. The subject matter in claims (1) where in a Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder attaches via a molded sleeve attached to the underside of the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder that is molded to the outer shape of, and slides down and over, an Automatic Urinal Flush Valve Automatic Flushing Top thus holding it into place.

7. The subject matter in claim (1) where as a completely new Replacement Urinal Top Valve Flush Cap design could be manufactured to have a coaster top built into said top cap and threaded from the inside to fit over the old Urinal Flush Valve thus eliminated the use of my invention.

8. The subject matter in claim (1) where in another useful apparatus could be mounted or manufacture into the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder invention design such as a cigarette holder, ash tray, or place to put match books could be built in or attached to the invention to give more use to the original invention's idea and design.

9. The subject matter in claim (1) where in many shapes of Urinal Flush Valve Drink Rest top flat drink resting surface could be manufactured to resemble corporation logos for corporate identity advertising as part of the inventions design.

10. The subject matter in claim (1) where in the invention could be imprinted with advertising for business and maximum exposure of corporate identities.

11. The subject matter in claims (1) where in a non-stick surface, such as cork or rubber, could be adhered to the top flat surface of the invention to make it non-slip.

12. The subject matter in claim (1 with the exception of claim 7) where in drainage holes or channels could be added to the top horizontal surface of the Urinal Flush Valve Beverage Rest Holder to allow for drainage of any liquid that might find it's way on top of the invention.

13. The subject matter in claim (1) where in a beverage holder consisting of elements mentioned in previous claims that uses the urinal or toilet surface as a brace in combination with the urinal flush valve that may hang from or on to the Urinal Flush Valve consisting of a sufficient flat horizontal surface area that is suitable to hold a beverage the size of a beer bottle, high ball glass or larger beverage.

14. The subject matter in claim (1) where in a urinal beverage holder consisting of a sufficient horizontal surface area large enough to accommodate a beverage that attaches via suction cups to the urinal or toilet.