US20060107450A1

US20060107450A1 - Stabilized toilet seat/toilet bowl assembly

Info

Publication number: US20060107450A1
Application number: US10/995,747
Authority: US
Inventors: Mary Gildersleeve
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-24
Filing date: 2004-11-24
Publication date: 2006-05-25

Abstract

An improved toilet seat assembly and toilet bowl which would provide stabilization to the toilet seat when in a lowered position so as to prevent wobble, shifting or sliding of the toilet seat assembly when in use, the toilet seat and toilet bowl being standard in all other aspects, but including a toilet seat assembly with a depending geometric protrusion from its underside surface, cooperable with a similar geometric recess formed in the peripheral rim of the toilet bowl when the seat is in the lowered position or alternatively, an upstanding geometric protrusion extending upwardly from the peripheral rim of the toilet bowl, cooperable with a similar geometric recess formed in the underside surface of the toilet seat assembly, in either embodiment, it being preferred that the cooperative geometric recess and geometric protrusion be positioned at the forward end of the toilet seat assembly and toilet bowl.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toilet seats, and in particular, to the cooperation between the toilet seat and the peripheral rim of the toilet bowl to prevent the toilet seat from shifting, wobbling or sliding when in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A standard toilet normally consists of a toilet bowl which is secured to the floor and in communication with the sewer plumbing. Either mounted to the toilet bowl or formed integrally therewith, is a water tank which is in communication with a source of water to be supplied to the toilet bowl upon flushing. The bowl and the water tank are normally made of fired clay, porcelain, or ceramic clad cast steel. Associated with the toilet bowl is a toilet seat assembly which is normally of two piece hingeable construction, including an ovate or round shaped seat and a cover member, or a V-shaped or horse shoe shaped seat member and cover member, the seat member having a gap at its forward or front end. The seat and cover member are hinged along their rear or back end proximate to the location of the water tank and include a pair of flap support apertures for the receipt of securing bolts constructed of either brass or polycarbonate to secure the seat to the toilet bowl. The seat member, either has formed integrally with it or secured to it, a plurality of cushioned support members which are secured to the underside of the seat and contact the peripheral rim of the toilet bowl when the seat is in a down position.
The apertures in the toilet bowl proximate the water tank for receipt of the securing bolts are normally of a diameter greater than that of the securing bolts. Thus a plurality of carbonate washers and or nuts or the like are normally used to insure that the bolts seat properly and secure the seat member in the desired location. However, over time and through use, most toilet seats develop a wobble, shift or sliding motion when in use due to the deterioration of the washers or nuts used in conjunction with the securing bolts. This wobble, shift or sliding of the toilet seat may be attributed to the fact that different people having different shaped anatomies utilize the same toilet.
The toilet seat and back member themselves may be in perfectly good condition and operating order and the typical solution to the problem is to disengage the toilet seat assembly from the toilet bowl and insert new polycarbonate washers or nuts to insure that the seat is again centered with the bowl and the wobble, shift of sliding motion is alleviated. However, this solution will only work for a certain period of time before the washers or nuts again deteriorate and the shifting, wobbling or sliding motion is again prevalent.
Applicant's development of a modified toilet seat assembly and toilet bowl provides for an additional means of stabilizing the toilet seat with the toilet bowl to eliminate the wobble, shifting or sliding of the toilet seat regardless of the anatomy of the individuals using the toilet and would greatly increase the time period in which one would have to replace the polycarbonate washers or nuts on the securing means.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide for a novel stabilized toilet seat which prevents wobble, shifting or sliding of the seat when in use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel stabilized toilet seat which is cooperable with the peripheral rim of the toilet to prevent wobble, shifting or sliding of the seat when in use.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel stabilized toilet seat which would prevent wobble, shifting or sliding of the seat when in use, yet would not increase the cost of the fabrication of the toilet seat.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel stabilized toilet seat and a novel peripheral rim of the toilet to prevent wobble, shifting or sliding of the toilet seat during use.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel stabilized toilet seat which would provide for positive engagement of the toilet seat with the peripheral rim of the toilet when the toilet seat was in the lowered position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the toilet and toilet seat assembly of the prior art;
FIG. 2 is an underside planar view of a toilet seat of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a top planar view of the periphery of a toilet bowl of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a planar bottom view of a second embodiment of a toilet seat of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a top planar view of the second embodiment of a peripheral rim of a toilet bowl of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a planar view of the underside of a third embodiment of the toilet seat of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a planar view of alternative geometric shapes which could be utilized for the protrusions and recesses on the underside of the toilet seat and the peripheral rim of the toilet bowl of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet and toilet seat assembly of the prior art. The toilet 10 of the prior art consists of a toilet bowl 12 and water tank 14 which may be separate and secured together by bolts (not shown) or as in newer toilets, the water tank 14 may be unitary with the toilet bowl 12. The water tank 14 is in communication with a source of water 16 and the toilet bowl is in communication with a sewer 18.
Mounted on the toilet bowl 12 is a toilet seat assembly 20. The toilet seat assembly 20 consists of a toilet seat 22, which is generally ovate or round in shape and the toilet seat 22 is hingeably secured to a toilet lid or cover 24 by means of a hinge 26 securing the seat to the lid proximate the water tank 14.
The underside 28 of the toilet seat 22 is normally formed with a plurality of cushion supports 30. These may be formed unitarily with the toilet seat 20 when it is molded or they may be attached to the toilet seat 20 by means of adhesive or the like after the seat is molded. The plurality of cushion supports 30 contact and rest on the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12 when the toilet seat 22 is in a lower position.
The toilet seat assembly 20 is secured to the toilet bowl by a pair of bolts 34 which extend downwardly through outwardly extending support arms 36 which are secured to the hinge 26 of the toilet seat assembly 20. These outwardly extending support arms 36 have an aperture 38 there through which are alignable with apertures 40 at the rear of the toilet bowl 12, proximate the water tank 14. These bolts 34 with washer assemblies and nuts are secured by threading the nut upwardly on the bolt from underneath the toilet bowl 12. In order to avoid rust, the bolts 24 are normally made of brass with brass nuts or are fabricated from polycarbonate or other suitable polymer.
Over time, use of the toilet seat assembly 20 by different people having different anatomies results in the toilet seat assembly 20 wobbling, shifting or sliding when an individual attempts to use it. Over time, the wobble or shifting increases to the point where the toilet seat assembly 20 does not maintain its alignment with the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. Heretofore, the only solution was to replace the bolts 34, nut and washer assembly securing the toilet seat assembly 20 to the toilet bowl 12 or purchasing a new toilet seat assembly 20.
Applicant's toilet seat assembly 20 and toilet bowl 12 functions the same as the prior art as previously set forth. The improvement in Applicant's toilet seat assembly 20 and toilet bowl 12 deals specifically with the underside 42, toilet seat 22 and the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. FIG. 2 is an underside planar view of a toilet seat 22 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a top planar view of toilet bowl 12 and peripheral surface 32. Toilet seat 22 can be round, ovate, or U-shaped in design depending upon the shape of the toilet bowl 12. The toilet seat 22 has a plurality of support cushions 30 about its periphery which are either unitary in the molding of the toilet seat 22 or are secured to the toilet seat 22 as separate attachments by means of adhesive or the like. These support cushions 30 are designed to contact and rest on the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12 when the seat is in a down position. The front of Applicant's toilet seat 22 is formed with a geometric protrusion 40 depending from the underside 42 of toile seat 22, a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the cushion supports 30. Geometric protrusion 40 is positioned to cooperate with an identical geometric depression 44 formed at the front terminus of the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. In this configuration, when the toilet seat 22 is in the lowered position, the cushion supports 30 contact the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12.
The geometric protrusion 40 on the front underside 42 of the toilet seat 22 extends downwardly into the identical shaped geometric depression 44 in the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. FIG. 3 illustrates the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the geometric protrusion 40 and the geometric depression 44 are shown to be spherical sections such that they do not present any sharp angular edges and which would allow for ease of cleaning.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention which is identical in function with the first embodiment. In the second embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the geometric protrusion 40A is formed in the front upper peripheral surface 32 of toilet bowl 12. The geometric depression 44A into which the geometric protrusion 40A would extend would be unitarily formed on the front portion of the underside of the toilet seat 22. In this configuration, when the toilet seat was in a down position, the geometric depression 44A on the underside of the toilet seat 22 would engage the geometric protrusion 40A extending upwardly from the front of the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet seat 22. Again, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the particular geometric protrusion 40A and geometric depression 44A are illustrated as spherical sections.
The cooperative geometric protrusions and geometric depressions as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5 add stability to the toilet seat 22 by providing a contact point at the front of the toilet seat 22 to balance the contact points at the rear of the toilet seat 22 defined by the through bolts 34 which extend through the support arms 36 of the toilet seat 22 and are secured to the underside of the toilet bowl 12. The preferred embodiment of the geometric protrusions 40 and 40A and geometric depressions 44 and 44A would be that of a spherical section for ease of cleaning and ease of fabrication, however, other geometrical shapes could be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of Applicant's invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a variety of additional geometric shapes which could be utilized for forming the geometrical protrusions 40 and 40A and geometrical depressions 44 and 44A as set forth in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Instead of the geometrical shape comprising a spherical section, the geometrical shape could be in the form of a cylindrical section 50, a triangle 52, a square 54, or any other multi-sided polyhedron 56. All of these geometric shapes will aid in the stability of the toilet seat by counterbalancing the front of the toilet seat 22 with the rear portion of the toilet seat 22 wherein the securing bolts 34 are located. The drawback with respect to these geometric shapes are that they present a vertical wall and right angle when utilized for the geometric depression, whether or not that depression is formed on the underside 42 of the toilet seat 22 or on the front peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl 12. As such, these geometric shapes while suitable for providing the stability to the toilet seat 22 would present a possible hygiene and cleaning problem because of the vertical walls required in their shape and the right angles formed with the base of the depression and the vertical walls.
For ease of fabrication of both the toilet seat 22 and the toilet bowl 12, and in particular, the upper peripheral surface 32 of the toilet bowl, Applicant has illustrated the stability feature as being positioned at the front of the toilet bowl 12 and the front of the toilet seat 22. However, the toilet seat and the peripheral surface of the toilet bowl could be formed with a plurality of geometric protrusions and geometric depressions complimentary to each other to provide additional stability, as might be required as illustrated with U-shaped toilet seat 62 in FIG. 6. However, the cost of fabrication of a toilet seat having a plurality of depending geometric protrusions or geometric depressions and the cost of fabricating a toilet bowl having a plurality of geometric protrusions or geometric depressions might be prohibitory.
While the present invention has been described with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof.

Claims

1. A toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly for stabilization of the toilet seat with respect to the toilet bowl, the assembly comprising:

a toilet bowl having a front end and a rear end, said rear end in communication with a toilet tank, said toilet tank in communication with a source of water, said toilet bowl having a peripheral upper bowl surface;

a toilet seat, hingeably mounted to a toilet seat lid, said toilet seat and toilet seat lid fixedly secured to said toilet bowl proximate said toilet tank, said toilet seat having an underside formed with a plurality of supports, said supports contacting said peripheral upper bowl surface when said toilet seat is in a lowered position, said underside of said toilet seat also having formed thereon, a geometric shape formed on said front end of said underside of said toilet seat, said geometric shape engageably cooperable with a complimentary geometric shape formed in the peripheral upper bowl surface of said toilet bowl when said toilet seat is in a lowered position.

2. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said geometric shape formed in said underside of said toilet seat comprises a geometric shaped protrusion.

3. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the geometric shape formed in the peripheral upper surface of said toilet bowl comprises a complimentary geometric shape to said geometric shape formed in said underside of said toilet seat.

4. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said geometric shape formed on said underside of said toilet seat comprises a geometric depression.

5. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said geometric shape formed on said peripheral upper surface of said toilet bowl comprises a geometric protrusion complimentary with said geometric depression in said toilet seat.

6. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said geometric protrusion and geometric depression are of a geometric spherical section.

7. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said geometric protrusion and geometric depression is cylindrical.

8. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said geometric protrusion or said geometric depression is a polyhedron in cross section.

9. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said geometric shape is pyramidal.

10. The toilet bowl and toilet seat assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said underside of said toilet seat as formed thereon a plurality of geometric shapes, cooperable with a plurality of geometric shapes formed on said peripheral upper surface of said toilet bowl.