AU665600B2 - A hinge plate arrangement - Google Patents

Description

6 0 S F Ref: 230857

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

sr~r oi t rr ~o oo co ~e a II a sr a r c iorr a 1 rr*i a r~oe a rrar Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Caroma Industries Limited 10 Market 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 Invention Title: A Hinge Plate Arrangement o Da 4 4a a o B ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [31] Application No(s) [33] Country PL0669 AU [32] Application Date 3 February 1992 i The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815/5 -2- The present invention relates to the securing of toilet seats and lids to toilet pans and, in particular, to the hinge plate arrangement used to secure the toilet seat and lid to the toilet pan.

There are various ways in which a toilet seat and lid can be secured to a toilet pan, however, modern practice dictates the use of a single hinge plate which extends across the toilet pan and which entirely conceals all fasteners, fixtures and the like.

Typically this concealment is provided by an upper shroud-like member which provides a smoothly curved upper surface to the hinge plate and which therefore has a pleasing aesthetic appearance. This is particularly the case in those toilet and cistern assemblies where it is intended that the hinge plate extend towards, and cover any gap between, the toilet seat and the cistern.

To date such hinge plates have been provided with a peripheral side wall, the continuous lower edge of which abutts the upper surface of the pan. Again this side wall excludes from view any fastening arrangements, particularly when the toilet seat and lid are lifted or are located in a substantially vertical position.

Whilst this arrangement is aesthetically pleasing, a problem arises in that the toilet pan, being made from vitreous china, does not have a perfectly flat upper surface in the vicinity of the apertures used to fasten the hinge plates to the toilet pan. In particular, during the manufacturing of the vitreous china toilet pan, there is a tendency for the upper surface of the pan in between the apertures to sag slightly. As a consequence, when the hinge plate is secured to the pan there is a small, approximately centrally located, gap between the upper surface of the pan and the lower edge of the side wall.

Because of the presence of this gap, any urine which is misdirected to the upper surface of the toilet pan whilst in use, can find its way between the toilet pan and side wall and under the hinge plate. Such urine is essentially impossible to remove by cleaning and can create a malodorous smell of stale urine.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome, or to substantially ameliorate, the above mentioned disadvantage by the provision of an improved hinge plate arrangement.

2I IN:\UBO0lOO647:cgJ A -3- In accordance with the present invention there is disclosed a hinge plate arrangement for mounting a toilet set and lid assembly on an upper rear surface of a toilet pan to facilitate cleaning of the assembled mounting and upper rear surface whilst also sb. 'I ing the mounting from view, said hinge plate arrangement comprising: a hinge plate having two spaced apart hinges from which said seat and lid are pivoted,

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(ii) a shroud extending between said hinges and forming an upper surface of said hinge plate, i (iii) a skirt depending from said hinge plate adjacent each said hinge, each said skirt having a substantially flat lower periphery to engage said pan rear upper surface, and said shroud being spaced from said skirt peripheries, (iv) a clamping plate extending between said hinges and comprising an elevated i bridging piece having a boss at each end thereof, each said boss being receivable within the corresponding skirt and having an aperture therein to receive a fastener means which passes therethrough and into said pan to clamp the corresponding one of said skirt peripheries against said pan to thereby mount said hinge plate, and said shroud and bridging piece being clear of said pan rear upper surface to thereby form a cleaning gap between said bridging piece and said skirt peripheries.

Two embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view from underneath of one half of the hinge plate arrangement of the first embodiment, the arrangement being substantially symmetrical about the centre line indicated on the drawing, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clamping plate of the arrangement of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a rear view of the clamping plate of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the clamping plate of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line V V of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating an alternative clamping plate.

As seen in Fig. 1, the overall assembly 1 takes the form of a lid 2 and a toilet seat 3 of substantially conventional appearance and only partially illustrated in Fig. 1.

A hinge plate 4 is the third major component of the assembly 1 and is pivotally connected to both the lid 2 and seat 3 in substantially conventional fashion.

The hinge plate 4 includes an upper shroud 6 which extends the length of the hinge plate and therefore extends transversely across the toilet bowl (not illustrated), It is the upper surface of the shroud 6 which is visible when the seat 3 and lid 2 are lowered. At each end of the shroud 6 is located one of two substantially U-shaped side walls 7 each of which has a rearwardly facing opening 8.

[N:\LIBOO100647:CAG -4- As best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, a generally C-shaped clamping plate is provided. The clamping plate 10 has two bosses 11 joined by a bridging piece 12. As indicated in Fig. 1 each of the bosses 11 is slidably insertable into the corresponding opening 8 so as to be retained within the corresponding side wall 7. A retaining screw 13 secures the clamping plate 10 when so positioned.

Located within each of the bosses 11 is a key-hole shaped aperture 15 into which the shank 16 of a substantially conventional fastener 17 is able to be passed. The fastener 17 has a disc-shaped head 18 and a nut 19. The shank 16 is positioned off-centre with respect to the disc-shaped head 18.

The method of securing the hinge plate arrangement to a bottom fixing toilet pan is a follows. Firstly, the nut 19 is removed from the shank 16 and the shank 16 of the fastener 17 is passed through the through aperture (not illustrated) in the toilet pan. The nut 19 is then threadably engaged with the free end of the shank 16.

Next, with the heads 18 of the fasteners raised above the toilet pan as far as possible, the clamping plate 10 is slid rearwardly over the upper surface of the toilet pan so that the shank 16 of the fastener 17 passes into the aperture 15. The fastener 17 may then require to be ,rotated in order to adjust for any difference between the spacing of the q centres of the apertures 15 and the spacing of the apertures in the toilet pan. Once this has been achieved, each disc-shaped head 18 is able to be fully received within the corresponding aperture 15. Then the nuts 19 are tightened so as to clamp the clamping plate 10 to the upper surface of the toilet pan.

Finally, the hinge plate 4 is slid rearwardly over the upper surface of the toilet pan so as to engage the bosses 11 with the corresponding openings 8 and side walls 7. Then each of the two retaining screws 13 is fastened so as to complete the arrangement.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the lower surface of each side wall 7 is not only flush with the upper surface of the toilet pan, but is also generally clamped against same because of the V-shaped cross sectional shape of the bridging piece 12. As a consequence, any urine which may be splashed against the side wall 7 is unable to enter between the pan and the side wall 7.

IAD/0553o

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pp- Furthermore, since any such misdirected urine is generally centrally located, any such urine which may pass under the shroud 6 but between the side walls 7, is able to be cleaned from the pan surface because of the spacing between the bridging piece 12 and the toilet pan engaging lower surfaces of the bosses 11.

Fig. 6 illustrats a second embodiment for use with the blind holes located in the upper surface of a top fixing pan. In the second embodiment the side walls 27 are each provided with a key hole shaped aperture Two conventional screws 37 and two expandable hollow rubber cylinders 38 are provided. Also provided is a generally U-shaped clamp plate 40 and two Y-shaped keys 41. The clamp plate 40 takes the form c a central bridging piece 42 having a boss 43 located at each end thereof. Each of the bosses 43 has two elongated openings 44. The bosses 43 are joined to the bridging piece 42 :ry means of a corresponding narrow neck 45. The neck 45 and boss 43 are shaped to fit into the key hole shaped aperture Each of the keys 41 has a pair of arms 46, a locking weJge 47 and grip 48.

The bosses 43 are each provided with a pair of side ledges 49 and the bridging piece 42 in the vicinity of each of the bosses 43 is provided with a pair of opposed L-shaped flanges The cylinders 38 are placed in the blind holes of the toilet pan, the clamp plate 40 is located on the upper surface of the toilet pan and 44 25 the screws 37 passed through corresponding ones of elongated openings 44 and thence engaged with the cylinders 38 so as to clamp the clamp plate j to the upper surface of the toilet pan. It will be appreciated that 4, the transverse elongation of the openings 44, and the front to rear spacing between the pair of openings 44 in each of the bosses 43, permits a substantial adjustment to be made between the final position of the clamp plate 40 relative to the front edge of the toilet pan.

Nith the clamp plate 40 so secured, the hinge plate is lowered onto the clamp plate and toilet pan so that the bosses 43 and their necks pass into the key hole shaped apertures 35. In this position, the keys 41 are able to be slid into the corresponding side walls 27 with the arms 46 passing below the side ledges 49 and L-shaped flanges 50. This.

forward pushing action of the keys 41 is continued until the locking IAD/0553o

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ii. i I CILI IIC i~i-r_7ii ll~--~TL 6 wedges 47 engage the front facing surface of the bridging piece 42. This action firmly clamps side walls 27 to the clamp plate 40 and thereby secures 'the hinge plate to the toilet pan.

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

For example, the key hole shaped aperture 15 can be moulded integrally with the side walls 7 in which case no separate clamping plate 10 is be required. However, this adds substantially to the complexity of the mould for the hinge plate 4.

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Claims (7)

1. A hinge plate arrangement for mounting a toilet set and lid assembly on an upper rear surface of a toilet pan to facilitate cleaning of the assembled mounting and upper rear surface whilst also shielding the mounting from view, said hinge plate arrangement comprising: a hinge plate having two spaced apart hinges from which said seat and lid are pivoted, (ii) a shroud extending between said hinges and forming an upper surface of said hinge plate, (iii) a skirt depending from said hinge plate adjacent each said hinge, each said skirt having a substantially flat lower periphery to engage said pan rear upper surface, and said shroud being spaced from said skirt peripheries, (iv) a clamping plate extending between said hinges and comprising an elevated bridging piece having a boss at each end thereof, each said boss being receivable within the corresponding skirt and having an aperture therein to receive a fastener means which passes therethrough and into said pan to clamp the corresponding one of said skirt peripheries against said pan to thereby mount said hinge plate, and said shroud and bridging piece being clear of said pan rear upper surface to thereby form a cleaning gap between said bridging piece and said skirt peripheries.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said boss is substantially box-shaped and each said skirt is substantially U-shaped having a rearwardly facing opening through which the corresponding boss can pass.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each said skirt and said clamping plate have complementarily shaped inclined clamping surfaces.

4. arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clamping plate piece and each said skirt are able to be secured together by a corresponding key.

An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein each said key is arranged to clamp the corresponding skirt periphery to the upper surface of said pan.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein each said skirt periphery is provided with an aperture shaped to receive the corresponding boss.

7. A hinge plate arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to either Figs. 1 to 5, or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this Seventh Day of September 1995 Caroma Industries Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant i SPRUSON FERGUSON t~ A Hinge Plate Arrangement ABSTRACT A hinge plate arrangement to facilitate cleaning of a toilet pan is disclosed. The hinge plate has an upper shroud and a pair of spaced apart fastener obscuring side walls A clamp plate (10,40) having a pair of bosses (11,43) joined by a bridging piece (12,42) is secured to the toilet pan. The bosses (11,43) are then secured to the side walls (7,27) to clamp the side walls to the pan. A cleaning space between the pair of side walls is provided. S t (Fig. 1, 6) I (a o 99 as i-i c I 1 IAD/05530