US3371356A

US3371356A - Child's toilet seat assembly

Info

Publication number: US3371356A
Application number: US457944A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin E Burton
Original assignee: Loma Industries Inc
Current assignee: Loma Industries Inc
Priority date: 1965-05-24
Filing date: 1965-05-24
Publication date: 1968-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1985-03-05

Description

March 5, 1968 B. BENJAMIN CHILD'S TOILET SEAT ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1965 park f (Zr/er AITOFMFVJ.

March 5, 1968 B. BENJAMIN CHILD'S TOILET SEAT ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1965 ATTOFA/EVY.

March 5, 1968 E. B. BENJAMIN 3,37 ,356

CHILD'S TOILET SEAT ASSEMBLY Filed May 24, 1965 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 if if 32 L mml f My INVENTOE.

March 5, 1968 E. B. BENJAMIN CHILD'S TOILET SEAT ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTOR- El/n 0 Baggy/1%,

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United States Patent 3,371,356 CHILDS TOILET SEAT ASSEMBLY E. Burton Benjamin, Highland Park, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lorna Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 457,944 Claims. (Cl. 4-239) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE alternatively it can be quickly unclamped for storage out of sight.

This invention relates to a childs toilet seat that can be mounted on a conventional toilet seat, and more particularly to a childs toilet seat that can be moved between a position of use and a storage position without being disconnected from the toilet.

An object of this invention is to provide a childs toilet seat that is adjustable for mounting on toilets of various sizes.

Another object of this invention is a childs toilet seat that can be stored by hanging in an inoperative position along a side of the toilet bowl.

Another object of this invention is a childs toilet seat assembly having a cover that can be folded upon itself to function as a back rest.

Another object of this invention is a childs toilet seat assembly that can easily be attached to the toilet bowl without interfering with the normal operation of the toilet seat and toilet seat cover.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course'of the ensuing specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE '1 is a perspective view showing the childs toilet seat assembly mounted on a toilet with the assembly cover in a closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the childs toilet seat assembly with its cover in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the childs toilet seat assembly with its cover in an open position;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view through the seat assembly support showing the childs toilet seat in a stored position;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the childs toilet seat assembly and;

FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view taken along line 88 of FIGURE 7.

The childs toilet seat assembly of my invention is intended for use on a conventional toilet. A conventional toilet usually includes a bowl 9 having a rim It a seat 11 hingedly mounted on the bowl by means of a horizontal rod 12, and a cover 13 also hingedly mounted on this rod.

My invention includes an auxiliary or childs toilet seat 14, which may be molded of a plastic such as polypropylene or formed from any other suitable material, and

which is intended to rest and be supported on the toilet seat 11 when in use. To support the childs toilet seat 14 in a level and centered position when in use on the toilet seat 11, a number of mounting legs 15, in this instance four, are provided. These legs are formed on the underside of the auxiliary seat 14 to extend angularly towards the corners of the auxiliary seat and have bottom surfaces tapered to generally follow the contour of the toilet seat. Shoes or bumpers 16 of a non-scufling and softer material such as rubber or polyvinylchloride may be fitted over the bottoms of the legs to engage the toilet seat surface.

The childs toilet seat assembly of my invention may be attached to the toilet bowl 9 by means of a support 17 that fits over the rim 10 of the toilet bowl and may be fastened thereto by means of a clamp member 18 carried by and cooperating with the support. The support may be formed as a metal extrusion of inverted channel cross-section having a top portion 19 intended to rest on the rim of the toilet bowl and depending

legs

20 and 21 intended to straddle the rim. The clamp member may include an arcuate plate 22 which is movable into contact with the outside of the toilet rim through means of a screw 23 threaded through an opening 24 in the outwardly positioned depending leg 21 of the support. The screw is equipped with a ball-shaped head 25 which extends into a socket 26 in the arcuate plate 22 to permit the screw to be rotated relative to this plate. A knob 27 may be connected to the outer end of the screw for ease of turning.

Attachment of the auxiliary or childs toilet seat 14 to the support 17 is accomplished by an overlapping connection of an arm 31 formed integrally with the sup port and an arm 32 formed integrally with the seat. The support arm 31 is joined to the top portion 19 of the support outwardly of the depending leg 21 and is inclined to overlie this top portion. As shown in the drawings, the included angle between the top of the support and this leg is approximately 45, but this angle is merely preferable, not critical, and the angular relation of the leg relative to the top portion of the support may be varied from this angle.

The auxiliary seat arm 32, which may be molded integrally with the seat 14, is divided into a base portion 33, which is joined to the seat, and an outer end portion 34 by a hinge 35. The hinge may be molded as a section of reduced thickness in the arm as shown in FIGURES 1 through 6, or may be of the conventional construction 35 as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawings. The use of a hinge in the seat arm permits the seat 14 and arm base 33 to be folded relative to the outer end portion 34 of the seat arm. This outer end portion is pivotally fastened to the support arm so as to permit rotation of the seat and seat arm relative to the support arm and support. A headed rivet 36 functions as the pivotal connection between the support arm 31 and the seat arm end portion 34.

To allow for vertical and lateral adjustment of the seat 14 relative to the toilet seat 11, the outer end section 34 of the seat arm 32 is constructed so that it can he slid along the length of the support arm 31. This is accomplished by forming a longitudinally elongated slot to receive and guide the rivet. Although the slot 37 is formed in the support arm and the rivet afiixed to the outer end section in the embodiment shown in the drawings, it should be realized that this arrangement can be reversed. The length of the slot 37 and the location of the rivet 36 in the arm portion 34 are coordinated so that when the rivet is in its lowest position of adjustment relative to the slot, the hinge 35 is located just above the upper portion of the support arm 31. This permits the seat 14 and its attached handle section 33 to be freely folded about this hinge for movement into and out of contact with the surface of the toilet seat 11. This spacing between the rivet and the hinge 35 must also be sufficient to allow the hinge to be positioned outwardly of the knob 27 of the clamping screw 23 when the auxiliary seat is in its lowered and inoperative position so that the auxiliary seat and its base arm will be clear of this knob and will hang freely in the manner which is most clearly shown in FIGURE 6.

The childs toilet seat assembly may also include a cover 40, which may be hinged at the rear of the auxiliary seat 14 for folding movement between open and closed positions. In its closed position, the cover extends across the opening 39 in the seat 14. To enable this cover to be utilized as a backrest in its open position, it is divided longitudinally into two sections by a hinge 41, shown most clearly in FIGURE 4, so that it can be folded over upon itself. The hinge 41 may be formed as a section of reduced thickness molded as part of the cover. The hinge may also be molded with a memory in the closed or unfolded position of the cover. This hinge divides the cover into forward portion 42 and a rear portion 43 which is hinged to the auxiliary seat. In the closed position of the cover, shown in FIGURE 1, the

cover portions

42 and 43 extend end to end to cover the opening 39 in the seat, while in the open position of the cover shown in FIG- URES 2, 3, 4 and 5, the cover sections extend generally at right angles to the auxiliary seat, with the front portion 42 of the seat folded over against the rear portion 43. To secure the cover in its backrest position, a headed projection 44 is formed on the underside of the forward portion 42 of the cover, and this projection seats in a socket 45 formed on the underside of the rear portion 43 of the cover. While the locations of the headed projection and socket could be reversed, there is an advantage in locating the headed projection on the front portion of the cover. This permits the projection to be utilized to engage an opening or socket 46 located in the front portion of the seat 14 to act as means to lock the cover in its closed position.

A urine deflector 47 may be hinged to the front portion of the childs toilet seat 14 to permit its swinging from the operative position of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 to the inoperative position shown in outline in FIGURE 3. A handle 48-for tilting the seat about the hinge 35 may also be formed as part of the seat. A pair of spaced openings 49 may be provided in the seat to receive a safety strap 50 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2.

To facilitate cleaning of the childs toilet seat 14, the cover 40 is removably hinged thereto by means of pivot pins 51 which are journaled in bearing members 52. In this embodiment the pivot pins are connected to the cover and the bearing members are connected to the seat 14, but these positions could be reversed. The pivot pins are formed near the free ends of L-shaped arms 53 extending from the cover. The bearing members are formed on the underside of the seat to project downwardly. Slots 54 are formed in the seat to receive the arms 53 so that the pins can be journaled in the bearing members.

The modified auxiliary seat 14 depicted in FIGURES 7 and 8 utilizes a conventional hinge 35' to connect the seat arm base portion 33' and outer end portion 34 rather than the molded hinge 35 of the preferred form of the invention. To engage the toilet seat 11 and to support the modified auxiliary seat thereon, depending riblike members are molded on the underside of the auxiliary seat. Parts of the preferred form of the invention which may be used with the modified auxiliary seat, i.e. the support and the urine deflector 47, carry the same numbers in FIGURES 7 and 8 while the parts of the modified structure carry primed numbers.

The use, operation and function of my invention are as follows:

The childs toilet seat assembly shown herein is intended to be mounted on a conventional toilet, and to be movable between a position of use such as shown in FIGURE 1, to a storage position shown in FIGURE 6. This auxiliary or childs toilet seat can be mounted on a conventional toilet without interfering with the normal operation of the toilet seat and toilet seat cover. The childs toilet seat is supported on the toilet bowl by means of a support member 17 which straddles the toilet bowl rim at one side of the toilet and is clamped thereto by means of an adjustable clamp 18 having a plate 22 which can be moved into contact with the exterior of the toilet bowl rim. The use of an adjustable clamping member of this type permits the mounting of the toilet seat on various sized bowls. Also, the use of such a clamp permits the mounting of the seat assembly on a toilet bowl without the necessity of making any alterations to the toilet or any of the toilet fixtures.

In the storage position shown in FIGURE 6, the auxiliary seat 14 hangs in a generally vertical position along the side of the toilet bowl where it does not interfere with the normal use of the toilet. The auxiliary seat can be moved from this storage position alongside the toilet bowl to a position of use on top of the toilet seat 11 simply by grasping the handle 48 and rotating the auxiliary seat about the pivotal axis 36 until it is located over the toilet seat 11. The seat 14 can then be lowered onto the toilet seat 11 until the shoes 16 engage the surface of the toilet seat to center the auxiliary seat relative thereto.

The adaptability of the auxiliary toilet seat 14 to fit toilet seats 11 of varying heights and widths is obtained through means of the hinge 35 on the toilet seat arm 32, and the laterally and vertically adjustable pivot connection 36 between this arm and the support arm 31. Because the pivotal connection is movable to a limited degree vertically and laterally relative to the toilet seat, the childs seat 14 is both laterally and vertically adjustable relative to the toilet seat. The hinge connection 35 in the arm contributes to this adaptability by providing for limited vertical adjustment of the seat 14 after positioning of the pivotal connection 36.

When the seat is in the position of use shown in FIG- URE 1, the cover can be folded about its transverse hinge 41 rearwardly to its back rest position shown in FIGURE 2. The cover can be locked in this back rest position by engaging the headed projection 44 with the socket 45. This headed projection 44 also fits into opening 46 in the seat to lock the cover in the closed position. During folding and unfolding, the cover pivots about the axis formed by the hinge pins 51 and bearing members 52 and the forward portion 42 of the cover pivots about the hinge 41. Folding and unfolding of the cover is facilitated by the opening 55 in the forward portion 42 of the seat which functions as a handle.

The cover hinge connection also facilitates cleaning of the childs toilet seat assembly by permitting removal of the cover 40. The cover can be removed by detaching the pivot pins 51 from the bearing members 52 and lifting the pivot support arms 53' through the slots 54 in the cover. Replacement is accomplished in the opposite manner.

The urine deflector 47 is also pivotally connected to the seat 14 so that it can be folded between the open position shown in FIGURE 2 and the closed position shown lIl outline in FIGURE 3. Of course, this deflector must be in the closed position before the cover can be closed. This deflector is also removable for cleaning simply by detachingits pivot pins from its bearing support members in the same manner as the pivot pins for the cover.

Many advantages of my invention stem from the construction which permits the seat to be mounted on a side of the toilet so that it can be stored alongside the toilet when not in use. Further advantages are obtained by constructing the seat support mechanism so that the seat can be folded about an axis in the plane of the seat and can be rotated about a generally vertical axis located at one side of the toilet.

This construction permits easy movement of the childs toilet seat from the operative to the storage positions. The childs toilet seat can be raised from the main toilet seat to a position on which it can be rotated about the generally vertical axis by folding about the hinge axis which is in the plane of the seat. When the childs toilet seat is rotated outwardly of the toilet, it can be suspended in a vertical position along side of the toilet bowl by again folding it about the hinge.

I claim:

1. A childs toilet seat assembly for use in conjunction with the toilet seat of a conventional toilet, comprising (a) a support clamped to the side rim of said conventional toilet, and having an inwardly inclined portion,

(b) a hinged arm, one section of said arm being pivoted to said inclined portion through a point on one side of the hinge, and

(c) a unitary auxiliary toilet seat fixedly disposed on the other section of said arm and on the other side of said hinge.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein, said support has an inverted U shape with said inclined portion projecting upwardly therefrom and formed integrally therewith, and said hinged arm is pivoted to said inclined portion through a point on one side of said hinge and a slot in said inclined portion.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein said one side of said hinge is recessed to snugly accommodate said inclined portion when said unitary auxiliary toilet seat is in a position resting upon the seat of the conventional toilet.

4. A childs toilet seat assembly for use on a conventional toilet including:

a support member adapted to fit over the rim of a toilet bowl at the side thereof and to be clamped thereto,

an inclined arm attached to said support member outwardly of the toilet bowl and extending upwardly in a direction towards the toilet bowl,

an auxiliary toilet seat adapted to rest on the toilet bowl seat and having an arm projecting laterally therefrom with said arm connected to the upwardly inclined arm of the support member for rotation about an axis generally normal to said inclined arm, and

a hinge located in said auxiliary toilet seat arm intermediate the ends thereof to permit said arm to be folded upon itself with said hinge being spaced beyond the ends of said base arm when the seat arm is aligned longitudinally with said base arm.

5. The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that said rotational connection between the base arm and the auxiliary toilet seat arm consists of a pivot pin fixed to one of said arms and guided in a longitudinally extending slot in the other arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,313 7/1909 Lovett 248-2261 X 1,704,878 3/1929 Bell et a1. 4-239 1,972,233 9/1934 Moulder 4-239 X 2,516,557 7/1950 Frazee et al. 4-239 X 2,804,630 9/1957 Gould 4-239 3,178,070 4/1965 Leland 4-223 X HAROLD J. GROSS, Primary Examiner.