Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
  • A47K13/24—Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats
  • A47K13/26—Mounting devices for seats or covers

Definitions

• the invention relates to a toilet seat/cover unit compris ⁇ ing a seat and a cover as well as two mutually spaced fastening members, which are provided with securing means for securing said members to a toilet pan as well as with apertures placed alongside one another at the upper end of said members, where said apertures are adapted to co ⁇ operate with corresponding seat pivots and cover pivots at the rear portion of the seat and the cover so as to allow a turning of the seat and the cover relative to the fastening members about a common axis, and where the fastening members in the mounted position comprise an upright body portion and are formed with a radial insertion groove for the insertion and removal of said pivots.
• US-PS No. 3,802,000 discloses a toilet seat/cover unit of the above type where the pivot insertion slot for the pivot openings is shaped such relative to the pivots that said pivots can only be inserted in the openings when the seat and the cover are tipped into a predetermined posi ⁇ tion. It is impossible to remove the pivots from the pivot openings in all other positions.
• Such a toilet seat/cover unit is, however, encumbered with the risk of the pivots being retracted from the pivot openings when the cover or the seat is tipped up or down and simultaneously subject ⁇ ed to an outward force relative to the insertion slot in the fastening members.
• a risk exists of a pivot breaking off in case said pivot rests on the rim portion between the insertion slot and the pivot opening during the tipping up or down movement.
• US-PS No. 2,240,220 discloses a water closet seat compris- ing two pivots at its rear portion.
• the two pivots extend away from one another and are pivotally mounted in their respective opening in fastening members arranged at a mutual distance on a toilet bowl.
• An insertion slot to the pivot opening is shaped in each fastening member so as to allow insertion and removal of the pivots from their respective pivot opening.
• Each fastening member comprises furthermore a blocking means in form of a slide for block ⁇ ing the insertion slot to the pivot opening.
• the slide is arranged so as to be horizontally slidable, and on the bottom side said slide is provided with a toothing engaging a correspondingly toothed shaft.
• the shaft is pivotally journalled in the fastening member, extends aside out of said fastening member, and formed with a rotary knob at its outer end. Consequently, the structure of the fastening members and the associated slides is rather complicated and bulky.
• GB-PS No. 1,569,624 discloses a toilet seat/- cover unit comprising a seat and a cover pivotally arranged relative to one another on two pivotal members facing away from one another.
• the unit comprises furthermore two mutually spaced fastening members adapted to be secured to a toilet pan.
• Each fastening member comprises a base member provided with an aperture, said aperture being provided with an insertion slot to accomodate a pivotal member.
• the base member is furthermore provided with a detachable cover member releasably engageable with and covering said base member and retaining said pivotal member in the aperture.
• Such a toilet seat/cover unit allows, however, only a simultaneous removal of the seat and the cover from the fastening members.
• a further drawback of such a unit is the detachable cover members used for the fastening members, because said members may be lost or fall down into the toilet pan when they are to be removed from or placed on the base member of the fastening members. Disclosure of Invention
• the object of the invention is to provide a toilet seat/- cover unit of the above type where the cover and the seat can be quickly and simply released from the fastening mem- bers individually or as a unit, and where an unintentional removal of the cover and/or the seat from the fastening members is prevented in a reliable manner.
• the toilet seat/cover unit according to the invention is characterised in that a blocking means in form of a slide is arranged in a manner known per se on each fastening member, said slide sliding between a blocking position in which it blocks the insertion groove and a release position in which it releases the insertion groove, and that the slide surrounds the body portion so as to slide along the longitudinal axis of said body portion, said slide being of an inner cross section complementary to the cross section of the body portion.
• the slide may comprise a journal surface shaped substantially complementary to the pivots with the effect that the pivots are supported by a journal surface substantially over their entire peripheral surface.
• the radial direc ⁇ tion of the insertion groove may extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion with the result, that the load from the seat and/or the cover is advantageously transferred to the bodies of the fastening members and not to the slide.
• the seat and the cover can be removed from the fastening mem ⁇ bers substantially without raising said members because said members can merely be displaced on the rim of the pan.
• the body portion may be of a rectangular cross section with the result that a particularly simple guiding of the slide on the body portion is ensured, said slide being automatically secured against turning.
• a locking means may be arranged between the slide and the body portion, said locking means only allowing the slide to slide when it is subjected to a predetermined force.
• the slide always remains in the predetermined position, such as its blocking position or its release position, in such a manner that it does not by accident move from one posi ⁇ tion into the other.
• the slide need not be manipulated during the insertion or retraction of the pivots into or from the apertures, but can be displaced before or after, respectively, said insertion or retraction.
• the locking means may be a spring-loaded ball arranged in the surface of the body portion facing the slide.
• the ball may engage a recess in the slide when said slide is in the blocking position.
• the resulting determination of the blocking position is perceptible because the ball engages the recess in a snap-like manner when the slide is in its blocking position.
• the ball can only be released from the engagement by overcoming an initally rather strong force.
• the locking means may comprise a button formed as a tiltable arm pivotally mounted in relation to the slide so as to tilt about an axis parallel to the common axis of the fastening members, where the upper end of the tiltable arm extends through an opening in the slide and where the lower end of the tiltable arm is spring-loaded towards the body portion of the fastening member and comprises a projection facing said body portion of the fastening member, said projection being adapted to engage a mating recess in the body portion in the blocking position of the slide.
• the slide is advantageously completely prevented from being unintentionally moved out of its blocking position, because such a movement would require an activation of the button to disengage the pivot from the recess in the body portion simultaneously with the slide being displaced along said body portion.
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a toilet seat/cover unit according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a rear, partially sectional view of a fastening member placed to the right of and associated with the toilet seat/cover unit of Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 is a side, partially sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2 through a portion of the fasten ⁇ ing member of Fig. 2,
• Fig. 4 is a rear view of the portion of Fig. 3,
• Fig. 5 is a rear, partially sectional view of a slide associated with the fastening member of Fig. 4,
• Fig. 6 corresponds to Fig. 3, but where the slide is in its release position
• Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view of a portion of a fastening member with an alternatively shaped slide.
• the toilet seat/cover unit of Fig. 1 comprises a seat 1 and a cover 2 made of plastics as well as two identical, mutually spaced fastening members 3, 3' .
• the fastening members 3, 3' comprise securing means 4 for securing said fastening members to the toilet pan.
• the fastening members 3, 3' comprise furthermore hinge means 5 adapted to co ⁇ operate with corresponding hinge means at the rear portion of the seat 1 and the cover 2 for turning said seat and cover relative to the fastening members 3, 3' about a common axis A.
• the hinge means of the fastening members 3 comprise a hinge part 6 having a body portion 7 of a rectangular cross section and a head 8 with an aperture 9.
• An insertion groove 10 extends to the aperture 9, the walls 11, 12 of said groove extending tangentially to the wall of the aperture and forming an angle v of approximately 15* with one another.
• the radial insertion groove 10 extends rearwardly of the seat and the cover 2 and substantially perpendicular to the longitudi ⁇ nal direction of the hinge part 6.
• the aperture 9 serves as a journal for a seat pivot 13 and a cover pivot 14, cf. Fig. 2.
• a slide 15 of plastics surrounds in a displaceable manner the body portion 7 of the hinge part 6 also made of plastics.
• the slide is of an inner cross section substantially corresponding to the cross section of the body portion 7. The slide can be moved between a blocking position, cf. Fig. 3, in which it blocks the insertion groove 10, and a release position, cf. Fig. 6 in which it releases the insertion groove 10 in such a manner that the pivots 13, 14 in the seat 1 and the cover 2, respectively, can be inserted into and retracted from said insertion groove 10.
• the slide 15 At its upper end, the slide 15 comprises a journal surface 16 shaped substantially comple- entary to the pivots 13, 14.
• the journal surface is asso ⁇ ciated with stop surfaces 17, 18 extending complementary to the upper wall 11 of the insertion groove 10 and a stop wall 19, respectively, between the head 8 and the body portion 7.
• the slide In the position of the fastening members of Fig. 1, the slide comprises in addition a rearward wavy engagement surface 36 where a finger can be placed so as to displace the slide.
• a locking means 20 in form of a ball 23 is placed between the slide 15 and the body portion 7 , said ball being provided in an opening 21 in the body portion 7 and being spring-loaded by means of a spring 22.
• the ball 23 is pressed against an inner surface 24 of the slide 15, cf. Fig. 3.
• the lower portion of the slide facing the ball 23 is provided with a recess 25 to be engaged by the ball when the slide is in its blocking position. In this manner, the side 15 is reliably retained in its blocking position.
• the body portion 7 of the fastening member 3 is screwed onto a circular cover 27 by means of a screw 26, said circular cover in turn being pivotally connected to a circular base plate 28 associated with the securing means 4.
• the circular cover may be secured to the circular base plate by means of a set screw not shown in a threaded hole 29.
• the securing means 4 comprises furthermore a bolt 30 extending into a slot 31, the head 32 of the bolt being of a larger cross section than the slot 31 and the shaft 33 of said bolt extending through the slot 31.
• the pivotal connection between the cover 27 and the base plate 28 and the slot 31 in the base plate 28 renders it possible to place the bolts of a pair of fastening members at very differing mutual distances in such a manner that the seat/cover unit can be mounted on almost any toilet pan irrespective of the distance between the mounting open ⁇ ings thereof.
• a rubber sleeve 34 surrounds the shaft 33 of the bolt 30, and a nut 35 is placed at the end of the shaft 33. When the bolt 30 and the sleeve 34 are placed in a mounting opening in the toilet pan, and the nut 35 is turned, the rubber sleeve is compressed and expanded so as to retain the securing means on the toilet.
• Such an embodiment is advantageous over the known embodiments by allowing a securing of the securing means 4 in a blind bore in the toilet pan.
• Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative slide 55 placed on a hinge part 46.
• the hinge part 46 corresponds substantially to the hinge part 6 and comprises a body portion 47 of a rectangular cross section, and a head 48 provided with an aperture 49.
• An insertion groove 50 extends to the aperture 49, and the walls 51, 52 of the groove extend tangentially to the wall of the aperture and form an angle v of approxi ⁇ mately 15° with one another.
• the slide 55 surrounds the body portion 47 of the hinge part 46 and is of an inner cross section substantially corresponding to the cross section of the body portion 47 which is of a rectangular cross section.
• the slide can be 5 moved along the body portion between a blocking position not shown and in which the slide blocks the insertion groove 50, and a release position, cf. the drawing, in which the slide releases the insertion groove 50 so as to allow the pivots 13, 14 on the seat 1 and the cover 2,
• the slide 55 comprises at its upper end a journal surface 56 shaped substantially complementary to the pivots 13, 14. Stop surfaces 57, 58 are associated with the journal surface 56 and extend complementary to the upper
• the side wall 70 of the slide 55 facing the insertion groove 50 is provided with an opening 71.
• a tiltable button 74 in form of a tiltable arm is pivotally arranged about
• the tiltable shaft 73 extends parallel to the aperture 49.
• the upper end 75 of the tiltable button 74 extends through the opening 71 and is shaped complementary thereto.
• the lower end 76 of the tiltable button is sprin -
• the tiltable button comprises at its lower end a projection 78 projecting towards the surface 77 and abutting said surface 77 in the release position
• the projection 78 is adapted to engage a mating recess 79 in the surface 77.
• the engagement of the projection 78 and the recess 79 causes the tiltable button 74 to lock the slide in the blocking position such that said slide
• 35 55 can only be moved out of said blocking position when the upper portion 75 of the tiltable button 74 is depressed in such a manner that the projection 78 disengages the recess 79 and the slide 55 is simultaneously moved down ⁇ wards.
• the force of the spring 77 and the abutment of the projection 78 against the surface 77 have simultaneously the effect that the tiltable button 74 slightly resists the movement of the slide when said projection 78 has disengaged the recess.
• a vertical partition can be placed in the aperture in such a manner that said aperture is divided into a portion for the seat pivot and a portion for the cover pivot.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Toilet Supplies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8093160

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (5)

• 1990
  • 1990-02-15 DK DK40690A patent/DK40690A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-02-15 AU AU73144/91A patent/AU7314491A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-02-15 WO PCT/DK1991/000045 patent/WO1991011950A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (5)

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