GB1585184A

GB1585184A - Toilet seats

Info

Publication number: GB1585184A
Application number: GB40311/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Mcard & Co Ltd Robert
Current assignee: Mcard & Co Ltd Robert
Priority date: 1976-09-28
Filing date: 1976-09-28
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: DK427077A; BE859148A; ZA775617B; DE2741493A1; NL7710510A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TOILET SEATS (71) We, ROBERT MCARD & COM PANY LIMITED, a British Company of Victoria Works, Saxon Street, Denton, Manchester M34 3AB, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to water closet seats and covers therefor, and to fixing devices for holding seats or covers on to the bowl of the water closet.

Many devices are known to secure the seat or cover to the rear end of the bowl of the water closet. The device can take various different forms but they all suffer from disadvantages. Where for example a screw connection is used, it is customary to drill a threaded hole in the seat or cover, and then to drive a screw into the threaded hole. Inevitably there is a small gap or clearance between the screw and the threaded hole, especially at the head of the screw and this can be a harbour for solid or liquid dirt, e.g. urine. This is an unacceptable health hazard. While it is possible to cap the screw head, this is a separate, extra job and with time the caps become loose.

In addition to the health hazard, the devices currently in use tend to project from the seat or cover in a way which can detract from the overall aesthetic appearance of an otherwise well-designed seat or cover.

It is an object of this invention to provide a seat or cover which is less likely to harbour dirt and germs and is aesthetically pleasing.

According to a first feature of the invention there is provided a water closet seat or cover, having at least one arm extending from one end of the seat or cover, the arm being received in a bore in the seat or cover and secured therein by means of set adhesive.

By virtue of the use of adhesive, ugly mechanical fixing element such as screws nuts and bolts can be avoided. It is very difficult to level off the surface of such a fixing element and this can present an unattractive appearance. Further a screw head even if countersunk, can present a harbour for dirt and germs.

The adhesive may be selected from a wide range of available adhesives. For ease of manufacture, economy and speed of setting of the adhesive it is preferred to use a self-setting resinous adhesive, preferably one supplied in the form of two or more interactive components. It is possible to apply one of the interactive components to the pivot arm, and the other to the wall of the bore in which it is to be received, and to cause them to interact when the parts are brought together. Example of suitable resinous systems include those based on polyester, epoxy, acrylic or urethane resins.

The seat or cover may be made of any suitable material ranging from wood to a mouldable thermoplastic or thermosetting plastics material. Most preferably the seat and cover have an upward curvature at the rear end, i.e. the end which is to be fixed to the water closet bowl.

The invention includes a seat or cover, as defined above, in combination with a fixing device for holding the seat or cover to a water closet, the fixing device comprising a plinth securable to the bowl, a post upstanding from the plinth, and a pivot pin being mounted on the post such that the pin may be rotated about the post, the pivot pin being engageable with the arm extending from the seat or cover such that the arm is pivotally movable about the pin.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section of a seat and cover mounted on a water closet bowl; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fixing device shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device in Figure 2.

The seat 1 and cover 2 are both mounted at the rear end of the bowl 3 of a water closet. Each of the seat and cover has an upwardly curved rear portion 1a and 2a respectively. A fixing device 10 is secured to the bowl and to both the seat and cover, and the' structure of the device 10 is explained in detail below in relation to Figures 2 and 3. The fixing device 10 is described and claimed in copending Application No. 36381/79, Serial No. 1585185, divided out of the present Application.

An arm 4, 5, comprising a metal shaft is received in a respective bore 6, 7, in each of the seat 1 and cover 2. The bores 6, 7, may be drilled out of a formed seat to have smooth walls which makes it easier to form a connection by means of adhesive.

Each arm is held within the bore by means of set adhesive 8, preferably an epoxy resin dispensed in two part interactive form.

Although not shown, the shafts each have circumferential grooving better to key the shaft to the adhesive and to the wall of the bore. The volume of adhesive is adjusted to ensure that there will be no gap between the shaft and the bore wall, and that the level of adhesive will be flush with the adjacent surface of the seat and cover, to avoid any risk of traps to harbour dirt and germs.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fixing device 10 comprises a plinth 11 for securing to the toilet bowl 3 and a post in the form of a pillar 12 fixed to and extending upwardly from the plinth 11. The pillar 12 is located towards one edge of the plinth, as shown. A pivot pin 13 having a socket 14 in one side is mounted on top of the pillar 12 by reception of the free end of the pillar 12 in the socket 14. The pivot pin 13, has an integrally formed pivot shaft 15 of relatively reduced diameter, and the two pivot arms 4, 5, shown in Figure 1 terminate in sockets which are both mounted on the shaft 15. The pivot shaft 15 may be provided with nylon or other self-lubricating bushes to reduce friction, washers of similar material being interposed between the pivot arms 4 and 5.

The pivot pin 13 is freely rotatably mounted on the pillar 12 by means of a circlip 16 seated in a circumferential groove 17 extending around the pillar 2 adjacent its upper end and in a corresponding groove 18 in the wall of the socket 14. In this way the pin 13 is held on the pillar 12 in a concealed manner and yet is freely rotatable. The circlip 16 has a rounded cross-section to permit removal of the pivot 13, and with it the seat 1 and cover 2 from the bowl so that the seat and cover may be cleaned more easily.

The plinth 11 has a hollow interior 19 which contains the head 20 of a bolt 21 the threaded shank 22 of which extends through a slit 23 in the floor of the plinth.

The plinth is secured to the bowl 3 in known manner, using a wing nut 24.

Because the pillar 12 is mounted eccentrically on the plinth 11, when the plinth is rotated on the bolt 21, a large circle is inscribed, so giving a range of positions for fixing the seat on to the bowl. As a result the fixing device may be used to fit a wide range of sizes of seats to water closet bowls, generally more easily than with other known fixing devices.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS : 1. A water closet seat or cover, having at least one arm extending from one end of the seat or cover, the arm being received in a bore in the seat or cover and secured therein by means of set adhesive.

2. A seat or cover according to Claim 1, in which the bore has a smooth wall.

3. A seat or cover according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the volume of adhesive is adjusted so that the level of set adhesive in the bore is flush with the adjacent surface of the seat or cover.

4. A seat or cover according to any preceding Claim, in which the set adhesive is a self-setting resinous adhesive.

5. A seat or cover according to Claim 4 in which the self-setting adhesive is supplied in the form of two interactive components.

6. A seat or cover according to any preceding Claim, having an upward curvature at the end which is secured to the arm.

7. A seat or cover according to any preceding Claim, in combination with a fixing device for holding the seat or cover to a water closet, the fixing device comprising a plinth securable to the bowl, a post upstanding from the plinth, and a pivot pin being mounted on the post such that the pin may be rotated about the post, the pivot pin being engageable with the arm extending from the seat or cover such that the arm is pivotally movable about the pin.

8. A seat or cover according to Claim 7, in which the pivot pin is mounted on the post by reception of the free end of the post in a socket in the pivot pin.

9. A seat or cover according to Claim 8, in which a circumferential recess is

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The seat 1 and cover 2 are both mounted at the rear end of the bowl 3 of a water closet. Each of the seat and cover has an upwardly curved rear portion 1a and 2a respectively. A fixing device 10 is secured to the bowl and to both the seat and cover, and the' structure of the device 10 is explained in detail below in relation to Figures 2 and 3. The fixing device 10 is described and claimed in copending Application No. 36381/79, Serial No. 1585185, divided out of the present Application. An arm 4, 5, comprising a metal shaft is received in a respective bore 6, 7, in each of the seat 1 and cover 2. The bores 6, 7, may be drilled out of a formed seat to have smooth walls which makes it easier to form a connection by means of adhesive. Each arm is held within the bore by means of set adhesive 8, preferably an epoxy resin dispensed in two part interactive form. Although not shown, the shafts each have circumferential grooving better to key the shaft to the adhesive and to the wall of the bore. The volume of adhesive is adjusted to ensure that there will be no gap between the shaft and the bore wall, and that the level of adhesive will be flush with the adjacent surface of the seat and cover, to avoid any risk of traps to harbour dirt and germs. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fixing device 10 comprises a plinth 11 for securing to the toilet bowl 3 and a post in the form of a pillar 12 fixed to and extending upwardly from the plinth 11. The pillar 12 is located towards one edge of the plinth, as shown. A pivot pin 13 having a socket 14 in one side is mounted on top of the pillar 12 by reception of the free end of the pillar 12 in the socket 14. The pivot pin 13, has an integrally formed pivot shaft 15 of relatively reduced diameter, and the two pivot arms 4, 5, shown in Figure 1 terminate in sockets which are both mounted on the shaft 15. The pivot shaft 15 may be provided with nylon or other self-lubricating bushes to reduce friction, washers of similar material being interposed between the pivot arms 4 and 5. The pivot pin 13 is freely rotatably mounted on the pillar 12 by means of a circlip 16 seated in a circumferential groove 17 extending around the pillar 2 adjacent its upper end and in a corresponding groove 18 in the wall of the socket 14. In this way the pin 13 is held on the pillar 12 in a concealed manner and yet is freely rotatable. The circlip 16 has a rounded cross-section to permit removal of the pivot 13, and with it the seat 1 and cover 2 from the bowl so that the seat and cover may be cleaned more easily. The plinth 11 has a hollow interior 19 which contains the head 20 of a bolt 21 the threaded shank 22 of which extends through a slit 23 in the floor of the plinth. The plinth is secured to the bowl 3 in known manner, using a wing nut 24. Because the pillar 12 is mounted eccentrically on the plinth 11, when the plinth is rotated on the bolt 21, a large circle is inscribed, so giving a range of positions for fixing the seat on to the bowl. As a result the fixing device may be used to fit a wide range of sizes of seats to water closet bowls, generally more easily than with other known fixing devices. WHAT WE CLAIM IS :

1. A water closet seat or cover, having at least one arm extending from one end of the seat or cover, the arm being received in a bore in the seat or cover and secured therein by means of set adhesive.

2. A seat or cover according to Claim 1, in which the bore has a smooth wall.

9. A seat or cover according to Claim 8, in which a circumferential recess is

present in the part of the post received in the socket and a spring is present in the socket to engage the pivot pin to hold the pivot pin to the post.

10. A water closet seat or cover, sub stantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.