EP1486154B1

EP1486154B1 - Soft close hinge system

Info

Publication number: EP1486154B1
Application number: EP03404003A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Er Eczacibasi Yapi Grecleri sanayi ve Osman
Original assignee: Eczacibasi Yapi Gerecleri Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Current assignee: Eczacibasi Yapi Gerecleri Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Priority date: 2003-05-20
Filing date: 2003-05-20
Publication date: 2006-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-20
Also published as: DE60310045T2; DE60310045D1; ATE346535T1; EP1486154B8; EP1486154A1

Abstract

Soft-close hinge system for softening the motion of respectively a seat or a cover of a toilet seat by the help of a spring (8) said system comprising: an axis (6) and at least one hinge mechanism associated to said axis (6) said hinge mechanism comprising: a first strap (3) mounted respectively, to the seat or the cover, a second strap (4) mounted respectively, to the cover or the seat, a hinge translator (5) and said spring (8), which spring (8) is installed between the second strap (4) and the hinge translator (5), said hinge translator (5) being rotationally fixed while being free to move linearly along the axis (6), whereby said axis (6) has a slot, said slot being used for said fixing for rotational movement of said hinge translator (5); and said hinge translator (5) has a helical end fitted to a helical edge of the first strap (3), whereby in use the dropping velocity of respectively, the seat or the cover is decreased as said helical end in connection with said helical edge translates the rotational movement of the first strap (3) into linear motion such that the spring (8) is squeezed by the hinge translator (5). <IMAGE>

Description

This invention is related with the easy open and soft close functions of toilet seats.
Closing the seats and covers suddenly may cause damage on them or on toilet. This fast moving toilet seat may strike the user or at least be uncomfortable or inconvenient. The mechanism explained here is designed to prevent these problems,
There are many items on the studies related to soft close mechanisms as in e.g. US patents:4965890, US4326307, US4314382. Some of these concern controlled closure, coming to the desired position after usage, adjustable closure speed, etc. functions. In US patent: 4402092, while the toilet seat comes to a desired position open or closed a spring mechanism is used to cushion the harshness of the motion. The seat and cover are attached to a one piece shaft by straps. This shaft goes through a control box located next to the toilet. In the box there is a spring wrapped around the shaft whose length, size and rate are determined by calculations. During the opening of seat and cover the shaft rotates and with this rotation, the spring attached to the box from one end and to the shaft from the other, is forced to compression by screwing and urges the shaft to rotate to the opposite direction. This motion is transmitted to an idler shaft by a gear and pinion mechanism. The rotation of the idler shaft is prevented by a slipping clutch, which thereby slows the angular motion of the toilet seat to its spring biased position.
Also, in prior art, by a German Patent Application DE10020180, a soft close hinge mechanism for toilet seats is disclosed. According to DE10020180, the hinge system for a toilet seat and lid comprises coaxial bolts on either side which pass through mountings attached to the seat and lid and is fitted with a damping device whose damping can be adjusted, The damping device comprises slides attached to the seat or lid, which cooperate with the surfaces of clamping devices. These are biased against the slides by spiral or air springs. One of the disadvantages of DE10020180 is the number of parts used in said application. There are too many parts increasing the complexity and montage of the system. Another difficulty is that, while the system is in use, force generated by springs is transmitted to damping adjustment bolts. This causes to loosen the said bolts and the mechanism in the course of time.
In US Patent Application US6009568, an opening-closing device for a Western style toilet seat and seat cover is disclosed, in which a pair of hinge cases are mounted at a predetermined spacing at the rear upper end of a Western style toilet bowl; in either of the pair of hinge cases a rotating shaft for the seat and a rotating shaft for the seat cover are rotatably mounted; on the rotating shaft for the seat in either hinge case, the seat mounting section is rotatably mounted, and on the rotating shaft for the seat cover in the hinge case, the seat cover mounting section is rotatably mounted; and a rotation control mechanism is mounted on the rotating shaft for the seat and the rotating shaft for the seat cover, to thereby prevent sudden drop of the seat and seat cover, At this time, the rotation control mechanism may be a cam mechanism using a compression spring, a torsion spring, a rotation camper, or a friction mechanism. Furthermore, the cam mechanism may be comprised of a stationary cam fixed on a partition wall provided in the hinge case with the rotating shaft inserted in the center, a rotating-sliding cam which is disposed oppositely to the stationary cam and can slide in the axial direction of the rotating shaft while rotating together with the rotating shaft, and a compression spring for pressing the rotating-sliding cam towards the stationary cam side. Main disadvantage of US6009568 is the number of parts used in said application. These parts are increasing the complexity and montage of the system. Another difficulty is that, larger space is required for the construction of such a system, on a toilet bowl.
In US Patent Application US5946740, according to the invention in order to make opening/closing devices for seats and lids of Western-styled lavatory tools readily detachable from the stool, a holder for such opening/dosing devices is composed of a cylindrical case open at both ends, structured so as to allow insertion and engagement of a pair of opening/dosing devices, of which one works on the seat and the other on the lid, with one inserted from one of the two ends of the case and the other from the other end in a detachable manner; a pair of legs hanging from this case each having at its lower end an engaging piece given elasticity; and holder receptacles structured to be to be fitted into fitting holes provided in the lavatory stool to allow detachable insertion and engagement of the pair of legs as welt in a freely detachable manner. In this configuration, said holder receptacles are composed in a bottomless cylindrical form having engaging projects at their lower end so that they can be contained and fixed in penetrating holes bored into the stool itself. Main disadvantage of US5946740 is the complexity of some parts used in said application. These parts are difficult to produce. This makes the said system expensive. Another difficulty is that, obtaining snap fitting tolerance for holder receptacles is difficult. There are too many deviations in the tolerances of the holes in the lavatory stools. For each lavatory stool, there must be a suitable holder receptacle for proper snap fitting.
In German Patent Application DE3718705, another soft close hinge mechanism for toilet seats is disclosed. According to DE3718705, the damper, produced from plastics or non-corrosive material, serves to secure the WC elements against free, uncontrolled falling, which may be dangerous for children and is noisy. The pivoting movement of the falling WC elements, which are fixed to the bolts of the damper, is converted into a thrust movement of the so-called pushers, which exert a pressure on the springs. The mechanical energy produced as the WC elements fall is stored by the springs. In DE3718705, adjustment for softening motion is made by a special bolt. While the system is in use, force generated by springs or dampers is transmitted to the said bolts. This causes to loosen the said bolts and the mechanism in the course of time.
In US Patent Application US5842235, another soft close hinge mechanism, for toilet seats is disclosed. In order to control the rotational torque of opening/closing bodies such as seats and lids for Western-styled lavatory stool, allowing them to be easily opened, stopped and held stably in an opened state, and preventing them from dropping abruptly when they are closed, the present invention provides an opening/closing device with a pair of brackets fitted on two sides at the upper end of the rear part of a lavatory stool and a pair of cases, one for each of the pair of brackets, for bearing and holding one side of a corresponding bracket A holder housing receives each of these cases, and has a fitting part for a lavatory lid and is disposed rotatably between the pair of brackets. A pair of supporting members for the lavatory is positioned outside the brackets, and is borne and held by the cases A rotating shaft with a rotation controller is provided within each case, one of these rotating shafts being disposed so as to rotate together with the holder and the other being disposed so as to rotate together with the supporting members. One of the disadvantages of US5842235 is the number of parts used in said application There are too many parts increasing the complexity and montage of the system. Also, presence of some-complex shaped parts in the said system increase the production cost of overall system.
As a result, extending the functions of disclosed inventions in prior art documents may cause the parts to be more complex and increase the number of parts. So this brings forth many difficulties at many stages from manufacturing to maintenance.
The leading property of the mechanism of the invention is the helical form of the translation elements. This helical form on hinge translator (5) and in the connection straps (3,4) of seat and cover translates the rotational motion to linear motion.
The hinge translator (5) works on the slot of the axis (6). The spring element which is installed between the strap (4) and hinge translator (5) is selected to provide the most convenient compression under the weight of seat and cover.
The hinge mechanism is assembled so that the right hinge controls the seat and the left hinge controls the cover.
There is a wedge at the one end of the hinge translator. This wedge prevents the rotating of the hinge translator (5) on the axis (6), and so provides linear motion of it.
The other end of the hinge translator (5) is designed helical, like a screw to provide the rotational movement to be translated linearly. Like the hinge translator (5), the connections of seat and cover straps (3, 4) to the hinge translator are designed helical. By this system, while the seat and cover are closing, they force the hinge translator which is fixed for the rotational movement to move linearly through and compress the springs. By this way the weight of the seats are carried by the springs and a soft close is achieved.
The seat and cover are connected to the straps as mentioned above. After that axis (6) is mounted to the vertical pins (7) and these elements are mounted on hinge body (9). The mounting is completed when the hinge body (9) is installed on a WC bowl by the bolts.
This invention is described by the figures as described below.

Figure 1:: A view of the soft close hinge mechanism.
Figure 2:: Mounted position of the soft close hinge to a toilet bowl.

As in figure 1; soft-close hinge system; for softening the motion of respectively a seat (1) or a cover (2) of a toilet seat by the help of a spring (8); comprises an axis (6), and at least one hinge mechanism associated to said axis (6). The said hinge mechanism comprises a first strap (3) mounted respectively, to the seat (1) or the cover (2); a second strap (4) mounted respectively, to the cover (2) or the seat (1); a hinge translator (5) and said spring (8). The spring (8) is installed between, the second strap (4) and the hinge translator (5). The said hinge translator (5) is rotationally fixed while being free to move linearly along the axis (6). The said axis (6) has a slot, being used for said fixing for rotational movement of said hinge translator (5). The hinge translator (5) has a helical end fitted to a helical edge of the first strap (3), whereby in use the dropping velocity of respectively, the seat (1) or the cover (2) is decreased as said helical end in connection with said helical edge translates the rotational movement of the first strap (3) into linear motion such that the spring (8) is squeezed by the hinge translator (5).
Furthermore, the said soft-close hinge system comprises a second hinge mechanism adapted to control the dropping velocity of respectively, the cover (2) or the seat (1).

Claims

Soft-close hinge system for softening the motion of respectively a seat (1) or a cover (2) of a toilet seat by the help of a spring (8) said system comprising:
an axis (6)

and at least one hinge mechanism associated to said axis (6)
said hinge mechanism comprising:
a first strap (3) mounted respectively, to the seat (1) or the cover (2),

a second strap (4) mounted respectively, to the cover (2) or the seat (1),

a hinge translator (5) and

said spring (8),
which spring (8) is installed between the second strap (4) and the hinge translator (5),

said hinge translator (5) being
rotationally fixed while being free to move linearly along the axis (6),
characterized in that
said axis (6) has a slot,
said slot being used for said fixing for rotational movement of said hinge translator (5); and
said hinge translator (5) has
a helical end
fitted to a helical edge of the first strap (3),
whereby in use the dropping velocity of respectively, the seat (1) or the cover (2) is decreased as
said helical end in connection with said helical edge
translates the rotational movement of the first strap (3) into linear motion such that the spring (8) is squeezed by the hinge translator (5).
System according to claim 1 characterized in that
it further comprises a second hinge mechanism adapted to control the dropping velocity of respectively, the cover (2) or the seat (1).