US20140101832A1 - Raised Toilet Seat Assembly - Google Patents
Raised Toilet Seat Assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140101832A1 US20140101832A1 US13/651,147 US201213651147A US2014101832A1 US 20140101832 A1 US20140101832 A1 US 20140101832A1 US 201213651147 A US201213651147 A US 201213651147A US 2014101832 A1 US2014101832 A1 US 2014101832A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- toilet seat
- shoe
- raised
- adapter plate
- raised toilet
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
- A47K13/02—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets of plastic materials
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
- A47K13/005—Auxiliary or portable seats
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
- A47K13/24—Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats
- A47K13/26—Mounting devices for seats or covers
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to raised toilet seats, and in particular, to a raised toilet seat assembly with improved coupling features to the underlying standard toilet seat.
- Certain people may experience difficulty in bending, sitting and/or standing for various reasons. Often elderly people start to experience symptoms of arthritis or general muscle atrophy as they age. Youthful people may have injuries, or side effects from surgery (e.g., hip surgery) that make it difficult to sit and stand. For example, it may be difficult for such persons to sit on, and/or stand up from, a toilet seat that is low to the ground.
- surgery e.g., hip surgery
- Raised toilet seats work by increasing the height of the toilet seat above the ground, and providing an inclined contour to the top of the raised toilet seat, making it easier for people to sit without extreme bending, and likewise making it easier for them to return to a standing position.
- the raised toilet seat assembly comprises an adapter plate configured to couple to an existing toilet, a shoe configured to couple to the adapter plate, and a raised toilet seat configured to couple to the shoe thereby forming a fully assembled raised toilet seat assembly.
- the adapter plate comprises a main body portion and end sections extending beyond the main body portion to define associated passages in the adapter plate for coupling to a toilet.
- the passages of the adapter plate may be positioned over holes on the rear portion of the toilet and may fit about fasteners such that the fasteners pass through the passages and into the holes in the rear portion of the toilet.
- the adapter plate further comprises a slot configured to receive a first portion of the shoe when the adapter plate is coupled to the toilet and oriented such that the slot is facing downward.
- the shoe may further comprise a second portion configured to couple with a rear portion of the raised toilet seat.
- the coupling between the adapter plate and shoe, as well as between the shoe and the raised toilet seat may include an interference fit relation without the need for additional fastening components.
- the adapter plate, the shoe and the raised toilet seat may be assembled with ease.
- the improved coupling features of the raised toilet seat allow each component of the assembly to be easily separated, or detached, from the other component parts of the assembly, allowing for quick interchangeability which may be useful for preparing the toilet for guests who do not require a raised toilet seat.
- the raised toilet seat assembly of the present invention does not require additional fastening elements beyond the adapter plate, the shoe and the raised toilet seat in order to fully assemble the raised toilet seat assembly onto an existing toilet.
- the embodiments disclosed herein provide improved convenience to a user as a consequence.
- FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, perspective view of an example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly, the raised toilet seat assembly comprising an adapter plate, a shoe, and a raised toilet seat.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the adapter plate of FIG. 1 in further detail, the adapter plate comprising a main body portion and end sections extending from the main body portion to define passages for coupling to a conventional toilet, and further comprising a slot configured to receive a portion of the shoe of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the example toilet and the adapter plate of FIG. 1 , the adapter plate being configured to couple to the toilet by receiving fasteners through the passages of the adapter plate;
- FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the example toilet and the adapter plate of FIG. 1 with the adapter plate in an alternative orientation to that shown in FIG. 3A .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the shoe of FIG. 1 in further detail, the shoe comprising a first portion configured to slide into the slot of the adapter plate for coupling the shoe to the adapter plate of FIG. 1 , and further comprising a second portion configured to slide into a rear portion of the raised toilet seat of FIG. 1 for coupling the raised toilet seat to the shoe.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet with the adapter plate of FIG. 1 coupled to the toilet, and the shoe of FIG. 1 coupled to adapter plate.
- FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the raised toilet seat of FIG. 1 in further detail, the raised toilet seat comprising a top portion with an inclined contour, a rear portion, and a bottom portion that is smaller than the top portion to fit within a toilet bowl of the toilet in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1 when fully assembled.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a side elevation view of the fully assembled example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly of FIG. 7 , along with a close-up view of the adapter plate, the shoe and the rear portion of the raised toilet seat when fully assembled.
- the raised toilet seat assembly 100 is shown from a perspective, exploded view and is intended for use with a toilet 102 , such as a conventional toilet.
- the raised toilet seat assembly 100 comprises an adapter plate 104 configured to removably couple to the toilet 102 at a rear portion of the toilet 106 , a shoe 108 configured to removably couple to the adapter plate 104 , and a raised toilet seat 110 configured to removably couple to the shoe 108 at a rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 .
- the toilet 102 may be any standard toilet with fasteners to couple a standard lid to the toilet 102 , the fasteners including, but not limited to screws, bolts with corresponding nuts, etc.
- the toilet 102 is shown and described herein in only as much detail as necessary to understand the present invention.
- the shoe 108 engages the adapter plate 104 by slidably coupling with the adapter plate 104 via an interference fit relation.
- the shoe 108 also engages with the raised toilet seat 110 by slidably coupling with the raised toilet seat 110 via an interference fit relation. That is, portions of the shoe 108 may each be slidably coupled to the adapter plate 104 and the raised toilet seat 110 , respectively, in a manner of an interference fit relation whereby the coupled components are securely coupled by the force of friction without the need for additional fastening elements.
- This coupling allows for assembling/disassembling the raised toilet seat assembly 100 with greater ease, allowing for each component part of the assembly to be easily separated or detached from the other component parts of the assembly, and therefore enabling quick interchangeability which may be useful for preparing the toilet for guests who do not require the raised toilet seat assembly 100 .
- the illustrated examples herein show coupling between the component parts of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 via an interference fit relation, it is to be appreciated that other means of coupling the shoe 108 to the adapter plate 104 and/or to the raised toilet seat 110 will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
- the raised toilet seat assembly 100 of the present invention does not require additional fastening elements beyond the component parts (i.e., the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 ) in order to fully assemble the raised toilet seat assembly 100 and attach it to the toilet 102 .
- each of the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 are not specific to the present invention.
- the raised toilet seat 110 may be shaped or contoured in various ways to provide a suitably inclined top surface, and the raised toilet seat 110 may be of various sizes, or heights, for a particular toilet configurations such that the adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108 may be of a suitable size to accommodate the coupling of the raised toilet seat 110 to the shoe 108 and to accommodate the coupling of the adapter plate 104 to the toilet 102 .
- one or more of the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 may be made of plastic, such as molded plastic, or any other suitable material known in the art. Specifically, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a suitable polymer, such as polyethylene, and the like, may be used in the manufacturing of the component parts of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 . Suitable materials may be rigid or semi-rigid, waterproof, and/or resistant to chemicals, heat and stress. Additionally, the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 are preferably separate units that are operably interconnected.
- one or more of the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 may be manufactured using an injection molding technique, the process for which should be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
- an injection molding method to manufacture the adapter plate 104 , the shoe 108 and/or the raised toilet seat 110 , minimal material is used for the manufacture of the component parts, thereby preventing excess waste of material.
- injection molding techniques allow for easily forming the open cavity, or recess, on the underside, rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 , as will be explained in more detail, below.
- the adapter plate 104 comprises a predominantly flat, rectangular main body portion 202 .
- the main body portion 202 includes a slot 204 configured to receive a portion of the shoe 108 shown in FIG. 1 when coupled thereto.
- the slot 204 is shown in FIG. 2 as a recess, or cutout, of the main body portion 202 and is shown in an open configuration.
- the slot 204 may be an enclosed slot with openings on one or both ends of the main body portion 202 where the shoe 108 slides into the adapter plate 104 .
- the open configuration allows for more flexibility in tolerances between the adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108 , and allows for multiple orientations of the adapter plate 104 when coupled with the other components of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 of FIG. 1 .
- the width of the slot 204 is designed to establish an interference fit relation with the shoe 108 when coupled thereto. Accordingly, the width of the respective portion of the shoe 108 that is to be received in the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 may be slightly wider than the width of the slot 204 to establish the interference fit relation between the adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108 .
- the adapter plate 104 further comprises two end sections 206 a and 206 b extending outward from the main body portion 202 and defining associated passages 208 a and 208 b , the passages 208 a/b each configured to receive a screw, or similar fastener, typically found on a conventional toilet, such as the toilet 102 of FIG. 1 .
- the configuration of the adapter plate 104 shown in FIG. 2 allows for the adapter plate 104 to be securely coupled to the toilet 102 via the fasteners, as further illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B .
- the adapter plate 104 may be positioned in a flat orientation at the rear portion of the toilet 106 , and at a toilet seat attachment point, with the slot 204 facing downward toward the ground, and with each passage 208 a and 208 b positioned over holes 302 a and 302 b on the rear portion of the toilet 106 .
- the rear portion of the toilet 106 includes the area of the toilet that connects the toilet bowl to the water tank of the toilet 102 . Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG.
- the standard lid of the toilet may be removed permanently, or alternatively, the standard lid may replaced onto the toilet 102 after coupling the adapter plate 104 to the toilet 102 where it may remain in a lifted position in order to make room for the raised toilet seat 110 .
- the adapter plate 104 may be oriented with the tips of the end sections 206 a/b pointing toward the back (i.e., the water tank) of the toilet 102 as shown in FIG. 3A , or toward the front of the toilet as shown in FIG. 3B .
- each passage 208 a/b are to be positioned over the respective holes 302 a/b such that each passage 208 a/b may receive, or otherwise fit about, a respective fastener 304 a and 304 b , such as a screw. Accordingly, each of the fasteners 304 a/b may pass through the passages 208 a/b and into the holes 302 a/b where they may be fastened to the toilet 102 in the conventional manner known to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
- the adapter plate 104 may be coupled to the toilet 102 by simply sliding the adapter plate 104 between the standard toilet seat and the toilet bowl when the standard toilet seat is in a raised position such that the passages 208 a/b fit about the fasteners 304 a/b . In this way, the adapter plate 104 may be securely coupled to the toilet 102 to ensure stability of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 when in use.
- the holes 302 a/b and the fasteners 304 a/b are typically found on a conventional toilet, and are intended for use in attaching a standard, hinged toilet seat thereto.
- the specific size and shape of the adapter plate 104 is not specific to the present invention, and it may therefore have any suitable shape.
- the adapter plate 104 may have a shape other than a predominantly rectangular shape, as shown in FIG. 2 , such as, but not limited to, a triangular, circular, elliptical, oblong shape, etc. So long as the adapter plate 104 is configured to receive a portion of the shoe 108 to couple thereto, and is further configured to couple to the toilet 102 in the manner described hereto, the adapter plate 104 may be of any suitable size and shape to enable this functionality.
- the adapter plate 104 may include a single end section and associated passage, or it may include more than two passages and associated end sections.
- FIGS. 4A and 4B an shoe 108 according to an example embodiment is shown in further detail, with FIG. 4A showing a perspective view of the shoe 108 , and FIG. 4B showing a side view of the shoe 108 .
- the shoe 108 comprises a flange member 402 , or a first portion, configured to slide into the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 .
- the flange member 402 is shown in FIG. 4A to have a rectangular shape with a v-shaped cutout, but it is to be appreciated that the flange member 402 can be designed to have any suitable shape, such as rectangular, triangular, semi-circular, etc.
- the flange member 402 is of a thickness such that it may be slid within the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 when the adapter plate 104 is securely coupled to the toilet 102 , as will be described further with reference to FIG. 5 .
- the flange member 402 further comprises a tapered end 404 (shown in FIG. 4B ) toward the end of the flange member 402 .
- the tapered end 404 facilitates the engagement of the flange member 402 when it is slid into the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 after the adapter plate 104 has been securely coupled to the toilet 102 .
- the shoe 108 further comprises a main body member 406 , or a second portion, which is configured to slide into the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 (shown in FIG. 1 ) such that the shoe 108 acts as a connection point between the adapter plate 104 and the raised toilet seat 110 .
- the main body member 406 is shown in FIG. 4A to have an arcuate curved side 408 which allows for a proper mating engagement between the shoe 108 and the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 , the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 having the same, or similar, radius of curvature as that of the arcuate curved side 408 .
- the shoe 108 is shown to be coupled to the adapter plate 104 .
- a space is provided between the rear portion of the toilet 106 and the adapter plate 104 by virtue of the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 .
- the shoe 108 may be slid into the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 such that the flange member 402 of the shoe 108 slides within the slot 204 and into the space between the adapter plate 104 and the rear portion of the toilet 106 .
- the shoe 108 is securely coupled to the adapter plate 104 , but is also detachable from the adapter plate 104 by applying an opposing force to slide the flange member 402 out from within the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 .
- the coupling between the adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108 is described in example embodiments as being an interference fit relation by sliding the flange member 402 within the slot 204 , it is to be appreciated that other suitable coupling means comprising two complimentary components may be utilized without changing the basic characteristics of the system, such as, but not limited to, a tooth and groove mechanism, dovetail coupling, snaps, a hook-and-loop mechanism such as Velcro®, etc., or any other detachable coupling known in the art.
- the raised toilet seat 110 is configured to rest on the toilet bowl of toilet 102 and comprises a rear portion 112 configured to receive the shoe 108 from the underside of the raised toilet seat 110 , as will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 .
- the raised toilet seat 110 further comprises a top surface 602 which is contoured such that it provides a slightly inclined surface where a portion of the top surface 602 near the rear portion 112 is raised higher than the remainder of the top surface 602 .
- the raised toilet seat 110 further comprises a bottom portion 604 that is smaller in diameter relative to the remaining portion of the raised toilet seat 110 such that the bottom portion 604 is configured to fit within the toilet bowl of the toilet 102 .
- the raised toilet seat assembly 100 is illustrated in its fully assembled form. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the raised toilet seat 110 may be coupled to the shoe 108 , the details of which will be described in further detail with reference to FIG. 8 .
- the raised toilet seat 110 is easily detachable from the shoe 108 by lifting upward on the raised toilet seat 110 . While in use, however, the components of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 are securely coupled in fully assembled form and thereby provide a stable raised toilet seat assembly 100 for use by patrons.
- FIG. 8 the fully assembled raised toilet seat assembly 100 of FIG. 7 is shown from a side elevation view along section line A-A (illustrated in FIG. 7 ).
- Section line A-A bisects the toilet 102 and the raised toilet seat assembly 100 .
- the adapter plate 104 is coupled to the toilet 102 for example by tightening the fasteners 304 a/b while the adapter plate 104 is positioned flat on the rear portion of the toilet 106 with the slot 204 facing downward and the passages 208 a/b positioned over the holes 302 a/b .
- FIG. 8 illustrates how the shoe 108 is coupled to the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 by sliding the main body member 406 of the shoe 108 within a cavity 802 , or recess, in the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 which is openly configured and accessible from the underside of the raised toilet seat 110 .
- the shoe 108 securely mates with the raised toilet seat 110 since the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 has a curvature at least similar to that of the arcuate curved side 408 of the shoe 108 .
- the coupling between the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 is by interference fit relation.
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates generally to raised toilet seats, and in particular, to a raised toilet seat assembly with improved coupling features to the underlying standard toilet seat.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Certain people may experience difficulty in bending, sitting and/or standing for various reasons. Often elderly people start to experience symptoms of arthritis or general muscle atrophy as they age. Youthful people may have injuries, or side effects from surgery (e.g., hip surgery) that make it difficult to sit and stand. For example, it may be difficult for such persons to sit on, and/or stand up from, a toilet seat that is low to the ground.
- Specialty products have been designed to assist people that have difficulty sitting or standing. Such specialty products include rails mounted to the floor or the wall, and raised toilet seats, among other things. Raised toilet seats work by increasing the height of the toilet seat above the ground, and providing an inclined contour to the top of the raised toilet seat, making it easier for people to sit without extreme bending, and likewise making it easier for them to return to a standing position.
- Current designs for raised toilet seats offer means for coupling the raised toilet seat to a conventional toilet. These coupling means can make use of existing attachment methods for attaching the raised toilet seat to the rim of the toilet, but such means tend to be overly complex, making assembly/disassembly of the raised toilet seat a difficult and tedious endeavor. Other less-secure means for coupling tend to offer a raised toilet seat that is unstable when coupled to the toilet, which can increase the risk of injury to a person using the raised toilet seat.
- Furthermore, current methods of manufacturing raised toilet seats include blow molding and rotational molding techniques, which can have certain drawbacks, such as requiring much more material than is needed for the manufacture of the parts themselves, difficulty achieving high levels of production, and difficulty maintaining desired tolerances across products.
- This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
- Accordingly, disclosed herein is a raised toilet seat assembly with improved coupling features. The raised toilet seat assembly comprises an adapter plate configured to couple to an existing toilet, a shoe configured to couple to the adapter plate, and a raised toilet seat configured to couple to the shoe thereby forming a fully assembled raised toilet seat assembly.
- In some embodiments, the adapter plate comprises a main body portion and end sections extending beyond the main body portion to define associated passages in the adapter plate for coupling to a toilet. When the adapter plate is oriented flat on a rear portion of the toilet between the toilet bowl and the water tank, the passages of the adapter plate may be positioned over holes on the rear portion of the toilet and may fit about fasteners such that the fasteners pass through the passages and into the holes in the rear portion of the toilet. In some embodiments, the adapter plate further comprises a slot configured to receive a first portion of the shoe when the adapter plate is coupled to the toilet and oriented such that the slot is facing downward. The shoe may further comprise a second portion configured to couple with a rear portion of the raised toilet seat.
- In some embodiments, the coupling between the adapter plate and shoe, as well as between the shoe and the raised toilet seat, may include an interference fit relation without the need for additional fastening components.
- Through the improved coupling features of the raised toilet seat assembly disclosed herein, the adapter plate, the shoe and the raised toilet seat may be assembled with ease. Furthermore, the improved coupling features of the raised toilet seat allow each component of the assembly to be easily separated, or detached, from the other component parts of the assembly, allowing for quick interchangeability which may be useful for preparing the toilet for guests who do not require a raised toilet seat. Notably, the raised toilet seat assembly of the present invention does not require additional fastening elements beyond the adapter plate, the shoe and the raised toilet seat in order to fully assemble the raised toilet seat assembly onto an existing toilet. The embodiments disclosed herein provide improved convenience to a user as a consequence.
- Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings.
- The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same reference numbers in different figures indicate similar or identical items.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, perspective view of an example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly, the raised toilet seat assembly comprising an adapter plate, a shoe, and a raised toilet seat. -
FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the adapter plate ofFIG. 1 in further detail, the adapter plate comprising a main body portion and end sections extending from the main body portion to define passages for coupling to a conventional toilet, and further comprising a slot configured to receive a portion of the shoe ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the example toilet and the adapter plate ofFIG. 1 , the adapter plate being configured to couple to the toilet by receiving fasteners through the passages of the adapter plate; -
FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the example toilet and the adapter plate ofFIG. 1 with the adapter plate in an alternative orientation to that shown inFIG. 3A . -
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the shoe ofFIG. 1 in further detail, the shoe comprising a first portion configured to slide into the slot of the adapter plate for coupling the shoe to the adapter plate ofFIG. 1 , and further comprising a second portion configured to slide into a rear portion of the raised toilet seat ofFIG. 1 for coupling the raised toilet seat to the shoe. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet with the adapter plate ofFIG. 1 coupled to the toilet, and the shoe ofFIG. 1 coupled to adapter plate. -
FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the raised toilet seat ofFIG. 1 in further detail, the raised toilet seat comprising a top portion with an inclined contour, a rear portion, and a bottom portion that is smaller than the top portion to fit within a toilet bowl of the toilet inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly ofFIG. 1 when fully assembled. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a side elevation view of the fully assembled example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly ofFIG. 7 , along with a close-up view of the adapter plate, the shoe and the rear portion of the raised toilet seat when fully assembled. - Referring to
FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 according to an example embodiment. The raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 is shown from a perspective, exploded view and is intended for use with atoilet 102, such as a conventional toilet. The raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 comprises anadapter plate 104 configured to removably couple to thetoilet 102 at a rear portion of thetoilet 106, ashoe 108 configured to removably couple to theadapter plate 104, and a raisedtoilet seat 110 configured to removably couple to theshoe 108 at a rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112. Thetoilet 102 may be any standard toilet with fasteners to couple a standard lid to thetoilet 102, the fasteners including, but not limited to screws, bolts with corresponding nuts, etc. Thetoilet 102 is shown and described herein in only as much detail as necessary to understand the present invention. - In some embodiments, the
shoe 108 engages theadapter plate 104 by slidably coupling with theadapter plate 104 via an interference fit relation. Theshoe 108 also engages with the raisedtoilet seat 110 by slidably coupling with the raisedtoilet seat 110 via an interference fit relation. That is, portions of theshoe 108 may each be slidably coupled to theadapter plate 104 and the raisedtoilet seat 110, respectively, in a manner of an interference fit relation whereby the coupled components are securely coupled by the force of friction without the need for additional fastening elements. This coupling allows for assembling/disassembling the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 with greater ease, allowing for each component part of the assembly to be easily separated or detached from the other component parts of the assembly, and therefore enabling quick interchangeability which may be useful for preparing the toilet for guests who do not require the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100. Although the illustrated examples herein show coupling between the component parts of the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 via an interference fit relation, it is to be appreciated that other means of coupling theshoe 108 to theadapter plate 104 and/or to the raisedtoilet seat 110 will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Importantly, the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 of the present invention does not require additional fastening elements beyond the component parts (i.e., theadapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110) in order to fully assemble the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 and attach it to thetoilet 102. - It is to be appreciated that the specific dimensions, proportions, shapes and configurations of each of the
adapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and the raisedtoilet seat 110 are not specific to the present invention. For example, the raisedtoilet seat 110 may be shaped or contoured in various ways to provide a suitably inclined top surface, and the raisedtoilet seat 110 may be of various sizes, or heights, for a particular toilet configurations such that theadapter plate 104 and theshoe 108 may be of a suitable size to accommodate the coupling of the raisedtoilet seat 110 to theshoe 108 and to accommodate the coupling of theadapter plate 104 to thetoilet 102. - In some embodiments one or more of the
adapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and the raisedtoilet seat 110 may be made of plastic, such as molded plastic, or any other suitable material known in the art. Specifically, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a suitable polymer, such as polyethylene, and the like, may be used in the manufacturing of the component parts of the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100. Suitable materials may be rigid or semi-rigid, waterproof, and/or resistant to chemicals, heat and stress. Additionally, theadapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and the raisedtoilet seat 110 are preferably separate units that are operably interconnected. - In some embodiments, one or more of the
adapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and the raisedtoilet seat 110 may be manufactured using an injection molding technique, the process for which should be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art. By using an injection molding method to manufacture theadapter plate 104, theshoe 108 and/or the raisedtoilet seat 110, minimal material is used for the manufacture of the component parts, thereby preventing excess waste of material. Furthermore, injection molding techniques allow for easily forming the open cavity, or recess, on the underside, rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112, as will be explained in more detail, below. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , anadapter plate 104 according to an example embodiment is shown in further detail. As illustrated, theadapter plate 104 comprises a predominantly flat, rectangularmain body portion 202. Themain body portion 202 includes aslot 204 configured to receive a portion of theshoe 108 shown inFIG. 1 when coupled thereto. Theslot 204 is shown inFIG. 2 as a recess, or cutout, of themain body portion 202 and is shown in an open configuration. However, it is to be appreciated that theslot 204 may be an enclosed slot with openings on one or both ends of themain body portion 202 where theshoe 108 slides into theadapter plate 104. - The open configuration, shown in
FIG. 2 , allows for more flexibility in tolerances between theadapter plate 104 and theshoe 108, and allows for multiple orientations of theadapter plate 104 when coupled with the other components of the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 ofFIG. 1 . Furthermore, the width of theslot 204 is designed to establish an interference fit relation with theshoe 108 when coupled thereto. Accordingly, the width of the respective portion of theshoe 108 that is to be received in theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104 may be slightly wider than the width of theslot 204 to establish the interference fit relation between theadapter plate 104 and theshoe 108. - In some embodiments, the
adapter plate 104 further comprises twoend sections main body portion 202 and defining associatedpassages passages 208 a/b each configured to receive a screw, or similar fastener, typically found on a conventional toilet, such as thetoilet 102 ofFIG. 1 . The configuration of theadapter plate 104 shown inFIG. 2 allows for theadapter plate 104 to be securely coupled to thetoilet 102 via the fasteners, as further illustrated inFIGS. 3A and 3B . - Referring now to
FIG. 3A , theadapter plate 104 may be positioned in a flat orientation at the rear portion of thetoilet 106, and at a toilet seat attachment point, with theslot 204 facing downward toward the ground, and with eachpassage holes toilet 106. The rear portion of thetoilet 106 includes the area of the toilet that connects the toilet bowl to the water tank of thetoilet 102. Furthermore, as illustrated inFIG. 3A , the standard lid of the toilet may be removed permanently, or alternatively, the standard lid may replaced onto thetoilet 102 after coupling theadapter plate 104 to thetoilet 102 where it may remain in a lifted position in order to make room for the raisedtoilet seat 110. Theadapter plate 104 may be oriented with the tips of theend sections 206 a/b pointing toward the back (i.e., the water tank) of thetoilet 102 as shown inFIG. 3A , or toward the front of the toilet as shown inFIG. 3B . In either orientation, thepassages 208 a/b are to be positioned over therespective holes 302 a/b such that eachpassage 208 a/b may receive, or otherwise fit about, arespective fastener fasteners 304 a/b may pass through thepassages 208 a/b and into theholes 302 a/b where they may be fastened to thetoilet 102 in the conventional manner known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, theadapter plate 104 may be coupled to thetoilet 102 by simply sliding theadapter plate 104 between the standard toilet seat and the toilet bowl when the standard toilet seat is in a raised position such that thepassages 208 a/b fit about thefasteners 304 a/b. In this way, theadapter plate 104 may be securely coupled to thetoilet 102 to ensure stability of the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 when in use. Theholes 302 a/b and thefasteners 304 a/b are typically found on a conventional toilet, and are intended for use in attaching a standard, hinged toilet seat thereto. - It is to be appreciated that the specific size and shape of the
adapter plate 104 is not specific to the present invention, and it may therefore have any suitable shape. For example, theadapter plate 104 may have a shape other than a predominantly rectangular shape, as shown inFIG. 2 , such as, but not limited to, a triangular, circular, elliptical, oblong shape, etc. So long as theadapter plate 104 is configured to receive a portion of theshoe 108 to couple thereto, and is further configured to couple to thetoilet 102 in the manner described hereto, theadapter plate 104 may be of any suitable size and shape to enable this functionality. Additionally, although theadapter plate 104 is shown with twoend sections 206 a/b and twopassages 208 a/b, theadapter plate 104 may include a single end section and associated passage, or it may include more than two passages and associated end sections. - Referring now to
FIGS. 4A and 4B , anshoe 108 according to an example embodiment is shown in further detail, withFIG. 4A showing a perspective view of theshoe 108, andFIG. 4B showing a side view of theshoe 108. As illustrated, theshoe 108 comprises aflange member 402, or a first portion, configured to slide into theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104. Theflange member 402 is shown inFIG. 4A to have a rectangular shape with a v-shaped cutout, but it is to be appreciated that theflange member 402 can be designed to have any suitable shape, such as rectangular, triangular, semi-circular, etc. Theflange member 402 is of a thickness such that it may be slid within theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104 when theadapter plate 104 is securely coupled to thetoilet 102, as will be described further with reference toFIG. 5 . Theflange member 402 further comprises a tapered end 404 (shown inFIG. 4B ) toward the end of theflange member 402. Thetapered end 404 facilitates the engagement of theflange member 402 when it is slid into theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104 after theadapter plate 104 has been securely coupled to thetoilet 102. - The
shoe 108 further comprises amain body member 406, or a second portion, which is configured to slide into the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 (shown inFIG. 1 ) such that theshoe 108 acts as a connection point between theadapter plate 104 and the raisedtoilet seat 110. Themain body member 406 is shown inFIG. 4A to have an arcuatecurved side 408 which allows for a proper mating engagement between theshoe 108 and the rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112, the rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112 having the same, or similar, radius of curvature as that of the arcuatecurved side 408. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , theshoe 108 is shown to be coupled to theadapter plate 104. As illustrated inFIG. 5 , after theadapter plate 104 has been securely coupled to the toilet 102 (as described with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B ), a space is provided between the rear portion of thetoilet 106 and theadapter plate 104 by virtue of theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104. Accordingly, theshoe 108 may be slid into theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104 such that theflange member 402 of theshoe 108 slides within theslot 204 and into the space between theadapter plate 104 and the rear portion of thetoilet 106. In this manner, theshoe 108 is securely coupled to theadapter plate 104, but is also detachable from theadapter plate 104 by applying an opposing force to slide theflange member 402 out from within theslot 204 of theadapter plate 104. Although the coupling between theadapter plate 104 and theshoe 108 is described in example embodiments as being an interference fit relation by sliding theflange member 402 within theslot 204, it is to be appreciated that other suitable coupling means comprising two complimentary components may be utilized without changing the basic characteristics of the system, such as, but not limited to, a tooth and groove mechanism, dovetail coupling, snaps, a hook-and-loop mechanism such as Velcro®, etc., or any other detachable coupling known in the art. - Referring now to
FIG. 6 , a side view of the raisedtoilet seat 110 is illustrated. The raised toilet seat is configured to rest on the toilet bowl oftoilet 102 and comprises arear portion 112 configured to receive theshoe 108 from the underside of the raisedtoilet seat 110, as will be described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 7 and 8 . The raisedtoilet seat 110 further comprises atop surface 602 which is contoured such that it provides a slightly inclined surface where a portion of thetop surface 602 near therear portion 112 is raised higher than the remainder of thetop surface 602. The raisedtoilet seat 110 further comprises abottom portion 604 that is smaller in diameter relative to the remaining portion of the raisedtoilet seat 110 such that thebottom portion 604 is configured to fit within the toilet bowl of thetoilet 102. - Referring now to
FIG. 7 , the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 is illustrated in its fully assembled form. As illustrated inFIG. 7 , the raisedtoilet seat 110 may be coupled to theshoe 108, the details of which will be described in further detail with reference toFIG. 8 . The raisedtoilet seat 110 is easily detachable from theshoe 108 by lifting upward on the raisedtoilet seat 110. While in use, however, the components of the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 are securely coupled in fully assembled form and thereby provide a stable raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 for use by patrons. - Referring now to
FIG. 8 , the fully assembled raisedtoilet seat assembly 100 ofFIG. 7 is shown from a side elevation view along section line A-A (illustrated inFIG. 7 ). Section line A-A bisects thetoilet 102 and the raisedtoilet seat assembly 100. As illustrated inFIG. 8 , theadapter plate 104 is coupled to thetoilet 102 for example by tightening thefasteners 304 a/b while theadapter plate 104 is positioned flat on the rear portion of thetoilet 106 with theslot 204 facing downward and thepassages 208 a/b positioned over theholes 302 a/b. Theshoe 108 is shown to be coupled to theadapter plate 104 by sliding theflange member 402 into theslot 204 and into the space between theadapter plate 104 and the rear portion of thetoilet 106, as shown in the zoomed view ofFIG. 8 . Importantly,FIG. 8 illustrates how theshoe 108 is coupled to the rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112 by sliding themain body member 406 of theshoe 108 within acavity 802, or recess, in the rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112 which is openly configured and accessible from the underside of the raisedtoilet seat 110. By virtue of the arcuatecurved side 408 of theshoe 108 shown inFIG. 4A , theshoe 108 securely mates with the raisedtoilet seat 110 since the rear portion of the raisedtoilet seat 112 has a curvature at least similar to that of the arcuatecurved side 408 of theshoe 108. In some embodiments, the coupling between theshoe 108 and the raisedtoilet seat 110 is by interference fit relation. - Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/651,147 US20140101832A1 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2012-10-12 | Raised Toilet Seat Assembly |
CA2828279A CA2828279A1 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2013-09-24 | Raised toilet seat assembly |
ES13187187.3T ES2596267T3 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2013-10-02 | Toilet seat set up |
EP13187187.3A EP2719314B1 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2013-10-02 | Raised toilet seat assembly |
CN201310472522.7A CN103720424A (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2013-10-11 | Raised toilet seat assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/651,147 US20140101832A1 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2012-10-12 | Raised Toilet Seat Assembly |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20140101832A1 true US20140101832A1 (en) | 2014-04-17 |
Family
ID=49304753
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/651,147 Abandoned US20140101832A1 (en) | 2012-10-12 | 2012-10-12 | Raised Toilet Seat Assembly |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20140101832A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2719314B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN103720424A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2828279A1 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2596267T3 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20160174783A1 (en) * | 2014-12-23 | 2016-06-23 | Duravit Aktiengesellschaft | Water closet |
USD880665S1 (en) | 2018-09-10 | 2020-04-07 | Bemis Manufacturing Company | Toilet seat apparatus |
USD915568S1 (en) * | 2019-08-01 | 2021-04-06 | Loyd White | Toilet seat movement prevention device |
US11219342B2 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2022-01-11 | The Happy Penguin, LLC | Adjustable toilet seat adapter |
US20220125251A1 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2022-04-28 | The Happy Penguin, LLC | Adjustable toilet seat adapter |
US11324363B2 (en) | 2018-09-10 | 2022-05-10 | Bemis Manufacturing Company | Elevated toilet seat assembly |
USD1026185S1 (en) * | 2020-08-17 | 2024-05-07 | Cvs Pharmacy, Inc. | Toilet seat |
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US4964179A (en) * | 1989-09-14 | 1990-10-23 | Kimes Robert H | Toilet seat for disabled persons |
US5027445A (en) * | 1990-07-26 | 1991-07-02 | Locarno Michael M | Raised superimposed toilet seat and securing clamp |
US5412815A (en) * | 1994-05-31 | 1995-05-09 | Gordon Ellis And Company | Toilet seats |
US5608921A (en) * | 1995-09-11 | 1997-03-11 | Barrett; Larry J. | Child's toilet seat assembly for use with an adult-sized toilet |
US20070280793A1 (en) * | 2005-01-18 | 2007-12-06 | Weidmer Stan C | Tool with Selectively-Biased Member Having an Adjustment Feature |
US8024821B2 (en) * | 2009-06-08 | 2011-09-27 | David Chen | Detachable connective device for toilet seat |
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US4214323A (en) * | 1978-08-16 | 1980-07-29 | Temco Products, Inc. | Raised toilet seat apparatus |
US4477932A (en) * | 1984-02-10 | 1984-10-23 | Maddak, Inc. | Raised superimposed toilet seat and securing clamp |
DE8703919U1 (en) * | 1987-03-16 | 1987-05-27 | Pag Presswerk Ag, 4300 Essen | Fixing device for a toilet seat set |
-
2012
- 2012-10-12 US US13/651,147 patent/US20140101832A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2013
- 2013-09-24 CA CA2828279A patent/CA2828279A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2013-10-02 EP EP13187187.3A patent/EP2719314B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2013-10-02 ES ES13187187.3T patent/ES2596267T3/en active Active
- 2013-10-11 CN CN201310472522.7A patent/CN103720424A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US4964179A (en) * | 1989-09-14 | 1990-10-23 | Kimes Robert H | Toilet seat for disabled persons |
US5027445A (en) * | 1990-07-26 | 1991-07-02 | Locarno Michael M | Raised superimposed toilet seat and securing clamp |
US5412815A (en) * | 1994-05-31 | 1995-05-09 | Gordon Ellis And Company | Toilet seats |
US5608921A (en) * | 1995-09-11 | 1997-03-11 | Barrett; Larry J. | Child's toilet seat assembly for use with an adult-sized toilet |
US20070280793A1 (en) * | 2005-01-18 | 2007-12-06 | Weidmer Stan C | Tool with Selectively-Biased Member Having an Adjustment Feature |
US8024821B2 (en) * | 2009-06-08 | 2011-09-27 | David Chen | Detachable connective device for toilet seat |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20160174783A1 (en) * | 2014-12-23 | 2016-06-23 | Duravit Aktiengesellschaft | Water closet |
US9635989B2 (en) * | 2014-12-23 | 2017-05-02 | Duravit Aktiengesellschaft | Water closet |
USD880665S1 (en) | 2018-09-10 | 2020-04-07 | Bemis Manufacturing Company | Toilet seat apparatus |
US11324363B2 (en) | 2018-09-10 | 2022-05-10 | Bemis Manufacturing Company | Elevated toilet seat assembly |
US11219342B2 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2022-01-11 | The Happy Penguin, LLC | Adjustable toilet seat adapter |
US20220125251A1 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2022-04-28 | The Happy Penguin, LLC | Adjustable toilet seat adapter |
US11779170B2 (en) * | 2019-07-01 | 2023-10-10 | The Happy Penguin, LLC | Adjustable toilet seat adapter |
USD915568S1 (en) * | 2019-08-01 | 2021-04-06 | Loyd White | Toilet seat movement prevention device |
USD1026185S1 (en) * | 2020-08-17 | 2024-05-07 | Cvs Pharmacy, Inc. | Toilet seat |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2719314A1 (en) | 2014-04-16 |
CA2828279A1 (en) | 2014-04-12 |
ES2596267T3 (en) | 2017-01-05 |
CN103720424A (en) | 2014-04-16 |
EP2719314B1 (en) | 2016-08-10 |
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