EP1169961B1

EP1169961B1 - Toilet seat arranged for distributing and placing seat covers made up of paper or similar material

Info

Publication number: EP1169961B1
Application number: EP01830370A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giorgio Tognazzi; Gigliola Burattini Tognazzi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-28
Filing date: 2001-06-06
Publication date: 2006-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-06
Also published as: ITRM20000355A0; ATE347844T1; DE60125102D1; IT1317053B1; EP1169961A1; DE60125102T2; ITRM20000355A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a toilet seat (1) arranged for distributing and placing seat covers made up of paper or similar material, comprising a board (5), provided with a handle (2), and hinged with a back (3), a plurality of stacked sheets (4), housed within said back (3), in such a way that for each complete lifting of the seat (1) said sheets are singularly taken, characterised in that said seat (1) and said sheets (4) have a substantially squared shape, with rounded corners, and have an inner hole having four right angles (6) with minor resistance lines. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention concerns a toilet seat for hygienic utilities, offices and the like, arranged for distributing and placing seat covers made of paper or other similar material.
Hygiene problem in public premises, or in any case premises visited by many people for a long time is very much felt since many time.
Bigger drawbacks are present when using the toilet by men and women to be seat on the board, the hygienic situation of which cannot be checked.
It is well evident that these are hygienic and sanitary reasons, mainly with the always more diffusion of the contagious diseases.
US 1 682 987 relates to improvements in paper covers for toilet seats, the kind designed to protect the body of the user from coming in direct contact with the seat. The paper cover has crossing rows of perforations all confined to its central area except one of said rows one end of which is extended to the margin of said paper cover.
Solutions available up today are not surely able to give a solution to the safety and hygiene requirements, mainly comprising suitably shaped sheet made up of a proper material that must be put on the board before seating.
It is well evident that it is not a satisfying solution, since it is not practical and mainly it is not able to provide a safe covering of the board, and thus a complete protection of the same, with the guarantee of a sure hygienical situation.
The same Applicants have already proposed a solution facing the above-mentioned problems, describing them in the European Patent EP 0 303 323.
In said European patent, a toilet seat for hygienic services is described, hinged with a back, provided with a housing for a plurality of sheets, made of paper or other similar material, acting as seat-cover. Said sheets are rubberised in some specific parts, in order to make it possible the self drawing of a single sheet and to ensure an anti-slipping effect while using the seat.
However, the solution claimed in the above mentioned European patent has some drawbacks, mainly due to tearings or micro-tearings of the seat cover sheet, thus jeopardising the hygienic and protective effect.
In view of the above, the Applicants have prepared an innovative solution allowing to solve the above mentioned drawbacks.
Particularly, the solution suggested according to the present invention provides some modifications to the shape of the seat board and of the cover sheets, realised in such a way to solve the above mentioned drawbacks, thus preventing the occurrence of damaging of the same seat cover.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention a toilet seat arranged for distributing and placing seat cover sheets made up of paper or similar material, comprising a seat board, provided with a handle, and hinged with a back, whereby a plurality of stacked seat cover sheets is housed within said back, in such a way that in use for each complete lifting of the seat board said seat cover sheets are singularly taken, characterized in that both said seat board and said seat cover sheets have a substantially squared shape with rounded corners and have an inner hole having four right angles, said seat cover sheets having at each of the inner hole four right angles a die cut line of minor resistance.
Preferably, according to a preferred embodiment, each seat cover sheet has a size slightly bigger than the size of the seat board and the die cut lines of minor resistance are diagonally die cut at each one of the four right angles of the inner hole.
Further, according to a preferred embodiment, said back centrally provides a raised shaped body, suitable in use to engage with the inner hole of the seat cover sheets, in such a way to maintain them in place.
Always according to a preferred embodiment, the handle is a frontally lifting projecting handle, the handle having on the coupling base with the seat board one or more adhesive pads, said seat cover sheets being provided on the lower side corresponding with the pads with a zone treated by latex in such a way that said pads and said latex zone are in use in touch and adhere each other when in use the seat cover sheet is placed on the seat board, the pads being preferably replaceable pads.
Still according to a preferred embodiment, said back has in his upper part projecting pins or tines able to maintain in place the seat cover sheets when taken them singularly by said pads.
Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the toilet seat further comprises a panel covering the seat covers sheet stack, which is hinged to the seat back.
Preferably, according to a preferred embodiment, the panel comprises two symmetrical semi-parts laterally hinged.
A further object of the present invention is a stack of toilet seat cover sheets made up of paper or similar materials, to be arranged in a toilet seat previously disclosed, wherein said sheets of seat cover stack have a zone treated with latex, have a substantially squared shape with rounded corners, have an inner hole having four right angles, and have a die cut line of minor resistance at each of the inner hole four right angles.
Preferably, according to a preferred embodiment, each cover sheet has a size slightly bigger than the one of the toilet seat board previously disclosed, and said die cut lines of minor resistance are diagonally to each one of the four right angles of the inner hole.
Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, each sheet cover is treated by latex in a zone being provided on the lower side of the seat cover sheet, preferably in the front part.
The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a perspective view of the seat in a resting position
figure 2 is a perspective view of the seat of figure 1 during a first opening phase for its use;
figure 3 is a perspective view of the seat of figure 1 during a second opening phase for its use;
figure 4 is a perspective view of the seat of figure 1 during a third opening phase for its use;
figure 5 is a perspective view of the seat of figure 1 during a fourth opening phase for its use; and
figure 6 is a perspective view of the seat of figure 1 where after having used the toilet, seat cover sheet is eliminated.

Coming now to observe all the figures of the enclosed drawings, it is shown a seat 1 according to the present invention, provided with a lifting handle 2, frontally projecting.
Said seat 1 is further provided with a back 3, hinged on the rear of the ceramic vase 12, containing a certain number of stacked die cut sheets 4, acting as cover seats, made up of suitable paper or of other material having analogous characteristics.
Said lifting handle 2 is provided above a fixing base having the shape of a rectangular plate, housed in a suitable depressed seat provided on the seat, and the function of which will be described in greater detail in the following.
Said back 3 has a suitable shape and is peripherically provided with a rather high edge, defining a cavity housing the cover seat sheet stack placed within said back.
The shape of the seat board 5 according to the invention, as well as of the seat cover sheets 4, is substantially rectangular, in such a way to guarantee a complete covering of the seat board 5, when the seat cover sheet 4 is put in the use position shown in figure 4 or 5.
The quadrangular shape of the sheets, provided with four right angles ensures the holding of the seat cover sheet 4, said holding being further guaranteed by the presence of minor resistance lines 6 diagonally die cut at each one of the four right angles of the inner hole.
Paper seat cover sheet 4 preferably has sizes bigger than the toilet seat board 5, in order to obtain inner protective limbs (10), to cover the inner part of the same toilet seat board 5.
Inner right angles of the toilet seat board 5 are necessary to facilitate the falling of four inner limbs (10) of the seat cover sheet 4, diagonally die cut (6) at the four angles, when the user is seated.
Limbs (10) fallen within the toilet seat board 5 are important for the total protection of the user. In fact seating on an oval seat, with inner, oval shaped, paper sheet, seat cover sheet 4 tears in different points and skin of the user is in touch with the seat, thus jeopardising the seat cover function.
Furthermore, a pair of projecting pins or tines 7 are provided within the edge of the back 3, in such a way to easily replace the seat cover sheets 4. Said projecting tines 7 work to keep the seat cover sheets 4 when taking the first seat cover sheet 4, and their ideal projection for the working of the device can be influenced by the sloping of the back 3 when it is rest to the wall.
Cover seat die cut sheets 4 are each one treated by application of latex on some parts, namely in the front part, having a rectangular surface to grasp during the step of figure 3, with the adhesive pads 9 of the fixing plate of the lifting handle 2, said action ensuring the good positioning of the sheet during the taken and use step.
Toilet seat board 5 provides at the bottom four dampening elements 11, that, according to a preferred embodiment can be higher than the standard ones, in order to space as more as it is possible the skin of the user from the ceramic vase 12 of the toilet.
The hinge, the braces hinging the back (3) and the handle 2 frontally placed on the seat 1 are preferably made of stainless steel, said material being irreplaceable for public hygienic services.
Laterally with respect to the back 3 of the seat according to a preferred embodiment, two semi-parts 13 of a panel covering the seat cover sheets 4 are hinged. Said panel covers the sheets when the seat boards is lifted, and protects them from the urine splashes due to a male user, using the toilet standing.
Saids semi-parts 13 of the panel are provided with grooves 14 to house the dampening elements 11.
The seat 1 according to the invention, when not used, is in the position shown in figure 1.
In use the two semi-parts 13 (figure 2) are opened by acting on the handle (2) (figure 3) to lower the toilet seat board 5, bringing the same in the use position (figures 4 and 5) with a seat cover sheet 4 in the right position. After having used the toilet, seat cover sheet 4 is eliminated as shown in figure 6.
For a new use of the toilet, it will be sufficient to lift again the toilet seat board 5, so as the adhesive pad 9 couples with the rubberised portion 8 of the following sheet, bringing it in a use position.
Once exhausted the stack of toilet seat cover sheets 4, it is sufficient to introduce a new stack of toilet seat cover sheets 4 in the back of the seat 1.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

Toilet seat (1) for distributing and placing seat cover sheets (4) made up of paper or similar material, comprising a seat board (5), provided with a handle (2), and hinged with a back (3), whereby a plurality of stacked seat cover sheets (4) is housed within said back (3), in such a way that in use for each complete lifting of the seat board (5) said seat cover sheets (4) are singularly taken, characterized in that both said seat board (5) and said seat cover sheets (4) have a substantially squared shape with rounded corners and have an inner hole having four right angles, said seat cover sheets (4) having at each of the inner hole four right angles a die cut line (6) of minor resistance.
Toilet seat according to claim 1, characterized in that each seat cover sheet (4) has a size slightly bigger than the size of the seat board (5) and the die cut lines (6) of minor resistance are diagonally die cut at each one of the four right angles of the inner hole.
Toilet seat according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said back (3) centrally provides a raised shaped body, suitable in use to engage with the inner hole of the seat cover sheets (4), in such a way to maintain them in place.
Toilet seat according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (2) is a frontally lifting projecting handle, the handle having on the coupling base with the seat board (5) one or more adhesive pads (9), said seat cover sheets (4) being provided on the lower side corresponding with the pads (9) with a zone treated by latex in such a way that said pads (9) and said latex zone (8) are in use in touch and adhere each other when in use the seat cover sheet (4) is placed on the seat board (5), the pads being preferably replaceable pads.
Toilet seat according to claim 4, characterized in that said back (3) has in his upper part projecting pins or tines (7) able to maintain in place the seat cover sheets (4) when taken them singularly by said pads (9).
Toilet seat according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a panel (13) covering the seat covers sheet (4) stack, which is hinged to the seat back (3).
Toilet seat according to claim 6 wherein the panel (13) comprises two symmetrical semi-parts (13) laterally hinged.
A stack of toilet seat cover sheets (4) made up of paper or similar materials, to be individually taken when arranged in a toilet seat (1) of claim 1, characterized in that said seat cover sheets (4) of said seat cover stack have:
o a zone (8) treated with latex,

o a substantially squared shape with rounded corners,

o an inner hole having four right angles, and

o a die cut line (6) of minor resistance at each of the inner hole four right angles.
A stack of toilet seat cover sheets according to claim 8, characterized in that each cover sheet (4) has a size slightly bigger than the one of the toilet seat board (5) of claim 1, and said die cut lines (6) of minor resistance are diagonally to each one of the four right angles of the inner hole.
Stack of toilet seat covers according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said zone (8) treated with latex is provided on the lower side of the seat cover sheet (4), preferably in the front part.