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This application claims priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/743,316, filed Feb. 17, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toilet seats and more particularly to a toilet seat that will reposition itself in the upright open position after use.
2. Background of the Related Art
Public restroom toilets, such as those found in restaurants, offices, schools and malls and shopping plazas, are used by many people. As a consequence, it is difficult to maintain the cleanliness of these public toilets. This can be especially true in male or unisex restrooms where there is a single toilet and no installed or functioning urinal. Even in restrooms that have multiple urinals and toilets, males frequently use the toilets for urinating. In particular, if a male user uses a toilet for urination only and does not lift the toilet seat prior urinating, there is a risk that the male user will splash urine onto the toilet seat. Needless to say, this situation increases the frequency with which the restroom must be cleaned.
This situation may even occur to a homeowner who has occasional guests or house parties.
Therefore, there is a need for a restroom toilet that minimizes the chances that a male user will urinate on the toilet seat. There is also a need for a restroom toilet that makes maintaining the cleanliness of the restroom less burdensome.
The present invention solves the problems of the prior art by providing a self-lifting toilet seat. In particular, the self-lifting toilet seat of the present invention includes a spring that upwardly urges the toilet seat from a closed position to an open position. A hydraulic actuator tempers the speed with which the spring upwardly urges the toilet seat to the open position, yet enables a user to easily and quickly push the toilet seat to the closed position. It is also desirable that the hydraulic actuator provide a positive locking system in the closed position allowing the user adequate time to undress and use prior to allowing the toilet seat to lift into the open position.
Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention is the provision for a device to automatically lift a toilet seat to its up position.
Another object of the present invention is the provision for a device to lift a toilet seat to its up position in a slow and controlled manner and more preferably after a pause in time from when the user of the toilet stands up from being seated.
Another object of the present invention is the provision for a device that automatically locks the toilet seat in the closed position allowing the user sufficient time for use.
Yet, another object of the present invention is a provision for a device to automatically lift a toilet seat that is durable and requires little of no maintenance.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
FIG. 1 is a top partial cross-section view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the toilet seat in the down position;
FIG. 2 is a side partial cross-section view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a elevation partial cross-section view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the toilet seat in the up position;
FIG. 4 is a side partial cross-section view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the toilet seat in the up position;
FIG. 5 is a cross-section view through line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a cross-section view through line 6-6 of FIG. 1;
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the self-lifting toilet seat of the present invention is shown generally at 10 mounted to a toilet 12 and toilet seat 14. In particular, the self-lifting toilet seat apparatus 10 is pivotally connected to a toilet 12 and toilet seat 14 so that the toilet seat 14 may be pivoted between a closed position and an open position and vice versa. Two torsion springs 18 upwardly urge the toilet seat 14 to the open position. As the toilet seat 14 is moved from the open position to the closed position, and vice versa, it rotates a shaft 16. The shaft 16 is received into a hydraulic actuator 18 having a fluid-filled cylindrical chamber 20 and a valve body 22.
Referring now to FIG. 5, a vane 24 extends from the shaft 16 and into the cylindrical chamber 20 of the hydraulic actuator 18 and rotates with the shaft 16 between the open position 26 and the closed position 28 and effectively divides the chamber 20 into a first side and a second side.
The valve body 22 is connected to the chamber 20 of the hydraulic actuator 18. The valve body 22 has a fluid channel 30, which connects the first side and the second side in fluid connection and allows the fluid to flow from the first side to the second side of the chamber 20 and vice versa. As the vane 24 rotates, it forces the fluid from one side to the other of the chamber 20.
Within the valve body 22 and interposed between the fluid channel 30 and the chamber 20, is a spring-biased ball valve 32, which opens when the toilet seat 14 pivots from the open position to the closed position, but shuts closed when the toilet seat 14 pivots from the closed position to the open position.
A bleed channel 34 bypasses the ball valve 32 and fluid channel 30 and has an adjustable flow control 36 thereon. The bleed channel 34 allows a restricted amount of fluid to pass from the first side to the second side of the chamber 20 while the ball valve 32 is closed. The flow control 36 may be adjusted to lessen or increases the fluid flow through the bleed channel 34. Preferably, the flow control 36 is a needle valve.
Air bleed plugs 38 are included on the valve body 22 to bleed off excess air and allow the hydraulic actuator 18 to operate smoothly.
Extending from the chamber 20 of the hydraulic actuator 18 is a pressure accumulator 40. The pressure accumulator 40 supplies fluid to the shot pin 43 to lock in vane detent 42. The vane 24 will be locked in this position at angle d until it is further rotated to the closed position 28 and then bleeds out the accumulated pressure allowing the shot pin 23 to retract and the toilet seat 14 to return to the open position.
In use, a user can quickly and easily pivot the toilet seat 14 from the open position to the closed position. As the user pivots the toilet seat 14 with sufficient force to overcome the torsion springs 18 connected to the toilet seat 14, the vane 24 forces the fluid from the second side into the first side of the chamber 20 through the fluid channel 30 and ball valve 32. The user can then sit on the toilet seat 14. After the user leaves the restroom, the torsion springs 18 urge the toilet seat 14 upwardly, causing the toilet seat 14 to pivot the shaft 16 and the attached vane 24. The vane 24 forces the fluid from the first side of the chamber 20 and into the fluid channel 30. However, because the ball valve 32 remains closed, the fluid is forced through the bleed channel 34 instead at a restricted rate. Because the bleed channel 34 is restricted by the flow control 36, the fluid flow is impeded, which in turn impedes the movement of the toilet seat 14 as it rises. The flow control 36 can be adjusted to allow the toilet seat 14 to rise as fast or as slow as desired.
In particular, the flow control 36 can be adjusted to provide a momentary pause between when the toilet seat 14 is placed in the closed position and begins to rise to the open position. This advantage enables the user of the toilet 12 to leave the restroom prior to the toilet seat 14 resetting itself to the open position.
Referring now to FIG. 6, the hydraulic actuator 18 also includes the ability to temporarily lock the toilet seat 14 in the down position for the convenience of the user. In particular, the hydraulic actuator 18 includes a pair of spring-biased shot pins 43 that project inwardly into the chamber 20. Two shot pins 43 are preferred for redundancy and added strength. Although FIG. 6 shows only a single shot pin 43, the other is spaced-apart and substantially parallel to the shot pin 43 shown. The tip of the shot pin 42 cooperates with a vane detent 42 on the end of the vane 24 to positively hold the toilet seat 14 slightly above the down position at angle d, which is about five degrees offset from the closed position. Vane detent 42 can be a single detent or a pair of corresponding detents. When a user sits on the toilet seat 14, the shot pins 43 are dislodged from the vane detent 42 as the toilet seat 14 is move from angle d to the closed position. After the user rises from the toilet seat 14, the torsion springs 18 rotate the shaft 16 and vane 24. As the vane 24 passes the shot pins 43, the speed and force of the vane 24 is sufficient that the tip of the shot pins 43 merely ride over the vane detent 42 rather than engaging it, which allows the toilet seat 14 to rise fully to the open position.
Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention provides a unique solution to the problem of maintaining the cleanliness of the toilet seat. Because the toilet seat is self-lifting, a male user can never forget to lift the toilet seat prior to urinating. Moreover, other people that use the toilet will be appreciative of the effort to ensure that the toilet seat is clean.
It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be within the scope of the present invention except as limited by the appended claims.