US3717884A

US3717884A - Seat lifter

Info

Publication number: US3717884A
Application number: US00175641A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Mantooth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-08-27
Filing date: 1971-08-27
Publication date: 1973-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-27

Abstract

A lifting handle for a toilet seat, consisting of a plate-like flange which can be fastened to the underside of a toilet seat by screws, with a laterally projecting hand grip having tom and bottom ribs in the form of closed loops. The bottom rib depends adjacent the toilet seat so as to act as a splash deflector.

Description

Umted States Patent 1 1 1 11 3,717,884 Mantooth Feb. 27, 1973 1 1 SEAT LIFTER 911,942 2/1909 [76] Inventor: Charles P. Mantooth, 2011 Magnolia Ave. NE, Knoxville, Tenn. 3,566,421 3/1971 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 175,641

[5 2] U.S. Cl ..4/237, 4/1 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47k 13/00 [58] Field of Search ..4/1, 237, 234, 235, 236, 238,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,564 11/1899 Russell ..4/237 X Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-Berman, Davidson & Berman ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 3. Drawing Figures This invention relates to seat-lifting handle devices, and more particularly to an improved handle for lifting a toilet seat without the necessity of reaching under the seat to lift it.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved toilet seat lifting device which is relatively simple in construction, which is easy to install, and which is provided with improved splashdeflecting means to deflect liquid splashing from the associated toilet bowl in a manner to prevent soiling of the users clothes by the liquid from the bowl.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toilet seat lifting handle which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is inconspicuous in appearance when installed, which enables the user to easily raise a toilet seat without soiling his hands, and which can be cheaply manufactured by mass production methods.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional toilet unit have a seat equipped with an improved lifting handle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2- 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the seat-lifting handle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, said view being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 1 generally designates an improved toilet seat lifting handle according to the present invention. The handle 11 comprises a plate-like flange 12, which may be of molded plastic material, or

any other suitable corrosion-resistant material, the member 12 having a relatively wide main portion and converging to the right in width, as viewed in FIG. 3, toward a narrower side portion 13. The wide portion of the member 12 is apertured to receive a plurality of fastening screws 14, whereby it may be secured to the undersurface of a conventional toilet seat 15 adjacent a side edge of the seat in the manner shown in FIG. 2, namely, with the narrower side portion 13 projecting laterally outwardly from the seat.

The side portion 13 is integrally formed with hand grip means comprising top and bottom elongated closed-loop ribs 16 and 17, the upper rib 16 projecting upwardly from the top surface of the flange portion 13 and the lower rib 17 depending downwardly from the bottom surface of said flange portion, the closedloop ribs being identical and being in vertical registry. The ribs 16 and 17 are of substantial lengths and are arranged so that their inner arm portions extend adjacent to and substantially parallel to the side edge of the associated toilet seat 15 when the handle device is in- I stalled, for example, in the manner illustrated in FIGS.

1 and 2, namely, in a manner so that the hand grip portion projects laterally from the toilet seat.

With the device installed in the manner above described, it will be seen that the depending elongated closed-loop rib 17 has an inner arm 18 which extends substantially parallel to the adjacent side edge of the seat 15 and which depends therebelow, defining a splash-deflecting baffle element which acts to deflect liquid splashing from the associated toilet bowl 19 in a downward direction beneath the lifting handle, and

thereby prevents the user's hands from coming into contact with such splashed liquid. Since the closed loop ribs are substantially coextensive with the outwardly projecting flange portion 13, the depending splash-deflecting element 18 is effective for the entire width of the lifting handle and effectively protects against the user soiling his hands or clothes from contact with liquid splashed from the toilet bowl 19. As will be readily apparent, the device lll may be installed, so as to project from either side of the associated toilet seat, as desired.

It will be further noted that the outwardly projecting handle portion of the device has rounded edges, and all outwardly projecting surfaces are smoothly rounded so as to prevent clothing from catching on said outwardly projecting handle portion. Likewise, because of its rounded exposed surface, the handle is easy and comfortable to grip and can be easily and efficiently cleaned. Because of its plate-like construction, the device also serves as a baffle to prevent exposure of the users hands or clothes to vapor from the toilet bowl as well as splashed liquid therefrom.

While a specific embodiment of an improved toilet seat lifting handle device is disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a toilet seat having a flat bottom surface, a lifting handle comprising a plate-like flange secured to the outer margin of said bottom surface and having a portion projecting laterally outwardly from the seat, and hand grip means on the outwardly projecting portion of said flange, said hand grip means including a depending element of substantial length extending alongside and adjacent to the edge of the seat and acting as a splash deflector, said depending element being in the form of a rib shaped as a closed elongated loop having an inner arm extending substantially parallel to said edge of the seat.

2. The structural combination of claim 1, and wherein said depending element extends substantially parallel to the edge of the seat.

3. The structural combination of claim 1, and wherein said hand grip means includes another rib in the form of a closed elongated loop formed on and upstanding from the top surface of "the flange, identical with and opposite to the depending closed loop rib on the bottom surface of said outwardly projecting portion.

4. The structural combination of claim 3, and wherein said flange converges outwardly in width and the closed loop ribs are substantially coextensive with v the outwardly projecting portion of the flange.

Claims

3. The structural combination of claim 1, and wherein said hand grip means includes another rib in the form of a closed elongated loop formed on and upstanding from the top surface of the flange, identical with and opposite to the depending closed loop rib on the bottom surface of said outwardly projecting portion.

4. The structural combination of claim 3, and wherein said flange converges outwardly in width and the closed loop ribs are substantially coextensive with the outwardly projecting portion of the flange.