US3048854A

US3048854A - Toilet seat covering device

Info

Publication number: US3048854A
Application number: US100641A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald A Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-04-04
Filing date: 1961-04-04
Publication date: 1962-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1979-08-14

Description

Aug. 14, 1962 D. A. MILLER TOILET SEAT COVERING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1961 1 I I I I I ATTORNEYS N @fiomu D/ZM/ L 1 5p TOR I BY \&@ 7

| lmm w Q R T m Unite States atent 3,048,854 TGILET SEAT COVERING DEVICE Donald A. Miller, 145 Manor Lane, Dayton 29,0hi Filed Apr. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 100,641 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-253) This invention relates to a device for attachment to the conventional toilet seat for normally maintaining the toilet seat cover in a closed position against the efforts of small children to raise the cover, thereby preventing small children from playing in the water retained in the toilet bowl as a water seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the closure of a toilet seat closed against small children depositing toys and articles in the toilet which would otherwise clog or stop up the system.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily operated to release the cover so that it may be opened, by adults or larger children.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and easily installed on the conventional toilet seat, by persons unfamilar with mechanics.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a closure securing device which may be secured in position against displacement by small children, in an effort to gain access to the water within the toilet bowl.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a toilet bowl seat and cover, equipped with a cover securing device constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view through the upper pontion of a toilet bowl and seat illustrating a modified form of the invention, taken on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental elevational view partly in section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental elevational view of the clamp for detachably securing one end of the securing strap to a toilet bowl seat.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental sectional view of the securing rod and keeper plate for removably securing the detachable end of the securing strap to its clamp.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character 5 indicates a conventional toilet bowl which is provided with the usual reinforcing bead or bowl rim 6, all of which is of conventional structure and plays no part in the present invention, other than to provide a supporting means for the clamps of the device, to be hereinafter more fully described.

The securing device embodies a pair of clamps indicated by the reference characters 7 and 8 respectively, the clamps being curved so that they will fit over the bowl rim or bead 6, to clamp the device in position on the toilet bowl.

In order that the clamps may be adapted for bowls having beads or rims of various curvatures, adaptor plates indicated generally by the reference character 9 are provided, the adaptor plates 9 having short inwardly extended flanges 10 at the upper ends thereof, and substantially long inwardly extended flanges 11 at the lower ends thereof. These adaptor plates are formed with grooves 12 disposed along the longitudinal axis thereof, which grooves accommodate the pointed ends 13 of the winged bolts 14, which are threaded in openings formed in the outer sides of the clamps 7, as better shown by FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

Threaded openings 15 are also provided in the outer sides of the clamps 7, and 8 spaced above the threaded openings in which the bolts '14 are shown as mounted,

so that the threaded bolts may be adjusted with respect to the adaptor plates to increase the range of adjustment of the said adaptor plates.

Extending rearwardly from the clamp 7, is an ear 16 which is provided with an opening through which the shank 17 of the eye bolt 18 extends, the shank 17 having its lower end threaded to accommodate the nut 19 for securing the threaded eye bolt in position with respect to the clamp 7.

The reference character 20 indicates an elastic strap which is provided with a link 21 secured at one end thereof, the opposite end of the strap 20 being formed with a triangular link 22 to which the fastening rod 23 is secured and held in one corner of the link, for pivotal movement with respect to the link. A head 24 is formed on the free end of the rod 23, and is adapted to contact with the keeper plate 25 which is welded to the. outer surface of the clamp 8, the keeper plate 25 being slanted downwardly as better shown by FIGURE 6 of the drawing, so that when the fastening rod 2 3 is positioned Within the notch 26 of the keeper plate, the knob 24 will be drawn into close contact with the keeper plate against removal by small children, the elastic strap being such as to resist the strength of small children to release the fastening rod.

The reference character 27 indicates the conventional toilet seat, and the reference character 28 indicates the conventional toilet seat cover which is hingedly mounted on the seat in the usual manner.

It will, of course, be understood that the elastic strap will be adjusted so that it will lie flat on the toilet seat cover 28, to maintain the cover closed.

In the modified form of the invention as illustrated by FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the reference character 29 indicates a hook provided with a laterally extended openating handle 30. In this form of the invention, the hook 29 is designed to hook or clamp under the toilet seat 27, as shown, so that the principle of the invention may be carried out by the use of a single clamp such as indicated at 7 or 8. In this form of the invention it is only necessary to stretch the elastic strap sufficiently to disengage the hook 29 from the toilet seat, whereupon the strap will fall out of the Way, so that the cover 28 may be raised as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided a mechanism whereby the toilet seat cover of a toilet seat may be securely fastened against the efforts of small children to raise the cover to play in the water retained in the toilet bowl as a water seal, and at the same time prevent small children from dropping toys or the like in the toilet bowl to clog the system, but at the same time provide a device which may be readily released by older children or adults, to raise the cover.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat in a closed position, comprising a pair of clamps clamped over the side edges of the rim of a toilet seat directly under the seat cover, adaptor plates secured to said clamps for adapting said clamps to toilet bowl rims of various cunvatures, an elastic strap pivotally connected with one of said clamps, a fastening rod secured to the end of said elastic strap, a keeper plate extending laterally from one of said clamps, said keeper plate having a notch in which said fastening rod is adapted to be positioned, securing the elastic strap in a stretched position in contact with spaaasa the cover of the toilet seat normally holding the seat cover in a closed position.

2. A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat bowl normally in a closed position, comprising a pair of clamps clamped over the opposite sides of the rim of a toilet seat bowl, a fastening rod secured to one end of said strap, a keeper plate extending laterally from one of said clamps, said keeper plate having a notch through which said fastening rod extend-s, and said fastening rod having a knob on one end thereof, adapted to be drawn into close contact with the keeper plate with said elastic band stretched over said seat cover normally holding said cover seat closed.

3, A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat in a normally closed position, comprising a pair of clamps, an elastic strap having one of its ends connected to one of said clamps, means for detachably connecting the opposite end of said elastic strap to the other clamp, adaptor plates operatively associated with said clamps, each adaptor plate having a groove formed in the outer surface thereof and disposed along the longitudinal axis of the adaptor plate and adjusting screws extending through said clamps engaging within said grooves normally holding 10 the adaptor plates in position on the clamps.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,124 Des Roches July 16, 1946