EP0683637B1

EP0683637B1 - A device for a lavatory ring

Info

Publication number: EP0683637B1
Application number: EP94900311A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kim Hindsgaul
Original assignee: Hygoform AS
Current assignee: Hygoform AS
Priority date: 1992-11-11
Filing date: 1993-11-11
Publication date: 1998-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2013-11-11
Also published as: NO301209B1; ATE167033T1; WO1994010894A1; NO924342D0; NO924342L; DE69319145D1; EP0683637A1; ES2118362T3; AU5534994A; DE69319145T2; DK0683637T3

Abstract

In a device for a lavatory ring on a lavatory bowl, having a means for applying and displacing a protective cover on the lavatory ring, said lavatory ring (2) having a horseshoe shape with the two end legs (7, 8) thereof being inserted through respective openings (5, 6) in a housing (4) containing both a storage supply and a receiver for the protective cover, at least one of said end legs being attached in the housing, the end legs of said lavatory are hinged (9, 10) outside the respective opening, for upward swinging from the lavatory bowl. A press member (39) in the housing flattens the protective cover (41) which passes off the seat ring and over into the receiver. Between the lavatory bowl and the lavatory ring is provided a safety catch (37, 39) for the free seat and leg. The housing comprises a slide-snap mechanism (24) for engagement with two attachment members (29, 31) connected to the lavatory bowl. The protective cover has markers (22, 23) placed at intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof to indicate the length of covering to be advanced.

Description

The invention relates to a device for a lavatory ring on a lavatory bowl, having a means for applying and displacing a protective cover on the lavatory ring, said lavatory ring having a horseshoe shape with the two end legs thereof being inserted through respective openings in a housing containing both a storage supply and a receiver for the protective cover, one of the end legs being attached to the housing of the device, the lavatory ring being hinged for upward swinging from the lavatory bowl.

Known from Austrian patent publication no. 110,102 and Swedish patent publication no. 87682 are devices based on the drawing of a hose-like protective cover from one roll and over onto a second roll, said hose being drawn onto the open lavatory ring, and moved thereover and along and out at the securely fastened end of the lavatory ring, where there is situated a knife which cuts the hose so that it may be drawn off and over onto a receiving roll.

In the embodiment according to the Austrian patent publication no. 110,102 a relatively complicated drive mechanism is used. and the lavatory ring is raised to a lifted position in order to facilitate the drawing thereover of the hose -- which incidentally is made of paper.

From Swedish patent publication no. 87682 there is known a more compact design, where the two rolls for the paper hose cover are disposed within a housing. The hinge end of the lavatory ring is hinged to the housing, which is screwed securely to the lavatory bowl. From a roll, the paper hose goes over onto the free end of the lavatory ring and is drawn over said lavatory ring and out at the attached end (the hinge end), where there is also found a knife for cutting the hose so that it may be drawn off and over onto a receiving roll.

A further development of this known art is shown and described in Norwegian patent publication no. 150,306. Here there is arranged a housing so mounted as to be upwardly rotatable in a mounting member securable to the lavatory bowl, each of the two ends of said lavatory ring being inserted into its respective opening and resting freely in the housing opening, or being permanently mounted within the housing, with said knife being disposed in a protected location within the housing. In addition, in US-PS 4,213,212 is both shown and described the operation of a receiving roll for a protective cover, provided with a drive roller which activates the protective cover to pull it toward and over onto the receiving roll. A small electromotor is used to drive the drive roller directly via a gear wheel mechanism, while the receiving roll is driven from the same gear mechanism by means of an elastic driving belt.

From Norwegian patent publication no. 163,554 is known a device for supplying a covering to a toilet seat. Here the covering material or the protective cover is not formed as a finished stocking or hose. The starting material is a web-formed cover material folded in the longitudinal direction and pulled out from a supply roll at one end of the seat. There the material is caused to envelop the body of the seat. The seat has a slit for guiding the material, which is provided along the edges with a bead to be slid into the slit, and both ends of the seat are attached to and spaced apart from the lavatory bowl. At the other end of the seat is a receiving roll which takes up the used material while simultaneously drawing out new material from the supply roll.

The primary intent of devices of the aforementioned type is to safeguard personal hygiene as effectively as possible, particularly in connection with toilets outside the more protected milieu of private households. Devices of the type forming the basis of the invention have been widely acclaimed in practice, and effective servicing systems have been developed to care for the devices and to ensure the execution of the tasks that would naturally be associated with their use, namely, the maintenance of the apparatus, supplying of protective covering, and cleaning of the apparatus and its surroundings.

Whether or not the protective cover device is equipped with a knife, i.e., regardless of whether the protective cover is a plastic hose or stocking, or is formed from a blank that is folded together, it is common for the housing to be made capable of swinging upward, thus forming a hinge for the pivotal movement of the lavatory ring. This type of upward swinging of the housing is undesirable for several reasons. One reason is that a fixed mounting of the housing will provide a simpler and more convenient embodiment. A second reason relates to the fact that in its upward swung state, the opening of the housing will be directed substantially vertically upward. This is undesirable for reasons of hygiene. When men urinate with the lavatory ring swung up, urine can easily hit the underside of the lavatory ring and the protective cover there and penetrate in through the opening in the housing. This will make the cleaning process more difficult.

US-A-4 847 922 deals with a combined toilet seat and reelable seat cover in the form of a tube, sleeved on the seat plate. To make this possible one end leg of the horseshoe-shaped seat is not attached to the toilet housing. This type of device is comfortable to handle and hygienic to use.

It is therefore a purpose of the invention to provide a device for a lavatory ring exhibiting better hygienic properties when in use. Starting from this combined toilet seat and protective cover device known through said US-A-4 847 922, discussed in the preamble of claim 1, the invention defined in the characterizing part of independent claim 1. The dependent claims 2 to 5 define various modifications of the device claimed in the independent claim.

The horseshoe shaped lavatory seat is preferably made of plastic and formed as a light, but strong element, which gives full performance under load (on use) because it rests upon the lavatory bowl. In unloaded state, however, the seat will be somewhat flexible -- also in the plane of the seat --as a result of the light design and also as a result of the unilateral mounting. Particularly when swung up and down, the free end of the lavatory seat or ring will be slightly loose and may have a tendency to slide out of the opening provided in the housing. It is therefore suggested, according to the invention, that the apparatus be provided with a safety catch for the free end leg, between the lavatory bowl and the lavatory ring.

Such a safety catch will provide the adjacent end leg of the seat with the necessary safeguarding against displacements. The safety catch may have many different embodiments, but a simple and preferred design is one where the safety catch has the form of a ring member projecting out from the housing, adapted for engagement with a pin or stud on the underside of the free end leg. Another preferred embodiment involves the mounting within the housing of a pin or stud capable of passing clear through the free end leg. Advantageously, the safety catch may be designed for safety engagement with the hinged end leg termination of the free end leg.

The invention shall now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, where:

Figure 1: shows an embodiment according to the invention,
Figure 2: shows a modified embodiment,
Figure 3: shows the embodiment in Fig. 1, with a section of the housing detached and lifted up,
Figure 4: shows the embodiment in Fig. 1, with the lavatory ring swung up,
Figure 5: shows the lavatory ring with the hinged end leg terminations swung up,
Figure 6: shows a variant of the safety catch shown in Fig. 5,
Figure 7: shows the lavatory ring with a protective cover with markers,
Figure 8: shows a lavatory ring with a section of the housing removed, permitting a view of an attachment mechanism employed,
Figure 9: shows a section as indicated by the section line in Fig. 8.
Figures 10 and 11: show an attachment member viewed from above and from the underside,
Figure 12: shows a T-head for an attachment bolt,
Figure 13: shows a section of a modified hinge embodiment, and
Figure 14: shows a flattening device according to the invention.

On the drawings there is indicated a lavatory bowl 1 with a seat ring 2. On lavatory bowl 1 at the rear edge thereof is mounted a housing 4. The housing has two openings 5 and 6 into which the two

end legs

7 and 8 of the horseshoe shaped lavatory ring 2 are inserted.

Immediately outside the respective openings 5,6 the

end legs

7,8 are hinge-divided with the aid of

respective hinges

9,10, allowing ring 2 to be swung up as shown in Fig. 4. The outermost end sections of each

end leg

7,8 are inserted from their respective hinge 9,10 (9',10' in Fig 2)through openings 5 and 6, respectively, as shown in more detail in Fig. 3, where the upper half section 4' of the housing has been lifted up to show the inside of the housing. One terminating end section 7' rests within housing 4, while the other terminating end section 8' is securely fastened inside the housing and is formed, in the transitional area for attachment flange 11, as a knife 12 for cutting the protective cover, not shown. The protective cover emerges from a storage roll, not shown, in the left-hand half of housing 4 in Fig. 3, is fed onto the ring's terminating end section 7', over hinge 9 and further along leg 7 and around the ring to leg 8, over hinge 10 and the terminating end section 8', where the stocking formed protective cover is split with the aid of knife 12 and passes over onto a receiving roll, not shown, situated in the right-hand chamber of housing 4 in Fig. 3.

It will be apparent from Fig. 4, particularly, that hinges 9 and 10 will form break points where urine spill on the underside of ring 2 will run off and preferably down into lavatory bowl 1. Urine spill is thus prevented from penetrating in through openings 5,6. These openings would be substantially vertical, in conformity with the upraised ring position in Fig. 4, if the housing were hinged to the lavatory bowl and thus functioned as a swing-up hinge device for the lavatory ring.

The horseshoe shaped lavatory seat (the seat ring) is preferably constructed of plastic and formed, as shown, as a light, but strong member, which will perform to full effect under load (when used) because it then rests on the lavatory bowl. In unloaded state, however, seat ring 2 will be somewhat flexible, also in the plane of the seat, as a result of the unilateral attachment at 11. Particularly when swung up or down the free seat ring end 7,7' will be somewhat loose and could have a tendency to slide out of the provided opening 5 in housing 4. To rectify this, a safety catch 15 for the free end leg 7,7' is built in between the upper edge of the lavatory bowl and the free end leg 7,7' of the seat ring. The placement of safety catch 15 is shown in Fig. 5.
Here the safety catch 15 is formed and situated so as to provide the seat's end leg 7 with lateral support when loaded, to ensure that the end leg does not undergo displacement in its longitudinal direction, to secure the terminating hinged end section 7' (hinge flap) projecting in through opening 5 in housing 4, and also to contribute toward lifting seat 2 slightly when not loaded, so that the seat or lavatory ring 2 will "float" above lavatory bowl 1.

More specifically, the safety catch 15 is formed as a ring or loop, which engages with a locking pin or stud 16 on the underside of end leg termination 7'.

It is sufficient that seat ring 2 in unloaded state is maintained in a position where it "floats" slightly above the lavatory bowl, because this will substantially facilitate the pulling over and advancing of the protective cover, not shown. Locking pin 16 is shaped in such a way as to avoid creating any significant resistance for the advancement of the protective cover when the seat ring is in unloaded state. The size of opening 5 in housing 4, i.e., the height of the opening, is adapted so as to prevent the hinge flap or the terminating end section 7' from being able to swing up and clear locking pin 16. Such upward swinging and clearance can occur only when the top portion 4' of the housing is lifted up.

A variant of the safety catch is shown in Fig. 6. There the pin or stud 38 is formed in housing 4. Stud 38 is rounded off so as to offer little resistance to the protective cover, and is designed to grip like a hook clear through an opening 37 in the end leg.

As mentioned, the seat ring is preferably made of plastic, and this enables the hinges to be formed, as shown in Fig. 2, as attenuated sections as indicated by areas 9',10' in Fig. 2 Preferred, however, is the use of genuine hinges, as shown in Fig. 1 and in the other figures where the seat ring is shown. It has been shown that the seat ring is subjected to such powerful stresses during use that proper hinges are advantageous and, in fact, there has also proven to be a need for reinforcement of the hinge area where the seat ring is secured in the housing. One such reinforcement is shown in Fig. 5, where the two end leg terminations 7', 8' are pivoted upward around their respective hinge axes, enabling one to see, as mentioned above, the ring- or loop-formed safety catch 15, which engages with locking pin 16 on the underside of the end leg termination 7'. For the attached end, one sees how a member 17 formed of steel is fastened to housing 4 at 18 and serves as a hinge wing for hinge 10. In the hinge are incorporated, in a manner not further described, an end leg termination 8' made of plastic, as in seat ring 2, which may be swung back to cover hinge/attachment wing 17. The end leg termination 8' has on the underside thereof a small locking pin or stud 19 adapted to snap into a corresponding hole 20 in member 17, so that end leg termination 8' is held securely in place and hides the

actual hinge wing

17, 18 which is constructed of, for example, steel.

In Fig. 7 the device according to the invention is shown with the appurtenant protective cover 21. This protective cover is provided at uniform intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof with length markers, here in the form of small, printed

hearts

22,23. These markers serve as length indications that tell the user that a sufficient length of new and unused protective covering has been advanced over the seat ring 2. Hence, when the protective cover has been used, it is rolled forward or advanced by means of appropriate mechanisms, so that the small marker heart 22 advances to the place where marker heart 23 is situated in Fig. 7. A new marker heart will then appear where marker heart 22 is situated in Fig. 7.

In Figs. 8-12 are shown details associated with a slide-snap mechanism that may be used to advantage for securing housing 4 to the lavatory bowl 1. Such an attachment mechanism is favorable for several reasons. First, it permits easy attachment and dismounting of the housing. In addition, the mechanism is such that it may be adapted without further modification to possible spacing differences between the two attachment bolts generally used to fasten a seat, or in this case, a housing to the lavatory bowl.

The slide-snap mechanism shown comprises a slide member 24 displaceably disposed in housing 4, one end of said slide plate being actuated by a spring 25, which works against an end wall of housing 4, while the other end of said slide plate projects out to form an operating lever 26.

The slide plate has two openings 27, 28 (see Fig. 9). These

openings

27, 28 are designed to freely receive a respective locking or snap

head

29, 30 formed on the upper side of a respective attachment member 31 (Figs. 9, 10 and 11). As shown in Fig. 9, a locking connection will be established when slide plate 24 is slid to the right in Fig. 8 under the influence of spring 25. This locking effect may be reversed by exerting a pressure on the slide plate's operating lever 26, thereby moving plate 24 toward the left in Fig. 8 and in Fig. 9, so that head 29 is thereby brought into full alignment with the adjacent opening 27 and may pass freely therethrough.

The attachment members are in the form of respective round discs, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11; see also Fig. 9. Attachment member 31 is provided on the underside thereof (Fig. 11) with an undercut locking groove 32, and on the top side thereof the attachment member has the previously mentioned locking head 29.

The undercut locking groove 32 is designed for engagement with a T-head 33 formed on a bolt 34 that replaces the conventional attachment bolt found on lavatory bowls, for attachment of the seat ring.

The eccentric positioning of the locking head or snap head 29 relative to locking groove 32 permits an adjustment to all relevant bolt spacings, i.e., the distance between the attachment bolts 34, with self-locking effect.

Hence, when housing 4 is to be mounted on lavatory bowl 1, attachment members 31 are put in position on the respective T-heads 33 and said attachment members are twisted such that snap heads 29 attain the correct spacing, i.e., a spacing corresponding to the distance between

holes

27 and 28 in slide plate 24. Housing 4 with slide plate 24 is put into position, and the slide plate will then lock, under the influence of spring 25, as shown in the section in Fig. 9. When housing 4 is to be removed, one merely presses on lever 26, whereby slide plate 24 is moved toward the left and releases snap heads 29, 30, enabling the entire housing to be lifted free.

In Fig. 13 there is shown a modified embodiment of the attachment area for seat ring 2. End leg termination 8" is here constructed of plastic, as an integral part of housing 4, and covers metal insert 17', which has the same function as metal member 17 in Fig. 5. In the embodiment in Fig. 13, then, end leg termination 8'' is in reality a part of housing 4 and not a part of the actual seat ring 2, but in other respects the hinging, etc., functions in the same manner as described above.

It is also shown in Fig. 13 how end leg termination 8'' has a widened area 35 in the plane of the seat ring. This widened area 35 serves as a wing projection serving to spread out and flatten the protective cover (not shown) at the transition to the receiver, here envisaged as a receiving spool in the right-hand chamber of the housing shown in Fig. 13. In this manner, it is possible to effect a flattening of the protective cover prior to winding up, enabling the spooling within the receiver to take place in a uniform and smooth manner, and providing space for more protective cover on the receiving spool in the limited chamber in housing 4. A knife 36 is indicated in Fig. 13, for cutting up the hose-like protective cover. This knife 36 is in the form of a separate knife member built into the plastic material in termination 8'', but it may also be a part of the reinforcement/hinge wing member 17' that is either underlying or embedded in the plastic.

It may be particularly advantageous to have, as shown in the section in Fig. 14, a press member 39 within the housing to press down on the protective cover, so that it is flattened prior to spooling, thereby preventing the cover from wrapping onto receiving spool 40 in multiple layers. The press member is in the form of a plate and projects down, as shown, from the upper part of housing 4 to press against protective cover 41 where the latter passes off end leg 8'.

Claims

A device for a lavatory rings (2) on a lavatory bowl (1), having a means for applying and displacing a protective cover on the lavatory ring, said lavatory ring (2) having a horseshoe shape with the two end legs (7, 8) thereof being inserted through respective openings (5, 6) in a housing (4) containing both a storage supply and a receiver for the protective cover, one of the end leg being attached to the housing (4) of the device, and the lavatory ring being hinged for upward swinging from the lavatory bowl, characterized in that a safety catch (15, 16; 37, 38) for the end leg (7) not attached to the housing is provided on the lavatory bowl adjacent to the housing (4), said safety catch comprising projecting pin or stud (16, 38) and a complementary opening (15, 37) for engagement with the pin or stud for attachment to the housing (4).
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety catch comprises a ring member (15) projecting from the housing, for engagement with a pin or stud (16) on the underside of the end leg (7) not attached to the housing.
The device according to claim 2, characterized in the safety catch has the form of a pin or stud (38) in housing (4) for engagement with an opening (37) in the end leg (7) not attached to the housing.
The device according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the safety catch is designed for safety engagement with the hinged end leg termination (7') of the end leg (7) not attached to the housing.
The device according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the pin or stud (38) is rounded of.