GB2167096A

GB2167096A - Toilet seat fixing assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2167096A
Application number: GB08527545A
Authority: GB
Inventors: T J Boorman
Original assignee: CROSSPOOL PLUMBING SERVICES LI
Current assignee: CROSSPOOL PLUMBING SERVICES LI
Priority date: 1984-11-09
Filing date: 1985-11-08
Publication date: 1986-05-21
Also published as: GB8527545D0; GB8428422D0; GB2167096B

Abstract

Each of two assemblies for detachably securing a toilet seat (12) to its bowl (5) comprises a spigot member (A) adapted to project downwardly from a toilet seat pivot block (11), a socket member (B) having a flange (3) at one end of a screwthreaded stem (1) for abutting around a fixing hole (4) through which the stem is an easy fit, and a nut (C) for screwing on to the stem for securing it in place in the hole (4), the spigot member (A) having a bulge (9) on its spigot (7) making a push fit in an enlarged portion (8a) of a lengthwise hole in the stem (1), thus enabling the seat (12) to be readily detached from the bowl (5) for thorough cleaning of either or both, and to be readily refitted, yet held securely against accidental removal. A screw portion (2) and flange (10) of the spigot member (A) together with a T-shaped nut (D) facilitate fitting to and adjustment in a slotted pivot block (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toilet seat fixing assembly This invention relates to a toilet seat fixing assembly enabling a toilet seat to be readily detached from a toilet bowl for thorough cleaning of either or both, and to be readily refitted, yet held securely against accidental removal.

According to the present invention there is provided an assembly for fixing a toilet seat to a toilet bowl of the type which has two fixing holes located one on either side thereof, the assembly comprising a toilet seat pivot block for accommodating an end of the toilet seat spindle, a spigot member adapted to project downwardly from the pivot block, a socket member having a flange at one end of a screw threaded stem, the flange being of dimensions such that it abuts around the fixing hole in the toilet bowl through which the screw threaded stem is an easy fit, the socket member also having an internal bore extending lengthwise in the stem from the flanged end, the spigot member being a push-fit within said bore and having a bulge which makes a snap-fit connection within a larger diameter portion of the bore, and a nut for screwing onto the opposite end of the stem of the socket member, the assembly being such that a variety of different types of toilet seat may be fixed to the bowl.

Two such assemblies will evidently be required per toilet, one for each fixing hole in the toilet bowl.

The flange of the socket member is preferably tapered, flared or radiused externally from the outside of the screwthreaded stem, to assist in centralising the socket member with respect to a fixing hole in the toilet bowl. As usual, a washer is preferably used between the nut and the toilet bowl, even though the socket member and the nut are preferably made of "rigid" plastics, which affords slight flexibility and resilience for effecting good seating and uniform loading.

The seat pivot block may be adapted to accommodate the seat spindle in one of a number of different positions, and also to allow the lateral position of the spigot member relative to the pivot block to be adjusted before fixing the assembly in place. In this case the seat pivot block is preferably provided with a flange between a spigot proper (which preferably has the bulge referred to above) and a screw portion, a T-shaped nut being provided to fit on the screw portion and for fitting into a slotted seat pivot block, to enable the lateral position of the spigot member relative to a seat pivot block to be adjusted before tightening of the screw portion into the T-shaped nut to grip the seat pivot block.

Preferably, the pivot block comprises an upper portion with two bores therein to give a choice of position of the seat spindle, and a base plate adapted for a snap-fit connection within the upper portion. This base plate removes the need for the conventional resilient washer between the pivot block and the toilet bowl.

Preferably, the spigot member and the T-shaped nut are also made of "rigid" plastics. The socket member preferably has a counterbore at the mouth of the hole in the stem, to accommodate the flange of the spigot member, and the hole in the stem preferably flares out into the counterbore to provide a lead-in for the spigot member.

Preferably, the flange of the socket member includes a circumferential groove which cooperates with a corresponding ribs on the inside of the base plate of the pivot block, to give a snap-fit connection.

The pivot block may alternatively comprise a single member having a tapped bore extending upwardly for receiving the screw portion of the spigot member, the pivot block having a single bore for accommodating an end of the toilet seat spindle, and also having a downwardly extending lip around the bottom edge of the block, a circumferential rib being provided inside said lip for a snapfit connection within a corresponding circumferential groove in the flange of the socket member.

This type of pivot block is particularly suitable for fixing toilet seats of the type provided in hospitals, whereas the type of pivot block described earlier is more applicable to the domestic market. It should be appreciated that in either case, both a right handed and a left handed block is required, one for each fixing hole.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an enlarged lengthwise section through part of a toilet seat fixing assembly forming a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the complete assembly forming the first embodiment of the present invention, shown in relation to the seat and bowl of a toilet; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pivot block shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a further perspective view of the pivot block shown in Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged lengthwise section through part of a toilet seat fixing assembly forming a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in Figure 5, including washers; and, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a pair of pivot blocks, as shown in Figure 6, with the ends of the toilet seat spindle accommodated therein.

A first embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 1 (and used in duplicate in Figure 2) includes a spigot member A, a socket member B, a flanged wingnut C on a screwthreaded stem 1 of the socket member, and a T-shaped nut D on a screw portion 2 of the spigot member. The socket member B has a flange 3 including a circumferential groove 3a at one (plain) end of the screwthreaded stem 1 for abutting around a fixing hole 4 in a toilet bowl 5 (see Figure 2) through which the screwthreaded stem is an easy fit, the nut C being used for securing the socket member in place after interposing the usual washer 6 between the nut and bowl. The flange 3 is flared or radiused exter wally from the outside of the stem 1, to assist in centralising the socket member B with respect to the fixing hole.The spigot 7 proper of the spigot member A is a push fit into a hole 8 extending lengthwise in the stem 1 of the socket member B from the flanged end, the spigot being provided with a bulge 9 making an interference fit in a larger diameter portion 8a of the hole 8 extending from the flanged end. The spigot member A is provided with a flange 10 between the spigot 7 proper and the screw portion 2, so that when the T-shaped nut D has been fitted into a slotted pivot block 11 for a toilet seat 12 and adjusted laterally to suit the spacing of the holes 4 in the bowl 5, the screw portion 2 can be tightened into the nut D to grip the seat pivot block. The pivot block 11 has an upper portion 11a, and a lower base plate 11b. The upper portion 11a has two bores 11c, 11d extending into the block, one of which will accommodate an end of the seat spindle.The base plate 11 b is a snap-fit connection within the upper portion 11a by means of grooves 11e and ridges 11f. Similarly, ridges llg are provided for snap-fit connection with corresponding groove 3a in the flange of the socket member B. The base plate may be provided with spikes 11h which fit within holes 11j in the upper portion 11a, to help fix the two portions together. The use of the base plate eliminates the need for a washer between the bowl and the pivot block. The socket member B has a counterbore 14 at the mouth of the hole in the stem, to accommodate the flange 10 of the spigot member A, and the hole in the stem flares out into the counterbore to provide a lead-in for the spigot member.

It will be appreciated from the groupings of the parts in Figure 2 how the socket members B and nuts C of two assemblies in accordance with the invention and as detailed in Figure 1 can be secured permanently to the bowl 5, and how the spigot members A and nuts D of the assemblies can be secured substantially permanently to the seat 12 (bearing in mind that the ends 15 of the spindle 16 of the seat merely locate in either of bores llc, 11d in the pivot blocks 11), so that - having pushed the spigots 7 fully home into the bores 11c or 11d - the seat is held securely against accidental removal from the bowl, but the seat can be readily detached from the bowl for thorough cleaning of either or both, and as readily refitted.

Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the present invention includes a socket member B and spigot A, identical to those shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pivot block 20 having a laterally extending bore 21 in one side for accommodating an end of a toilet seat spindle in just one position, a fixing nut 22, metal washer 23, and rubber washer 24. The pivot block 20 has a tapped bore 20a for accommodating the threaded portion 2 of the spigot A. The block also has a downwardly extending lip 26 which has a circumferential rib 26a for a snap-fit connection within the groove 3a in the flange of the socket member.

In either embodiment, the socket member may contain a drain hole 27 as shown in Figure 5.

The assemblies shown in the accompanying drawings are preferably formed of "rigid" plastics, and can be sold (in pairs) as replacements for existing bolts and nuts used to secure conventional pivot blocks for a toilet seat non- detachably to a toilet bowl, to enable ready conversion to a detachable seat, as well as being supplied with a new toilet seat.

Claims

1. An assembly for fixing a toilet seat to a toilet bowl of the type which has two fixing holes located one on either side thereof, the assembly comprising a toilet seat pivot block for accommodating an end of the toilet seat spindle, a spigot member adapted to project downwardly from the pivot block, a socket member having a flange at one end of a screw threaded stem, the flange being of dimensions such that it abuts around the fixing hole in the toilet bowl through which the screw threaded stem is an easy fit, the socket member also having an internal bore extending lengthwise in the stem from the flanged end, the spigot member being a push-fit within said bore and having a bulge which makes a snap-fit connection within a larger diameter portion of the bore, and a nut for screwing onto the opposite end of the stem of the socket member, the assembly being such that a variety of different types of toilet seat may be fixed to the bowl.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the flange of the socket member is tapered, flared or radiused externally from the outside of the screwthreaded stem, to assist in centralising the socket member with respect to a fixing hole in a toilet bowl.

3. An assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the seat pivot block is preferably provided with a flange between a spigot proper and a screw portion, a T-shaped nut being provided to fit on the screw portion and for fitting into a slotted seat pivot block, to enable the lateral position of the spigot member relative to a seat pivot block to be adjusted before tightening of the screw portion into the T-shaped nut to grip the seat pivot block.

4. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot block comprises an upper portion with two bores therein to give a choice of position of the seat spindle, and a base plate adapted for a snap-fit connection within the upper portion.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the socket member preferably has a counterbore at the mouth of the hole in the stem, to accommodate the flange of the spigot member, and the hole in the stem preferably flares out into the counterbore to provide a lead-in for the spigot member.

6. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the socket member includes a circumferential groove which cooperates with a corresponding rib on the inside of the base plate of the pivot block to give a snap-fit connection.

7. An assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the pivot block comprises a single member having a tapped bore extending upwardly for receiving the screw portion of the spigot member, the pivot block having a single bore for accommodating an end of the toilet seat spindle, and also having a downwardly extending lip around the bottom edge of the block, a circumferential rib being provided inside said lip for a snap-fit connection within a corresponding circumferential groove in the flange of the socket member.

8. An assembly according to any of Claims 1 to 6, or Claim 7 wherein the socket member and the nut are preferably made of "rigid" plastics, which affords slight flexibility and resilience for effecting good seating and uniform loading.

9. An assembly according to Claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

10. An assembly for fixing a toilet seat to a toilet bowl, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A toilet seat provided with two assemblies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A toilet provided with a seat and assemblies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.