EP1204359A1

EP1204359A1 - A receptacle

Info

Publication number: EP1204359A1
Application number: EP99971279A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Terence Mcgrail
Original assignee: Weeman International Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Weeman International Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-29
Filing date: 1999-10-19
Publication date: 2002-05-15
Also published as: JP2002528666A; EP1204359A4; AUPP688398A0; WO2000025648A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a receptacle that may be mounted exteriorly on a toilet bowl which young male children may urinate in. The receptacle includes a bowl like receiving portion (22) that is adapted to receive and hold fluids deposited therein and a clip (10) for attaching the receiving portion (22) to the lip of a toilet bowl. The receiving portion (22) is pivotally connected to the clip (10) and wherein the receiving portion (22) is capable of movement relative to said clip (10) between a first position wherein said receiving portion (22) is exteriorly accessible to a user and a second position whereby said receiving portion (22) is contained within the toilet bowl.

Description

A RECEPTACLE This invention relates to a receptacle.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a receptacle which may be used as a urinal by small boys and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to said application. However it will be appreciated that this invention could be used in other applications including a temporary urinal which may be used on marine craft or when camping.

Toilet training for young boys typically involves the use of a receptacle commonly referred to as a "potty". Potties generally are low to the ground and wherein as boys grow and become taller they find it difficult to crouch down low enough to sit on a potty without possibly losing their balance and, in some instances, possibly tipping the potty over.

For this reason young boys at an early age are encouraged to stand in front of a toilet bowl and urinate directly into same. However, quite often young boys are not tall enough and wherein they are unable to position their penis above the lip of the bowl.

To overcome this problem various objects including stools are often provided for young boys to stand on. However, it has been noted that such objects usually clutter the toilet unnecessarily and in some instances, due to a lack of storage room, may obstruct closing of the toilet door.

It is also noted that young children do not necessarily have a great sense of balance and wherein there always exists the danger that they may fall off the stool and hurt themselves.

It is also noted that young boys when standing on the stool tend to use their hands to hold on to either the toilet or the toilet roll holder rather than using their hands to hold onto their penis or to use their hands to protect their clothing from being urinated on.

It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a receptacle which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other advantages of the invention will hereinafter become apparent. With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a receptacle, said receptacle including: a receiving portion adapted to receive and hold fluids deposited therein, and attachment means for attaching said receiving portion to a toilet bowl characterised in that said receiving portion, while supported by the toilet bowl, is capable of movement relative to said attachment means between a first position wherein said receiving portion is exteriorly accessible to a user and a second position whereby said receiving portion is contained within the toilet bowl.

Preferably the attitude of the receiving portion relative to the interior of the toilet bowl when the receiving portion is supported in the aforementioned second position is such that water used to flush away the contents of the toilet bowl may also be used to wash and/or remove fluids contained in the receiving portion.

The receiving portion may be any suitable shape which will allow the receiving portion both to receive and hold fluids. Accordingly, the receiving portion may be equipped with a funnel like upper portion which communicates with a lower collecting portion. Preferably the receiving portion is rather bowl like in shape.

The receiving portion is preferably pivotally connected to the attachment means and wherein said connection may be a permanent connection. For example, the receiving portion may be formed integrally with the attachment means or permanently attached thereto either using mechanical fasteners, adhesives or a welding process. However, in other embodiments the receiving means may be releasably connected to the receiving portion thereby enabling users to selectively detach the receiving portion for the purposes of storage and/or cleaning.

It will also be appreciated that the shape and configuration of the lip may vary from toilet bowl to toilet bowl. Accordingly, the sale of the receptacle may include a range of clips thereby allowing the user to select the clip that best suits his or her toilet bowl, to which the receiving portion may be subsequently attached.

The attachment means may be adapted to attach the receiving portion to a wall of the toilet bowl. For example the attachment means may comprise a suction cap or a strip of adhesive tape.

Alternatively the attachment means may be adapted to engage the lip of the toilet bowl. For example, the attachment means may comprise a hook like end portion which is adapted to hook over the lip of the toilet bowl. In other embodiments, the attachment means may include a clip having two opposing gripping portions which are adapted to engage respective opposing surfaces of the lip of the toilet bowl.

The receptacle may also be provided with connecting means connecting the attachment means to the receiving portion, and wherein said connecting means may be arranged so as to space said attachment means from said receiving portion. The connecting means may be either flexible or rigid. For example, the connecting means may be a flexible line member from which the receiving portion is suspended and which in use may be bent over the lip of the toilet bowl when it is desirous to locate the receiving portion within the toilet bowl.

In other embodiments the connecting means may consist of a plurality of rigid linkages or panels that are hingidly or pivotally interconnected. For example, the linkages and the may be moulded from a single piece of material or formed by a single moulding process, and wherein the hinges may consist of weakened sections connecting adjacent linkages. However in other embodiments, separate hinges may be used to connect adjacent linkages. The hinges may consist of a tongue and groove formation or a ball and socket formation. Furthermore the hinge may engage adjacent parts non-releasably.

The rigid connection means may also be used to provide some stability to the receiving portion. For example, the connection means may maintain the receiving portion in an operative position relative to the toilet bowl. The connection means may also include spacing means adapted to support the connection means and hence the receiving portion against the wall of the toilet bowl. For example the spacing means may comprise a rearwardly directed flange extending outwardly from the connecting means and adapted to abut against the front wall of the toilet bowl. The connecting means may also act as conveying means for conveying urine contained in the receiving portion into the toilet bowl itself. Accordingly, the connecting means may be in the form of a channel or a funnel and wherein the upper portion of the connecting means/attachment means may include a spout.

In another aspect this invention relates to a fastener, said fastener including: attachment means that enables the fastener to be attached to an object; a mounting portion associated with said attachment means, and a member pivotally connected to said mounting portion. The attachment means may include a suction cap, a mounting aperture through which a mechanical fastener may extend, or a pair of opposed gripping members More particularly this invention relates to a clip, said clip including: two opposing gripping members each adapted to grip a respective opposing portion of an object located there between; a web connected to and located intermediate said gripping members, and a member pivotally connected to said web. The member may be a linkage that is pivotally connected to one or more other linkages. For example, the first linkage, which is pivotally connected to the web, may also be pivotally connected to a second linkage. Furthermore, the axis of the pivotal connection connecting the first linkage to the second linkage may lie in a plane which is spaced from the web and wherein in use, the clip may be configured such that the second linkage may selectively depend from the web. For example, in use, a portion of the first linkage may be supported by either the web or one of the gripping members.

Preferably the clip is adapted to engage the lip of a toilet bowl and wherein one of the gripping members may also include a flange which is adapted to engage the underside of said lip.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the second linkage is either permanently or releasably connected to the receiving portion of a receptacle of the type previously described above and that movement of the linkages shall allow a user to reposition the receiving portion within the toilet bowl, if so desired. In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figures 1 to 7 show a receptacle that is constructed in accordance with the present invention, said figures illustrating how the receptacle may be progressively moved from a first position shown in figure 1 to a second position as shown in figure 7;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the receptacle as illustrated in figures 1 to 7;

Figure 9 is a rear perspective view of the receptacle illustrated in figures 1 to 7;

Figure 10 is a view from below of a clip that is constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Figure 11 is a view from below and the rear of a receiving portion.

Figure 10 shows a clip 10 which is manufactured from a plastics material. The clip 10 includes two opposing gripping members 11 and 12 which are interconnected by an intermediate web portion 13. The gripping members 11 and 12 are adapted to engage opposing portions of the lip of a toilet bowl 14 when located there between, as shown in figures 1 and 7.

The gripping member 11 includes a first part 15 and a second part 16 that intersect along a common edge portion 17. The second part 16 includes a free edge portion 20. The gripping member 12 includes a return flange 20 which is adapted to engage the underside 21 of the lip 14, as shown in figures 1 and 7.

The web 13 includes two opposing, rearwardly located, outwardly extending, side flanges 30. Each flange 30 includes a rectangularly shaped recess 31 formed in the underside thereof. The clip 10 may be used to releasably secure a bowl shaped receiving portion

22 to a toilet bowl. The receiving portion 22 is connected to a channel shaped connecting means 23 having a narrow upper end portion or spout 24.

The spout 24 includes an outwardly directed flange or second linkage 36 that is hingidly connected to a first linkage 25 that is located intermediate said spout 24 and a mounting 26. The mounting 26 includes a substantially flat, plate like body 27 which is located intermediate two depending side flanges 28. Each side flange 28 includes an inwardly directed return flange 29.

The mounting 26 is hingedly connected to the first linkage 25 along a common edge by a deliberately weakened portion 32. The plate like first linkage 25 is connected to the second linkage 36 along a common edge by a deliberately weakened portion 33.

In use, the clip 10 is releasably secured to the lip 14 of a toilet bowl whereby engagement of the return flange 20 with the underside 21 of said lip is maintained by the engagement of the edge portion 17 against the external surface 18 of the front wall 19 of the toilet bowl.

The mounting 26 is secured to the web 13 of the clip 10 by the engagement of return flanges 29 in respective recesses 31 and wherein the underside of the first linkage 25 rests on the upper surface of the web 13, as illustrated in figure 1.

The receiving portion 22 is maintained in a stable operative position by the support given to it by the abutment of the rear side of the connecting portion 23 and the free edge portion 20, as illustrated in figure 1.

A male child who is not tall enough to urinate directly into the toilet bowl may be encouraged to urinate into the bowl like receiving portion 22 that ideally is positioned below the child's penis when the child is standing in front of the receptacle.

Urine contained in the receiving portion 22 may be deposited into the toilet by lifting the receiving portion 22 in a generally upward direction such that the first linkage 25 pivots relative to the mounting 26 as shown in figures 2 to 4. When the first linkage 25 is inverted, or nearly inverted, the contents of the receiving portion 22 shall flow along the channel shaped connecting portion 23, through the spout 24, into the toilet bowl, as shown in figures 4 and 5 in particular.

Forward rotational movement of the second linkage 36 relative to the first linkage 25 is limited by the abutment of ramped surfaces 35 and 35a. Further rotational movement of the second linkage 36 once the upper surface of the inverted first linkage 25 abuts the upper surface of the web 13, shall enable users to position the receiving portion 22 beneath the lip 14 of the toilet bowl , as illustrated in figure 7. Water cascading down from the lip 14 may be used to selectively wash the receiving portion 22 and the connecting means 23 and to remove any residue remaining in same.

The receiving portion 22 may then be returned to its former operative position mounted on the exterior of the toilet bowl, as illustrated in figure 1.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein described in the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A receptacle, said receptacle including: a receiving portion adapted to receive and hold fluids deposited therein, and attachment means for attaching said receiving portion to a toilet bowl characterised in that said receiving portion, while supported by the toilet bowl, is capable of movement relative to said attachment means between a first position wherein said receiving portion is exteriorly accessible to a user and a second position whereby said receiving portion is contained within the toilet bowl.

2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the toilet bowl includes a flushing system which when actuated will wash said receiving portion when said receiving portion is in the second position.

3. A receptacle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said attachment means includes a clip having opposing gripping members.

4. A receptacle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said receiving portion is pivotally connected to said attachment means.

5. A receptacle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said connection includes a first linkage pivotally connected to said attachment means and a second linkage that is pivotally connected to said receiving portion, said first and said second linkages being pivotally interconnected.

6. A fastener, said fastener including: attachment means that enables the fastener to be attached to an object; a mounting portion associated with said attachment means, and a member pivotally connected to said mounting portion.

7. A fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein said attachment means includes a pair of opposed gripping members that depend from said mounting.