AU604579B2 - Toilet seat assembly - Google Patents

Description

~irrncrra- S F Ref: 43632 FORM 100 COMMONWEALTH OF A'SARA' 5 7 PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION This document contains the amendments made under Scction 49 and is correct for printing

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: PI5407 13 November 1987 Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Caroma Industries Limited 31 Ma'ket Street Brisbane Queensland 4000

AUSTRALIA

Bruce Russell Thompson Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Toilet Seat Assembly The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us SOO56 1 5815/2 I I I I 33 d

ABSTRACT

A hinge arrangement for a toilet seat is disclosed which is formed only from the seat, lid and hinge plate.

The hinge maintains all three items assembled prior to installation. The hinge components are integrally formed with the moulded plastic seat, lid and hinge plate.

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411 s I I 1 The present invention relates to a hinge arrangement for a toilet seat assembly.

Toilet seat assemblies comprise a seat, a lid and the hinge plate. Hitherto, the hinge plate has been formed with two very substantial bosses and a metal axle or hinge pivot which extends between the bosses. The seat is provided with a single cylindrical opening and the lid is provided with a pair of flanges each of which has a circular hole therethrough. The circular holes and cylindrical openings are aligned and the metal hinge passes through these apertures.

The above described arrangement is relatively heavy because of the weight of the hinge axle, and is also difficult to assemble because of the need to accurately align the cylindrical opening and circular holes.

U.S. Patent No. 4,398,307 describes a hinge assembly to which the seat and lid are secured after fabrication.

As two hinges each of a minimum of 3 parts are required, each assembly requires 8 pieces. Also the hinge components ,0 are not integrally formed with the seat and lid thus there is a danger of either the seat or the lid, or both, becoming detached from the hinge before, after or during ins)Iallation.

U.S. Patent No. 4,367,567 discloses a seat, lid and hinge arrangement which are moulded from plastic.

The seat, lid and hinge pin are releasably detachable from the hinge plate for cleaning and are maintained together while so detached or prior to installation.

-2- SHowever, the assembly is liable to theft by vandals because of the readily visible rotatable hinge pin. Furthermore, the hinge pin and hinge plate are separately mouldable items.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome, or substantially ameliorate, the abovementioned disadvantages by the provision of a toilet seat assembly having only three components and which preferably includes a hinge arrangement which is able to be moulded from plastics material at the same time as the components of the toilet seat assembly are also fabricated.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a toilet seat assembly consisting of three components a seat, a lid and a hinge plate each shaped to provide a hinge arrangement permitting relative pivotal movement of each of said seat and lid with respect to said hinge P, plate, said hinge arrangement comprising a first pair of protrusions on one of said seat or hinge plate rotatably engagable with a first pair of recesses in the other of said seat or hinge plate, and a second pair of protrusions on one of said lid or hinge plate rotatably engagable with a second pair of recesses on the other of said lid or hinge plate.

Preferably the hinge arrangement comprises a pair of stub axles carried by the seat, a pair of stub axles carried by the lid, and four axle receiving slots formed in the hinge plate, Preferably the slots include a protrusion passed which the stub axles are pushed on insertion into the slots to thereby hold the toilet seat assembly assembled prior to installation. The hinge plate on installation is clamped to a pan and the seat and lid are preferably provided with curved bearing surfaces which move whilst in abutment with the upper surface of the pan.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. I is an exploded perspective view of the L 0 -3- F/04180 toilet seat assembly of the preferred embodiment, Fig. 2 is a partial inverted plan view of the assembly of Fig. 1 in the assembled condition, Fig. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of the toilet seat assembly as installed on a pan, Fig. 4A is a view similar to Fig. 3 but of the assembly as installed and with both the lid and seat lowered, and Fig. 4B is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating both the seat and lid in a raised position.

As seen in the drawings and Fig. 1 in particular, the toilet seat assembly 1 is formed from a seat 2, a lid 3 and a hinge plate 4, each of which is integrally moulded from a plastics miterial.

The seat 2 is provided at its rear with a certral lobe 6 from which two stub axles 7 protrude. The lid 3 is provided with two flanges 8 from each of which a corresponding stub axle 9 extends. Each of the stub axles 7,9 is provided with a central cylindrical portion 10 and a quasi-hemispherical head 11.

The hinge plate 4 is provided with an elongate body 14 having a pair of downwardly directed P-shaped apertures 15 of conventional configuration. The hinge plate 4 is also provided with a pair of generally hollow bosses 16 each of which has a pair of aligned slots 17 formed in its side wall, making four slots 17 in all.

Each of the slots 17 (as best seen in Fig. 3) is provided with a curved bottom 18 and a protrusion 4 19 which extends into the slot 17 and restricts the width thereof.

The method of assembling the assembly 1 is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 in that the lid 3 is placed over the seat 2, both of these items being curved so that the lid 3 lies over the seat 2 in the intended relationship to be adopted by these pieces in their final installation. In this configuration, the stub axles 7 are aligned with the stub axles 9 but point in opposite directions. Then the hinge plate 4 is moved downwardly as indicated in Fig. 1 so as to pass the stub axles 7,9 into the slots 17. This motion is continued until the cylindrical portions 10 of the axles 7,9 are pushed passed the protrusions 19 and are retained tiereby 13 at the corresponding curved bottom 18 of the corresponding slot 17. In this way, the assembly 1 is able to be maintained in its assembled condition as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Furthermore, the heads 11 on the axles 7,9 also assist in maintaining the assembly I in the condition illustrated in Fig. 2 since they provide a resistance against movement of the seat 2 or lid 3 in the direction of the axles 7,9. In the assembled condition illustrated in Fig. 2, the toilet seat assembly 1 is conveniently transported and handled prior to its final installation on a toilet pan 21 (Fig. 3) AS seen in Figs. 3, 4A and 4B, a conventional fastener 23 is passed through each of a pair of holes 24 in the pan 21 and the head 25 of the fastener 23 is passed into a corresponding one of the P-shaped apertures Then a wing nut 26 is tightened in order to clamp the hinge plate 4 against the upper surface 27 of the pan 21. This installation procedure is able to be carried out with the toilet seat assembly 1 in the assembled condition illustrated in Fig. 2.

As best seen in Figs. 4A and 4B, the length of the slots 17 relative to the positions of the stub axles 7,9 is arranged so that there is only a small rotational clearance between the curved bottoms 18 of the slots 17 and the cylindrical portions 10 of the axles 7,9.

In addition, each of the seat 2 and lid 3 is provided with a curved bearing surface 28, 29 respectively which abuts the upper surface 27 of the pan 21.

In this way, both the seat 2 and lid 3 are firmly held between the hinge plate 4 and the pan 21, but are able to rotate because the axles 7,9 are able to rotate within the slots 17. Thus, a firm but easy movement is obtained.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above described arrangement has a number of substantial advantages. Firstly, the force with which the seat 2 and lid 3 are maintained within the hinge arrangement is determined by the fastener 23 and P-shaped apertures 15 which is an inherently strong arrang-ment.

Secondly, the heads 11 of the axles 7,9 prevent sliding movement of the seat 2 and lid 3 in the direction of 6- I i/j the axles 7,9. Since the length of the cylindrical portion can be closely controlled during moulding, this overcomes a certain degree of sloppyness inherent in the prior art hinge arrangement and, in particular, sliding of the seat 3 along the hinge axle. Furthermore, once assembled in the factory prior to sale, the seat, lid and hinge plate remain in their assembled state prior to, and during final installation. Thus there is no possibility of parts being lost or the arrangement being mis-assembled at installation.

Finally, because the three items, lid, seat and hinge plate are each integrally moulded from plastics material, there is an overall reduction in cost.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. A toilet seat assembly consisting of three components a seat, a lid and a hinge plate each shaped to provide a hinge arrangement permitting relative pivotal movement of each of said seat and lid with respect to said hinge plate, said hinge arrangement comprising a first pair of protrusions on one of said seat or hinge plate rotatably engagable with a first pair of recesses in the other of said seat or hinrge plate, and a second pair of protrusions on one of said lid or hinge plate rotatably engagable with a second pair of recesses on the other of said lid or hinge plate.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first protrusions are on said seat.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said second protrusions are on said lid.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 when dependent upon claim 2 wherein said first protrusions comprise a first pair of stub axles, said second protrusions comprise a second pair of stub axles, and said hinge plate recesses comprise four axle receiving slots to rotatably receive said stub axles.

An assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said slot includes a third protrusion passed which the corresponding one of said axles is pushed on insertion of sald axles in said slots.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim I wherein said third protrusion retains said seat, lid and hinge plate with said axles positioned in said slots prior to installation of said assembly on a lavatory pan.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein each said stub axle is provided with a cylindrical portion for rotation within said slots, and a head portion of transverse extent greater than the diameter of said cylindrical portion, said head portion being engagable with the corresponding onL of said slots to substantially prevent axial movement of said stub axle relative to said slot.

8. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8 where each of said lid and said seat includes a curved bearing surface which is substantially part-cylindrical and co-axial with the corresponding pair of stub axles, the depth of said slots in said hinge plate substantially corresponding to the radius of each said part-cylindrical bearing surface, and said slots opening towards a substantially flat upper surface of a lavatory pan to which said hinge plate is securable whereby said bearing h'RF/0418o surfaces abut said upper surface during pivoting movement of said seat and lid to retain said stub axles fully inserted within said slots.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein all four of said stub axles are aligned and each said sloe has the same depth.

10. An assembly as claimed In any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein each of said seat, lid and hinge plate is integrally formed by moulding from plastics material.

11. A toilet seat assembly substantially as described with reference to the drawings. DATED this FOURTH day of SEPTEMBER 1990 Caroma Industries Limited 0 C 00 C 0 r Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON 0s 0 a 046 HRF/04180 o Jnz 6