A plunger is a tool driven by or against fluid pressure. In plumbing, the word plunger most commonly refers to a handheld tool used to clear blockages in drains and pipes, and a plumbing plunger of this kind typically consists of a rubber suction cup fixed to a wooden or plastic shaft, though a different, bellows-shaped design made of plastic is also common; other names for a plumbing plunger include force cup, plumber's friend and plumber's helper. The same word also describes unrelated devices built around a similar sliding or pressure-driven action, such as the plunger used to mute a trumpet or trombone in musical performance, or the moving component that generates flow inside a device such as a medical syringe or a French press coffee brewer.
Facts
Introduced When (Circa)1874, patented by John Hawley 1 OriginPatented in 1874 by New York confectioner John Hawley as an Improvement in vent-clearers for wash-bowls; a flattened rim was added to the design in 1876. 1 Sources
1. Plunger (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia, Plunger, History sectionQuote, Wikipedia, Plunger, History section
The invention is referred to in the patent as a vent-clearer, and was marketed as a force cup.
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