US3364505A

US3364505A - Toilet seat elevator

Info

Publication number: US3364505A
Application number: US515971A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph E Palmier
Original assignee: Ralph E. Palmier
Current assignee: RALPH E PALMIER
Priority date: 1965-12-23
Filing date: 1965-12-23
Publication date: 1968-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1968 v R. E. PALMIER 3,364,505

TOILET SEAT ELEVATOR Filed Dec. 25, 1965 Ra/ph E. Palm/Per INVENTOR.

A mmqys United States Patent Ofiice 3,364,505 TOILET SEAT ELEVATOR Ralph E. Palmier, 1156 N. New Hampshire, Los Angeles, Calif. 90029 Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 515,971 8 Claims. (Cl. 4239) This invention relates to a readily applicable and removable self-contained attachment for a conventionaltype toilet bowl referred to herein as a toilet seat elevator and has to do, more particularly, with an improved seat for use in lieu of the customary low-level lidequipped hinged seat or ring and which, when in use, serves to elevate the said seat to a level recommended and aptly adapted for use by persons who would otherwise encounter painful distress if called upon to sit at a level too low for convenience and comfort of persons in search of relief from pain and its attending uncomfortable consequences.

Briefly, the present invention comprises a simple, practical and acceptably usable seat which is cooperatively mounted atop a compensating riser or adapter, more explicitly, a rigid seat elevating skirt. The skirt is interposed between the seat and an underlying support surface on the customary toilet bowl. The bottom portion or wall of the skirt is equipped with suitable means which makes it possible to readily but securely mount said bottom portion atop the bowl surface without requiring any alteration of said bowl surface.

To the ends desired, the skirt is preferably, but not necessarily, hollow. It is made from injection moldable styrene, is annular in plan and channel-shaped in crosssection and provides a Web or bottom wall and inner and outer upstanding or vertical side walls. The complemental annular plastic seat bridges and covers the open top of the channel and has inner and outer flanges cemented and bonded to coacting upper edge portions of the side walls.

The bottom wall is provided with spring steel brackets which provide satisfactory skirt attaching and retaining clips, said brackets being adjustably bolted in place on said bottom wall.

The manner in which the brackets are constructed and mounted is a feature of the invention. Four such brackets are employed and are attached to the bottom wall of the skirt at equidistant circumferentially spaced places to enable the user, or the attendant, to readily attach and detach the skirt. All of the brackets are the same in con struction.

Each bracket is L-shaped in edge elevation and provides an upper horizontal leg and a companion depending vertical leg. The upper leg is slotted and adjustably bolted to the underneath side of the web or bottom wall of the seat mounting and elevating skirt. For best results, the underneath side is provided with a recess in which said horizontal leg is fitted and the slotted portion of this leg is seated and adjustably bolted in the recess. More specifically, a captive nut is provided interiorly atop the above-named bottom wall and the shank of the bolt (or machine screw) is passed upwardly through the slot and a bolthole provided therefor and is thus anchored in place. This arrangement is novel in that the bolt also functions to secure a rubber or equivalent cushioning pad in place directly beneath and in alignment with the slotted portion of said leg.

Each pad serves not only as a cushion, it spaces the coacting portion of the bottom Wall above the bowl surface. Then, too, the bottom of the pad is countersunk to provide a cavity in which the head of the bolt is nested and pocketed. Also, and with this arrangement of parts, the slotted leg is interposed between the pad and said bottom wall and is securely fastened in the aforementioned recess provided therefor.

3,364,5ii5 Patented Jan. 23, 1963 These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing the improved toilet seat elevator mounted for use atop a conventional-type toilet bowl;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the attachment or toilet seat extender by itself;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View, with parts in section and elevation, taken on the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the attaching and retaining brackets.

With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 3 it will be evident that the bowl or hopper is denoted by the numeral 6, the same being of a Well-known or conventional type with the usual hinged seat ring and lid or cover (not shown) omitted and making available the horizontal flat support surface 8.

The self-contained ready-to-use attachment is readily attachable to and removable from the surface 8 and is such in design and construction that no alterations of the surface 8 are required. The elevated or extended seat or seat member is denoted by the numeral 10' and is generally annular in top plan and, more specifically, approximately ovate and accordingly in resemblance of a conventionaltype seat. The elevating and supporting means constituting the aforementioned skirt is denoted by the numeral 12 and may be alternatively referred to as an adapter as Well as a riser. Both of these

component parts

10 and 12 are made from suitable moldable plastic material.

More specifically, the skirt is channel-shaped and accordingly hollow in construction and embodies a generally flat web or bottom wall 14 provided around its marginal edges with upstanding inner and

outer walls

16 and 18. The interior or upper side of the bottom Wall is provided at equidistant circumferentially spaced points with integral nut seating and retaining socket members 20. Directly beneath each socket member the underneath side of the web or bottom wall is provided with a radial recess or cavity 22. The outer end of the recess or cavity is closed as shown in FIG. 3 and the open end is directed inwardly to serve a purpose to be hereinafter described. The concavo-convex body portion 24 of the seat member spans or bridges over the open top of the channel in the manner detailed in FIG. 3. The underneath side of the seat memher is provided with an outer depending assembling and retaining flange 26 and a similar inner depending assembling and retaining flange 28. These

flanges

26 and 28 depend below and are cemented and thus suitably bonded to the respective

upper edge portions

30 and 32 of the

aforementioned walls

18 and 16, respectively. The seat member is of a transverse cross-sectional width greater than the width of the channel-shaped skirt and the inner peripheral edge portion 34 is directed downwardly and overhangs the wall 16. It follows that this seat or seat member 10 is comparable in shape and size to the conventional-type toilet seat.

The attaching and retaining means for the assembled seat and skirt is simple, practical and convenient to use. Speaking broadly, the skirt 12 and its seat 10, considered as a structural entity, is detachably clipped or bracketed in place. As is evident from FIG. 2 there are four such brackets and they are each adjustably mounted at equidistant circu'mferentially spaced points. Inasmuch as each bracket is the same in construction, a description of one will suffice for all. It follows that each bracket is denoted by the numeral 36 and is generally L-shaped in edge elevation. The upper horizontal leg is denoted by the numeral 38 and is rectangular in plan and is provided intermediate its ends and edges with an elongated slot 40. The depending or vertical leg is denoted at 42 and as shown in FIG. 3 the lower end portion thereof is curved or flared inwardly as denoted at 44. The yieldable junctional or curvate bend is denoted at 46.

The aforementioned cavity or recess 22 in the underneat-h side of the web or bottom wall 14 corresponds in dimension to the leg 38 and this leg is nested and adjustably bolted in place therein. With reference in particular to FIG. 3 it will be noted that a bolt or machine screw is denoted at 48 and the screw-threaded shank 50 thereof passes upwardly through a bolthole and is threaded into a nut 52 which is seated and held captive in the aforementioned nut-accommodating socket 20. The shank of the bolt passes through the slot 40 in the manner shown whereby to provide the desired adjustable mounting of the overall bracket. The bolt serves, in addition, to assemble and retain a compressibly resilient button-like pad 54. To the ends desired the underneath or bottom side of the pad is countersunk as at 60 to satisfactorily seat the head 48 of the bolt. It will be noted, too, that the arm 38 is sandwiched or interposed between the pad and the bottom of the recess 22. The pad serves not only as a riser or spacer for elevating the web or bottom wall 14, it also functions to orientate or position the yieldable bend 46 at the desired level substantially flush wit-h the bottom of the web and above the level of the support surface 8.

It will be further noted that the depending leg 4-2 is encased in a conformable rubber or plastic protector sleeve 58. This sleeve-covered leg 42 provides a highly satisfactory attaching and retaining clip or alternatively, a clip portion. It follows that the bracket 36 is not only identified as a bracket but also as an adjustable attaching and retaining clip. Accordingly, the overall attachment may be said to be either bracketed in place or clipped in place in a seemingly self-evident manner.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction of the overall attachrnent and the manner of applying and removing the same. Accordingly, a more extended description is thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use atop a toilet bowl in lieu of the customary lid-equipped hingedly attached occupant seat; a self-contained readily applicable and removable bowl attachment comprising an annular seat, a complemental annular rimlike seat elevating skirt, said skirt having a flat bottom wall adapted to assume a horizontally usable position atop an underlying horizontal support surface embodied in said bowl, said bottom wall being provided with circumferentially spaced skirt attaching and retaining brackets, said brackets having depending bowl-engaging clip portions and being adjustably connected with coacting underneath surfaces of said bottom wall, said seat being aligned with and fixed atop said skirt, and said skirt being of a vertical height that said seat is disposed in a plane of use some four to five inches above the plane of the support surface on said bowl, and said seat having an inner peripheral edge portion overhanging and projecting inwardly of and beyond an inner wall of said skirt.

2. The attachment according to claim 1, and wherein each bracket is equipped at its connected end with an orientated compressibly resilient button-like cushioning and skirt elevating bumper-pad.

3. The attachment according to claim 2, and wherein each bracket is substantially L-shaped in edge elevation and accordingly embodies a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, the latter defining the clip portion of said bracket, said horizontal leg having an elongated slot, said adjustable connecting means comprising coordinating bolt and nut means and said bolt passing through said slot and being connected with a companion nut provided therefor on said bottom wall.

4. The attachment according to claim 3, and wherein said horizontal leg is interposed and sandwiched between said bottom wall and said pad, said pad having a countersunk recess in its bottom side and the head of the bolt being pocketed and confined in said recess.

5. The attachment according to claim 3, and wherein said horizontal leg is interposed and sandwiched between said bottom wall and said pad, said pad having a countersunk recess in its bottom side and the head of the bolt being pocketed and confined in said recess, said bottom wall having a cavity therein aligned with said bolt and said slotted leg being nested for secure placement and retention in said cavity.

6. The structure according to claim 5, and wherein the lower end portion of the vertical depending leg is flared laterally inwardly, said depending leg provided with a plastic enclosing sleeve.

7. The attachment defined in claim 1, and wherein said skirt is hollow and channel-shaped in cross-section and includes not only said bottom wall but integral upstanding inner and outer annular side walls joined to said bottom wall, said seat having its body portion bridging the channel and resting atop underlying upper edge portions of said side walls, said skirt being made of injection moldable high impact plastic material, said seat being likewise made of moldable plastic material and having an outside depending marginal flange overlapping and bonded to a coacting exterior surface of the upper edge portion of said outer side wall, and an inside companion depending flange overlapping and bonded to an inside surface of the upper portion of said inner side wall.

8. The structure according to claim 5, and wherein an interior top surface of said bottom wall is provided with an integral nut seating socket in which the associated nut is seated and held captive.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,732,566 1/ 1956 Bruelheide 4239 3,171,138 3/1965 Brunel-le 4237 D. 190,555 6/1961 Weidner et al 4239 X HAROLD J. GROSS, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. FOR USE ATOP A TOILET BOWL IN LIEU OF THE CUSTOMARY LID-EQUIPPED HINGEDLY ATTACHED OCCUPANT SEAT; A SELF-CONTAINED READILY APPLICABLE AND REMOVABLE BOWL ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN ANNULAR SEAT, A COMPLEMENTAL ANNULAR RIMLIKE SEAT ELEVATING SKIRT, SAID SKIRT HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM WALL ADAPTED TO ASSURE A HORIZONTALLY USABLE POSITION ATOP AN UNDERLYING HORIZONTAL SUPPORT SURFACE EMBODIED IN SAID BOWL, SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SKIRT ATTACHING AND RETAINING BRACKETS, SAID BRACKETS HAVING DEPENDING BOWL-ENGAGING CLIP PORTIONS