AU735029B2

AU735029B2 - An assembly for connecting a toilet seat hinge support to a toilet pan bolt

Info

Publication number: AU735029B2
Application number: AU74052/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Dunstan
Original assignee: Caroma Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Caroma Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1997-07-04
Filing date: 1998-07-02
Publication date: 2001-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-07-02
Also published as: AU7405298A

Description

S F Ref: 425143

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT *c 0 aa

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [31] Application No(s) P07719 Caroma Industries Limited Market Street Brisbane Queensland 4000

AUSTRALIA

Peter Dunstan Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia An Assembly for Connecting a Toilet Seat Hinge Support to a Toilet Pan Bolt APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country

AU

[32] Application Date 4 July 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 -1- AN ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING A TOILET SEAT HINGE SUPPORT TO A TOILET PAN BOLT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an assembly for connecting a toilet seat hinge support to a toilet pan bolt, a toilet seat hinge support and a toilet pan bolt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Toilet seats, lids and their associated hinges are usually attached to toilet pans by toilet pan bolts having a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head.

A known arrangement of this type is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises bolt 0o mounting plate 12 and cover 14. The plate 12 is attached to toilet seat hinges (not shown) and includes a pair of holes 16 (only one shown) each having an upper cylindrical region 18 and a lower cylindrical region 20 of smaller diameter divided by a shoulder 22. The bolt 10 includes a head 24 having an upper cylindrical portion 26 which is a loose fit within the upper region 20 of the mounting plate 12 and a lower portion 28 which is a loose fit within the lower region 20. The underside of the upper portion 26 abuts the shoulder 22 and, when the bolt 10 is tightened and urged in the direction of arrow 32, clamps the plate 12 to the toilet pan (not shown).

The bolt 10 has a threaded shank 30 which is offset from the centre of the head 24 and by rotating it, as indicated by arrow 34, the distance between the threaded shanks 30 can be adjusted to suit the spacing of the corresponding holes in the toilet pan. The variable shrinkage associated with the production of vitreous china pans *necessitates this adjustability.

To install the plate 12, the bolts 10 are rotated into the desired relative spacing and tightened to clamp the mounting plate 12 to the toilet pan (not shown). The cover 14 is then fitted to conceal the bolt heads 24.

This known arrangement is relatively complicated, requires two toilet pan bolts and associated nuts, an attachment plate having the stepped holes and a cover plate to conceal the bolt heads and is not suitable for some styles of toilet seats, in particular, those of an older or antique style.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention discloses an assembly for connecting a toilet seat hinge support to a toilet pan bolt, the toilet pan bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the hinge support including a base with a cylindrical bore and a complementary engaging formation, the bore being adapted to receive the offset cylindrical head therein, the connecting assembly including a biasing means adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt IN:\LIBdOO489:DMB into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the hinge support to thereby releasably connect the bolt to the hinge support.

In a second aspect, there is a disclosed a toilet seat hinge support adapted to be releasably connected to a toilet pan bolt, the bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the support including a base with a cylindrical bore having a complementary engaging formation, the bore being adapted to receive the head therein, and a biasing means adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the support to thereby releasably connect the hinge support to the toilet pan.

In a third aspect, the invention discloses a toilet pan bolt adapted to be releasably connected to a toilet seat hinge support, the bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the support including a S•base having a cylindrical bore including a complementary engaging formation, the bore adapted to receive the head therein, wherein the support includes a biasing means 15 adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the support to thereby connect the bolt to the support.

In one form, the bolt head includes an integrally formed bolt head engaging formation. In another form, the bolt head engaging formation is incorporated into a collar adapted to engage the bolt head.

In an embodiment, the bolt head engaging formation is an annular groove and the hinge support complementary engaging formation is a correspondingly profiled inwardly facing annular rim.

In another embodiment, the bolt head engaging formation is an outwardly facing annular rim and the bore complementary engaging formation is a correspondingly profiled annular groove.

The biasing means is preferably a grub screw adapted to threadably engage the base adjacent the engaging formations and operable to abut the bolt head and urge it against the bore of the base.

The hinge support preferably also includes a journal adapted to receive a shaft for supporting a toilet seat and/or lid therethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Four preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a prior art connecting arrangement; Fig. 2 is a partial sectional side view of a first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a partial sectional side view of a second embodiment; Fig. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 2; [N:\LIBdIOO489:DMB -3- Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a partial sectional side view of a third embodiment; and Fig. 7 is a partial sectional side view of a fourth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figs. 2, 4 and 5 show a first embodiment of an assembly 40 for connecting a toilet seat hinge support 42 to a toilet pan bolt 44. The toilet pan bolt 44 has a threaded shank 46 and an offset cylindrical head 48 with an engaging formation, in the form of an annular groove 50. The hinge support 42 includes a base portion 52 with a cylindrical bore 54 and a complimentary engaging formation, in the form of an inwardly facing annular rim 56. The inner diameter of the rim 56 is slightly larger than the external diameter of the cylindrical head 48 so the head can be inserted within the bore 54. The connecting assembly 40 also includes a biasing arrangement, in the form of grub screw 58. The grub screw 58 has a head 59, a threaded portion 60, which is threadably engaged with a bore 62 in the base portion 52, and a tail 61.

15 By advancing the grub screw 38 in the direction of arrow 64 the tail 61 abuts the cylindrical bolt head 48 and urges it into engagement with the base portion 52 thereby bringing the groove 50 and the rim 56 into engagement with one another. This .engagement releasably connects the bolt 44 to the hinge support 42.

Fig. 4 shows the connector assembly 40 connecting the hinge support 42 to a toilet pan 66. A nut 68 engages the threaded shank 46 to fasten the bolt to the pan 66.

support 42 also includes a journal 69 which receives therethrough a shaft 70 to support a toilet seat 72 and lid 74. The assembly 40 is installed with the grub screw 58 facing the rear of the toilet pan 66 to improve the aesthetics of the toilet suite and reduce the likelihood of theft or vandalism.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a connector assembly 80 in which the bolt head 48 has an engaging formation in the form of an outwardly facing annular rim 82 and the base 52 of the support 42 has a complementary engaging formation in the form of an annular groove 84. The second embodiment is installed in a substantially identical way to that described in relation to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows a third embodiment of a connector assembly 100, similar to the first embodiment, except the toilet pan bolt 44 is replaced by a recessed collar 102 having a stepped internal bore 104 which receives and engages the head 106 of an offset head bolt 108.

Fig. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of a connector assembly 120, similar to the second embodiment, except the toilet pan bolt 44 is replaced by a collar 122 with a stepped internal bore 124 engaging an offset head bolt 126.

The prior art bolt 24, see Fig. 1, can also be used with the third and fourth embodiment of Figs. 5 and 7 respectively.

[N:\LIBdI00489:DMB -4- The security of the installations can be increased by utilising a grub screw 58 with a head 59 that is uni-directional or that includes some other form of security formation.

Although the invention has been described with reference with specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.

[N:\LIBdI00489:DMB

Claims

1. An assembly for connecting a toilet seat hinge support to a toilet pan bolt, the toilet pan bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the hinge support including a base with a cylindrical bore and a complementary engaging formation, the bore being adapted to receive the offset cylindrical head therein, the connecting assembly including a biasing means adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the hinge support to thereby releasably connect the bolt to the hinge support.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt head includes an integrally formed bolt head engaging formation.

S3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt head engaging formation is incorporated into a collar adapted to engage the bolt head.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bolt head .:i 15 engaging formation is an annular groove and the hinge support complementary •engaging formation is a correspondingly profiled inwardly facing annular rim.

An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bolt head S Sengaging formation is an outwardly facing annular rim and the bore complementary •engaging formation is a correspondingly profiled annular groove.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein 5ee• the biasing means is a grub screw adapted to threadably engage the base adjacent the engaging formations and operable to abut the bolt head or bolt head engaging formation and urge it against the bore of the base.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge support also includes a journal adapted to receive a shaft for supporting a toilet seat and/or lid therethrough.

8. A toilet seat hinge support adapted to be releasably connected to a toilet pan bolt, the bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the support including a base with a cylindrical bore having a complementary engaging formation, the bore being adapted to receive the head therein, and a biasing means adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the support to thereby releasably connect the hinge support to the toilet pan.

9. A toilet seat hinge support as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hinge support complementary engaging formation is an inwardly facing annular rim.

A toilet seat hinge support as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hinge support complementary engaging formation is an inwardly facing annular groove. [N:\LIBd100489:DMB -6-

11. A toilet seat hinge support as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the hinge support also includes a journal adapted to receive a shaft for supporting a toilet seat and/or lid therethrough.

12. A toilet pan bolt adapted to be releasably connected to a toilet seat hinge support, the bolt comprising a threaded shank and an offset cylindrical head having an engaging formation, the support including a base having a cylindrical bore including a complementary engaging formation, the bore adapted to receive the head therein, wherein the support includes a biasing means adapted to bias the engaging formation of the bolt into engagement with the complementary engaging formation of the support to thereby connect the bolt to the support.

13. A toilet pan bolt as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bolt head includes an integrally formed bolt head engaging formation.

14. A toilet pan bolt as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bolt head engaging formation is incorporated into a collar adapted to engage the bolt head.

15. A toilet pan bolt as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the bolt head engaging formation is an annular groove.

16. A toilet pan bolt as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the bolt head engaging formation is an outwardly facing annular rim.

17. An assembly for connecting a toilet seat hinge support to a toilet pan bolt, said assembly substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 2, 4 and Fig. 3, Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A toilet seat hinge support substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 5, Fig. 3, Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings. S.

19. A toilet pan bolt substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 5, Fig.- 3, Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this Eleventh Day of June 1998 Caroma Industries Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON [N:\LIBd]0OO489:DMB