EP2687138B1

EP2687138B1 - Toilet seat sheet

Info

Publication number: EP2687138B1
Application number: EP12758156.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akiyoshi Nonaka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-15
Filing date: 2012-02-01
Publication date: 2015-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-01
Also published as: KR20120130319A; TWI377041B; CN102821663B; KR101296451B1; EP2687138A1; HK1173935A1; US20140047628A1; JP4751487B1; CN102821663A; TW201228628A; EP2687138A4; WO2012124397A1; JP2012191984A

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a toilet seat sheet to be used by attaching to (placing on) a toilet seat surface of a Western-style toilet stool, and more specifically to a toilet seat sheet foldably structured for portable use.

BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE

When using a Western-style toilet stool in a public toilet, it is most requested that the toilet seat surface with which a user's skin comes into direct contact be maintained to be clean and hygienic.
In a Western-style toilet stool installed in a public toilet, however, there rarely exists a toilet stool provided with countermeasures for keeping the toilet seat surface clean and hygienic. In order to prevent one's skin from coming into direct contact with the toilet seat surface, users generally place tissue papers or toilet papers cut into desired lengths on the toilet seat surface.
With such a solution means, since the size of the cutout toilet paper does not meet the standard of the toilet seat surface, it is difficult to stably arrange the toilet paper on the toilet seat surface, and therefore there is a problem that users often feel uneasy about, e.g., moving of the toilet paper on the toilet seat when using the toilet. In the case of such method, there is another problem that it is extremely uneconomical because more than necessary amounts of toilet papers are cut to relieve the concern that the user's skin may come into direct contact with the toilet seat surface.
Especially, a latest toilet seat is different from a conventionally structured toilet seat in which the entire toilet seat surface is relatively flat. That is, for the purpose of fitting to the users' body shapes (specifically, the shape of the gluteal region when seated) to make the seated feeling better, many toilet seats have a structure in which the toilet seat surface is slightly and downwardly inclined toward the inner peripheral edge portion (excretion hole side) from the outer peripheral edge portion. Therefore, when a tissue paper or a toilet paper is placed on the toilet seat surface, there likely causes a force to move the placed sheet or other paper from the outer peripheral edge portion of the toilet seat surface to the inner peripheral edge portion thereof (the outlet hole side of the toilet bowl) along the inclination of the toilet seat surface to slip down into the excretion hole, creating another problem that a paper cannot be stably set and maintained.
To solve the problems, a toilet seat sheet is proposed, in which a circular or elliptical open hole is perforated or an excised portion (cutoff portion) for forming such open hole is formed in a center (a position corresponding to the excretion hole of the toilet seat) of a rectangular sheet covering the entire toilet seat surface or an elliptical or similarly shaped sheet covering the entire toilet seat surface (See Fig. 12).
Such publically known toilet seat sheets are generally simple, that is, a plurality of sheets are each folded in half in the lengthwise direction and accommodated in a packaging bag. It is considered that those sheets are solely aimed to be used by being provided in a toilet. Therefore, they are not appropriate for portable use due to the large size.
On the other hand, as a toilet seat sheet available for portable use, a disposable toilet seat sheet is proposed in which it is configured such that a plurality of rectangular sheets each having the aforementioned structure and each folded into a small size are accommodated in a case (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. H8-7 ). In this case, since the proposed toilet seat sheet does not have a special consideration for the folding structure of the sheet, especially a structure for extracting the sheet from the case and a structure for opening up the extracted sheet, it is inconvenient that the sheet cannot be used promptly because the operation to take the accommodated toilet seat sheet out of the case is troublesome.
When a conventional toilet seat sheet is placed on a new model toilet seat surface in which the entire circumference of the toilet seat surface is downwardly inclined toward the inner peripheral edge portion of the toilet seat surface from the outer peripheral edge portion thereof, since the entire sheet is likely to move toward the inner peripheral edge portion along the inclined surface and slips to the excretion hole portion. Otherwise, since a wrinkling force from the outer peripheral edge portion to the inner peripheral edge portion acts on the entire set toilet seat, a number of small folds are likely formed on the sheet surface, which may cause a feeling of strangeness to the user.
To cope with these problems, a toilet seat sheet meeting the following requirements is desired to be developed, but currently, such a convenient toilet seat sheet has not been proposed. That is, a desired toilet seat sheet has a structure in which a toilet seat sheet is folded into an appropriate size to be portable, the folded toilet seat sheet is capable of being extracted promptly from a packaging bag in a similar manner as tissue paper, the extracted toilet seat sheet is capable of being opened easily with one hand and can be fitted on and used with a toilet seat hygienically in a stable manner.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

PATENT DOCUMENT

JP S63229014A discloses a toilet seat sheet according to the preamble of claim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to solve various structural problems of a toilet seat sheet for portable use in which a plurality of toilet seat sheets are accommodated in a packaging bag. The structural problems include inability of a toilet seat sheet to be easily extracted from a portable case (packaging bag), inability of the extracted toilet seat sheet to be promptly opened, and deficiencies in the fitting mechanism and/or fitting effects of the toilet seat sheet onto a toilet seat surface.

MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS

To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a toilet seat sheet as claimed in claim 1. A further embodiment of the invention is described in claim 2.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, since the toilet seat sheet is configured such that the entire rectangular toilet seat sheet is sequentially folded in the widthwise and lengthwise directions, it can be formed into an extremely compact size. Therefore, in a manner similar to pocket tissues, the toilet seat sheet can be easily carried in a handbag or a pocket of clothing by accommodating a plurality of toilet seat sheets in a packaging bag having an opening portion as an extraction opening on one side.
Further, when using the sheet, the objects of the invention can be achieved only by an extremely simple operation of placing an opened toilet seat sheet on a toilet seat surface, and excellent effects can be exerted to accurately and hygienically maintain a toilet seat surface without requiring special techniques.
In the present invention, specifically, a finally folded toilet seat sheet is formed to have a triangular extraction finger grip portion on a surface layer of a folded overlapping portion folded in four formed by alternately folding in half in different directions in the lengthwise direction, or the surface layer and the overlapping second layer thereof. Therefore, when extracting the sheet from a packaging bag, each sheet can be easily and accurately extracted by merely gripping the extraction finger grip portion and pulling out through the extraction opening of the packaging bag.
Further, the toilet seat sheet extracted with the triangular extraction finger grip portion gripped can exert excellent effects that the sheet main portion can be easily and accurately opened into a vertically long rectangular shape merely by lightly shaking in the up and down direction while holding the extraction finger grip portion.
Furthermore, in the toilet seat sheet of the present invention, the sheet is folded in half so that both outer side portions of the sheet in a widthwise direction thereof are brought closer so as to face each other at the center line position thereof to thereby form a vertically long rectangular shape as a whole. Then, the vertically long rectangular sheet is folded in half at an intermediate portion or near the intermediate portion in the lengthwise direction. Thereafter, it is again folded in half in an opposite direction at an intermediate portion in the lengthwise direction so that the sheet folded into four layers. Further, the end portions of the uppermost surface layer of the folded and overlapped sheet and the next layer contacting the uppermost layer, or the end portions of the uppermost layer (the uppermost layer when overlapped, among both the upper and lower end portions of the vertically long rectangle) are folded into a triangular shaped extraction finger grip portion with a central portion of the sheet in the widthwise direction after forming an apex of a triangle. Therefore, the toilet seat sheet opened to be used is placed on a toilet seat in a state in which the folding lines extending in the lengthwise direction for forming the sheet in a vertically long rectangle are mountain folded and the center line portion is valley folded (See Fig. 10).
The toilet seat sheet set on a toilet seat surface and starting to unfold causes, at the lengthwise folding line and the valley folded center line thereof, a slight force to push out the sheet right and left (a force to push out both sides of the mountain folded lengthwise folding line and the valley folded center line right and left, respectively) against the folding force. This promptly causes unfolding of the sheet into an entirely flat sheet, resulting in smooth contact with the toilet seat surface.
Also, the sheet can be placed on the toilet seat surface accurately without requiring special techniques for unfolding the sheet, which exerts excellent fitting effects with less slippage.
Specifically, even when being applied to a recent new-model toilet seat in which the toilet seat surface is gradually and downwardly inclined from the outer peripheral edge portion to the inner peripheral edge portion (to the open hole side), both outer side portions of the two right and left lengthwise folding lines formed on the toilet seat sheet so as to extend in the lengthwise direction unfolds while exerting a force toward the outer direction (toward the upper direction of the inclination) opposing the downward inclining surface formed on the toilet seat surface. Therefore, unlike conventional products, the toilet seat sheet set on the toilet seat less likely moves toward the inner peripheral edge portion (toward the open hole) of the toilet stool along the downward inclination of the toilet seat surface or slips into the open hole, thereby exerting excellent effects to stably set on the toilet seat surface.
Since the toilet seat sheet itself can be produced at extremely low cost, the toilet seat sheet is excellent in economic efficiency, and can be used as a promotional item similar to pocket tissue.
Since the triangular shaped extraction finger grip portion is formed at the end portion of the surface layer of the overlapping portion folded into four layers by folding the sheet in half twice in the lengthwise direction, the sheet can be easily extracted by merely pulling out the extraction finger grip portion by matching the extraction opening of the packaging bag to the position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1A is a plan view showing an unfolded toilet seat sheet according to Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown in Fig. 1 is folded along lengthwise folding lines.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown in Fig. 2 is folded in half along a first folding line extending in a widthwise direction.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown in Fig. 3 is further folded in half along a second folding line extending in the widthwise direction.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which upper and lower sides of Fig. 4 is reversed.
[Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which only an outermost layer is folded into a triangular shape along diagonal folding lines.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which an outermost layer and a lower layer contacting the outermost layer are simultaneously folded in half into a triangular shape.
[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a schematic view separately showing the toilet seat sheet of Embodiment 1 and a packaging bag thereof.
[Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet of Embodiment 1 is accommodated in a packaging bag.
[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a developing schematic view showing opening steps of the toilet seat sheet of Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a developed plan view showing a toilet seat sheet of Embodiment 2.
[Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a conventional toilet seat sheet.

EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

Embodiment 1

Figs. 1 to 10 show a first embodiment of the present invention. A toilet seat sheet shown by a reference symbol A includes a sheet main portion 1 formed into a rectangular shape by a thin paper having a size capable of covering a toilet seat surface and an appropriate strength. The sheet main portion 1 includes an open hole forming portion 2 to be served as an excretion hole formed at the center portion of the sheet main portion. The sheet main portion 1 is folded in the widthwise and lengthwise directions. The upper end portion of the sheet main portion folded in the lengthwise direction constitutes an extraction finger grip portion 3.
The position of forming the open hole forming portion 2 to be served as an excretion hole corresponds to the excretion hole of the toilet stool. Specifically, the open hole forming portion is formed into a circular shape or an over shape having a partially discontinued portion between folding lines 11 and 11 formed on the sheet main portion 1 so as to extend in the vertical direction and between second folding lines 12b and 12b formed so as to extend in the widthwise direction (See Fig. 1).
In this Embodiment 1, the open hole forming portion 2 is exemplified as having a structure in which, at the time of use, the portion surrounded by a cutout groove 21 or a cutout line (not illustrated) is cut out to form a hole for excretion, but not limited to the exemplified structure. An open hole for excretion can be formed in advance by cutting out the inner portion surrounded by the cutout groove 21 or cutout line (not illustrated).
The lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 are each provided so as to extend lengthwise at an intermediate portion between a center line 12 provided at a central portion of the sheet main portion 1 in a widthwise direction and a right or left outer peripheral edge of the center line 12 so as to bisect or nearly bisect the width between the center line 12 and the right or left peripheral edge. By inwardly folding the outer portions 11a and 11a partitioned by the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 in half along the folding lines 11 and 11, a vertically long rectangular shape in which both outer peripheral edge portions of the outer portions 11a and 11a are got close to each other at the center line 12 of the sheet main portion 1 (See Fig. 2).
The reference numeral "13a" denotes a first folding line provided so as to extend in the widthwise direction at a position located near the central portion in the lengthwise direction to bisect or nearly bisect the lengthwise long rectangular shape up and down in order to fold in half in the lengthwise direction the sheet main portion 1 folded into a vertically long rectangular shape along the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11. The first folding line 13a is provided at a position in which, among the upper and lower portions partitioned by the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction, the length of one of the upper and lower half portions is slightly longer than that of the other. (In Fig. 1, the first folding line is provided at a position where the length of the lower half portion partitioned by the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction is slightly longer than the length of the upper half portion.)
In the first embodiment, the lengths of the upper and lower half portions partitioned by the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction are differentiated, but not limited to that. The upper and lower half portions partitioned by the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction can be formed to have the same length (i.e., can be bisected). However, as in the first embodiment, when providing a length difference between the upper and lower half portions sandwiching the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction, it is preferable that the lower half portion is formed to be slightly longer than the central portion in the lengthwise direction. Specifically, the lower half portion is longer by a size so that the upper end portion of the folded toilet seat sheet can be gripped with fingertips. In this case, it is effective to make the uppermost surface layer of the toilet seat sheet folded into four in the lengthwise direction longer for opening up the toilet seat sheet. It is not preferable to make the lower layer contacting the layer positioned on the outermost surface longer.
The second folding lines 13b and 13b extending in the widthwise direction are folding lines for bisecting the entire length of the rectangular sheet main portion 1 folded in half in the lengthwise direction so that the lower half portion below the first folding line 13a overlaps the upper surface of the upper half portion to further fold the sheet in half, and are reference lines for folding so that the lower half portion overlaps the rear surface of the upper half portion of the sheet main portion 1 folded in half in the state exemplified and shown in Fig. 3 (See Figs. 4 and 5).
The reference numbers "3a and 3a," and "3b and 3b" are folding lines extending in diagonal directions for forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 at the end portion of the four-folded sheet main portion 1. The first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a are formed near the upper end portions of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11, and second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b are formed near the lower end portions of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11. These diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a, and 3b and 3b are each formed diagonally so that a portion adjacent to the second folding line 13b extending in the widthwise direction forms an apex (See Fig. 1).
The first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a and the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 are, as exemplified in Figs. 1 to 5, positioned so as to overlap at the same positions when folded in half at the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction and provided at the central portion in the lengthwise direction of the sheet main portion 1.
Furthermore, the extraction finger grip portions 3 and 3 folded into triangular shapes along the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a and the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b are folded so that both upper and lower ends of the center line 12 in the widthwise direction of the sheet main portion 1 forms an apex of a triangular shape (See Figs. 6 and 7).
In the first embodiment, the positions as folding references of the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a formed at the upper end portions of the sheet main portion 1 and the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b formed at the lower end portion are formed are slightly different (in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper end portions of the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a formed at the upper end portions are positioned so as to be slightly separated from the position of the center line 12 of the sheet main portion 1). This is a result of forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 by folding at the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b formed on the outermost layer and the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a formed on the layer below it at the same position when forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 and 3 after folding the sheet in four since the position of the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction is positioned upper than the central portion of the lengthwise direction of the vertically long sheet.
In Fig. 10, the arrows C show the direction of the force exerted when opening the folded sheet main portion 1 for use.
The bag B for packaging is made using, e.g., a synthetic resin film, and formed to have a size capable of accommodating an arbitrary number of folded toilet seat sheets A in an overlapped manner, and is provided with an opening line for forming an extraction opening 4 for the toilet seat sheet A on the upper surface. The position where the extraction opening 4 is formed is not specifically limited, but when it is formed on the top surface of the portion where the triangularly formed extraction finger grip portion 3 is positioned, it is most effective because the extraction finger grip portion 3 can be contacted easily when extracting the toilet seat sheet.

Embodiment 2

Fig. 11 shows the second embodiment having exactly the same structure as the first embodiment, except that one of the first diagonal folding lines 3a among the first diagonal folding line 3a and the second diagonal folding line 3b formed on both the upper and lower end portions of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 is not formed and the second diagonal folding line 3b is only formed at the lower portion.
A method for folding the toilet seat sheet A of Embodiment 1 constituted as described above will be explained.
To fold the portable toilet seat sheet A, using the two folding lines 11 and 11 formed in the longitudinal direction at the central portion on both left and right sides sandwiching the center line 12 of the rectangular sheet main portion 1 (a position quadrisecting or nearly quadrisecting the sheet main portion A in the widthwise direction) as folding reference lines, the sheet main portion 1 is folded inward in half so that both left and right outer peripheral edge portions thereof are got adjacent to the center line 12 to thereby form a vertically long rectangular shape (See Figs. 1 and 2).
Next, the sheet is folded in half at the first folding line 13a extending in a widthwise direction and sandwiched by the lower half portion and the upper half portion so as to overlap the lower half portion to the upper surface of the upper half portion (see Fig. 3). Then, after the sheet main portion 1, folded in half and overlapped as in the state exemplified in Fig. 3, is again folded in half so that the lower half portion lower than the second folding line 13b extending in the widthwise direction overlaps the rear surface of the upper half portion (see Figs. 4 and 5), the folded sheet is folded along the folding lines 3a, 3a, 3b, and 3b to form a triangular extraction finger grip portion 3 (see Figs. 6 and 7).
To form the toilet seat sheet A of Embodiment 2, the triangular shaped extraction finger grip portion using the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a of the lower side layer contacting the outermost layer is not formed as in Embodiment 1, and the other structures are exactly the same as Embodiment 1. (See Fig. 6)

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

A:: toilet seat sheet
B:: packaging bag
C:: direction of the force for opening operation
1:: sheet main portion
2:: open hole forming portion
3:: extraction finger grip portion
3a:: first folding line in a diagonal direction
3b:: second folding line in a diagonal direction
4:: opening portion to be served as an extracting hole
11:: folding line in a vertical direction
12:: center line
13a:: first folding line in the widthwise direction
13b:: second folding line in the widthwise direction
21:: cutout groove

Claims

A toilet seat sheet (A) configured so that a plurality of the toilet seat sheets are accommodated in a packaging bag so as to be taken out therefrom, the toilet seat sheet (A) comprising:
a rectangular shaped sheet (1) having a size capable of covering a toilet seat surface and an open hole or an open hole forming portion (2) to be served as an excretion hole formed in a central portion of the sheet (1), wherein:
folding lines (11, 11) extending in a longitudinal direction of the sheet (1) are provided at both side portions of the sheet sandwiching a center line (12) provided at a central portion of the sheet in a widthwise direction of the sheet, the folding lines (11, 11) being arranged at positions each bisecting or nearly bisecting a width between the center line (12) and a right or left side edge,

both the side portions are initially folded inward in half along the folding lines (11) to form an initially folded sheet having a vertically long rectangular shape,
characterised by
a lower half portion of the initially folded sheet divided by a first folding line (13a) extending in the widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting the vertically long rectangular shape is secondary folded along the first folding fine (13a) in half
so as to overlap an upper half portion of the initially folded sheet with the right and left side edges of the non-folded sheet (1) facing each other,

a lower half portion of the secondary folded sheet divided by a second folding line (13b) extending in the widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting a rectangular shape formed by the secondary folding is folded along the second folding line (13b) in half so as to overlap a rear surface of an upper half portion of the secondary folded sheet, and

certain length portions of an end portion that constitute a lower edge portion when the sheet (1) originally takes a vertically long rectangular shape are folded along oblique folding lines (3b) so that a central portion of the certain length portions in the widthwise direction forms an apex of a triangle.
The toilet seat sheet according to claim 1, wherein certain length portions of both end portions that constitute upper and lower edge portions when the sheet (1) originally takes a vertically long rectangular shape are folded along oblique folding lines (3a, 3b) so that central portions of the certain length portions in the widthwise direction form an apex of a triangle.