FI96271C - Toilet seat - Google Patents

Description

96271 Toilet seat

Toalettstol

The invention relates to a toilet seat according to the preamble of claim 1, and in particular to a toilet seat comprising a seat part whose shape and / or height and thus the sitting position are adjustable. The invention further relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 10 for adjusting the shape and / or height of a toilet seat.

Various known solutions for improving the comfort of a toilet seat include toilet seats with mechanical portal height adjustment and increasing the softness of the seat with, for example, foam or terry padding. In addition, various solutions for heating the seat have been proposed.

However, a disadvantage of the known solutions has been that they have not provided special possibilities for adjusting the seating position and / or height and / or the shape of the seat part. Mechanically implemented height adjustment solutions have proven to be too complex and cumbersome to use, especially given that users of adjustable solutions are primarily special groups, such as the elderly, the disabled, children and the like, who have difficulty using a normal toilet seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,612 discloses a separate inflatable seat ring adapted to be placed on top of the actual seat, which can be rolled up after use and is thus transportable with its user. In addition, the reference discloses that the corresponding "airbag" can also act as a disposable seat, thus improving the seat's hygiene level.

However, the disadvantage of the proposed solution has been that it does not allow the height and / or shape of the seat to be adjusted, but only provides a soft and clean base for sitting that replaces the normal fixed seat part. Increased environmental awareness has also led to a reduction in the attractiveness of its use due to its disposable nature. Still, users have found the loose tire portion unstable to sit on and its proper placement too cumbersome.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a completely new solution for a toilet seat. The solution according to the invention provides a toilet seat, the height and / or shape of which and thus the user's sitting position can be easily and quickly adjusted according to the personal needs of each user, either before sitting on it or during sitting.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a toilet seat which feels comfortable to the wearer, reduces the numbness of the legs and other parts of the body and which is easy to sit on and to get out of.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a toilet seat which is shaped according to the specific features of the user and a method for effecting the shaping.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and a device by means of which the seat part remembers the special features of each of its users and can, by means of the user's identification information, adapt to the characteristics characteristic of the user.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a toilet seat part which can be installed in connection with existing toilet seats or bowls.

The invention is based on the basic idea that by providing the annular portion of the toilet seat, i.e. the wearer-supporting portion, with a suitably elastic portion or surface, preferably an elastic portion per seat, the height and / or shape of the portion or surface can be adjusted and / or or by means of adjusting means adapted to change the volume, a toilet seat is provided which allows the user to adjust the height and / or the shape.

More specifically, the device according to the invention is mainly characterized by what is stated in the appended claims 1 to 9 and in particular in the characterizing part of independent claim 1. The method according to the invention is mainly characterized by what is stated in the appended claims 10 to 13 and in particular in the characterizing part of claim 6.

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According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the toilet seat comprises an annular seat part made of a material known per se, such as a suitable plastic, wood, metal or the like. Mounted on the upper surface of the seat part is a suitable elastic material, such as a suitable rubber or plastic surface part or elastic part which can be filled with a medium and which can be adjusted in shape and / or size and height by means of a medium. Duct means extending in connection with and preferably within the seat part, suitably communicating with the space defined between the elastic surface part and the seat part and at one end with a suitable pressure source or pump means for changing the pressure and / or volume of the medium.

According to a further preferred embodiment, said medium-receiving space between the elastic surface and the seat ring is further divided into a number of compartments, by means of which it is possible to adjust the deformation / height in different ways in different parts of the seat ring. The underpressure or overpressure of the compartments can be adjusted in a predetermined manner, independent of the other compartments. In addition, the pressure of the compartments can be adjusted by means of information stored in a suitable memory medium according to the basic information preset by the user.

According to another preferred shape, the seat part is formed by two essentially rigid surfaces per se and the elastic resilient part or means provided between them, by which the rigid surfaces can be moved relative to each other, i.e. the seat part forms a kind of height-adjustable bellows.

According to another solution, the seat part can be suitably tilted to facilitate sitting on and leaving it.

According to a preferred embodiment, a suitable form-curable medium, such as a suitable extrudable foam or rubber, is fed inside the elastic surface part of the seat ring part, which is arranged in the desired shape according to the seat. The shaping is performed in such a way that, after the medium has been placed inside the elastic surface, the person is tested on the ring, whereby the shapes and features characteristic of him are pressed into the medium and then the medium is allowed to cure to the desired shape. After the test session, the substance can also be shaped in the desired way if, for example, it is known that a certain part of a person's sciatic muscles needs stronger support than other areas of the person's seat, e.g. due to an injury or 96271 4 illness.

According to another preferred embodiment, granules or balls or the like of a suitable material are used as a medium inside the elastic surface part. The granules or balls settle in a certain space and shape during the test session or at the beginning of the session. Next, a vacuum can be created inside the ring and air can be removed between the elastic surface part and the actual ring part, and thus retain the granules or balls under the elastic material due to its strong action against the granules or balls. Thus, each seat user can initially adjust the seat ring that feels comfortable and set the seat to maintain that shape throughout the session. He also has the ability to change shape simply by removing the vacuum, moving himself lightly, and creating a new vacuum, thereby changing the relative position of the balls or granules as desired.

According to yet another alternative, the granules forming the medium may be a suitable metal, the position of which can be changed by means of a suitable electric field provided in their vicinity. When the system comprises a suitable memory medium, the seat part operatively connected to it remembers the specific characteristics of each seat and can be positioned automatically before the user sits on it.

Of course, said provision of the cured form can be omitted or only partially performed. In this case, the seat part feels soft, even watery, but on the other hand, even a small change in the sitting position creates new kinds of emphasis on the sitting muscles, which helps to avoid muscle numbness.

In some cases, it may be advantageous to adapt the seat part for heating.

The invention provides considerable advantages. For example, equipping a conventional toilet seat with a, usually annular, seat part according to the invention greatly improves the seating comfort of a person, since the user can adjust the position to a suitable shape and height. According to one aspect of the invention, the adjustment can also be changed from time to time, which helps e.g. against interference. The seat part also feels softer and more comfortable than the commonly used plastic, wooden or similar solutions. The former

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5 96271, it is easier to get on and sit on it, as each user can set the height and, in some applications, the inclination of the seat part to suit this purpose.

The invention and its other objects and advantages will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals in the various figures refer to like features. In this regard, it is to be understood that the following exemplary disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments set forth herein, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In this connection, it is further noted that the term annular seat part and its synonyms refer to all such devices intended to be used to support a person sitting on different toilet seats, in which case non-substantially annular means are also included in the idea of the invention. Still, the term elastic member refers to all parts that can be fitted to the seat that can change shape, size and / or height.

Figures 1a and 1b show a simplified schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention in its two different operating positions.

Figure 2 shows a possible structure of a seat part according to the invention in a sectional side view.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a further preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic view of a further preferred embodiment of the invention.

* Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 2, but shows another possible structure.

Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a schematic sectional view of a structure according to the invention.

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Figure 1a shows a toilet seat 10 according to the invention, comprising a flushing water tank part 11, a basin part 12 and a pivotable lid 13 of a toilet seat. In addition, an annular seat with an opening 14 fixed to the pivotable basin part 12 an elastic surface portion 16 is provided. The surface portion 16 and the seat portion 14 define an airtight space 20 adapted to be filled with a suitable medium such as air, gas or a suitable liquid.

The medium connection inside the space 20 is preferably arranged in such a way that suitable channel means are provided inside or in the immediate vicinity of the seat part 14, which are in fluid communication with the space 20 (see Fig. 2). The channel means are further connected by means of a hose means 19 or the like to a suitable means 21 for pumping the medium or otherwise causing a change in the volume and / or pressure of the medium, by means of which the seat adjustment is adapted to be performed. Although a simple hand pump 21 is shown as such a device in Figures 1a and 1b, the filling of the space 20 can of course be arranged in many other ways, such as with a foot pump, an electric pump or suitable gas cartridges or the like. In some cases, a solution can be considered in which the medium is blown by the user into the space 20.

The control of devices whose driving force is not dependent on the seat user, such as electric pumps or gas cartridges, can be arranged as simply as possible, which has the advantage of e.g. for the elderly and disabled. In some cases, for example, an electric pump can fill the seat section so completely at the beginning and end of the session that there is no need to sit specifically on the seat '! down or in particular need to rise, but that the upper surface of the seat part is then so high and preferably suitably inclined that the above-mentioned operations are carried out effortlessly. The electric pump may furthermore be arranged to operate automatically, i.e. e.g. to automatically change the volume of the medium at certain intervals or to be connected to memory means adapted to receive the seat part after receiving the identification data of the person. of a predetermined shape and / or height.

Fig. 1b is a similar figure to the previous one, but now the space 20 is filled and then the surface of the surface part 16 is set at a higher level than in Fig. 1a. It is preferable to fit the elastic surface part in such a way that the hole defined by it does not substantially decrease when it is filled with a medium. This is achieved e.g. by the upper surface of the surface portion 16, i.e. the horizontally extending surface 7 96271, being substantially less elastic in structure than the wall portions, with the walls stretching and the upper surface settling at a higher level, The top surface can also be a completely inextensible structure. One solution for the structure of the surface part is shown in more detail in Figure 7.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of an embodiment of the invention according to the invention. The figure preferably shows a seat ring 24 made of rigid plastic material or the like, on which a medium space 20 defined by the elastic material 16 is arranged. A medium channel 26 extends between the upper and lower walls 23 and 25 of the ring 24. The seat ring can be made of suitable plastic, e.g. using the nitrogen gas method. Ko. seat rings made by the method always leave a hollow space inside the ring which can be easily utilized as a channel 26 connecting the space 20 and the medium source by drilling or otherwise suitably providing openings 22 of suitable size in the upper surface of the ring and connecting the space to a suitable medium source such as a suitable pump means and / or medium tank not shown). A structure without additional external hoses or pipes achieves an advantage in ease of cleaning and simplification of the structure.

Figure 2 further shows, in some cases, preferred partitions 28 with which the space 20 is divided into a plurality of compartments 27. The pressure of the compartments and / or the volume of medium can be controlled in several ways, e.g. by valves (not shown) or in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3 is a schematic top view of a solution according to which the compartments 27 can be connected to a suitable medium source, each by its own channel, for your adjustment. In the solution shown, a plurality of channels 31 are milled into a rigid part 34 of the seat so that one end 32 of the channels communicates with at least one compartment 27 and the other end 33 communicates with the source of medium by means of a connector 35. A suitable groove covering plate with an opening at the end of the appropriate groove 32 is placed on top of the milled grooves. Of course, one groove can be connected to several sub-spaces 37. This provides an arrangement in which the pressure and / or volume of the medium can be adjusted separately in each sub-space 37 by means outside the seat part.

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In the embodiment of Figure 3, the space defined by the elastic surface portion and the seat portion is divided into a plurality of blocks 37, which may be filled with different, independent amounts of medium and / or pressures, or even different media. According to a preferred solution, the rear part of the seat is adapted to rise to a significantly higher level than the front part, thus facilitating sitting and getting out.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention, with which the comfort of use of the seat can be further improved and which improves its suitability, e.g. as an aid for the disabled. The seat part 44 is provided with at least one support handle means 44 '. Mounted in connection with the support handle means is a suitable means for causing a pressure change of the medium, shown as a foot pump red 41, operatively connected directly between the elastic surface part and the seat part 44 to a defined space 40.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment in which the seat part comprises an upper 55 and a lower 54 substantially rigid layer or structure, between which are preferably arranged a plurality of collapsible and openable means, such as the cylinder means 56 exemplified in the figure. Such means may of course be any other suitable type, such as an air cushion or a bag, there are several in said space, or the space between the rigid parts 54 and 55 may be a uniform airtight space, the walls of which are of a suitable elastic material and thus allow the structure to be raised and lowered.

Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment implemented using the cylinder means according to Fig. 5. The upper rigid surface structure 66 of the seat part is strongly inclined around the support means arranged on the upper surface of the first cylinder means 63 towards the user to facilitate his sitting / exiting. The second cylinder means 62 is placed in its lowest / most folded position to pivot the upper surface 66 of the seat ring portion around the hinge means 65 and to bring the leading edge as low as possible. The embodiment shown can, of course, be implemented by means other than cylinder means as just shown.

Figure 7 shows a front sectional view of a seat part according to the invention. The elastic portion 76 arranged on the seat part is formed as a cone tapering upwards from its side walls 71 and both so that the cover portion 72 is thicker than the side wall portions. With such an arrangement, it is achieved that the size of the opening 75 does not change substantially when the seat height is adjusted. Correspondingly, the side walls and the upper part can be provided with suitable reinforcements or fabrics or ribbing or the like to control deformations in the desired manner. Such techniques are known to those skilled in the art, as is the method by which such an elastic portion is formed during its manufacture so that it stretches and collapses as desired.

It should be noted that all of the above embodiments can be fitted to a normal toilet seat in a manner similar to the prior art lid / seat ring portions attached thereto. They can also be easily turned to the upper position like known seat ring solutions.

The control operations of the device according to the invention are carried out by changing, for example by means of the pump means 21 or 41 shown, or e.g. by means of an electric pump, the volume and / or pressure of the medium in space 20 or 40. The medium is preferably introduced into the space 20 or a partial space, such as 27 or 37, through a channel arranged in connection with the seat ring. If air or a similar environmentally friendly substance is used as the medium, it can also be removed to the toilet air space if necessary, otherwise the medium is returned to the medium source when the seat is resized in the other direction, i.e. the medium is so-called in a closed cycle.

According to one embodiment, a suitable form-curable medium, such as a suitable extrudable foam or rubber, is fed inside the elastic surface portion 16, which is made to conform to the characteristics and wishes of the user. The shaping is performed in such a way that, after the medium has been placed inside the elastic surface, the person is tested on the seat ring, whereby his characteristic shapes and features are pressed into the medium and then the medium is allowed to cure to the desired shape. After the test session, the substance can also be further shaped as desired, if, for example, it is known that a certain part of a person's sciatic muscles needs stronger support than other parts of the person's body against the seat. In this case, a user-specific toilet seat is provided, which is of significant benefit to, for example, those suffering from a bodily injury.

According to another preferred embodiment, granules, spheres or the like of a suitable material are used as a medium inside the elastic surface part 16. The diameter of such granules or balls may preferably be of the order of 2 96271 10 to 10 mm, but other sizes are also possible. The granules or balls settle in a certain space and shape during the test session or at the beginning of the session. Next, a vacuum is created inside the ring and air is removed between the elastic surface portion and the actual ring portion, thus retaining the granules or balls in place under the elastic material due to its strong action against the granules or balls. Thus, at the beginning of the session, each seat user can adjust the seat to a comfortable feel and also set the seat to maintain such a shape throughout the session. He also has the possibility to change the shape and thus his position simply by removing the vacuum, moving himself lightly and creating a new vacuum, whereby the mutual position of the balls or granules changes as desired. The provision of such a vacuum can be accomplished by a suitable suction pump or similar means well known to those skilled in the art.

According to a further alternative, the granules forming the medium may be of a suitable metallic material, the position of which can be varied by means of a suitable electric field provided in their vicinity. When the system comprises a suitable memory means, the seat part operatively connected to it changes the specific characteristics of each seat and automatically adjusts to a predetermined user-specific position under the influence of the electric field before sitting on it.

The invention thus provides an apparatus and a method by means of which a significant improvement in the comfort of use of toilet seats is achieved. The seat according to the invention has a wide range of adjustment possibilities and is versatile in its properties, thus offering relief e.g. toilets for the elderly and disabled.

It should be noted that the above examples of embodiments of the invention do not limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

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Claims (13)

A toilet seat, characterized in that it comprises a seat ring section (14; 24; 34; 44; 54; 64; 74) to which is connected at least section (16; 56; 62,63; 76) which is of an elastic construction, which elastic section defines a dense space (20; 40) adapted to be fillable with a medium, and which elastic section (16; 56; 52.63; 76) is adapted to be adjustable in at least two different positions by changing the volume and / or the pressure of the medium to be led into the space (20; 40). Toilet seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the space (20) defined by the elastic section (16) is divided into a plurality of subspaces (27; 37), the pressure and / or volume of the medium in different subspaces. is advantageously adapted to be controllable in such a way that the pressure and / or volume in the different subspaces (27; 37) may be different. Toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises channel means (26; 31) arranged in connection with the seat ring part (24; 34; 74) of the toilet seat, which channel means are functionally coupled to the space (20) defined of the elastic section (16), and means (21; 41) for changing the pressure of the medium to be such that it is over or under pressure and / or for changing the volume of said space (20) defined by the elastic member (16; 76). Toilet seat according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for changing the pressure of the medium comprise an electric pump. Toilet seat according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the seat further comprises a part (55; 66) of rigid construction placed on the elastic part (56; 62,63). A toilet seat according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the seat (60) is arranged in its construction so that the rear edge (61) of the seat can be raised to a higher level than the front edge (67). Toilet seat according to any of claims 1-4 or 6, characterized in that the elastic member (76) is shaped so that its upper surface portion (72) 96271 is adapted to give substantially less elasticity than the wall parts (71) thereof. Toilet seat according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the medium consists of balls or grains which advantageously have a diameter of the order of 2 - 10 mm. The toilet seat according to claim 8, characterized in that the grains or balls are of metallic material and that the toilet seat comprises means for providing an electric field in the vicinity of the space (20,40), by means of which the position of the grains or balls of metallic material can be changed and maintained. Method for adjusting a toilet seat, characterized in that it comprises passing a medium into a space (20; 40) defined between an annular portion (14; 24; 34; 44; 54; 64; 74 ) of the seat and a combined elastic section (16; 56; 62,63; 76), wherein the change in the volume and / or pressure of the medium in said space causes a change in the height and / or shape of the seat (10; 60 ) which is defined by the annular portion and the elastic portion. 11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the space defined by the annular portion (24) and the elastic portion (16) is formed by a plurality of subspaces (27; 37) and that medium is conducted in different amounts and / or at different pressures. in said sub-room. Method according to Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that a curable material in liquid form, such as advantageous foam plastic or rubber, is introduced into said space (20; 40), which material is allowed to cure in the space after the toilet seat users have tested it or after an appropriate design. 13. A method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that it comprises as a stage that, with a vacuum created in the space, the grains or balls used as a medium are held in place in the space defined by the elastic section (16; 76), by means of which a desired shape of the seat can be achieved and retained.