US2820969A - Child's toilet seat - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1958 L. D. WEDGE 2,820,969

CHILDS TOILET SEAT Filed Nov. 8, 1954 JNVENTQR LOUTHER D. WEDGE ATTORNEY United States Patent CHILDS TOILET SEAT Louther Dewell Wedge, Smithfield, Pa.

Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,479

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-239) This invention relates to a lid for use on a toilet seat, and it particularly relates to a lid adapted to accommodate a childs toilet seat.

The so-called permanen type of childs toilet seat which has, heretofore, been in common use, comprises a generally annular attachment hinged to the standard toilet seat and hingedly movable from a horizontal position inwardly concentric with the standard seat whereby it acts to diminish the size of the central opening therein, to a vertical postion adjacent the standard type of cover when it is in its raised, open position. There is little support for the attachment when in its raised position so that it tends to wiggle and fall. On the other hand, when it is desired to close the cover, both the cover and the attachment must be swung down, either separately or simultaneously. When moved simultaneously, it is necessary to grasp both the cover and the attachment which requires either the use of both hands or, if one hand is used, the awkward and clumsy arrangement of the two parts makes it difiicult to manipulate. When in closed position, the cover is spaced from the standard toilet seat by the interfering attachment, resulting in an untidy and unsightly appearance. Further, the friction between the cover and attachment tends to scratch, bruise or otherwise mar the appearance of either or both the cover and attachment. These and other disadvantages, which are obvious from the above-described construction, make the use of the permanen type seat attachment both awkward and bothersome.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by providing a permanent type toilet seat attachment which is automatically movable with the cover from one position to another.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a permanent type toilet seat attachment which blends with the cover and prevents untidiness and unsightliness, when the parts are either in open or closed position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a permanent type toilet seat attachment which will not tend to wiggle or fall when in open position.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved childs toilet seat assembly that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat assembly embodying the present invention, the assembly being shown attached to a standard type toilet;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the toilet seat assembly shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the front portion of the cover and seat attachment shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein 2,820,969 Patented J an. 28, 1958 similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a toilet bowl 10 of standard construction having hinge brackets 12 to which there is connected a hinge pin 14. An ordinary toilet seat 16 is pivoted on the hinge pin 14 as by arms 18.

Also connected to the hinge pin 14, as by flange 20, is an annular seat attachment 22. This attachment 22, which forms a childs toilet seat, is of smaller annular dimension than the seat 16 and is provided with a smaller central opening, as at 24. The attachment 22 is large enough to overlap the inner periphery of the toilet seat 16 so that it is adapted to be supported thereby, as shown in Fig. 2.

In addition to the attachment 22 described above, there is also connected to the hinge pin 14 a cover member 26. This cover member is connected to the pin 14 by bracket arms 28, shown in Fig. 1. This cover member comprises a solid body, similar in shape to the seat attachment 22 but extending radially beyond this seat attachment. The cover member is provided with a peripheral flange-30,1annular in shape, an annular channel 32 positioned radially inward of the flange 30, and a central core 34. The portions 30 and 34, which may be integral, and the channel 32, formed therebetween, are all provided on the inner surface of the cover member. The channel 32 has a cross-sectional shape which is complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the seat 22, as best seen in Fig. 2. The core 34, also as best seen in Fig. 2, has a shape which permits it to snugly fit within the central opening 24 of the seat 22, whereby it acts to plug up this opening.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, there is provided at the front portion of the cover a bore 36 which extends from the inner surface 38 of the peripheral flange 30 through the outer surface thereof. A counterbore 40 is provided at the inner portion of the peripheral flange. Slidably positioned in the bore 36 is a latch pin 42. This latch pin extends through the counterbore 4t and is provided with a stop flange 44. Within the counterbore, and positioned between the stop flange and the closed end of the counterbore, is a coil spring 46, this spring being in surrounding relationship to the latch pin. The spring 46 acts to urge the ball-shaped head end 49 of the pin 42 out of the counterbore, the movement being stopped by the handle knob 47 at the other end of the pin 42.

In the front portion of the attachment 22 and in corresponding relationship to the counterbore 40 of the cover is a notch or recess 48. When the cover 26 and seat attachment 22 are in mating relation, the ball-shaped head end 49 of the pin 42 is urged by spring 46 into locking engagement with notch 48, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thus causing seat 22 to automatically cooperate with cover 26 and move as a unit therewith, until released by pulling handle knob 47. In this position, the peripheral flange 30 of the cover surrounds the seat 22, and the core 34 of the cover is in entrant position within the central opening 24 of the seat 22. The entire cover and seat attachment assembly, therefore, lies in a common plane, as best shown in Fig. 3. Since the cover and seat at tachment are in locked relationship, they can be simultaneously moved on the hinge pin 14 merely by grasping one or the other, but may be separated by pulling handle knob 47. Furthermore, since the entire assembly is positioned in a single common plane, there is no unsightly spacing between the cover and the seat 16 when the cover member is in closed position.

When it is desired to use the attachment 22, it is merely necessary to pull back on the handle knob 47 of the latch pin 42. 42 from the notch 48 and permits independent movement of the cover 26 away from the seat attachment 22. Due to the cooperation of the ballshaped head end 49 This removes the head 49 of the pinand the rounded upper edge of the seat attachment 22, the cover 26 and the seat attachment 22 may pivot into mating engagement without hindrance, for the pin end will:automatically-retract to pass over the rounded edge of-theseat attachment into the notch, thus making the seat attachment self-latching to the cover, but separable therefrom only by manual retraction of the pin.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

The invention claimed is: In a toilet seat assembly, a generally annular seat member having a central opening, hinge means connecting said seat member with a toilet bowl, a cover separately connected to said hinge means, said cover having a generally annular channel on the under side thereof, a second generally annular separately hinged seat member having a central opening so dimensioned as to fit snugly within said channel in uniplanar relation with said cover, said second seat member having an external diameter greater than the diameter of the central opening of said first seat member, and a central opening less than the diameter of said first mentioned central opening said cover having a horizontal bore extending from the exterior front side of said cover into communication with said channel, the inner portion of said bore being enlarged, a latch pin extending through said bore, a stop flange on said pin within thecenlarged portion of said bore, a coil spring in said enlarged portion biasing said stop flange and hence said pin inwardly towards said channel, a handle head on said pin exteriorly of said cover, and a notch in the edge of said second seat, said second seat edge and said latch pin end being cooperatively shaped to cause said pin to automatically retract as said second seat enters said channel to align said notch and said latch pin for engagement thereby, to retain said second seat in said channel, said cover being raised from said second seat to leave said second seat in operative position by manual retraction and lifting of said latch pin handle head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES- PATENTS 294,329 Otis Feb. 26, 1884 548,367 High Oct, 22, 1895 692,047 Bronson Jan. 28', 1902 2,047,480 MacDonald July 14, 1936

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