GB2313854A

GB2313854A - Toilet seat lifting device

Info

Publication number: GB2313854A
Application number: GB9609700A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shuang-Li Hung
Original assignee: HUNG SHUANG LI
Current assignee: HUNG SHUANG LI
Priority date: 1996-05-09
Filing date: 1996-05-09
Publication date: 1997-12-10
Also published as: GB9609700D0

Abstract

A toilet seat has compartments 26,27 adjacent the pivotal connection 29 with the toilet bowl 7. A fluid 8 initially in the rear compartment 26 (Fig 3) flows forward into compartment 25 on pushing down the seat to the lowered position and holds the seat in this down position (Fig 5). After a time sufficient fluid passes through constriction 241 into compartment 27 to cause the seat to return to the up position when unoccupied and fluid then drains back to compartment 26 whereby the function may be repeated.

Description

A TOILET SEAT The present invention relates to a pivoted toilet seat which can be automatically lifted up by means of the weight of a flowing fluid. The toilet seat includes an adjustable fixing seat pivotally connected with a rear end of the toilet seat, whereby the toilet seat can be adjusted in position according to different size or specification of the toilet bowl so that it can be suitably secured thereon.

A conventional automatically upward pivotable toilet seat employs a weight block and a cooperative linkage to achieve the lifting effect according to the principle of leverage. However, such structure is complicated and difficult to assemble Moreover, when it is in use, the toilet seat must be first depressed and kept in the depressed position before a user can sit thereon. This is quite inconvenient for the user.

In addition, different toilet bowls manufactured by different manufacturers often have different linear distances between the rear end of the toilet bowl After securing the toilet seat and the front end of the toilet bowl. Therefore, a fixing seat of the toilet seat with a fixed specification is hardly suitable for many different sizes or specifications of toilet bowls.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat specifically divided by partitioning boards into several chambers for containing a fluid. The respective chambers are communicated through throttles so as to limit the flowing speed of the fluid, whereby after the toilet seat is pushed down, the pivoted toilet seat is prevented from being immediately lifted up.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above toilet seat including a fixing seat slidably disposed on a slide seat, whereby the toilet seat can be adjusted in a proper position according to the size or specification of the toilet bowl so that it can be suitably secured thereon.

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing a first state of the operation of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a second state of the operation of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a side sectional view showing a third state of the operation of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a side sectional view showing a first type of installation of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a top view showing the cooperation between the fixing seat and the slide seat according to Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side sectional view showing a second type of installation of the present invention; and Fig. 9 is a top view showing the cooperation between the fixing seat and the slide seat according to Fig. 8.

Please refer to Figs. 1 and 2. The toilet seat l of the present invention has two molded bodies 2 respectively rearward extending from two sides of a rear end of the toilet seat 1. A balance block 21 is disposed in each molded body 2 for balancing the weight of the front and rear sides of the toilet seat. An observation window 22 is formed on a lateral side of a lower portion of each molded body 2. In addition, a filling hole 23 is formed on the lateral side of each molded body 2 for filling a fluid thereinto. A throttle screw 24 is disposed on a lateral side of the toilet seat 1 near the molded body 2. A fixing seat 4 is pivotally disposed between the two molded bodies 2 to couple the toilet seat 1 with the toilet bowl 7. Two pairs of shaft seats 43 are respectively disposed on two sides of the fixing seat 4.

Each pair of shaft seats 43 define a recess 431 for a pivot portion 29 of the molded body 2 to be inserted therein and secured by a pin member 44, whereby the fixing seat 4 and the molded body 2 are able to bear greater external force. The molded body 2 is hollow and the interior thereof is communicated with the rear half portion of the toilet seat 1 to form a close space.

The close space is divided into three portions by partitioning boards 28, that is, an upper chamber 25 above the molded body 2, a middle chamber 26 at the rear portion of the toilet seat 1 and a lower chamber 27 under the toilet seat 1. The upper and middle chambers 25, 26 are inclinedly communicated with each other by a narrow neck portion 261, while the middle and lower chambers 26, 27 are communicated with each other by a throttle hole 241 controlled by the throttle screw 24. In addition, the lower and upper chambers 27, 25 are communicated with each other by a conduit 271. The diameter of the neck portion 261 must be much greater than that of the conduit 271.

Two slide channels 41 are respectively formed on a left and a right sides of a bottom face of the fixing seat 4. Two locating holes 42 are respectively formed on the two sides of a top face of the fixing seat 4. A slide seat 5 is slidably fitted in the slide channels 41 and formed with two slots 51 near a rear end. The two slots 51 are collinearly arranged for a stem portion 62 of a bolt 6 to pass therethrough. Moreover, each slot 51 is stepped for stopping a head portion 61 of the bolt 6, permitting the bolt 6 to slide within the slot 51 to change the distance between the bolts 6 so as to secure the fixing seat on various toilet bowls 7 with different specifications. On two sides of the slide seat 5, between the slots 51 and a front end of the slide seat, there are formed two rows of adjusting holes 52 to be secured by a stopper body 53. The stopper body 53 includes a dome head portion 531 having a diameter larger than that of the locating hole 42 and a stem portion 532 downward extending from the head portion for inserting into the locating hole 42 and the adjusting hole 52 from upper side to lower side with the head portion 531 abutting against the top face of the fixing seat 4 so as to secure the slide seat 5 on the fixing seat 4.

When assembled, the slide seat 5 is first secured at the rear end of the toilet bowl 7 and then the slide channels 41 of the fixing seat 4 are slidably fitted with the slide seat 5, whereby the toilet seat 1 pivotally connected with the fixing seat 4 can be adjusted in position by means of the relative movement between the slide channels 41 and the slide seat 5. Then the stopper body 53 is inserted from upper side to lower side into the locating hole 42 of the fixing seat 4 and one of the adjusting holes 52 of the slide seat 5 so as to secure the toilet seat 1 on the toilet bowl 7.

Please refer to Fig. 3. After the pivoted toilet seat 1 is lifted upward, the fluid 8 originally contained in the lower chamber 27 flows through the conduit 271 into the upper chamber 25. By means of the weight of the fluid 8 in the upper chamber 25, the toilet seat 1 is kept in this position.

Pleaserefer to Fig. 4. When it is desired to use the toilet bowl, the toilet seat 1 is pressed down by a user's hand, making the fluid 8 in the upper chamber 25 flow through the neck portion 261 toward the middle chamber 26 according to the angle of the pressed down toilet seat 1.

Please refer to Fig. 5. After the toilet seat 1 is pressed down to contact with the toilet bowl, the fluid 8 is totally contained in the middle chamber 26. At this time, the middle chamber 26 is positioned in front of the pivot portion 29, while the upper and lower chambers 25, 27 are respectively positioned on a rear upper and a rear lower sides of the pivot portion 29 so that by means of the weight of the fluid, the toilet seat 1 is kept in the pressed down position. Because a bottom pad 11 is disposed under the bottom face of the toilet seat 1, the toilet seat 1 is slightly rearward inclined. Therefore, the fluid 8 in the middle chamber 26 flows through the throttle hole 241 into the lower chamber 27 by a flowing speed which is controlled by the diameter of the throttle hole 241. Accordingly, the lower chamber 27 slowly receives the fluid 8 flowing in.

After the fluid 8 is totally contained in the lower chamber 27, by means of the gravity principle, a downward pulling force is exerted onto the rear end of the molded bodies 2 to automatically lift the front end of the toilet seat 1. Simultaneously, the fluid 8 in the lower chamber 27 continuously flows through the conduit 271 into the upper chamber 25, whereby by means of the weight of the fluid 8 in the upper chamber 25, the toilet seat 1 is completely pivoted up. In the case that the upper chamber 25 is totally filled up with the fluid 8, the toilet seat 1 is kept in the pivoted up position as shown in Fig. 3.

The slide seat 5 and the adjusting hole 52 can be cooperatively used in two optional directions according to the dimension of different toilet bowl 7. The two directions are as follows: 1. Please refer to Figs. 6 and 7. The first option is to direct the adjusting hole 52 toward the front side of the toilet bowl 7 so as to shorten the distance between the locating hole 42 of the fixing seat 4 and the adjusting hole 52. Such type is suitable for a relatively smaller toilet bowl 7.

2. Please refer to Figs. 8 and 9. The second option is to direct the adjusting hole 52 toward the rear side of the toilet bowl 7 so as to prolong the distance between the locating hole 42 and the adjusting hole 52.

Such type is suitable for a relatively larger toilet bowl 7.

In addition, the user only needs to depress the dome head portion 531 of the stopper body 53 with hand for inserting the stopper body 53 into the locating hole 42 and adjusting hole 52 without using any tool.

It is to be understood that the above description and drawings are only used for illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Any variation and derivation from the above description and drawings should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A toilet seat comprising two molded bodies respectively rearward extending from two sides of a rear end of the toilet seat, wherein: a fixing seat is pivotally disposed between the two molded bodies by means of a pivot portion to pivotally connect with the toilet seat, each molded body being hollow and an interior thereof being communicated with a rear half portion of the toilet seat to form a close space, the close space being divided into several chambers by partitioning boards for containing a liquid, the chambers being communicated with each other and filled with the liquid by a certain amount, enabling the toilet seat to be automatically pivoted up in a delayed manner; the close space is divided into an upper chamber above the molded body, a middle chamber at the rear portion of the toilet seat and a lower chamber under the toilet seat, the upper and middle chambers being inclinedly communicated with each other by a narrow neck portion, while the middle and lower chambers being communicated with each other by a throttle hole, the lower and upper chambers being communicated with each other by a conduit, the middle chamber being positioned in front of the pivot portion, while the upper and lower chambers being respectively positioned on a rear upper and a rear lower sides of the pivot portion; and two slide channels are respectively formed on a left and a right sides of a bottom face of the fixing seat, two locating holes being respectively formed on the two sides of a top face of the fixing seat, a slide seat being slidably fitted in the slide channels and formed with two slots near a rear end, on two sides of the slide seat, between the slots and a front end of the slide seat being formed two rows of adjusting holes, a stopper body being inserted into the locating hole and one of the adjusting holes from upper side to lower side so as to secure the slide seat on the fixing seat.

2. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two slots are collinearly arranged for a stem portion of a bolt to pass therethrough, each slot being stepped to stop a head portion of the bolt, whereby the bolt is slidable within the slot to change the distance between the two bolts.

3. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein a balance block is disposed in the rear end of each molded body for balancing the weight of the front and rear sides of the toilet seat.

4. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stopper body includes a dome head portion having a diameter larger than that of the locating hole and a stem portion downward extending from the head portion for inserting into the locating hole and the adjusting hole from upper side to lower side with the head portion abutting against the top face of the fixing seat so as to secure the slide seat in the slide channels of the fixing seat.

5. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein two pairs of shaft seats are respectively disposed on two sides of the fixing seat, each pair of shaft seat defining a recess for the pivot portion of the molded body to be inserted therein and secured by a pin member.

6. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein a throttle screw is disposed in the throttle hole of the molded body and extends to a lateral side of the toilet seat.

7. A toilet seat constructed and arranged to function substantially as herein described, with particular, but not essential reference to the drawings.