The present invention relates to the raising and lowering of a toilet lid and toilet seat by electromechanical, or other, means thus eliminating the raising and lowering of a toilet lid and toilet seat by hand.
A number of systems have been developed for the automated raising and lowering of toilet lids and toilet seats as in the following examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,643,852, 5,307,524, 7,788,741, 8,910,320 and 10,791,888.
These earlier designs incorporated multiple motors, multiple gear assemblies, multiple clutching mechanisms, multiple counterbalance springs, motion sensors as well as various other approaches both electrical and mechanical none of which resulted in an affordable automated toilet lid and toilet seat raising and lowering system. These earlier designs also located their lifting points of attachment at, or behind, the toilet lid and toilet seat hinges which put their lifting mechanisms at a severe mechanical disadvantage.
The aforementioned issues are overcome by the present invention making an affordable automated toilet lid and toilet seat raising and lowering system possible by using one linear actuator, one electromagnet, one piece of ferrous metal, an electronic controller with off delay timer circuit and a bracket mounted to a toilet lid with removable cap that, when removed, disengages said lifting system making it possible to raise and lower a toilet lid and toilet seat manually without the use of clutching mechanisms.
The present invention also locates it's toilet lid and toilet seat lifting points of attachment forward of the toilet lid and toilet seat hinges giving the present invention a greater mechanical advantage over previous designs that require counterbalance springs to help compensate for their mechanical disadvantage.
The present invention raises and lowers a toilet lid by means of a horizontal mounted linear actuator. The present invention also raises and lowers a toilet lid and toilet seat together by the activation of both a horizontal mounted linear actuator and an electromagnet that is attached to a toilet lid or toilet seat whereas the electromagnet, when energized, electromagnetically affixes to a piece of ferrous metal attached to a toilet seat or toilet lid, and whereas the horizontal mounted linear actuator raises and lowers both the toilet lid and toilet seat together at the same time.
In the case of an electrical, mechanical, or other, failure, a lid mounted bracket with a removable cap, or moveable pin, leaver, or other like mechanisms to include, but not limited to, activation and deactivation by friction, facilitates the manual operation of the toilet lid and toilet seat with the present invention.
One embodiment of the present invention is shown generally in
In this embodiment, the toilet lid 122 is shown set for the automated raising and lowering of the toilet lid 122 by the linear actuator 110, with the lid bracket cap 136 installed. In addition, the toilet seat 124 will be raised and lowered along with the toilet lid 122 when an electronic control 138 energizes both the electromagnet 114 and the linear actuator 110.
The raising and lowering of the toilet lid 122 along with the toilet seat 124 is accomplished through energizing both the linear actuator 110 and the electromagnet 114. The LED 126 is illuminated during the raising of the toilet lid 122, or the raising of the toilet lid 122 and the toilet seat 124, and the LED 126 remains on until the lowering command is given by the electronic control 138 at which time the LED 126 is disabled. The LED can also be configured to remain on continuously. When the toilet lid 122, or the toilet lid 122 and the toilet seat 124, are in the fully raised or fully lowered position, the linear actuator 110 and the electromagnet 114 are disabled by the electronic control 138.
The rear bracket 120 anchors the linear actuator 110, the toilet lid 122, the toilet seat 124, the electronic control 138 and the battery 140 to a conventional toilet bowl (not shown) using standard toilet lid and toilet seat mounting holes. The rear bracket 120, the toilet lid 122 and the toilet seat 124 can also be mounted to a toilet bowl separately.
Electrical power for the linear actuator 110 and electromagnet 114 is derived from the off delay timer circuit 152 whereby the off delay timer circuit 152 functions as a safety feature to prevent the linear actuator 110 from being damaged by a failure of a raise limit switch 146 or a lower limit switch 148 by removing electrical power to the linear actuator 110 within three seconds, or any time sufficient to accomplish the task, beyond the predetermined time allotted for the linear actuator 110 to reach it's end of travel.
In addition, the off delay timer circuit 152 maintains electrical power to the electromagnet 114 for an additional three seconds, or any time sufficient to accomplish the task, after the linear actuator 110 has reached it's end of travel, wherein the off delay timer circuit 152 prevents the electromagnet 114 from being dislodged from the ferrous piece of metal 128 by the force of inertia encountered when the linear actuator 110 reaches it's end of travel.
When a lid up momentary switch 150 is activated, the linear actuator 110 and the LED 126 are energized. When the toilet lid 122 reaches the fully raised position, the linear actuator 110 is disabled by the raise limit switch 146, or the off delay timer circuit 152 if required, as the LED 126 remains energized. When the close lid and seat momentary switch 144 is activated, the LED 126 is disabled as the linear actuator 110 and the electromagnet 114 are energized. When the toilet lid 122 reaches the fully lowered position, the linear actuator 110 is disabled by the lower limit switch 148, or the off delay timer circuit 152 if required, and the electromagnet 114 is disabled by the off delay timer circuit 152.
When the lid and seat up momentary switch 142 is activated, the linear actuator 110, the electromagnet 114 and the LED 126, are all energized. When the toilet lid 122 and the toilet seat 124 both reach their fully raised position, the linear actuator 110 is disabled by the raise limit switch 146, or the off delay timer circuit 152 if required, and the electromagnet 114 is disabled by the off delay timer circuit 152, as the LED 126 remains energized.
When the close lid and seat momentary switch 144 is activated, the LED 126 is disabled as the linear actuator 110 and the electromagnet 114 are energized. When the toilet lid 122 and the toilet seat 124 reach their fully lowered position, the linear actuator 110 is disabled by the lower limit switch 148, or the off delay timer circuit 152 if required, and the electromagnet 114 is disabled by the off delay timer circuit 152.
The raise limit switch 146 and the lower limit switch 148 can be operated by cams, leavers, electronic sensors or any other method, connected to, or driven by, the movements of the linear actuator 110 or any component associated with the raising or lowering of the toilet lid 122 and or the toilet seat 124.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/233,244 filed on Aug. 14, 2021 and entitled “AUTOMATED TOILET LID AND TOILET SEAT ACTUATING SYSTEM.”
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5867843 | Robello | Feb 1999 | A |
9532686 | Heiss | Jan 2017 | B1 |
20100299819 | Huang | Dec 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63233244 | Aug 2021 | US |