GB2208667A

GB2208667A - Disposable toilet seat cover

Info

Publication number: GB2208667A
Application number: GB8719493A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Berman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-08-18
Filing date: 1987-08-18
Publication date: 1989-04-12
Also published as: GB8719493D0

Abstract

A disposable toilet seat cover (10) comprises a sleeve (14) to fit over the seat, the sleeve having a central portion (16) omitted, or adapted to be readily removed, to enable normal use of the seat with the cover in situ. The cover is closed at one end (20) by a seam 22. The central portion (16) is adapted to be readily removed by weakening (24) therearound and has a hand-hold (26) formed, or adapted to be readily formed, therein to enable at least part of a hand to be passed through the central portion (16) to grip the same to remove it. The hand-hold (26) is formed by weakening (28) therearound or may be a slit. Weakening (28) is weaker than weakening (24). Cover (10) may have a soft filling. Covers (10) may be provided in a roll, pack or pad, with weakening to allow separation therefrom. <IMAGE>

Description

"Toilet seat cover" BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to toilet seat covers.

The term "toilet seat" refers to the upper surface round a lavatory pan upon which the user sits. The term can be used for (a) the upper rim of a porcelain lavatory pan, (b) the member which overlies such rim and is usually ring-shaped (though a front portion of such ring may be omitted), or (c) a member that overlies such ring-shaped member and has no central omitted portion. The toilet seat according to (b) and (c) is usually hinged at the back to the porcelain pan so that each can be lifted at the front from the pan.

There are many toilet seats of type (b) in public use.

Frequently, the intending user has little idea of the degree of cleanliness and hygiene of these and in many places, e.g. hotels, public houses, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, trains, ships, aeroplanes, stations, sports arenas, which list is by no means exhaustive, the seats are frequently found soled or wet. The user then has to forego their use or, e.g., put down a layer of toilet paper to cover the seat.

THE INVENTION The invention concerns toilet seats of type (b) The invention consists in a cover as claimed in claim 1.

Such a cover can avoid problems of hygiene as described above, can be made as readily available as toilet paper, or readily available from a vending machine, or able to be carried around in packs of the same by the user, and can be readily disposable.

If the sleeve is closed at one end, it is easier to fit on to a toilet seat. For ease of manufacture, the end closure can be in the form of a seam and/or the sleeve can have said central portion, adapted to be readily removed by weakening therearound For ease of use, the central portion has a hand-hold formed, or adapted to be readily formed, therein to enable at least part of a hand to be passed through the central portion to grip the same to remove it. Such a hand-hold can be a hole in the central portion or can be adapted to be formed by weakening partly or wholly therearound, or can be adapted to be formed by a line (e.g. a straight line) of weakening which is simply broken by the hand being put therethrough.

Preferably, the hand-hold weakening is substantially weaker than the weakening around the central portion, so that the hand can first pierce the handhold without removing the central portion, and can then grip and remove the central portion readily.

The cover can comprise plastics material, e.g. 80 gauge polythene, and/or paper. It may comprise a soft filling and, in one preferred form, the cover comprises an outer plastics portion having an upper double layer with a soft filling of flocculent paper or plastics material.

A preferred shape of the cover is substantially rectangular with an oval central portion, more preferably of outside dimensions about 40 cm x 45 cm with a central opening of major and minor diameters of about 20 cm and 25 cm.

There can be provided a roll of covers, each embodying the invention and adapted to be separated from the roll by a line of weakening.

Again, there can be provided a pack of covers each according to the invention and able to be withdrawn individually from the pack.

Yet again, there can be provided a pad of covers, each according to the invention and attached at a line of weakening to a common header.

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which Fige 1 is a plan. view of a cover embodying the invention; Figo 2 is a section along the line II-II of Figo 1; Rige 3 is a section (corresponding to Figo 2) of the cover in place on a toilet seat; Figo 4 is a perspective view of a roll of the covers; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pack of the covers; Figo 6 is a perspective view of a pad of the covers; and Figo 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 of another embodiment of the cover.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly Figso 1, 2 and 32 a disposable cover 10 for a centreless toilet seat 12 of the liftable kind, comprises a sleeve 14 to fit over the seat 12, the sleeve having a central portion 16 adapted to be readily removed to enable normal use of the seat 12 with the cover 10 in situ.

(Alternatively, the cover may be provided with the portion 16 already omitted, eOg. as seen in Figo 5o) he sleeve 14 may be open both at the back end 18 and front end 20, or it may be closed at one end 20o This end closure is in the form of a seam 22o The sleeve 14 has its central portion 16 adapted to be readily removed by weakening thereground, along line 24o This may conveniently be a line of slits or a line of perforations0 The central portion 16 has a hand-hold 26 adapted to be readily formed therein to enable at least part of a hand to be passed through the central portion 16 to grip the same to remove itS as shown in Figo 3o The hand-hold 26 is adapted to be formed by a line 28 of weakening partly (as shown in Figo 1) or wholly therearound0 A suitable hand-hold may be formed by having simply a straight line of weakening0 Alternatively, the hand-hold may already be formed, eOgO as a line cut 30 as exemplified in Bigo 4O In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the hand-hold weakening 28 is substantially weaker than the weakening 24 around the central portion 16, so that a hand 32 pushed through central portion 16 will first break weakening 28 and can then, by gripping central portion 16 break weakening 24 to remove central portion 160 Cover 10 as seen in Figso 1 and 2 comprises plastics material, preferably being made of 80 gauge polythene, that is preferably opaque whitey Alternatively, cover 10 as shown in Rigo 5 may comprise paper, eOg. a kraft paper, In a completely different embodiment, as illustrated in Rigo 7, the cover 10 comprises a soft filling 33.

between the lines 24, 42 and 43 Ehis can be the same shape and size as cover 10/in the Fig. 1 embodiment0 It comprises an outer plastics portion 34 (i.e, outside centre portion 16) having an upper double layer 36, 58 with a soft filling 33 of flocculent paper or plastics material0 This provides a saft cushion to overlie the seat 12o As shown in Figo 7, the centre portion 16 is omitted or removed0 In all the embodimen shown, the cover is substantially (omitted or included) rectangular with an oval central portion 16. The cover is of outside diameters about 40 cm X 45 cm with the central portion of major and minor diameters of about 20 cm and 25 cm (preferably 18 cm and 27 cm).

The central portion 16 may be provided with instructions 40, e.g0;- lo Tear out this portion.

2o Slide cover over toilet seat.

3o After use, place in bin provided.

4 Do not flush down toilet.

(Instructions 1. and 2. may be in reverse order.) The provision of seam 22 or other closure at edge 20 facilitates fitting of cover 10 onto seat 120 it is simply pushed on until edge 20 reaches the front of seat 120 However, a cover 10 can be used which the has an open end 20, then relying on the comnonsense of user not to A push it too far on to the seat 12o In a further embodiment indicated by dashed line 42 in Sigo I, the front edge 20 is shaped approximately to correspond to the shape of the outer front edge of a seat 12o There may be provided a roll 44, Pigo 4, of the covers 10, each adapted to be separated from the role by a line 46 of weakening This is particularly suitable in use in a vending machine, Alternatively, there may be provided a pack 48 Fig.5 of the covers 10, each able to be withdrawn individually from the pack0 Yet again, there may be provided a pad 50 of the coverts 10, each attached at a line e of weakening (edge perforations or slits) to a common header 54O Each cover 10 is detached from header 54 for use, This is useful for, e.g., hotels, Soft filling 33 may alternatively be provided by cushion-bubble plastics material, e.g. having i cm. hemispherical bubbles in hexagonal array, as is commonly used in packaging.

Claims

le A disposable cover for a centreless toilet seat of the liftable kind, comprising a sleeve to fit over the seat, the sleeve having a central portion omitted, or adapted to be readily removed, to enable normal use. of the seat with the cover in sits.

2e A cover as claimed in claim 1, SnLwhich the sleeve is closed at one end0

30 A cover as claimed in claim 2, in which the end closure is in the form of a seam

40 A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the sleeve has said central portion, adapted to be readily removed by weakening therearound0

50 A cover as claimed in claim 4 in which the central portion has a hand-hold formed, or adapted to be readily formed, therein to enable at least part of a hand to be passed through the central portion to grip the same to remove it 60 A cover as claimed in claim 5, in which the hand-hold is a hole in the central portion claimed 7O A cover as'in claim 5, in which the hand-hold is adapted to be formed by weakening therearound 8e A cover as claimed in claim 5, in which the hand-hold is adapted to be formed by a line of weakening 9O A cover as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the hand-hold weakening is substantially weaker than the weakening around the central portion0 10o A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising plastics material.

llo A cover as claimed in claim 10, in which the plastics material comprises 80 gauge polythene.

12. A cover as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising paper, 13. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a soft filling.

140 A cover as claimed in claim 13 comprising an outer plastics portion having an upper double layer with a soft filling of flocculent paper or plastics material.

150 A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, which is substantially rectangular with an oval central portion.

16 A cover as claimed in claim 16, which is of outside dimensions about 14 cm x 45 cm with the central portion of major and minor diameters of about 20 cm and 25 cm, 17. A disposable cover for a centreless toilet seat of the liftable kind, and substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described0 18. A disposable cover for a centreless toilet seat of the liftable kind, and substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying dravrings, 19. A roll of covers, each as claimed in any preceding claim and adapted to be separated from the roll by a line of weakening0 20. A pack of covers, each as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and able to be withdrawn individually from the pack.

2L A pad of covers, each as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and attached at a line of weakening to a common header.

22. A roll, pack or pad of covers, substantially according to any embodiment herein before described.

23. A roll, pack or pad of co-Is, substantially according to any embodiment herein before described with reference to andtillustrated in the accompanying drawings