US20100083432A1

US20100083432A1 - Detachable adjustable commode handle

Info

Publication number: US20100083432A1
Application number: US12/247,053
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark Osier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-07
Filing date: 2008-10-07
Publication date: 2010-04-08

Abstract

A detachable adjustable commode handle for use with a commode having legs includes a hook, having a flat portion upon which the toilet paper roll rollably rests, a hooked end curving up from said flat portion which discourages the toilet paper from sliding off in use, and a support portion curving up from and extending generally perpendicularly from the flat portion, wherein said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is sized shorter in length than a toilet paper roll axial length such that resistance is provided to the toilet paper roll at either end by the incipient curves of the hooked end and the support portion, a snap fit bracket connected to the support portion which detachable and adjustably snap fits onto a commode leg, wherein said snap fit bracket is offset from and perpendicular to the toilet paper roll resting flat portion, and wherein when said detachable adjustable commode handle is attached to a commode, said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is perpendicular to leg of a commode to which it is attached.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to detachable adjustable commode toilet paper handles.

BACKGROUND

Elderly and infirm people need assistance using a toilet. A portable toilet, hereinafter referred to simply as a “commode” is used for that purpose. Commodes are often used when providing care and assistance to aged and disabled patients. Commodes are often used in hospitals, hospices, and are used in the homes by ill and elderly people because they provide support that is not available from a stationary toilet. Commodes generally comprise a frame structure and a seat supported on the frame structure. In use the commode may be placed proximate a bed or some other area where the person having need thereof is disposed.
One of the disadvantages of portable commodes is the location of toilet paper. Some commodes have toilet paper bars which stick out at odd angles. Such bars can get in the way, are the object if injury and interference. Such bars cannot be removed or moved out of the way. Other commodes have no location for a toilet paper roll, and so the user or assistant has to hold the toilet paper roll. Still other commodes have toilet paper roll holders which are in inconvenient locations and cannot be moved to a more convention location for use.
A toilet paper roll handle is needed, therefore, which addresses these problems, which can be easily attached and detached from a commode, which can be easily moved on the commode, which can be easily pushed into and out of position, and which when detached is easy and light to carry and moved or store.
The following represents a list of known related art:


		Date of
Reference:	Issued to:	Issue/Publication:

US Pat 7,306,185	Miller	Dec. 11, 2007
US Pat 6,575,316	Lin	Jun. 10, 2003
US Pat 6,305,035	Morris	Oct. 23, 2001
US Pat Des. 431,947	Kopcak et al.	Oct. 17, 2000
US Pat Des. 424,668	Dangervil	May 9, 2000
US Pat Des. 414,638	Brightbill	Oct. 5, 1999
US Pat 5,529,260	Wirick	Jun. 25, 1996
US Pat Des. 341,739	Teague	Nov. 30, 1993
US Pat 2,673,693	Gray	Mar. 30, 1954
US Pat 2,518,328	Janonis	Aug. 8, 1950

The teachings of each of the above-listed citations (which does not itself incorporate essential material by reference) are herein incorporated by reference. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,185 to Miller issued Dec. 11, 2007 for a Universal toilet paper dispenser system teaches an improved toilet paper dispenser system that employs an elongated support arm having, as a component, a flexible arm segment which is bendable in three dimensions. The support arm is secured at one end to a toilet tank or rigid structure using a mounting attachment. The flexible segment is positioned on the support arm sufficiently near to the mounting attachment so the support arm will not constitute an elongated rigid obstruction in a bathroom. At the opposite end of the support arm is a toilet roll holder that can support a toilet roll and dispense toilet paper in a wide variety of orientations. The toilet roll can be supported by the support arm in a wide variety of positions in three dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,316 to Lin issued Jun. 10, 2003 for a Bathroom column hanging holder assembly teaches a bathroom column hanging holder assembly mainly has a plurality of sleeves sleeved on a column with a base seat; the side of the sleeve has a side tube to be fixedly inserted by a hanging holder; a plastic inner tube and an O-shaped ring are installed inside the said sleeve; the structure assembled accordingly is capable of positioning a sleeve through the friction generated among the plastic inner tube, the O-shaped ring and the column by the weight of the hanging holder so as to eliminate the downward sliding of the sleeve and to adjust the height of the sleeve at will for convenient application
U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,035 to Morris issued Oct. 23, 2001 for a Toilet paper holder for bedside commode a device for supporting a roll of toilet paper on a bedside commode includes a dowel pin maintained between opposite arm members. The dowel pin is specifically sized and configured for removable receipt through the hollow core tube of a conventional roll of toilet paper. The arm members extend from the dowel pin and removably attach to the frame structure of the bedside commode in a manner which supports the toilet paper roll in convenient reach of a person seated on the commode, thereby permitting sheets of paper to be pulled and separated from the roll as the roll rotates about the dowel pin.
Design patents also have issued. U.S. Pat. Des. 431,947 to Kopcak et al. issued Oct. 17, 2000 for the ornamental design of a Bedside commode toilet paper roll holder. U.S. Pat. Des. 424,668 to Dangervil issued May 9, 2000 for the ornamental design of a paper support rack for portable commode. U.S. Pat. Des. 414,638 to Brightbill issued Oct. 5, 1999 for the ornamental design of a Toilet tissue holder. U.S. Pat. Des. 341,739 to Teague issued Nov. 30, 1993 for the ornamental design of a Toilet paper holder for attachment to a bedside commode
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,260 to Wirick issued Jun. 25, 1996 for a Rail engaging toilet paper holder teaches a holder for rotatably supporting a roll of toilet paper relative to a rail of a supporting structure. The inventive device includes a mounting assembly which can be snapped over a cylindrical rail of a wheelchair or portable toilet structure. A supporting assembly extends from the mounting assembly for engaging and rotatably supporting a roll of toilet paper relative to the supporting structure.
Thus, the art described above does not teach or suggest a detachable toilet roll handle which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) can be easily attached and detached from a commode; (2) can be easily moved on the commode; (3) can be easily pushed into and out of position when not in use; (4) requires no installation, just snaps into place with no screws, bolts, or tools needed; (5) detachable pops off under stress instead of breaking; (6) holds the toilet paper roll into place without requiring fasteners, pressure, or loops; (7) provides, without any additional attachments, resistance to toilet paper roll so that it does not continue to unroll when not being used or when finished using; and (8) which when detached is portable, easy and light to carry and moved or store. (1) can be easily attached and detached from a commode; (2) can be easily moved on the commode; (3) can be easily pushed into and out of position; and (4) which when detached is portable, easy and light to carry and moved or store.

SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES

A detachable adjustable commode handle, comprising a snap fit bracket attached to a toilet paper supporting hook. A detachable adjustable commode handle for use with a commode having legs includes a hook, having a flat portion upon which the toilet paper roll rollably rests, a hooked end curving up from said flat portion which discourages the toilet paper from sliding off in use, and a support portion curving up from and extending generally perpendicularly from the flat portion, wherein said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is sized shorter in length than a toilet paper roll axis length such that resistance is provided to the toilet paper roll at either end of the toilet paper roll by the incipient curves of the hooked end and the support portion, a snap fit bracket connected to the support portion which detachable and adjustably snap fits onto a commode leg, wherein said snap fit bracket is offset from and perpendicular to the toilet paper roll resting flat portion, and wherein when said detachable adjustable commode handle is attached to a commode, said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is perpendicular to leg of a commode to which it is attached.
The detachable adjustable commode handle of the present invention presents numerous advantages, including: (1) can be easily attached and detached from a commode; (2) can be easily moved on the commode; (3) can be easily pushed into and out of position when not in use; (4) requires no installation, just snaps into place with no screws, bolts, or tools needed; (5) detachable pops off under stress instead of breaking; (6) holds the toilet paper roll into place without requiring fasteners, pressure, or loops; (7) provides, without any additional attachments, resistance to toilet paper roll so that it does not continue to unroll when not being used or when finished using; and (8) which when detached is portable, easy and light to carry and moved or store.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a detachable adjustable commode handle in use

FIG. 2 shows a detachable adjustable commode handle.

FIG. 3 shows another perspective view of an embodiment of a detachable adjustable commode handle in use

REFERENCE NUMBERS USED IN DRAWINGS

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the detachable adjustable commode handle of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures:
10 Detachable adjustable commode handle
12 Hook
14 Snap Fit Bracket
16 Flat portion
18 Hooked end
20 Support portion
C Commode
L Commode leg
TP Toilet paper roll

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference materials and characters are used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in differing figure drawings. The figure drawings associated with this disclosure typically are not drawn with dimensional accuracy to scale, i.e., such drawings have been drafted with a focus on clarity of viewing and understanding rather than dimensional accuracy.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
A detachable adjustable commode handle is provided for use with a commode having legs, and includes hook, having a flat portion upon which the toilet paper roll rollably rests, a hooked end curving up from said flat portion which discourages the toilet paper from sliding off in use, and a support portion curving up from and extending generally perpendicularly from the flat portion, wherein said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is sized shorter in length than a toilet paper roll axial length such that resistance is provided to the toilet paper roll at either end of the toilet paper roll by the incipient curves of the hooked end and the support portion, a snap fit bracket connected to the support portion which detachable and adjustably snap fits onto a commode leg, wherein said snap fit bracket is offset from and perpendicular to the toilet paper roll resting flat portion, and wherein when said detachable adjustable commode handle is attached to a commode, said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is perpendicular to leg of a commode to which it is attached.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, detachable adjustable commode handle 10 includes a hook 12 and a snap fit bracket 14 which detachable and adjustably snap fits onto a commode C leg L. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, hook 12 has a flat portion 16 which the toilet paper roll TP rollably rests on, hooked end 18 curving up from the flat portion which discourages the toilet paper from sliding off in use, and a support portion 20 curving up from and extending generally perpendicularly from the flat portion 16 which is connected to the snap fit bracket 14. The toilet paper roll resting flat portion 16 is sized in length shorter than a standard toilet paper roll TP, which is 4.5″± 1/10″, such that the incipient curves of the support portion 20 and the hooked end 18 resistively engage the toilet paper roll TP to provide slight resistance against freely unrolling when not in use. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, snap fit bracket 14 has two opposing indented walls which snap fit around a commode C leg L. Preferably, detachable adjustable commode handle 10 is made of steel with a protective coating, such as rubber, powder coating, or plastic or other suitable material known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In operation in one embodiment, detachable adjustable commode handle 10 is attached to a commode C by snap fitting the snap fit bracket 14 around a leg L of the commode C, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A toilet paper roll TP is then slid over the hooked end 18 and onto the flat portion 16 where it can be used and unrolled as needed. The incipient curves on the hooked end 18 and support portion 20 provide resistance to the toilet paper roll TP from freely unrolling. The detachable adjustable commode handle 10 can be adjustably moved, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, due the snap fit nature of the bracket 14 connection to the commode C leg L. The detachable adjustable commode handle 10 can be easily removed by unsnapping the bracket 14 from the commode C leg L.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. It will, of course, be understood that modifications of the invention, in its various aspects, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some being apparent only after study, others being matters of routine mechanical, chemical and electronic design. No single feature, function or property of the preferred embodiment is essential. Other embodiments are possible, their specific designs depending upon the particular application. As such, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments herein described but should be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A detachable adjustable commode handle for use with a commode having legs, comprising:

a hook, having a flat portion upon which the toilet paper roll rollably rests, a hooked end curving up from said flat portion which discourages the toilet paper from sliding off in use, and a support portion curving up from and extending generally perpendicularly from the flat portion, wherein said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is sized shorter in length than a toilet paper roll axial length such that resistance is provided to the toilet paper roll at either end by the incipient curves of the hooked end and the support portion;

a snap fit bracket connected to the support portion which detachable and adjustably snap fits onto a commode leg, wherein said snap fit bracket is offset from and perpendicular to the toilet paper roll resting flat portion; and

wherein when said detachable adjustable commode handle is attached to a commode, said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is perpendicular to leg of a commode to which it is attached.

2. A detachable adjustable commode handle for use with a commode having legs, comprising:

detachable snap fit means for attaching an adjustable toilet paper resting flat portion to a commode leg, offset from and perpendicular to the toilet paper roll resting flat portion such that said toilet paper roll resting flat portion is perpendicular to the leg of a commode to which the handle is attached; and

resistance means at either end of a toilet paper roll slid onto the toilet paper roll resting flat portion providing resistance to the toilet paper roll to stop it from freely unrolling.

3. The handle of claim 1, wherein the handle is made of steel powder coated.

4. The handle of claim 2 wherein the handle is made of steel powder coated.