US20010034900A1

US20010034900A1 - Toilet seat keeper

Info

Publication number: US20010034900A1
Application number: US09/849,382
Authority: US
Inventors: Jaime Aramburo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-05-05
Filing date: 2001-05-04
Publication date: 2001-11-01

Abstract

The present invention concerns that of a new and improved apparatus for keeping a toilet seat hygienic and sanitary by causing the toilet seat of a toilet to automatically be raised to an upright position when the toilet would not be in use. The present invention works by having a return spring incorporated in the hinges of the toilet seat. The present invention would serve to always keep the toilet seat in an upright position when the toilet would not be in use. When a user would need to use the present invention, a small amount of constant downward pressure would be enough to keep the toilet seat in a down position. The present invention would create a more healthy and hygienic toilet by not having urine smears or spills being left on a toilet seat which would have been left in a downward position when being used by a previous male user.

Description

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns that of a new and improved apparatus for keeping a toilet seat hygienic and sanitary by causing the toilet seat of a toilet to automatically be raised to an upright position when the toilet would not be in use.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,518, issued to Uhl, discloses a commode seat and lift structure which includes a central axle directed therethrough, with a pair of springs interposed between the commode seat and commode to effect biasing of the seat in a lifting orientation relative to the commode.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,618, issued to Chiang, discloses an automatic toilet seat life mechanism which retains the toilet seat in the vertical position.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,147, issued to Deal, discloses attachments for toilets having hingedly mounted seats.

III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of an apparatus for use with toilet seats in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the apparatus for use with toilet seats that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the apparatus for use with toilet seats in detail, it is to be understood that the apparatus for use with toilet seats is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The apparatus for use with toilet seats is capable of other embodiments and being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present apparatus for use with toilet seats. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regard as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use with toilet seats which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use with toilet seats which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is another object of the present invention to an apparatus for use with toilet seats which is of durable and reliable construction.

It is yet another object of the present invention to an apparatus for use with toilet seats which is economically affordable and available for the public.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims.

IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front isometric view of the present invention. [0014]
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the present invention. [0015]
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the present invention in use. [0016]

V. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a front isometric view of the present invention attached to a [0017] toilet 2. Spring 14 is shown attached to outer hinge 16 and inner hinge 12. Outer hinge 16 would be the hinge appropriately attached to toilet seat 6, which would be held in place by screw 8 and hinge cover 10. Spring 14 would provide a constant, but low amount of upward pressure in a counterclockwise direction upon outer hinge 16, allowing toilet seat 6 to gently be pushed upward if toilet 2 would not be in use. The pressure provided by spring 14 would be strong enough to raise both toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 if both toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 would be in a downward position.
FIG. 2 shows detailed side view schematic of the present invention. [0018] Toilet seat cover 4 would be pivotally attached to the toilet seat 6 and would automatically travel in an upward direction whenever spring 14 would lift toilet seat 6 in an upward position.
[0019] Spring 14 would not have any “sensor mechanism” or “motion detector mechanism” attached to it. Rather, spring 14 would simply provide a constant, but low amount of upward pressure in a counterclockwise direction upon outer hinge 16, allowing toilet seat 6 to gently be pushed upward if toilet 2 would not be in use. The amount of upward pressure would be enough to maintain toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 in an upward position when not in use, but would not be so great as to prevent a user, even a small child, from being able to place both toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 in a downward position rather easily and then using the toilet 2. In addition, the amount of upward pressure generated by spring 14 would be such that it would not allow toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 to slam upwards in a rapid motion.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the present invention in use on [0020] toilet 2. Once the user would remove pressure from toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4, toilet seat 6 and toilet seat cover 4 would automatically move upward in a gradual manner by the pressure of spring 14 upon outer hinge 16.

Claims

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An apparatus for use with toilets comprising

(a) a toilet bowl,

(b) a toilet seat pivotally attached to the toilet bowl,

(c) a toilet seat cover attached to the toilet bowl, the toilet seat cover resting on top of the toilet seat when the toilet seat is in a horizontal position, and

(d) means for raising and maintaining the toilet seat and toilet seat cover in an upward position when no downward pressure is being applied upon the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover.

2. An apparatus for use with toilets according to

claim 1

wherein the toilet seat cover is attached to the toilet bowl by a pair of outer hinges, a first outer hinge and a second outer hinge, each hinge being pivotally attached to the toilet bowl.

3. An apparatus for use with toilets according to

claim 2

wherein the means for raising and maintaining the toilet seat and toilet seat cover in an upward position further comprises

(a) a pair of inner hinges, a first inner hinge and a second inner hinge,

(b) a pair of springs, a first spring and a second spring, the first spring having two ends, a first end and a second end, the second spring having two ends, a first end and a second end, the first end of the first spring attached to the first inner hinge, the second end of the first spring attached to the first outer hinge, the first end of the second spring attached to the second inner hinge, the second end of the second spring attached to the second outer hinge,

(c) wherein the first spring exerts an upward rotational force upon the first outer hinge, and further wherein the second spring exerts an upward rotational force upon the second outer hinge, causing the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover to rotate to and be maintained in a vertical position if no downward pressure is applied to the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover.