GB2389144A

GB2389144A - Adjustable hinge connector for a toilet seat and cover

Info

Publication number: GB2389144A
Application number: GB0212204A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chi-Fu Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-05-28
Filing date: 2002-05-28
Publication date: 2003-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-05-28
Also published as: GB2389144B; GB0212204D0

Abstract

A hinge connector for a toilet seat consists of a combination base 10 adapted to mount on a toilet bowl 45 and at least one adjustment fitting 20. The combination base 10 attaches to the toilet seat by short bolts 35 and has an adjustment recess 12 with elongated hole 122 defined in a top face to slidably accommodate fitting 20. Each fitting 20 has a slot 22 and a long bolt 30 passes through slot 22, hole 122 and a hole in the toilet bowl 45. By moving the long bolt 30 along the slot 22 and hole 122, the position of the toilet seat can be adjusted.

Description

2389 1 44

( HINGE CONNECTOR FOR A TOILET SEAT WITH TOILET SEAT COVER

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover, and more particularly to a hinge connector that allows the toilet seat with toilet seat cover to be easily detached from the toilet bowl.

2. Description of Related Art

With reference to Figs. 4 and 5, a hinge connector is normally used with a toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) and mounted on a top face of a toilet bowl (80) to pivotally attach the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) to the toilet bowl (80). A conventional hinge connector comprises a cover leaf (50), a combination plate (60) and two adjustment fittings (70). The cover leaf (50) is pivotally connected to the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) and has a bottom face (not numbered) and multiple threaded holes (52) defined in the bottom face. Multiple through holes (61) are defined in the combination plate (60) to correspond to the threaded holes (52) in the cover leaf (50). A first bolt (611) penetrates each through hole (61) in the combination plate (60) and screws into the corresponding threaded hole (52) in the cover leaf (50) to attach the cover leaf (50) to combination plate (60). The combination plate (60) furler has a bottom face (not numbered) and two adjustment recesses (62) defined in the bottom face. Each adjustment recess (62) has an enlarged opening (626) formed at one end to allow one adjustment fitting (70) access inside the adjustment recess (62). Two lips (622) formed on opposite edges of the adjustment recess (62) define an adjustment channel (624) to retain the adjustment fitting (70) inside the adjustment recess (62). An elongated slot (72) is defined in each adjustment fitting (70) perpendicular to the adjustment recess (62), and a second bolt (74) with a head (not numbered) penetrates the elongated slot (72) of each

adjustment fitting (70). The head is larger Man the width of the elongated slot (72) to make the second bolt movably secured in the adjustment fitting (70). By moving the adjustment fittings (70) along the adjustment recesses (62) and moving the second bolts (74) along the elongated slot (72), the position of the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) can be adjusted on the toilet bowl (80).

However, the conventional hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) has the following drawbacks: 1. Because the second bolts (74) are firmly secured under the toilet bowl (80) by nuts (not numbered), users have to bend down and touch the underside of a lip (not numbered) at the top of the toilet bowl (80) to release the nut. That is disgusting because the underside of the lip of the toilet bowl (80) is usually stinky and dirty. Additionally, most toilets do not have much space, and bending down to see where the nuts are secured is difficult. Therefore, detaching the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) is inconvenient.

2. Besides detaching the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (SS) from the toilet bowl (80), the combination plate (60) needs to be separated from the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) for cleaning by detaching the first bolts (611) and the second bolts (74). To attach the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) to the toilet bowl (80), all the bolts (611, 74) have to be secured in position. Therefore, and detachment or attachment of the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (55) are troublesome.

3. The adjustment recess (62) has a complex configuration including the lip (622) and the enlarged opening (626) to construct the adjustment channel (624) for movably securing the adjustment fitting (70). Therefore, the adjustment recess (62) in the combination plate (60) is difficult to produce and easily has defects in the adjustment channel (624) that keeps the adjustment fitting (70) from being able to freely move inside

the adjustment recess (62).

To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover, the present invention provides a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.

A first objective of the invention is to provide a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover that is easy to detach from a toilet bowl.

A second objective of the invention is to provide a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover that is efficiently adjustable.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the

accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover attached to a toilet bowl; Fig. 3 is an operational top plan view of the hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover in Fig. 1 showing how the long bolts are adjusted; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover and a toilet bowl in accordance with the prior art;

Fig. 5 is a side plan view of the conventional hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover in Fig. 4 mounted on a toilet bowl.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) adapted to be secured on a toilet bowl (45) and is composed of a combination

plate (10), at least one adjustment fitting (20) and t least two fastening bolts (30, 35).

The combination base (10) adapted to be secured between the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) and the toilet bowl (45) is a rectangular cube with a top surface, two parallel sides and two ends. At least one adjustment recess (12) with a bottom is longitudinally defined in the top surface of the combination base (10), and each adjustment recess (12) has a elongated hole (122) defined in the bottom of the adjustment recess (12) . Two keys (14) are formed on opposite ends of the combination base (10) and at least one threaded hole (16) is defined in the top surface of the combination base (10).

Each adjustment fitting (20) is slidably mounted in a corresponding adjustment recess (12), and a slot (22) is defined in the adjustment fitting (20). Each slot (22) is perpendicular to the elongated holes (122) in the combination base (10).

The fastening bolts include at least one long bolt (30) and one short bolt (35). Each long bolt (30) has a head (32) larger than the width of the slot (22) in the adjustment I fitting (20) so the head (32) of the long bolt (30) will be securely held in the slot (22) when the long bolt (30) is passed through the slot (22). A long bolt (30) passes through I the slot (22) of each corresponding adjustment fitting (20), elongated hole (122) and a hole in the toilet bowl (45) to securely attach the combination plate (10) to the toilet bowl (45). By moving the long bolt (30) along the slot (22) and the elongated hole (122), the position of the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) can be adjusted on the toilet bowl (45). A hinge leaf (not numbered) is pivotally connected to the toilet seat with the toilet seat cover (40). The hinge leaf has a bottom face, and a rectangular recess (42) with two ends is defined in the bottom face to correspond to the connecting base (10). Two keyways (44) are defined at opposite ends of the recess (42) and each keyway (44)

engages the corresponding key (14) in the combination base (10) to securely hold the combination base (10) inside the recess (42).

A through hole (43) is formed in the dingy leaf to correspond to the threaded hole (16) in the combination plate (10). A short b(30) passes through the through hole (43) and is screwed into the threaded hole (16) in the combination base (10). Thereby, the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) is detachably attached to the toilet bowl (45).

Based on the foregoing description, several advantages of the hinge connector for a

toilet seat with toilet seat cover in accordance with the present invention exist and are include the following.

1. Only the short bolt (35) needs to be unscrewed from the top of the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) hinge leaf to detach the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) from the toilet bowl (45). Only the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) are detached from the toilet bowl (45), which makes the detachment easy and quick, and there is no need to I touch the dirty and stinky bottom of the toilet bowl (45) when detaching or attaching the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40). Therefore, both detachment and attachment of the I toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) are simple.

2. The adjustment recesses (12) are defined in the top face of the combination base (10) so the adjustment fittings (20) will not fall out of the adjustment recesses (12). Since the adjustment recesses (12) are simple recesses, the combination base (10) is easy to produce. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and

function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in

detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles

of the invention to the filll extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the teens in which Me appended claims are expressed.

Claims

r CLAIMS:

1. A hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover comprising: a combination base (10) adapted to be secured between a hinge leaf for the toilet seat win toilet seat cover (40) and the toilet bowl (45) having: a top face; at least one adjustment recess (12) with a bottom defined in the top surface of the combination base (10); an elongated hole (122) defined in the bottom of each adjustment recess (12); and at least one threaded hole (15) defined in the top surface of the combination base (10); an adjustment fitting (20) slidably mounted in the corresponding adjustment recess (12) and having a slot (22) defined in the adjustment fitting (20) perpendicular to the elongated hole (122); long bolts (30), each long bolt (30) having a head (32) larger than a width of the slot (22) in the adjustment fitting (20) and passing through the corresponding slot (22), elongated hole (122) and a hole defined in the toilet bowl (45) to firmly attach the combination plate (10) to the toilet bowl (45); and short bolts (35) passing through the through holes (43) formed in the leaf of the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) hinge corresponding to the threaded holes (16) in the combination plate (10) to firmly screw into the threaded hole (16) of the combination base (10).

2. The hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination base (10) farther has two keys (14) respectively formed at two

f opposite ends of the combination base (10); and a rectangular recess (42) is defined in the toilet seat with toilet seat cover (40) leaf to correspond to the connecting base (10) and two keyways (44) defined at opposite ends of the recess (42) to engage with the corresponding keys (14) on the combination base (10). 3. The hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein each slot (22) is perpendicular to the elongated holes ( 122) of the combination base (10).

4. The hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein each slot (22) is perpendicular to the elongated holes (122) of the combination base (10).

5. The hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination base (10) has two adjustment recesses (12) longitudinally define in the combination base.

6. The hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein the combination base (10) has two adjustment recesses (12) longitudinally define in the combination base.

7. The binge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 4, wherein the combination base (10) has two adjustment recesses (12) longitudinally define in the combination base.

( Amendments to the claims have been tiled as follows 1. A hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover comprising: a combination base adapted to be secured between a hinge leaf for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover and the toilet bowl having: a top face; at least one adjustment recess with a bottom defined in the top surface of the combination base; an elongated hole defined in the bottom of each adjustment recess; and at least one threaded hole defined in the top surface of the combination base; an adjustment fitting slidably mounted in the corresponding adjusunent recess and having a slot deemed in the adjustment fitting perpendicular to the elongated hole; long bolts, each long bolt having a head larger than a width of the slot in the adjustment fitting and passing through the corresponding slot, elongated hole and a hole defined in the toilet bowl to firmly attach the combination plate to the toilet bowl, and short bolts passing through the through holes formed in the leaf ofthe toilet seat with toilet seat cover hinge corresponding to the threaded holes in the combination plate to firmly screw into the threaded hole of the combination base.

2. A hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combination base further has two keys respectively formed at two opposite ends of the combination base; and a rectangular recess is defined in the toilet seat with toilet seat cover leaf to correspond to the connecting base and two keyways defined at opposite ends ofthe recess to engage with the corresponding keys on the combination base.

3. A hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each slot is perpendicular to the elongated holes of the combination base.

o

4. A hinge connector for a toilet seat with toilet seat cover as claimed in clann 1, 2 or 3, wherein the combination base has two adjustment recesses longitudinally define in the combination base.