DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] A toilet bowl protector according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided to prevent soiling of a toilet bowl. The toilet bowl protector preferably comprises a round, oval, square, or rectangular shaped sheet, the sheet further including a depressed region formed therein. The protector according to the present invention provides a shield or cover disposed about the bowl of a toiled to prevent soiling to facilitate maintaining the toilet bowl in a clean and hygienic condition.

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the toilet bowl protector according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the protector 100 comprises a rim 120 and a shell 130. As shown in FIG. 3, the rim 120 is sufficiently sized to disposed about the rim of the bowl of a toilet, and the shell 130 is adapted to be disposed within the bowl of the toilet. Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a cross-sectional side view of the toilet bowl protector according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the shell 130 of the protector 100 extends from the rim 120. Additionally, the shell 130 is offset from the edge of the rim 120 thereby forming flange 110. The flange 110 is adapted to be disposed around the rim or edge of the bowl of the toilet bowl as shown in FIG. 3.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the toilet bowl protector 100 is adapted to be disposed within the entire bowl of a toilet 50 as shown. The shell 130 protects the bowl from becoming soiled. In use, the seat is initially disposed substantially perpendicular to the floor, the toilet bowl protector is then placed around and within the bowl of the toilet, wherein the shell lines the bowl and the rim 120 defined by the flange 110 is placed upon the rim of the toilet bowl. The seat is then lowed to an approximately horizontal position, wherein the seat retains the protector within the position as shown in FIG. 3. After use, the protector may be disposed of by raising the seat before flushing the toilet, so that the action of the water flowing down the drain after flushing pulls the protector into the bowl and down the drain. It may, preferably, be unnecessary to raise the seat prior to flushing in that the action of the water flowing into the drain may be sufficient to draw the protector into the bowl and down the drain therewith, although this may depend upon factors such as the type of material used to form the protector and the rate of water flow in the toilet.

[0019] Referring now to FIG. 4 another embodiment of a toilet bowl protector 200 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The toilet bowl protector 200 comprises a discontinuous rim 220 and a shell portion 230 depending therefrom. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rim 220 is discontinuous as compared with the continuous rim 120 shown in FIG. 1. The toilet bowl protector 200 is generally u-shaped when viewed from the front. As with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the shell 230 depends from the lower portion of the rim 220 and is adapted to be received within the bowl of the toilet to provide protection against soiling.

[0020] Each of the embodiments shown herein may be fabricated in the manner and of the materials to be described below. As shown, the toilet bowl protector may be fabricated from a paper material, wherein the paper material has sufficient thickness to resist tearing but is sufficiently thin to allow the protector to be flushed into the sewer system or retaining tank. It is also preferred that the material utilized to fabricate the protectors herein is a non-absorbent material, thus when the shell portion is disposed within the bowl the water within the bowl will not immediately dissolve or break down the protector. Alternatively, the rim may be constructed of a material such as that described above, while the shell portion may be formed of an absorbent material wherein the two separate components would then be assembled to form the protector as shown.

[0021] The rim and shell may be integrally formed as a unitary unit or alternatively may be formed of multiple pieces which may then be assembled to form a single unit as shown. Additionally, as shown, the protector may be formed without having a formed rim.

[0022] Although the present invention is shown embodied in the form of a circle or partial circle or oval, it shall be understood that the present invention may be formed having any shape such as circles, squares, rectangles (FIG. 6), ovals or other possible shapes of commode. It is further contemplated that the present invention may be utilized with a conventionally available seat cover. That is the present invention may be disposed within the bowl to maintain sanitary and hygienic conditions therein, while the conventional seat cover may be placed over the seat to provide sanitary and hygienic conditions.

[0023] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it shall be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but is capable of numerous modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to encompass such modifications and substitution of parts or elements as fall within the scope of the invention.