GB2099496A - Toilet seat hinge - Google Patents

Abstract

A toilet seat (1) with a hinge bearing (2) for arranging said seat (1) on a toilet pan (3) has two bearing openings (9), between which is arranged the hinge bearing (2) with two detachable bearing bolts (4) forming the hinge axis and extending into the hinge bearing (2) through its ends (8). To construct such a toilet seat (1) in such a way that it is suitable for easy and rapid disassembly and/or refitting, e.g. for cleaning purposes, so that no fixing means are left behind on the seat and the bearing bolts (4) do not have to be kept as individual components, whilst also offering the possibility of fixing a toilet cover (11) which substantially hides the hinge bearing (2) in the closed position, the bolts (4) can be retracted into the hinge bearing (2) at least up to its ends (8) in an unlocking position by turning toothed knobs (14) which engage a rack 13 on each bolt (4). The bearing bolts are secured in the locking position and are prevented from falling out in the unlocking position, so that they form a unit with the hinge bearing (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toilet seat This invention relates to a toilet seat with a hinge bearing for fitting the seat to a toilet pan.

German Patent Specification No. 2,008,370 discloses a hinge arrangement for a toilet seat equipped with a cover making it possible to rapidly operate the seat and cover. The toilet seat is positioned between two hinge bearings, in each case having a bore and arranged on a toilet pan.

Spreading or expanding pins locked in the toilet seat bores rotatably guided from the outside through the bores in the hinge bearings are used for fixing the seat. The seat cover is fixed by downwardly directed shoulders provided thereon and which in each case have a bore and engage on the outside of the hinge bearing. A correspondingly longer spreading or expanding pin is then passed from the outside through the bore in the cover shoulders and is then anchored in the bores of the seat.

With regards to the arrangement of the toilet seat and the seat cover on two hinge bearings, German Patent Specification No. 2,904,734 discloses a fixing means similar to that disclosed in German Patent Specification No. 2,008,370 in which additionally the hinge bearings having centring pins which, together with corresponding centring cups on the bearing openings of the cover and seat, effect a preadjustment and permit an easy insertion of the bearing bolt from the outside of the cover.

Furthermore, German Auslegeschrift No. 2,700,663 discloses a hinge bearing for placing a toilet seat and/or cover on a toilet pan.

For the purpose of fixing the seat and cover, a hinge part is provided in the form of a tube which is screwed to the pan by means of threaded rods arranged thereon at right angles. Hinge pins fixed in bearing openings of the toilet seat are introduced into the said tube, which forms the pivot axis of the toilet seat. A tensioned helical spring arranged in the hollow hinge pin holds the latter in the said locking position.

Such known toilet seats can be removed from the pan e.g. for cleaning purposes, without it being necessary to remove the hinge bearing from the pan. However, the removal and refitting of the toilet seat is difficult and can generally only be performed with difficulty by one person and may even prove impossible for one person. It is difficult for someone to unlock the two bearing bolts whilst holding the seat with one hand. After unlocking, the bearing bolts are generally kept in pockets in the clothing so as to be ready for refitting, which should be avoided for hygienic reasons. Furthermore, with such fixing means, easy accessibility to the bearing bolts is necessary, so that they are also visible when the seat cover is closed.

The present invention aims to provide a toilet seat which is suitable for easy, rapid disassembly and re-fitting, e.g. for cleaning purposes, in which no fixing parts are left behind on the seat and there is no need to carry the bearing bolts as individual parts. The invention also aims to provide a toilet seat having means, without involving additional expenditure or effort and without involving adjustment problems, for fixing a seat cover which substantially hides the bearing hinge in the closed position.

According to the invention, there is provided a toilet seat with a hinge bearing for fitting said seat to a toilet pan, the seat having two bearing openings between which is arranged the hinge bearing with two detachable bearing bolts forming the hinge axis and extending into the said bearing through its ends, wherein the bearing bolts are retractable into the hinge bearing at least up to its ends in an unlocking position and can be locked in a locking position and secured against falling out in the unlocking position, whilst forming a unit with the hinge bearing.

With the toilet seat according to the invention, the components which have to be removed or refitted during assembly and disassembly are reduced to a minimum. As the bearing bolts form part of the hinge bearing, removal of the toilet seat is easy. It is not necessary for this purpose to completely remove the bearing bolts from the hinge bearing. The bearing bolts are merely retracted from the bearing openings of the toilet seat into the hinge bearing, so that the seat is released. By limiting the displaceability of the bearing bolts in a locking position and in an unlocking position with a securing means, the bolts remain on the hinge bearing, whilst permitting the seat to be cleaned. If necessary, the hinge bolts can be removed from the hinge bearings, e.g. by loosening the securing means.

The fitting of the toilet seat according to the invention is also made much easier and can easily be carried out by one person. The seat held by one hand is locked by the free hand by displacement of the bearing bolts in the hinge bearing.

A toilet seat cover may additionally be secured by means of the bearing bolts and the seat cover may have an edge projecting over and covering the hinge bearing at least up to the hinge axis. This latter arrangement ensures that the hinge bearing is substantially hidden, particularly when the seat cover is closed.

The hinge bearing may, if desired, form a stop member for the toilet seat and, optionally, the seat cover. This arrangement can be advantageous for ensuring that the toilet seat or cover does not strike against a cistern or water tank on opening, thereby avoiding damage.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the bearing bolts are displaceable by means of at least one mechanical drive arranged on the hinge bearing.

The mechanical drive may comprise a gear drive and each bearing bolt may be constructed as a rack over at least part of its length. Each bearing bolt may be displaceable by means of a respective pinion engageable with the rack or the two bearing bolts may be displaceable by means of a single pinion, constructed as a rotary knob, which is positioned between facing racks on the bearing bolts.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the bearing bolts can be arrested by rotating about their longitudinal axis. As a result, detachment of the bearing bolts due to frequent swinging of the toilet seat and/or cover is effectively prevented. The bearing bolts can, in each case, be locked against a stop member on the hinge bearing. Preferably, each stop member is formed on the end of the hinge bearing and, in the locking position, engages with a pin formed on the associated bearing bolt. Each bearing bolt is desirably provided with a grip or handle which may be associated with a respective stop member.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a view of one embodiment of a toilet seat according to the invention in the raised position and fixed to a toilet pan with a hinge bearing; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge bearing shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a bearing bolt forming part of the hinge bearing shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified hinge bearing; Fig. 5 is a larger scale partial view of the hinge bearing shown in Fig. 4 with a toilet seat and cover fixed thereto; Fig. 6 is a section through a variant of the hinge bearing shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a variant of the hinge bearing shown in Fig. 4.

In the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a toilet seat 1 has a hinge bearing 2 fixed to the rear edge of a toilet pan 3, e.g. by adhesion.

The seat 1 is pivotably fixed to the hinge bearing 2 about an axis formed by two bearing bolts 4.

The ledge-like hinge bearing 2 (Fig. 2) has an anchoring plate 5 on which is constructed a vertical holding web 6, which is symmetrical to the longitudinal axis. The two bearing bolts 4 are displaceably arranged in respective blind holes 7 formed at the upper end of the holding web 6. The depth of the holes 7 is selected in such a way that they can at least completely receive the bearing bolts 4. In the locking position, the bearing bolts 4 project by approximately one third of their length out of the blind holes 7 over the ends 8 of the hinge bearing 2 and pass through respective bearing openings 9 formed in the seat 1. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the bolts 4 pass through two further bearing openings 10 in a seat cover 11.The remaining length of the bearing bolts 4 in the blind holes 7 in the locking position ensures a satisfactory guidance and adequate hold.

The originally cylindrical basic profile of the bearing bolts 4 is semi-cylindrical along the part remaining in the blind hole 7 in the locking position and there is a centrally provided web 12 which is constructed as a toothed rack 13. The bearing bolts 4 can be displaced by the rotation of a pinion 1 5 whose one end is constructed as a rotary knob 14 and whose teeth engage in the rack 13 of the associated bearing bolt 4. The pinions 1 5 are arranged for this purpose in two bores 1 6 in the holding web 6 of the hinge bearing 2, said bores passing perpendicularly to the pivot axis of the toilet seat 1 formed by the bearing bolts 4.

By rotating the pinions 15 by means of the rotary knobs 14, the bearing bolts 4 can be moved out of the holes 7 into the locking position or can be completely retracted into the blind holes 7 in the unlocking position without projecting beyond the ends 8 of the hinge bearing 2. The locking and unlocking positions of the bearing bolts 4 is limited by the length of their racks 1 3. In the locking position, the bearing bolts 4 are secured against dropping out of the blind holes 7 by the untoothed areas of the webs 12, whilst in the unlocking position the unprofiled part thereof engages against the associated pinion 1 5 (cf Fig. 3). Owing to the fact that in the locking position and as shown in Fig. 1, a small part of the unprofiled area of the bearing bolts 4 remains in the blind holes 7, in said position the bolts 4 are guided over the entire periphery.

For removing the bearing bolts 4, it is necessary to remove the pinions 1 5 from the bores 1 6. To this end, by means of the rotary knob, the pinion 1 5 is turned into a position in which its teeth extend to the end facing the knob 1 4 (cf Fig. 2). In this position, the particular rack can be removed from the associated bore 1 6. Only then is it possible to remove the unsecured bearing bolt 4 from the associated blind hole 7. As a function of the diameter and number of the teeth, three to four teeth are open in this way. The remaining tooth slots are open towards the end, so that the pinion 1 5 is secured against removal when the bearing bolt 4 is moved out of the unlocking position.

In the raised position of the seat 1 and cover 11 shown in Fig. 1 , they engage on the side of the hinge bearing 2 facing the knobs 14, whilst sloping slightly backwards with respect to the vertical. The rear face 17 of the holding web 6 forms the bearing face for the toilet cover 11 and the rear lateral face 18 of the anchoring plate 5 forms the bearing surface for the toilet seat 1.

An edge 1 9 projecting downwards from the seat cover 11 completely hides the bearing bolts 4 when the cover 11 is in the lowered or closed position.

Since the construction and operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is the same as that of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, functionally identical, but constructionally somewhat different parts are given the same reference numerals, followed by an apostrophe.

The main difference between the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is that the bearing bolts 4' are locked or unlocked by direct manual displacement. The holding web 6' of the hinge bearing 2', which in this embodiment has a cross-sectionally L-shaped profile, is provided at its upper end with a recess 20, so that in place of the blind holes 7 in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, through bores 21 are formed in the holding web 6' from the ends 8' to the recess 20. The bearing bolts 4' are inserted in said through bores 21 from the direction of the recess 20. Each bearing bolt 4' has a cylindrical profile with a grip or handle 22 at one end whose thickness corresponds to the diameter of the cylindrical region of bearing bolt 4'. A pin 23 is provided on the plane of the grip or handle 22 in the front portion of the bearing bolt 4'.On placing a bearing bolt 4' in the associated through bore 21, the pin 23 is guided in a longitudinally formed slot 24. The bearing bolts 4t can be displaced with respect to an edge 26 of the associated through bores 21 until said edges 26 engage a stop face 25 formed on the associated grip or handle 22. In this locking position, each pin 23 is located in a widened area 27 of the associated through bore 21 formed at the end 8' of the holding web 6',so that the associated bolt 4' can be freely rotated about its longitudinal axis until its grip or handle 22 engages flat on the base 28 of the recess 20.

In this position, the bolt is secured against displacement in the direction of its longitudinal axis.

The displaceability of the bearing bolts 4' arranged in the through bores 21 is limited in the unlocking position by a projection 29 from the base area 28 in the centre of the recess 20. This projection 29 projects only slightly from the base area 28, so that the bearing bolts 4' can be raised over the projection 29 and then removed from the hinge bearing 2'.

In Fig. 6 (where similar parts are followed by two apostrophes) is shown a further possibility of displacing bearing bolts 4" with a single pinion 15" arranged in the centre of a holding web 6".

The bearing bolts 4" are guided in a recess 30 formed in the holding web 6" over the entire length of the hinge beairng 2" and which is only open towards the ends 8". Each of the bearing bolts 4" has a rack 13", a guidance area 31 and a lug 32. The rack 1 3" of one bearing bolt 41t meshes with the lower teeth of the pinion 1 5", whilst the rack 1 3" of the other bearing bolt 4" meshes with the upper teeth of the pinion 1 5". By rotating the pinion 1 5" in the direction of the arrow 33, the bearing bolts 4" are guided in the recess 30, being drawn so far into the hinge bearing 2" in the unlocking position that the lugs 32 do not project beyond the ends 8" of the hinge bearing.

The hinge bearing shown in Fig. 6 is assembled and disassembled in a similar manner to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 7 shows another possibility of arresting bearing bolts 4' on a hinge bearing 2', which is similar to that described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. In this case, however, the hinge bearing 2 is modified compared with that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in that the bearing bolts 4' have no pins 23 and consequently the slots 24 and the widened areas 27 provided in the through bores 21 are omitted. In this case, arresting is brought about by recesses 34 into which the grips or handles 22 can be rotated in each case. The bearing bolts 4' which are inserted in the hinge bearing 2' in the manner described hereinbefore, whilst rigidly fitted in the through bores, can be moved into the locking position, so that the stop faces 25 engage on edges 26 of the associated through bores 21.

By rotating the bearing bolt 4' about its longitudinal axis in the direction of the arrow 36, the associated grip or handle 22 is rotated into the recess 34. Each bearing bolt 4', whose end face 35 of the grip or handle 22 engages on a face 37 of the associated recess 34, which constitutes a stop member, is thereby prevented from effecting a longitudinal displacement.

Claims (14)

1. A toilet seat with a hinge bearing for fitting said seat to a toilet pan, the seat having two bearing openings between which is arranged the hinge bearing with two detachable bearing bolts forming the hinge axis and extending into the said bearing through its ends, wherein the bearing bolts are retractable into the hinge bearing at least up to its ends in an unlocking position and can be locked in a locking position and secured against falling out in the unlocking position, whilst forming a unit with the hinge bearing.

2. A toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein a toilet seat cover is additionally secured by means of the bearing bolts.

3. A toilet seat according to claim 2, wherein the seat cover has an edge projecting over and covering the hinge bearing at least up to the hinge axis.

4. A toilet seat according to any preceding claim, wherein the hinge bearing forms a stop member for the toilet seat.

5. A toilet seat according to any preceding claim, wherein the bearing bolts are displaceable by means of at least one mechanical drive arranged on the hinge bearing.

6. A toilet seat according to claim 5, wherein the or each mechanical drive comprises a gear drive.

7. A toilet seat according to claim 6, wherein each bearing bolt is constructed as a rack over at least part of its length.

8. A toilet seat according to claim 7, wherein each bearing bolt is displaceable by means of a respective pinion engageable with the rack.

9. A toilet seat according to claim 7, wherein the two bearing bolts are displaceable by means of a single pinion, constructed as a rotary knob, which is positioned between facing racks on the bearing bolts.

10. A toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bearing bolts can be arrested by rotating about their longitudinal axis.

11. A toilet seat according to claim 10, wherein the bearing bolts can, in each case, be locked against a stop member on the hinge bearing.

12. A toilet seat according to claim 11 , wherein each stop member is formed on the end of the hinge bearing and, in the locking position, engages with a pin formed on the associated bearing bolt.

13. A toilet seat according to claim 12, wherein each bearing bolt is provided with a grip or handle.

14. A toilet seat according to claim 11, wherein each bearing bolt is provided with a grip or handle which is associated with a respective stop member.

1 5. A toilet seat substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.