US20070266493A1

US20070266493A1 - Sanitation cover device

Info

Publication number: US20070266493A1
Application number: US11/436,913
Authority: US
Inventors: Carlos Jimenez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-19
Filing date: 2006-05-19
Publication date: 2007-11-22

Abstract

1. This new invention is a one size, stretch to fit, disposable scented or fragranced sanitation disposable paper cover device for use in restrooms, to cover the tops of toilets, urinals and lavatories that require maintenance. The disposable paper cover device referred to as “SANI-BONNET”, consists of a disposable scented paper fabric material, gathered on the underside towards the center by an expandable band of material such as elastic that is sewn-in or secured continually along the underside edge of the paper fabric material to form a smaller inner circular or oval opening than the whole of the paper fabric material, thereby drawing the edging of the disposable paper fabric material towards the center underside to allow the paper fabric like material to be stretched to a larger opening to fit over the tops of toilets, urinals and lavatories that require maintenance.

a. More specifically the thread used to sew or secure the elastic band to the disposable paper fabric will be sewn or secured onto the disposable paper continuously so as to form an oval or circular opening. The ends of the thread however, will be continued to be sewn after they have completed the circular or oval opening, each continuing to form a string end of approximately six inches, without attachment or adherence to the elastic or the disposable paper material. The four resulting string ends can be used as a means to tie the disposable paper cover device on restroom fixtures where this cover device may be required to be tied to achieve the desired cover affect.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a single size device (hereafter referred to as Sani-bonnet), to be used as a cover device adaptable to toilets, urinals and lavatories (herein after referred to as restroom fixtures), in restroom facilities to keep from their continued use while out of service and to also identify the requirement for service and or repair. More particularly, the cover device provides a method of covering affected or out-of-service restroom fixtures to avoid their continued use prior to maintenance. Covering affected restroom fixtures separates unsuspecting users from the unpleasant odor, unsightly and unsafe biological waste remaining within the out-of service restroom fixtures until maintenance is performed to return them to service.
The lack of a cover device that can be placed directly on out-of-service restroom fixtures results in an inability to easily identify and render fixtures out-of-service and having to resort to placing plastic trash bags, handwritten signs, and adhesive tapes directly on restroom fixtures or privacy panels, toilet doors, urinals and lavatories to place or take them out-of-service from continued use. Plastic trash bags, handwritten signs and adhesive tapes on out-of-service restroom fixtures or privacy panels are unsightly, do not provide an effective separation from unpleasant unsafe body waste mess in affected fixtures, from unsuspecting restroom users.
2. Description of Prior Art
There may be two products that appear to be similar but are different in their use and construction than that of Sani-bonnet. One of those products is commonly used in a hospital or a medical environment for use specifically on people's heads for personal and patient protection. Another common product that may appear to be similar but is different in use and its construction than Sani-bonnet is what's commonly referred to as a shower cap, with a specific use for keeping people's heads dry in a shower, very much unlike Sani-bonnet. This inventor knows of no prior art published or documented that is specifically intended to solve the problems in a building maintenance environment that this invention solves. This invention will be used in an industrial or commercial environment as a means to provide a specific, economical, hygienically and aesthetically pleasing, fragranced disposable cover device for use on toilets, urinals and lavatories that require maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. This invention is a single size, adaptable scented or fragranced disposable paper cover device that can be stretched to fit over out-of-service restroom fixtures. This cover device serves as an economical, sanitary and esthetically pleasing method to identify service requirements while simultaneously providing a method to separate unsuspecting restroom users from unsightly, unpleasant and unsafe body waste remaining within out-of-service restroom fixtures.
2. It's customary for restroom service personnel such as janitors or building custodian personnel such as building managers or building supervisors to place restroom fixtures requiring maintenance, out-of-service, by using “anything they can find”, barriers such as plastic trash bags, masking tape, duct tape, cellophane taped handwritten signs directly on fixtures or privacy panel doors of stalls in which the out-of-service restroom fixture is located. The use of adhesive tapes on restroom fixtures or on painted surfaces of restroom stalls does not present a professional appearance and does not provide a
cover that separates unpleasant odors, unsightly and unsafe body waste from unsuspecting restroom users. Adhesive tapes used on fixtures and or privacy panel doors can quickly become an additional maintenance cost-prohibitive burden oftentimes requiring additional labor and cost for removal and/or refinishing painted surfaces.
3. In an environment of doing more with less, reduced budgets, and prioritized work scheduling; a residual affect of this disposable paper cover device is that it provides Facilities Managers or Building Supervisors an opportunity to prioritize scheduled maintenance. Identifying work required in an aesthetically pleasing method conveys a thought to end users that this problem has been identified and is scheduled for service as well as provides a direct message to users that the problem has been identified and work is scheduled to be performed. This method of identification also deters unsuspecting users from repeatedly calling in complaints to the Facility Management department to report that particular unit out-of-service. Sani-bonnet will provide a savings of an inordinate amount of time and money by removing the need to call in the same problem numerous times. It is intended for this disposable paper cover device to have an area at the top center of the cover device where a hand written or screen printed message can be written on the cover such as “Service Called in on Aug. 5, 2006. “Please Excuse the Inconvenience”, OR any other custom and or screen printed message particular to specific facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1. FIG. 1, is an underside view of Sani-bonnet cover device.

2. FIG. 2, is a top view of Sani-bonnet cover device, and shows a center area where an out-of-service message can be hand written.

3. FIG. 3, is a side view of Sani-bonnet cover device.

4. FIG. 4, is a front view of Sani-bonnet cover device, stretched over a wall mounted urinal.

5. FIG. 5, is top view of Sani-bonnet cover device with one of the two sets of string ends tied to the base of a urinal flush valve to better secure the top portion of Sani-bonnet to the urinal.

6. FIG. 6, is a front/side view of Sani-bonnet cover device, stretched over the top of the seat of a floor mounted toilet.

7. FIG. 7, is a front/side view of Sani-bonnet cover device, stretched over the top of the seat of a wall mounted toilet.

8. FIG. 8, is a front/side view of Sani-bonnet cover device, stretched over the top of the toilet seat/cover of a floor mounted toilet.

9. FIG. 9, is a front/top view of Sani-bonnet stretched over the top of a lavatory.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. The invention will be described and more fully understood from the accompanying drawings in which the invention is described in to itself and in application. Referring to the drawings beginning with:
a. Illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention is shown as an underside view of Sani-bonnet cover device comprised of disposable paper with an elastic band sewn in or secured onto the underside. The elastic band drawing the disposable paper in towards the center and forming an oval or circular opening by gathering the edging of the disposable paper to form a stretchable bonnet. FIG. 1.1, refers to the disposable paper cover device. FIG. 1.2 shows the sewn in or secured into, elastic band having the ability to stretch to various sizes to accommodate toilets, urinals and lavatories. FIG. 1.3 shows the two sets of parallel string ends on opposite areas from each other, sewn onto themselves apart from the disposable paper cover device or elastic material.
b. A top view of Sani-bonnet cover device is shown in FIG. 2. and its construction of disposable paper. FIG. 2.1 illustrates the disposable paper cover device. FIG. 2.2 represents the elastic band sewn in or secured onto the disposable paper cover device. FIG. 2.3 shows the two sets of parallel string ends on opposite areas of the disposable paper cover device, ad FIG. 2.5 showing the area in the center of the disposable paper cover device with a more solid surface than that of the entire disposable paper Sani-bonnet so that an out-of-service message can be hand written or screen printed onto Sani-bonnet.
c. FIG. 3, represents how the Sani-bonnet cover device would look from a side view not stretched and not in use, FIG. 3.1 as the disposable paper cover device, FIG. 3.2 represents the sewn in or secured elastic band and FIG. 3.3 showing two sets of parallel string ends.
d. FIG. 4 represents Sani-bonnet paper cover device in use stretched over a wall mounted urinal covering the usable portion if the urinal in its entirety. FIG. 4.1 depicts the disposable paper cover device, where FIG. 4.2 shows the sewn in or secured into elastic band stretched to fit over the front portion of the wall mounted urinal. FIG. 4.3 shows one of two sets of the parallel string ends tied onto the base of the flush valve mechanism of the urinal as a method to better secure the top portion of Sani-bonnet disposable paper cover device to the urinal. FIG. 4.4 shows one unused set of parallel string ends placed under the stretched disposable paper cover device.
e. FIG. 5, is an expanded top view of the disposable paper cover device and FIG. 5.1 shows the top portion of the disposable paper cover device, FIG. 5.2 shows how one of the two sets of parallel string ends continued from the elastic band sewn in or secured into the FIG. 5.1, disposable paper cover device. FIG. 5.3 shows one set of two parallel string ends in use, tied to the base of flush valve mechanism to provide a better means to secure the upper portion of Sani-bonnet cover device to the wall mounted urinal.
f. FIG. 6, shows Sani-bonnet disposable paper cover device in use and stretched onto and applied to the top portion of the seat of a floor mounted toilet. FIG. 6.1 shows the disposable paper cover device, FIG. 6.2 shows the elastic band sewn into or secured onto the disposable paper cover device and FIG. 6.4 shows the two sets of parallel string ends not in use, placed under the disposable paper cover device.
g. FIG. 7, shows the Sani-bonnet disposable paper cover device in use and stretched onto and applied over the toilet seat cover of a wall mounted toilet. FIG. 7.1 depicts the disposable paper cover device. FIG. 7.2 shows the elastic band sewn to or secured to the disposable paper cover device and FIG. 7.4 shows the two sets of string ends not in use, placed underneath the paper cover device.
h. FIG. 8, shows the Sani-bonnet disposable paper cover device in use and stretched onto and applied over the toilet seat cover of a floor mounted toilet. FIG. 8.1 depicts the disposable paper cover device. FIG. 8.2 shows the elastic band sewn in or secured to the disposable paper cover device and FIG. 8.4 shows the unused sets of string ends placed under the paper cover device. FIG. 9, shows the Sani-bonnet cover device in use and stretched over and onto the top of a typical hand wash lavatory.
i. The faucet fixtures of the lavatory provide an area where Sani-bonnet FIG. 9.2, can be draped over them to achieve the desire hold affect without than having to use FIG. 8.4. FIG. 9.1 shows the disposable paper cover device, FIG. 9.2, shows the stretched elastic band sewn in or secured onto the disposable paper cover device and FIG. 9.4 shows the two unused sets of string ends placed under the disposable paper cover device to place them out of the way. FIG. 9.5 shows the portion of the disposable paper cover device where an out-of-service message can be hand written or screen printed to convey a message to unsuspecting users.

Claims

I. A disposable paper cover device for placing over the tops of restroom toilets, urinals and lavatories, to identify them as out-of-service, the device comprising: Disposable paper fabric material of measured proportion such as 3′×3′ with an elastic band material sewn in or secured onto the edging of the underside of the paper fabric material drawing it into a lesser circular or oval opening than the whole of the cover device.
a. The elastic band material will be sewn-in or secured along the edge of the paper fabric material continuously to join one end to the other resulting in the sewn or secured portion drawing the paper fabric material towards the center forming an oval or circular opening on the center underside. The resulting opening being able to be expanded by stretching to a larger opening. Stretching or expanding the cover device from a smaller to a larger opening will result in adapting to various sizes and a method by which the cover device will be stretched over and held on to various size fixtures. More specifically the thread used to sew or secure the elastic to the paper fabric will be sewn or secured continuously to form an oval or circular opening.
II. (Supporting claim) A tying portion of the cover device; the two ends of the thread sewn-in or secured to the elastic as claimed in claim 1, will be continued to be sewn or secured unto themselves each forming a string end of approximately six inches, without attachment or adherence to the paper fabric like material. The four resulting string ends can be used to accommodate a tie method for use on fixtures where this disposable paper cover device may be tied to achieve the desired sanitary bonnet or cover affect.
III. (Supporting claim) An identified portion of the disposable paper cover device will be centered on each unit of the cover device to allow users to write or screen print, an “Out-Of-Service” message specific to the need of the facility. The writable area of the disposable paper cover device may measure 4″ by 6″ or as necessary to accommodate specific messages to be conveyed.