US20160100721A1

US20160100721A1 - Toilet Seat Attachment

Info

Publication number: US20160100721A1
Application number: US14/512,819
Authority: US
Inventors: Timothy N. Byrd; Teresa C. Byrd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-10-13
Filing date: 2014-10-13
Publication date: 2016-04-14

Abstract

A light-weight, portable toilet seat attachment which positions the user in a natural semi-crouching position over a conventional toilet seat to relieve pressure and resulting pain in a user's back, hips or knees.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to toilet seat attachments, and more particularly, to a light-weight, portable toilet seat attachment which positions the user in a natural semi-crouching position over a conventional toilet seat to relieve pressure and resulting pain in a user's back, hips and knees.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toilet seats are typically disposed directly on the bowl of the toilet and designed to be used with the user in a fully seated position. Many modifications of toilet seats have been developed over the years. Although modified toilet seats may be adequate for some purposes, such seats have not been designed to accommodate the needs of users afflicted with back, hip or knee problems for which sitting on, or rising from, a conventional toilet is painful for the user.
While estimates vary, studies indicate that at least 60%, and up to 80%, of Americans will have at least mild back pain at some time in their lives. The risk of developing back pain increases with age and with lack of exercise. In one study, one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low-back pain lasting at least one whole day in a three-month period, and 7.6% reported at least one episode of severe acute low-back pain within a one-year period. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in 2011, there were over 225,000 work-related injuries to the back, representing over 19% of reported workplace injuries. Acute or short-term back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Chronic back pain persists for weeks, months, and years. Today, chronic back pain is within the top 5 reasons why U.S. patients visit a medical doctor. Chronic back pain is responsible for 19% of all workman compensation claims, and chronic back pain disability rates are growing 14 times faster than our population growth. A North Carolina state-based survey found that approximately 10% of the population suffered from chronic, disabling back pain. Many other people have hip or knee problems that cause severe pain when sitting on or rising from a conventional toilet seat.
Using a toilet with a conventional toilet seat can be very painful for users suffering from severe back pain, hip pain or knee pain. Thus, there is a need for a toilet seat attachment capable of serving individuals with back pain, hip pain or knee pain when using a toilet with a conventional toilet seat. Further, there is a current need for a small, compact and portable toilet seat attachment capable of serving an individual with back pain, hip pain or knee pain when using the toilet away from home in an office, a hotel or other place. The toilet seat attachment described below fulfills this need.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept provides a light-weight, portable apparatus pair that can be placed on or attached to a conventional toilet seat to position a user in a natural semi-crouching position over the toilet seat, thus relieving pressure on the back, hips and knees of the user. The semi-crouching position reduces pain and pressure in the user's back, hips and knees while sitting on the toilet and while rising from the toilet seat attachment to a standing position.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the toilet seat attachment comprises an apparatus pair configured to position a user in a natural semi-crouching position over a conventional toilet consisting of: (1) a left side of the apparatus pair configured with one or more cushioned members that slope downward from the back to the front while resting on a conventional toilet seat and supporting one thigh of the user, and (2) a right side of the apparatus pair which is a mirror image of the left side and which supports the other thigh of the user.
In some embodiments, each side of the apparatus pair is configured to have a seat member that rests directly on the toilet seat, at least one somewhat shorter spacer member that rests on the seat member, and a still shorter top member that rests on the spacer member. In one embodiment, each seat member of the apparatus pair is recessed on the outside portion of the bottom of the seat member except for a lip on the outside edge, and flat on the inside portion of the bottom of the seat member, whereby the flat portion of the seat member acts as a shim to level the seat member as it rests on the toilet seat.
In some embodiments, each spacer member and top member of the apparatus pair is flat across the bottom and relies solely on the high coefficient of friction of the material used in the manufacture of the member to stabilize the apparatus as the member rests on the member just below. In other embodiments, each spacer member and top member is recessed across the bottom except for a lip on the edge of the bottom of the member and configured to straddle the member just below it to further stabilize the apparatus as the apparatus rests on the toilet seat.
In some embodiments, each side of the apparatus pair includes one or more straps and one or more strap fasteners configured to clamp the members of one side of the apparatus pair to each other and to one side of a conventional toilet seat. The straps may also serve as handles for carrying the apparatus pair when they are removed from the toilet seat. In other embodiments, a carrying handle is attached to or integrated into the spacer member or another member.
Each side of the apparatus pair may be adjusted in order to increase the user's comfort and decrease the user's pain. In some embodiments, the spacer member may be removed from each side of the apparatus pair to lower its level and reduce its slope where it supports the thighs of the user. Similarly, one or more additional spacer members may be inserted into each side of the apparatus pair to raise its level and increase its slope where it supports the thighs of the user. The user may also adjust the apparatus pair for comfort and pain reduction in other ways. For example, one or more members may be added to or removed from only one side of the apparatus pair in order to transfer and support the weight of the user predominantly on one side of the apparatus pair. The user may slide the individual members of the apparatus pair longitudinally, i.e., forward or backward, in relation to each other, thus increasing or decreasing the slope of each side of the apparatus pair without changing the height of the apparatus pair. The user may also rotate the longitudinal axis of the individual members of the apparatus pair horizontally in relation to the juxtaposed members to increase the user's comfort.
In one embodiment, the seat member and the spacer member are combined and manufactured as one integrated member for use without the top member. In another embodiment, the spacer member and the top member are combined and manufactured as one integrated member for use on top of the seat member. In still another embodiment, the seat member, the spacer member and the top member are combined and manufactured as one integrated member.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus may include a coupling means configured to connect to at least one member of the left side of the apparatus pair and to connect to at least one member of the right side of the apparatus pair to hold the apparatus together. In other embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to combine the left side of the apparatus pair, the right side of the apparatus pair and the coupling means into one integrated member for use on a conventional toilet seat. In still other embodiments, the apparatus may be configured to combine the left side of the apparatus pair, the right side of the apparatus pair and the coupling means into one integrated member having a stiff bottom surface and conventional fasteners for attachment of the apparatus directly to the toilet in place of a conventional toilet seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a side view of a user sitting on a toilet with a conventional toilet seat;

FIG. 1B is a side view of a user sitting on a toilet with one example embodiment of the invention attached to a conventional toilet seat;

FIG. 2A is an exploded diagram of one example embodiment of the apparatus showing the exploded members for the left side of the apparatus pair;

FIG. 2B is a view of the bottom of a seat member of the left side of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 2A showing an integrated shim on the inside of the seat member bottom and a recessed area on the outside of the seat member bottom that allows the user to level the apparatus on a conventional toilet seat;

FIG. 2C is a perspective view showing both sides of the example embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 2A attached to a conventional toilet seat;

FIG. 3A is an exploded diagram of another example embodiment of the apparatus showing the exploded members for the left side of the apparatus pair;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing both sides of the example embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 3A attached to a conventional toilet seat;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the members of the left side of the apparatus pair depicted in FIG. 3A with the longitudinal axis of juxtaposed members rotated horizontally in relation to each other to adjust for the user's comfort and showing the right side of the apparatus pair configured by the user to utilize only two of the three members of that side of the apparatus.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus configured to combine the seat member and the spacer member into one integrated member for use without the top member;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus configured to combine the spacer member and the top member into one integrated member for use on top of the seat member; and

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus configured to combine the seat member, the spacer member and the top member into one integrated member.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus depicting the left side of the apparatus pair and the right side of the apparatus pair connected to a coupling means comprised of a strap;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus configured to combine the left side of the apparatus pair, the right side of the apparatus pair, and the coupling means into one integrated member for use on top of a conventional toilet seat; and

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of another example embodiment of the apparatus configured to combine the left side of the apparatus pair, the right side of the apparatus pair, and the coupling means into one integrated member having a stiff bottom surface and fasteners configured for attachment directly to the toilet in place of a conventional toilet seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a user 101 sitting on a toilet 102 using a conventional toilet seat 103. FIG. 1B illustrates a side view of a user 101 sitting on a toilet 102 using an apparatus pair attached to a conventional toilet seat 103. The left side 104 of the apparatus pair is shown in FIG. 1B, but the right side 105 of the apparatus pair is hidden from view in FIG. 1B and shown in FIG. 2C. The apparatus pair 104, 105 allows the user 101 to sit in a natural semi-crouching position that supports the user's weight along the back of the thighs of the user 101. The natural semi-crouching position reduces the pressure on the spine, tailbone and hips of the user 101 depicted in FIG. 1B sitting on the apparatus pair as compared to the pressure on the spine, tailbone and hips of the user 101 depicted in FIG. 1A sitting on a conventional toilet seat. The natural semi-crouching position also makes it easier for the user 101 to stand upright and reduces the pressure on the knees of the user 101 depicted in FIG. 1B as compared to the user 101 depicted in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2A illustrates an example embodiment of one side of the toilet seat attachment showing an exploded perspective view of the three members comprising the left side 104 of the apparatus pair. The members of each apparatus pair may be constructed using foam, rubber, pliable plastic or other cushioning material that is stiff enough to retain its general structure and is water resistant. Closed cell foam possesses both of the foregoing characteristics and is the preferred material for construction of the members of the apparatus pair.
FIG. 2C illustrates the fully assembled apparatus pair comprising the toilet seat attachment. From a perspective standpoint, note that the left side 104 and the right side 105 of the apparatus pair are determined viewing the toilet 102 and the apparatus pair from in front of the toilet 102. The left side 104 of the apparatus pair is assembled by the user placing a seat member 1 on top of a toilet seat 103, a spacer member 2 on top of the seat member 1, and a top member 3 on top of a spacer member 2. Said members of the left side 104 of the apparatus pair are strapped to the left side of the toilet seat 103 by a strap 241 connected by a strap fastener 242. The right side 105 of the apparatus pair, a mirror image of the left side 104 of the apparatus pair, is depicted in FIG. 2C strapped to the right side of the toilet seat 103 by a strap 241 connected by a strap fastener 242 to form the right side 105 of the apparatus pair.
The straps 241 may be comprised of nylon webbing, polypropylene webbing, cotton webbing, strap fabric, leather, belt material or other strap material. In one embodiment of the present invention, the straps 241 are two 24-inch long, one-inch wide, straps of nylon webbing. The strap fasteners 242 may be ladder lock buckles, center release buckles, side release buckles, tongue buckles, Velcro strips, snaps, buttons, or other conventional fasteners made of metal, plastic or other suitable materials. In one embodiment of the present invention, the strap fasteners 242 are conventional 1-inch ladder lock buckles made of plastic. The straps 241 and strap fasteners 242 are optional and, in some embodiments, the members 1, 2, and 3 of the left side 104 of the apparatus pair and the corresponding members of the right side 105 of the apparatus pair will not be strapped together or strapped to the toilet seat 103.
Referring to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the seat member 1 is comprised of an elongated panel having a top surface 211, a bottom surface 212, an outside edge 213, an inside edge 214, a back end 215, and a front end 216. The top surface 211 is substantially planar with square corners at the back where the back end 215 joins the outside edge 213 and the inside edge 214, but arcuate in front where it joins the arcuate front end 216. Referring to FIG. 2B in which the seat member 1 is turned upside down to reveal the bottom surface 212, the bottom surface 212 is flat from the inside edge 214 to approximately the center line between the inside edge 214 and the outside edge 213, and the bottom surface is recessed approximately one-half inch from said center line to a line that forms an approximately one-half inch lip where the bottom surface 212 joins the outside edge 213. The non-recessed portion of the bottom surface 212 acts as a shim to level the member 1 on the downward-sloping inside portion of the toilet seat 103. The one-half inch lip on the bottom surface 212 extends along the outside edge 213 and around the front end 216 until it joins the non-recessed portion of the bottom surface 212.
Still referring to the seat member 1 depicted in FIG. 2A, the outside edge 213 and the inside edge 214 of the seat member 1 are flat rectangular planes. The back end 215 is planar and substantially rectangular except for an approximately one-half inch recess at the bottom between the pair of one-half lips where the back end 215 joins the bottom surface 212 between the outside edge 213 and the inside edge 214. The front end 216 is vertical and arcuate at a radius of approximately two inches from the outside edge 213 to the inside edge 214 with a center point half-way between the points where the front end 216 touches the outside edge 213 and the inside edge 214. In a typical embodiment of the invention, the height of the seat member 1 is approximately 1.5 inches, the width is approximately 4.5 inches, and the length is approximately 12 inches from its back end 215 to the farthest point on its front end 216.
Still referring to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the spacer member 2 is comprised of an elongated panel having a top surface 221, a bottom surface 222, an outside edge 223, an inside edge 224, a back end 225, and a front end 226. The spacer member 2 is similar to the seat member 1 described above except that it is shorter in length, has a squared-off front end 226, and the shim portion is eliminated from the bottom surface 222. More specifically, the front end 226 is planar and substantially rectangular except for an approximately one-half inch recess at the bottom between the pair of one-half inch lips where the front end 226 joins the bottom surface 222 between the outside edge 223 and the inside edge 224. The back end 225 is configured the same as the front end 226. The top surface 221 is a substantially planar, and the bottom surface 222 is completely recessed except for the pair of one-half inch lips where the bottom surface 222 joins the outside edge 223 and the inside edge 224. The recessed bottom surface 222 of the spacer member 2 straddles the top surface 211 of the seat member 1, and when compressed by the weight of the user 101, the recessed portion makes the apparatus more stable. In a typical embodiment of the invention, the height of the spacer member 2 is approximately 1.5 inches, the width is approximately 4.5 inches, and the length is approximately 9 inches.
The top member 3 is comprised of an elongated panel having a top surface 231, a bottom surface 232, an outside edge 233, an inside edge 234, a back end 235, and a front end 236. The top member 3 is the same as the spacer member 2 described above except that it is shorter in length. Similar to above, the recessed bottom surface 232 of the top member 3 straddles the top surface 221 of the seat member 2, and when compressed by the weight of the user 101, the recessed portion makes the apparatus more stable. In a typical embodiment of the invention, the height of the top member 3 is approximately 1.5 inches, the width is approximately 4.5 inches, and the length is approximately 6.5 inches.
The right side 105 of the apparatus pair is a mirror image of the left side 104 of the apparatus pair and is depicted in FIG. 2C strapped to the right side of the toilet seat 103 by a strap 241 connected by a strap fastener 242 to form the right side of the apparatus. Again, the straps 241 and strap fasteners 242 are optional and, in some embodiments, the members of the apparatus pair will not be strapped together or strapped to the toilet seat 103.
Referring to FIG. 2A, in some embodiments of the present general inventive concept, a carrying handle 227 is attached to or incorporated into the spacer member 2 to carry the left side 104 of the apparatus pair. Another carrying handle 227 may be attached to or incorporated into the corresponding member of the right side 105 of the apparatus pair. In the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 2A, the carrying handle 227 is a piece of ⅜inch aluminum tube approximately five inches long configured for insertion of four fingers of the hand and with the ends imbedded into the foam of the spacer member 2. In other embodiments, the carrying handle 227 will be eliminated from the seat member 2, and the straps 241 and the strap fasteners 242 may be configured to form a carrying handle for the members 1, 2 and 3 of the left side 104 of the apparatus pair and likewise for the corresponding members of the right side 105 of the apparatus pair when the apparatus pair is removed from the toilet seat 103.
FIG. 3A illustrates another example embodiment of one side of the toilet seat attachment showing an exploded perspective view of the three members comprising the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair. FIG. 3B illustrates a seat member 1′ placed on top of a toilet seat 103, a spacer member 2′ placed on top of the seat member 1′, and a top member 3′ placed on top of the spacer member 2′, thus forming the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair. Said members of the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair are strapped to the left side of the toilet seat 103 by a strap 241 connected by a strap fastener 242. The right side 105′ of the apparatus pair, a mirror image of the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair, is depicted in FIG. 3B. The members of the right side 105′ of the apparatus pair are also strapped to the right side of the toilet seat 103 by a strap 241 connected by a strap fastener 242.
The left side 104′ and the right side 105′ of the apparatus pair depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B are very similar and constructed in the same manner as the left side 104 and the right side 105 of the apparatus pair depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, but with the changes described below. The seat member 1′ is the same as the seat member 1. The spacer member 2′ is configured with an arcuate and tapered front end 326. The front end 326 of the spacer member 2′ is arcuate similar to the front end 316 of the seat member 1′ at a radius of approximately two inches from the outside edge 323 to the inside edge 324, but the front end 326 is also tapered at an approximately 60-degree angle from the bottom 322 toward the back end 325 as it joins the top surface 321. The top member 3′ is also configured with an arcuate and tapered front end 336. The front end 336 of the top member 3′ is arcuate the same as the front end 326 of the spacer member 2′ at a radius of approximately two inches from the outside edge 333 to the inside edge 334, and the front end 336 is tapered at an approximately 60-degree angle from the bottom 332 toward the back end 335 as it joins the top surface 331.
Referring to the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair in FIG. 4, the longitudinal axis of the top member 3′ is rotated horizontally in relation to the horizontal axis of the spacer member 2′, and the longitudinal axis of the spacer member 2′ is rotated horizontally in relation to horizontal axis of the seat member 1′. The longitudinal axis of the seat member 1′ may also be rotated horizontally in relation to the longitudinal axis of the left side of the toilet seat 103. The user 101 determines the direction and amount of horizontal rotation for the members 1, 1′, 2, 2′, 3, 3′ on each side of the apparatus pair based on what is most comfortable to the user 101.
Referring to the right side 105′ of the apparatus pair depicted in FIG. 4, at least one member may be removed from only one side of the apparatus. In FIG. 4, the spacer member 2″ has been removed from the right side 105′ of the apparatus pair leaving only the seat member 1″ and the top member 3″ on the right side of the toilet seat 103. Similarly, one or more additional spacer members may be inserted into only one side of the apparatus pair. By changing the height of one side of the apparatus pair relative to the other side, the weight of the user 101 can be supported predominantly on one side of the apparatus. This reduces the pressure and resulting pain on the other side of the body of the user 101. The user 101 determines the height of each side of the apparatus pair based on what is most comfortable.
One or more members may be removed from both sides of the apparatus pair to lower its level and reduce its slope where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user 101. Similarly, one or more additional spacer members 2, 2′, 2″ may be inserted into both sides of the apparatus pair to raise its level and increase its slope where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user 101. The user may also slide the individual members of the apparatus pair horizontally, i.e., forward or backward, in relation to each other. Thus, without changing the height of the apparatus, the user 101 can increase or decrease the slope of the apparatus where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user 101.
Referring to FIG. 5A, in some embodiments, the apparatus pair is configured to combine the seat member 1, 1′, 1″ and the spacer member 2, 2′, 2″ into one integrated member 501 for use without the top member 3, 3′, 3″. Referring to FIG. 5B, in other embodiments, the apparatus pair is configured to combine the spacer member 2, 2′, 2″ and the top member 3, 3′, 3″ into one integrated member 502 for use on top of the seat member 1, 1′, 1″. Referring to FIG. 5C, in still other embodiments, the apparatus pair is configured to combine the seat member 1, 1′, 1″, the spacer member 2, 2′, 2″ and the top member 3, 3′, 3″ into one integrated member 503.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the spacer member 2, 2′, 2″ and the top member 3, 3′, 3″ will be flat instead of being recessed and will rely solely on the high coefficient of friction of the material used in the manufacture of said members to keep said members stable on the toilet seat.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus may include a coupling means configured to connect to at least one member of the left side 104, 104′, 104″ of the apparatus pair and to connect to at least one member of the right side 105, 105′, 105″ of the apparatus pair to hold the apparatus together. Referring to FIG. 6A, a strap 601 is attached to the left side 104′ of the apparatus pair and to the right side 105′ of the apparatus pair. In other embodiments, the apparatus may be configured as depicted in FIG. 6B to combine the left side 104, 104′, 104″ of the apparatus pair, the right side 105, 105′, 105″ of the apparatus pair and the coupling means into one integrated member 602 for use on a conventional toilet seat 103. In still other embodiments, the apparatus may be configured as depicted in FIG. 6C to combine the left side 104, 104′, 104″ of the apparatus pair, the right side 105, 105′, 105″ of the apparatus pair and the coupling means into one integrated member 603 having a stiff bottom surface and conventional fasteners for attachment of the apparatus directly to the toilet in place of a conventional toilet seat. Both FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C show the apparatus to be one member 602, 603 with the integrated coupling means continuing at the same level from the back ends of the two sides of the apparatus pair around the back portion of the toilet. However, in some embodiments, the level of the top of the integrated coupling means portion of the member 602, 603 will be recessed at least one inch below the level of the two side portions of the apparatus so that no weight of the user 101 is supported by the coupling means portion of the member 602, 603. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the coupling means may be configured in other ways and sizes to hold the apparatus together without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the apparatus pair may be configured using other combinations and integrations of members to form the toilet seat attachment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. In manufacturing the apparatus, the edges where surfaces meet may be arcuate instead of being square as depicted. The general inventive concept in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific materials, dimensions, edge finishes, details, straps, fasteners, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A portable toilet seat apparatus pair configured to position a user in a natural semi-crouching position over a conventional toilet seat for relief of back, hip or knee pain, said apparatus pair comprising:

a left side of the apparatus pair configured with at least one member constructed as an elongated cushioned panel and having a top surface, a bottom surface, an inside edge next to the toilet bowl, an outside edge away from the toilet bowl, a back end toward the back of the toilet seat and a front end toward the front of the toilet seat, wherein the supporting edge of said left side of the apparatus is configured to slope downward from the back to the front as the apparatus rests on a conventional toilet seat and supports one thigh of a user; and

a right side of the apparatus pair configured with at least one member constructed as an elongated cushioned panel and having a top surface, a bottom surface, an inside edge next to the toilet bowl, an outside edge away from the toilet bowl, a back end toward the back of the toilet seat and a front end toward the front of the toilet seat, and wherein the supporting edge of said right side of the apparatus is configured to slope downward from the back to the front as the apparatus rests on the toilet seat and supports the other thigh of the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured to have a seat member that rests directly on the toilet seat, at least one spacer member that rests on the seat member, and a top member that rests on the spacer member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each seat member includes a top surface that is flat and a bottom surface that is recessed on the outside portion of the bottom surface away from the toilet bowl except for a lip on the outside edge, and the remaining portion of the bottom surface of the seat member next to the toilet bowl is flat, whereby said flat portion acts as a shim to level the seat member as it rests on the toilet seat.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each spacer member and top member is flat across the bottom surface and top surface of said member, whereby each member relies on the high coefficient of friction of the material used in the manufacture of said member to stabilize the apparatus as said member rests on the member just below.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each spacer member and top member is flat across the top surface of said member and recessed across the bottom surface of said member except for two lips—one on the outer edge and the other on the inner edge—on the bottom surface of said member, and whereby said member is configured to straddle the member just below said member to further stabilize the apparatus as the apparatus rests on the toilet seat.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair further includes at least one strap and at least one strap fastener configured to clamp the members of one side of the apparatus pair to each other and to one side of a conventional toilet seat, whereby said straps may also serve as carrying handles when said apparatus pair is removed from the toilet seat.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one member of each side of the apparatus pair is configured with an attached or integrated carrying handle, whereby the apparatus pair can be carried by said handles.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one member may be removed from each side of the apparatus pair to lower its level and decrease its slope where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured so that at least one additional member may be inserted into each side of the apparatus pair to raise its level and increase its slope where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured so that the individual members may be inserted into or removed from only one side of the apparatus pair to adjust the height and slope of each side of the apparatus pair separately, whereby the weight of the user is supported predominantly by one side of the apparatus pair.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured to allow the user to slide the individual members longitudinally, i.e., forward or backward, in relation to each other to change the slope of the apparatus pair where the apparatus makes contact with and supports the thighs of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the said members are adapted to allow the longitudinal axis of juxtaposed members to be rotated horizontally in relation to each other in order to increase the user's comfort and decrease the user's pain.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured to combine the seat member and the spacer member into one integrated member for use without the top member.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured to combine the spacer member and the top member into one integrated member for use on top of the seat member.

15. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each side of the apparatus pair is configured to combine the seat member, the spacer member and the top member into one integrated member.

16. A portable toilet seat apparatus configured to position a user in a natural semi-crouching position over a conventional toilet seat for relief of back, hip or knee pain, said apparatus comprising:

a left side of the apparatus configured with at least one member constructed as an elongated cushioned panel and having a top surface, a bottom surface, an inside edge next to the toilet bowl, an outside edge away from the toilet bowl, a back end toward the back of the toilet seat and a front end toward the front of the toilet seat, wherein the supporting edge of said left side of the apparatus is configured to slope downward from the back to the front as the apparatus rests on a conventional toilet seat and supports one thigh of a user;

a right side of the apparatus configured with at least one member constructed as an elongated cushioned panel and having a top surface, a bottom surface, an inside edge next to the toilet bowl, an outside edge away from the toilet bowl, a back end toward the back of the toilet seat and a front end toward the front of the toilet seat, wherein the supporting edge of said right side of the apparatus is configured to slope downward from the back to the front as the apparatus rests on the toilet seat and supports the other thigh of the user; and

a coupling means configured to connect to at least one member of the left side of the apparatus and to connect to at least one member of the right side of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the apparatus is configured to combine the left side of the apparatus, the right side of the apparatus and the coupling means into one integrated member.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus is constructed with a stiff bottom surface and fasteners configured to attach the apparatus directly to the toilet in place of a conventional toilet seat.