GB2332003A

GB2332003A - Handle assembly for lifting a toilet seat

Info

Publication number: GB2332003A
Application number: GB9725937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dinesh Purshottam Kanadia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-12-08
Filing date: 1997-12-08
Publication date: 1999-06-09
Also published as: GB9725937D0; GB2332003A9

Abstract

A toilet seat (4) is equipped with a handle (12) which is connected to the seat by a flexible chain (10) and a mounting plate (6) secured to the underside of the seat by adhesive. When the seat is supported by the rim of the toilet bow the handle (12) hangs freely alongside of the bowl and can be used to raise the seat without need to touch the seat.

Description

2332003 1 TOILET SEAT HANDLE This invention is concerned with a handle for

attachment to a toilet seat to facilitate lifting and lowering of the seat Without the seat needing to be touched with the hand.

For reasons of hygiene it is highly desirable that it should not be c necessary to engage the underside of a toilet seat with the fingers of a hand when raising it from a horizontal pivotal position m which it is supported by the rirn of the toilet bowl to a substantially upright pivotal position in which it rests against a wall or cistern directly behind the toilet bowl. However, this remains to be the only practical way of adjusting the seat position with the vast majority of toilets in use today M spite of the fact that there have been a number of proposals for toilet seat handles. The reason why the handles previously suggested have not gained widespread acceptance is believed to reside in the fact that they generally result M a rigid structure with significant radial protrusion from the toilet seat and bowl when the seat is lowered, and this can be an inconvenience and even constitute a risk of causing mjury, e.g. when standing alongside the bowl m reaching to operate a flush lever.

There remains a need for an effective toilet seat handle which will be more generally acceptable to consumers than the prior art proposals. The present invention seeks to satisfy this need and accordingly resides in a handle attachment for a toilet seat comprising a mounting member adapted for firm attachment to the underside of a toilet seat and having an anchor part arranged to be located adjacent an outer edge of the toilet seat, an elongate flexible element having one end secured to the anchor part of the mounting member and the other end secured to a handle, whereby the handle is able to hang freely from the mounting member alongside the toilet bowl when the seat is lowered and can be grasped in the hand and lifted to raise the seat.

2 Because the handle hangs freely from a position near the edge of the seat it is Visually unobtrusive and it does not constitute an obstacle which could cause injury.

The handle is preferably elongate with the flexible element secured to one end so that the handle will hang in a substantially upright orientation. However, other forms of handle can be employed if desired, such as a substantially spherical ball. The handle may be moulded from plastics material, which also means it can be easily made to any desired appearance. Also it may be made to a distinctive shape, such as the shape of a whale, dolphin or fish. The handle can be hollow or it can have a solid form as desired.

The mounting member conveniently consists of a plate arranged to lie against the bottom surface of the seat, and is adapted to be fixed adhesively to the seat. The plate, which can conveniently be made as a plastic moulding may have an adhesive pad covered by a layer of peelable paper which is removed to expose the adhesive when the handle attachment is to be fixed to a toilet seat. Of course other fiXIng methods may also be used, such as screws if the handle is to be attached to a wooden seat. To facilitate correct postiorung of the mounting plate it may be provided with a projection such as a small lip or shoulder, for engaging the outer edge of the seat to locate the anchor part properly adjacent the seat edge. The anchor part is converuently a tongue which projects slightly beyond the seat edge.

The flexible element may consist of a cord, a flexible strap, a length of wire, a strip of plastic, or any other convenient form of flexible element which will freely suspend the handle fi7om the toilet seat. Most preferably the element comprises a chain and is of sufficient length for the handle to hang below the nm around the upper edge of the toilet bowl. The chain length in the range of 3-) to 8 cm between the mounting member and handle will be appropriate for most installations. The chain may be connected to the mounting member and handle by 3 any suitable means, such as by means of a split ring inserted through an eye integally moulded on the mounting member or handle. Alternatively, the mounting member and/or handle can be moulded directly onto the end of the flexible element.

The handle attachment can include a means for absorbing shocks which may be experienced if the toilet seat is allowed to fall freely from a top dead centre position while the handle is held with the flexible element initially in a slack condition. Such shock absorbing means may be provided by the flexible element being elastically extensible. Alternatively, a spring or compressible washer can be incorporated in the handle structure to be resiliently compressed when the flexible element is suddenly tensioned.

The invention also includes in its scope a toilet seat having a handle anchorage at an outer peripheral edge thereof, and a handle coupled to the anchorage by an elongate flexible element for the handle to hang freely from the seat when the seat is supported on the rim of a toilet bowl.

A clear understanding of the invention will be gained from the following description of some embodiments, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure I shows- a handle attachment according to the invention fitted to a toilet seat; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 33 is a cross sectional View through the handle; Figure 4 is a view showing the mounting plate, Figure 5 is a view similar to Fi e I showing a second embod' Igur iment of the handle attachment; Figure 6 is a front View of the second embodiment of the handle attachment; Figure 7 is a side view of the handle attachment of Figure 6; and 4 Figure 8 is an underneath view of the mounting plate of the handle attachment of Figure 6. In Figure 1 there is shown a toilet bowl 1 of conventional form with a base 2 and a top rim 33. The bowl is equipped with a seat 4 which is pivotally adjustable from the illustrated horizontal position m which it rests on the top run 1 3 of the bowl throueh a number of plastic or rubber pads (not shown) spaced around the underside of the seat, to a substantially vertical position m which it rests against a wall or cistern 5 (Figure 2) located behind the bowl. The seat is fitted with a handle attachment according to the present invention. A generally flat mounting plate 6 is fim-dy attached to the underside of the seat 4 by a doublesided adhesive pad, the plate being positioned so that a tongue 7 including a chain anchorage point 8 projects a small distance from the outer edge of the seat 4. The upperside of the plate 6 is provided with upwardly protiuding ribs 9 which serve to engage the seat edge to ensure correct positioning of the plate 6 on the seat 4. A flexible link chain 10 is secured by one end to the anchorage point 8 and a handle 12 is attached to the other end of the chain. The handle is elongate and is of hollow moulded plastics form with a tubular main body 14 and a lower end cap 15. The chain 10 extends through the opening at the upper end of the of the handle and axially through a coil spring 16 housed within the handle, the lower end of the chain being held by a keeper disc 17 which bears against the adjacent end of the spring 16. When the chain is subjected to sudden tension forces the spring can compress to prevent sudden jerks being transnutted to the handle.

Z7 It can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the handle 12 hangs freely and unobtrusively alongside the toilet bowl, but it is within easy reach and can conveniently be grasped in the hand and lifted m order to raise the toilet seat when required. It Will also hang in convenient position for subsequently lowering the seat again. Thus the seat is readily adjustable between its two normal positions without having to be touched directly with the hand.

The embodiment of the toilet seat handle attachment shown in Figures 5 to 8 is generally similar to the first embodiment, but differs in the following respects. The mounting plate 26 is moulded in the shape of the tall of a whale and has a lip 29 at its extremity for enga ing the seat edge. The t, 91 0 anchorage point 28 consists of an integrally moulded eye through which a split chain attachment ring 40 is passed. The handle 332 is a solid plastics moulding having an elongate shape which may be siMilar to that of the body of a whale. The chain 30 is secured to the handle by a ring 42 passed through an eye integrally formed on the side of the handle near its upper end. This arrangement results in the handle hanging with an inclined onentation so that it lies close to the outsider of the toilet bowl. The handle is used to raise and lower the toilet seat 4 m the same way as described in connection with the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5 a lid 44 is provided above the seat 4. The lid can be raised simultaneously with the seat using the handle 330 which can also be used, if required, for lowering the seat and lid together after having moved the lid beyond its top and centre pivotal position. Of course, the handle attachment according to the invention could, if desired, be fitted to the lid 44.

6

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A toilet seat handle attachment comprising an anchor part for location adjacent an outer edge of a toilet seat in firm connection to the toilet seat, an elongate flexible element having one end secured to the anchor part, and a handle secured to the other end of the flexible element, whereby the handle is able to hang freely from the anchor part alongside the toilet bowl when the seat is lowered and can be grasped in the hand and lifted to raise the seat.

A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 1, wherein the anchor part is provided by a mounting member adapted for firm attachment to the underside of the toilet seat.

3. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member comprises a plate with a substantially flat surface for adhesive 0 attachment to the toilet seat.

4. A toilet seat according to claim _3 3, wherein the mounting plate carries a double-sided adhesive pad for adhesively attaching the mounting plate to the toilet seat.

5. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein an abutrnent is provided on the mounting member for engagement with the seat edge to assist positioning of the mountincr member on the seat.

1 Z7 6, A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the anchor part comprises a tongue for pr jecting outwardly beyond the 01 seat edge.

7 7. A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flexible element is 3 to 8 cm in length between the anchor part and the handle.

8. A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flexible element is elastic.

9. A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flexible element is a chain.

10. A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims I to 7 or 9, wherein a shock absorbing means is proVided for absorbing shock due to the flexible element being tensioned sudder-ly.

11. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 10, wherem the shock absorbing means comprises a resiliently compressible member disposed within the handle.

12. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 11, wherein the flexible element extends through the resiliently compressible member for the resiliently compressible member to be compressed m response to tension in the flexible element.

13. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the resiliently compressible member comprises a coil spring.

14. A toilet seat handle attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the handle is elongated and the flexible element is connected at or 8 adjacent to an end of the handle.

15. A toilet seat handle attachment according to claim 14, wherein the handle is formed as a plastics moulding.

16. A toilet seat handle attachment substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A toilet seat having an anchorage at an outer peripheral edge thereof, and a handle coupled to the anchorage by an elongate flexible element for the handle to hang freely from the seat when the seat is supported on the run of a toilet bowl.

0 1 0

18. A toilet seat according to claim 17, wherein the flexible element and/or handle are as defined in any one of claims 7 to 16.

19. claims 1 to 16.

A toilet seat having a handle attachment as claimed m any one of