US20120222203A1

US20120222203A1 - Secure toilet seat cover

Info

Publication number: US20120222203A1
Application number: US13/411,518
Authority: US
Inventors: Zenaida Diolata Hiltz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-03
Filing date: 2012-03-02
Publication date: 2012-09-06
Also published as: WO2012119134A1

Abstract

A toilet seat cover, comprising a surface element comprising an annulus and adapted to fully cover a toilet seat, and with at least an upper surface suitable for comfortable contact with a human posterior, a plurality of flaps, integral to the surface element and arranged in pairs, each pair of flaps positioned axially one from the other with one flap extending outwardly from an outer circumference of the surface element and one flap extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the surface element, and a plurality of fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap, wherein each pair of flaps is adapted so that each pair of flaps may be fastened together using the fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap in order to firmly attach the surface element to an upper surface of a toilet seat.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of bathroom furnishings, and more specifically to a toilet seat cover adapted to attach itself by means of one or more integral flaps to a toilet seat, providing secure attachment for comfort and safety.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In the field of toilet seat covers, there is a traditional design commonly utilized which uses a thin paper or plastic sheet in the general shape of a U- or O-shaped toilet seat of the Western type. This design allows for inexpensive manufacture of disposable seat covers, but it does not offer secure fit to the toilet seat. Most individuals who have had to use such a device will recognize the tendency of the seat cover to slip on the toilet seat, often falling into the bowl of the toilet and requiring a new such seat cover to be used.
When a disposable solution is not required, such as for decorative or reusable purposes common (for example, within a residential setting), there are at present toilet seat cover designs allowing for secure fit to the toilet seat through the use of elastic or similar stretch-fit materials to wrap the cover around the toilet seat, thus preventing unwanted movement. Such designs are more expensive to manufacture and unnecessarily thick when compared to the above disposable solution, preventing such a design from being used in an environment requiring convenient storage and dispensation of multiple seat covers (such as a commercial or public restroom) as well as having an aesthetic impact in this decorative role by potentially causing the toilet lid to fit improperly. Furthermore, these designs are not conveniently washable and reusable due to the potential deterioration of the elastic element, raising hygienic and cost concerns. Also, such designed may be effective in preventing slippage of the cover off the toilet seat to which it is affixed, but may not be effective in preventing torsional slippage.
There are also toilet seat cover designs utilizing adhesive materials on the cover, such that when the cover is positioned by the user and pressed onto the toilet seat it adheres directly to the seat. This design allows for a more convenient form-factor than the elastic design above, but carries with it the potential for leaving unwanted residue on the toilet seat, as well as hygienic concerns should foreign matter become trapped in the adhesive and transferred to the toilet seat or to the user.
Lastly, there is at present a toilet seat cover design (U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,732) utilizing a multilayer, semi-rigid construction to facilitate thermal insulation from the toilet seat as well as a hygienic standoff from the seat. This design utilizes detached elastic straps to securely fit upon the toilet seat and prevent movement, and offers a comfortable, secure seating upon the toilet seat with ease of attachment and removal.
It is apparent that existing designs require a complexity of design and manufacture that does not lend itself to easy or low cost of manufacture, and also has several impacts upon usefulness. A thick toilet seat cover will disrupt the fit of the toilet lid, disrupting the aesthetic benefit gained by use of a cover in a decorative role. A rigid or semi-rigid, shaped toilet seat cover does not allow for fitting to a variety of toilet seat shapes that are present in the field of the invention, comprises several parts (for example, the seat cover and several detachable straps), and requires the manufacture and distribution of separate covers for each physical shape required.
What is needed is a toilet seat cover that allows a user to firmly secure the cover upon the toilet seat to prevent unwanted movement, maintaining the convenience, low-profile form factor, universal application, and hygienic usefulness of existing disposable designs while allowing for a variance in construction such as to accommodate a decorative and reusable role when disposability is not required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the problems described above of securely fastening a toilet seat holder to prevent unwanted movement without the use of potentially expensive or unhygienic materials and with minimal aesthetic impact in a decorative role while retaining positive qualities inherent in disposable designs, the inventor conceived of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a toilet seat cover, comprising a surface element comprising an annulus and adapted to fully cover a toilet seat, and with at least an upper surface suitable for comfortable contact with a human posterior, a plurality of flaps, integral to the surface element and arranged in pairs, each pair of flaps positioned axially one from the other with one flap extending outwardly from an outer circumference of the surface element and one flap extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the surface element, and a plurality of fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap, wherein each pair of flaps is adapted so that each pair of flaps may be fastened together using the fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap in order to firmly attach the surface element to an upper surface of a toilet seat.
In another embodiment of the invention, at least the flaps extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the surface element are connected to one another with perforated incisions adapted to allow easy separation of adjacent flaps. In a further embodiment of the invention, the toilet seat cover has four pairs of flaps positioned around the surface element. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the fastening means comprise hook-and-loop closures.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a toilet seat cover, is disclosed, comprising a surface element comprising an annulus and adapted to fully cover a toilet seat, and with at least an upper surface suitable for comfortable contact with a human posterior, a plurality of flaps, formed integrally with the surface element and extending inward from the inner circumference of the surface element and separated by perforations, a plurality of fastening means on the distal ends of the plurality of flaps, and a plurality of fastening means on the outer circumference of the surface element and arranged with each fastening means in a position located axially from one of the fastening means on the distal end of a flap, wherein when a flap is folded downward and around a lower surface of the toilet seat the fastening means on that flap is adapted to fasten to the corresponding fastening means on the outer circumference of the surface element thereby firmly attaching the surface element to an upper surface of the toilet seat. In another embodiment of the invention, the flaps are separated by incisions rather perforations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1. is a drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrating the overall design with flaps and a truncated edge for fitting upon a toilet seat.

FIG. 2. is a drawing illustrating a variety of possible closure means to fasten an embodiment of the invention upon a toilet seat.

FIG. 3. is a drawing of an preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating the use of perforated flaps for disposable use.

FIG. 4. is a drawing of an embodiment of the invention fitted to a toilet seat, viewed from above and below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a single-piece toilet seat cover 100 comprising an annulus and a plurality of integral flaps 110 arranged around the inner and outer circumferences of the annulus and generally extended outward from the center of the annulus, which are provided with a fastenable means of closure. Any number of pairs of flaps may be used, according to the invention, but in a preferred embodiment the inventor has found that between 3-6 flap pairs arranged around each circumference is ideal for providing torsional stability and slip resistance when toilet seat cover 100 is affixed upon a toilet seat, while still providing an easily-manufactured cover that can be easily affixed to or removed from a toilet seat. More than six flap pairs provides excellent stability, but makes it more difficult to affix and remove cover 100, and fewer than three flap pairs provides substantially less slippage and torsional stability. As illustrated, toilet seat cover 100 may have a truncated edge 120 provided for further stability when affixed upon an irregularly-shaped toilet seat.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, interior flaps 110 may be folded underneath a toilet seat and fastened to outer flaps 110 (similarly folded underneath the toilet seat), using a provided fastening means. It will be appreciated by one having skill in the art that the provided fastening means may be of a variety of designs, such as utilizing hook-and-loop fastener patches (such as Velcro™ brand closures), metal or plastic snap or push-button type closures, cloth tie strings, or any further means of reliable closure allowing for the fastening of two opposed flat objects. Such fastening means are merely exemplary, and it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art of fasteners for household furnishings that there are many possible arrangements for fastening outer flaps 110 to interior flaps 110. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that materials used in construction of toilet seat cover 100 may be similarly varied, ranging for example from a plush and comfortable cloth material suitable for a decorative and aesthetically-pleasing, washable and reusable toilet seat cover for a residence, or a thin and non-porous plastic or paper membrane for use in a disposable role such as might be needed in a hospital or public restroom. In this manner the invention may be suitable for a variety of roles, as the claimed invention and illustrated embodiments do not rely essentially on specific materials used in construction but rather on the function of the assembly as conceived.
FIG. 2 illustrates a variety of possible closure or fastening means 210 and positions for locating such fastening means in order to allow toilet seat cover 100 to remain stable when positioned on toilet seat 201. It will be appreciated that many physical arrangements of fastening means may be utilized, as illustrated with fastening means positioned on an upper surface of toilet seat cover 100, positioned such that fastening means 210 may be on an upper surface of toilet seat 201, on an outer edge, or on the distal ends of complementary flaps 110 wrapped around toilet seat 201. As further illustrated, several possible means of closure may be utilized by fastening means 210 to fixedly position toilet seat cover 101 on a toilet seat, such as complementary patches of hook-and-loop fastener 211, plastic or metal snap or push-button fasteners 212, or fabric or string ties 213. it should be understood that each of the fastening means illustrated is purely exemplary, and should not be taken to limit the scope of the invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention comprising a single-piece toilet seat cover 300 in the general shape of an annulus with four flaps 310 separated by perforations or incisions 311 and provided with fastening means 301. It should be noted that the quantity, spacing, and arrangement of flaps 310 shown is purely exemplary and that alternate configurations are possible. In the embodiment, interior flaps 310 are folded underneath a toilet seat such that fastening means 301 may be mated to similar fastening means 301 situated on an opposite edge of toilet seat cover 300.
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention, as affixed to a toilet seat 401 and viewed from above and from below. Interior flaps 310 are folded around a toilet seat 401, and affixed to toilet seat cover 300 with fastening means 301. In the view from above it can be seen that the seating surface of toilet seat cover 300 is smooth and uniform, with all necessary design features on the reverse face. This allows for a comfortable and aesthetically-pleasing design to be implemented, without sacrificing any design features that enable disposable use. In the view from beneath it can be seen clearly how interior flaps 310 are wrapped around toilet seat 401, and affixed to a surface of toilet seat cover 300 by way of fastening means 301.
All of the embodiments outlined in this disclosure are exemplary in nature and should not be construed as limitations of the invention except as claimed below.

Claims

1. A toilet seat cover, comprising:

a surface element comprising an annulus and adapted to fully cover a toilet seat, and with at least an upper surface suitable for comfortable contact with a human posterior;

a plurality of flaps, integral to the surface element and arranged in pairs, each pair of flaps positioned axially one from the other with one flap extending outwardly from an outer circumference of the surface element and one flap extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the surface element; and

a plurality of fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap;

wherein each pair of flaps is adapted so that each pair of flaps may be fastened together using the fastening means on or attached to the distal ends of each flap in order to firmly attach the surface element to an upper surface of a toilet seat.

2. The toilet seat cover of claim 1, wherein at least the flaps extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the surface element are connected to one another with perforated incisions adapted to allow easy separation of adjacent flaps.

3. The toilet seat cover of claim 1, having 4 pairs of flaps positioned around the surface element.

4. The toilet seat cover of claim 1, wherein the fastening means comprise hook-and-loop closures.

5. A toilet seat cover, comprising:

a plurality of flaps, formed integrally with the surface element and extending inward from the inner circumference of the surface element and separated by perforations;

a plurality of fastening means on the distal ends of the plurality of flaps; and

a plurality of fastening means on the outer circumference of the surface element and arranged with each fastening means in a position located axially from one of the fastening means on the distal end of a flap, wherein when a flap is folded downward and around a lower surface of the toilet seat the fastening means on that flap is adapted to fasten to the corresponding fastening means on the outer circumference of the surface element thereby firmly attaching the surface element to an upper surface of the toilet seat.

6. The device of claim 5, having flaps separated by incisions rather perforations.