US3587119A

US3587119A - Toilet seat cover

Info

Publication number: US3587119A
Application number: US835174A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fredesvindo Gerena Freses
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-06-20
Filing date: 1969-06-20
Publication date: 1971-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-06-28

Abstract

A SOFT AND YIELDING COVER FOR A CONVENTIONAL TOILET SEAT HAVING IN THE PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION, AN OUTER FLEXIBLE WATERPROOF JACKET FILLED WITH A SOLID CUSHIONING MATERIAL AND HAVING DEPENDING SIDE EDGES NORMALLY BIASED INWARDLY AND HAVING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS INTURNED FLANGES WHICH ENGAGE UNDER THE FLAT LOWER SURFACE OF THE TOILET SEAT TO HOLD THE COVER REMOVABLY IN PLACE.

Description

United States Patent 68,954 9/1867 Chafi'ee... 1,565,582 12/1925 Moore.....

Fredesvindo Gerena Freses P.O. Box 21768, U.P.R. Station Rio Piedras, P.R.

June 20, 1969 June 28, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented TOILET SEAT COVER 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Int. I

Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,286 4/1939 'Winding .1:

Hunter Rocker Hyde Previte Warnberg"... Brunelle Potosky Dixon Primary Examiner-Laveme D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Donald B, Massenberg Attorney-Scrivener, Parker, Scrivener and Clarke ABSTRACT: A soft and yielding cover for a conventional toilet seat having in the preferred form of the invention, an outer flexible waterproof jacket filled with a solid cushioning material and having depending side edges normally biased inwardly and having at their lower ends intumed flanges which engage under the flat lower surface of the toilet seat to hold the cover removably in place.

PATENTEI] JUN28 I97! INVENTOR FREDESVINDO GERENA MAJ/(WWW VZAMZI.

ATTORNEYS TOILET SEAT COVER DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a conventional toilet having a pivoted seat and a pivoted lid and having the cover provided in the preferred embodiment of the invention positioned on the upper surface of the seat;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view which is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the cover in attached position on the toilet seat;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view which is similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a view which is similar to FIG. 3 and shows a final embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a conventional toilet bowl 2 which may be formed of porcelain or the like having a conventional oval seat 4 which is pivotally connected at its rear to the upper surface of the toilet bowl. A seat lid 6 is also pivotally connected to the upper surface of the toilet bowl by hinges 8. All of these parts are of well known and conventional construction and arrangement.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, there is provided on the upper surface of the seat 4 a waterproof, yielding cover forming a cushion for the conventional rigid seat 4. This cover comprises a hollow body having a shape conforming to that of the seat 4 and having an annular hollow-part 22 filled with a soft, cushioning material 24 which may be foam rubber or the like to which the outer covering may be 22 bonded. The part 22 is generally rectangular in cross section and has an upper wall 26 which, when the cushion is in place on the seat, extends transversely of the seat and above it, a lower wall 28 which is parallel to and below the upper wall 26 and is shaped transversly to conform to the upper curved surface of the seat 4, and

sidewalls

30, 32, forming an annular body having the shape of the seat 4, which is usually oval, and having a central opening 34 registering with the seat opening and being of such size and shape that it substantially covers the upper surface of the seat.

Means are provided by the invention for releaseably but firmly attaching the seat cover provided by the invention to the upper surface of the seat 4. Such means comprise the

annular walls

40, 42 which, respectively, extend downwardly below the lower wall 28 in alignment with the

sidewalls

30, 32, and these annular walls are normally biased inwardly toward each other as shown in FIG. 2. These depending wall members are preferably formed of resilient material and are preferably integral with the top, bottom and sidewalls of the cover and extend entirely about the inner and outer peripheries thereof. At their lower extremities these walls are preferably, but not necessarily, provided with

intumed flanges

44, 46 respectively for engagement below the lower surface 50 of the seat member 4 when the cover is assembled to the seat.

Means are provided by the invention for accommodating the hinges 8 of the cover lid 6. It will be understood in connection with this embodiment of the invention that when the cover lid is lowered to cover the seat opening 34 the hinge parts 8 would normally be obstructed by the rear part of the cover 20 adjacent the hinges which, it will be observed, extends above the upper surface of the seat 4. In order to accommodate these hinges a part of the cover member adjacent the hinges and at the rear of the cover 20 is cut away leaving an opening 60 within which the hinges 8 and their associated parts are received when the cover lid is lowered, thereby permitting the lower surface of the lid to engage and rest upon the upper surface of the cover.

If desired, a valve 70 may be inserted into a sidewall of the cover in order to communicate the interior of the cover with the outside atmosphere, thereby permitting the intake and exhaust of air into and from the interior of the cover as the same is used.

In the application and use of the cover provided by the invention the depending

annular sidewalls

40, 42 are spread apart and slipped over the respective interior and exterior peripheral walls of the seat 4. These sidewalls, being resiliently biased inwardly toward each other, firmly engage the opposite peripheral walls of the seat to hold the cover in place on the upper surface of the seat. At the same time, the inturned

flanges

44, 46 engage the lower surface 50 of the seat and effectively prevent any unintended removal of the cover from the seat. When the cover lid 6 is is lowered the hinge parts thereof are received within the opening 66 in the upper rear part of the cover, permitting the lid to lie flat upon the upper surface of the cover.

The seat cover may, if desired, and in further accordance with the invention, be partially or wholly filled with air instead of soft material, and such an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this device the annular seat cover has the same configuration and parts as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4 but the interior body of soft material 24 is partially omitted and the body part 22 is generally hollow and adapted to be filled with air through valve to any desired pressure. In order to ensure that the inflated seat cover will remain securely in place on the seat 4 when in use, an annular member 94 of hard material, preferably a plastic, is positioned within the body part 22 on the upper surface of lower wall 28. This plastic member is preferably generally triangular in cross section with its apex at the inner periphery of the seat cover and its base at the outer periphery as shown in FIG. 5.

In another form which the invention may take, which is illustrated in FIG. 6 there is provided an annular, flat rigid plate 80 having the shape of the toilet seat and being provided with a downwardly turned flange 82 at its inner edge. The annular soft and yielding auxiliary seat cover provided by the invention is mounted on the upper surface of the plate 80 and may be glued to it in order to form a unitary structure, which may be attached to the upper surface of the toilet seat in any suitable manner or alternatively, may merely be laid thereon for ready removal. In this form of the invention the seat cover may be made in any desired manner taught by the invention.

In still another form of the invention, which is disclosed in FIG. 7, the depending

walls

40, 42 with their

intumed flanges

44, 46 are eliminated from the annular member 22 of rectangular cross section and this member is attached, by adhesive or other suitable means, to a separate annular seat formed of any rigid material. The annular cushion member is shown at in FIG. 7 and the annular seat member at 102, and it will be understood that when this embodiment of the invention is used no conventional toilet seat is required as the unitary combination of the

members

100, 102 takes its place and also provides a soft cushion.

The cover provided by the invention may be made in different sizes to fit different size toilet seats, and the external material of the cover may be made of waterproof material. In use, the cover will provide a hygienic, easily cleaned cover which will be found to be more comfortable than the conven tional hard seat.

I claim:

1. An easily washable, comfortable, hygienic, cushioned cover for a conventional oval toilet seat having a central opening, a transversely upwardly curved upper surface and a nearly fiat lower surface, comprising a generally annular hollow body of such size and transverse sectional dimensions to be received on and cover the upper surface of the toilet seat, said hollow body being substantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape with a lower surface transversely curved to fit the upper surface of the toilet seat, said hollow body being at least partially filled with soft cushioning material and being composed of a waterproof, easily washable material, lower sidewalls depending downwardly from the inner and outer sidewalls of said hollow body and extending substantially entirely throughout the peripheriesv thereof, said lower sidewalls having inturned flanges at their lower edges, and being normally resiliently biased and inclined inwardly toward each other whereby they will firmly engage the inner and outer peripheral edges of the toilet seat with the body resting on and in surface-to-surface engagement with the upper surface of the seat and the intumed flanges engaging the lower surface of the seat, to secure it in place for use and make it easily removable for cleaning.

2. A cover according to claim I, having therein and at the lower part thereof an annular rigid member of greater vertical dimension at its outer periphery than at its inner periphery.

3. A toilet seat cover according to claim 1, having the upper part of the rear of the seat cover cut away to accommodate the hinges of the conventional toilet seat lid.

4. A toilet seat comprising a generally annular rigid member having toilet seat shape both annularly and transversely and adapted to be received upon the upper surface of a toilet bowl rim, said seat comprising also a generally annular hollow body of such size and transverse sectional dimensions to be received on and cover the upper surface of said annular rigid member, said hollow body being substantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape with a lower surface transversely curved to fit the upper surface of said annular rigid member, said hollow body being filled with a soft, cushioning material and being composed of a waterproof, easily washable, resilient material, said hollow body being adhesively bonded to the upper surface of said rigid member and covering entirely said upper surface of said rigid member.