A variety of systems that facilitate temporary detachment of a toilet seat from a toilet fixture to facilitate cleaning are known. The time-honored attachment system, which comprises two threaded bolts extending from the toilet seat hinge assembly through holes in the upper rim portion of the toilet fixture, is inconvenient because nuts must be removed from the ends of the threaded bolts below the lower rim portion to detach the toilet seat. The known systems that facilitate temporary detachment suffer from various deficiencies. Some require a person to manipulate multiple parts to detach the toilet seat. Others do not retain the toilet seat with sufficient strength to prevent inadvertent detachment. Still others are difficult or uneconomical to manufacture.
It would be desirable to provide a system that facilitates temporary detachment of a toilet seat from a toilet fixture that is easier to use, less prone to inadvertent detachment than known systems, and more economical to manufacture.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for removably attaching a toilet seat to a toilet fixture. The attachment system comprises a post that is attachable to the toilet fixture and an attachment body that engages the post and is attachable to the toilet seat.
In an exemplary embodiment, the post has a post axis, a rod portion extendable through a mounting hole of the toilet fixture, and a post engagement portion oriented radially to the post axis. The attachment body has a pivot portion with a pivot axis, a receiving opening with a receiving opening axis perpendicular to the pivot axis, and a movable closure. A periphery of the receiving opening has an attachment body engagement portion oriented radially to the receiving opening axis and mateable with the post engagement portion from a lateral direction with respect to the receiving opening axis and the post axis when the post engagement portion is received in the receiving opening. The closure is movable between a closed position in which the attachment body engagement portion and the post engagement portion are prevented from disengaging each other and an open position in which the attachment body engagement portion and the post engagement portion can be disengaged from each other.
In the exemplary embodiment, a toilet seat assembly comprising a toilet seat hingedly coupled to the pivot portion of the attachment body can be attached to a toilet fixture in the following manner. The rod portion of the post is first extended through a mounting hole of the toilet fixture while a post engagement portion of the post remains above (e.g., resting on) the surface of the toilet fixture. The rod portion is then secured in the mounting hole of the toilet fixture. The post engagement portion of the post is guided into the receiving opening while placing the toilet seat on top of the toilet fixture. The toilet seat assembly can then be moved laterally with respect to the receiving opening axis until an attachment body engagement portion mates with the post engagement portion. After the attachment body engagement portion mates with the post engagement portion, the closure can be moved from the open position to the closed position.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be or become apparent to one of skill in the art to which the invention relates upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are encompassed by this description and the accompanying claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The elements shown in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Also, in the figures like reference numerals designate corresponding elements throughout the different views.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Attachment body 26 comprises a movable closure 28, a base portion 30, and a pivot portion 32 having a pivot axis 33. In the exemplary embodiment pivot portion 32 comprises a block-like member having a bore 34 therethrough for receiving a hinge pin (not shown) of hinge 22 (
Closure 28 is shown in the open position shown in
Attachment body 26 has a receiving opening 40 extending through base portion 30 between upper and lower sides of base portion 30. A direction normal to receiving opening 40 can be defined by a receiving opening axis 42. The periphery of receiving opening 40 has a surface contour or otherwise has features that project inwardly from the walls of receiving opening 40 a substantially radial direction with respect to receiving opening axis 42 in a manner that defines an attachment body engagement portion. (The radial direction is also referred to herein as a lateral direction in the context of relative movement of elements.) In the exemplary embodiment, the attachment body engagement portion is defined by three arc-shaped regions 44, 46 and 48 that project (substantially radially) inwardly from the periphery of receiving opening 40 to different extents. Arc-shaped region 48, which is disposed between arc-shaped regions 44 and 46, projects inwardly to a greater extent than arc-shaped regions 44 and 46. Although in the exemplary embodiment the surface contour that defines the attachment body engagement portion is defined by arc-shaped regions 44, 46 and 46, in other embodiments the surface contour that defines the attachment body engagement portion can be defined by any other suitable features that project inwardly from the periphery of receiving opening 40.
Post 24 comprises a post engagement portion 50 and a threaded rod portion 52. Threaded rod portion 52 can be of a type commonly referred to as a carriage bolt and extends through a bore in post engagement portion 50 as shown in
As illustrated in
In positioning post 24 in the above-described manner, elastomeric bushing 54 is inserted into mounting hole 64. The interior walls of mounting hole 64 are typically somewhat irregularly shaped or rough rather than smoothly cylindrical because they are typically molded into the porcelain in an imprecise manner. As elastomeric bushing 54 has a diameter greater than that of mounting hole 64, elastomeric bushing 54 is resiliently compressed by the interior walls of mounting hole 64 and, accordingly, exerts a resilient expansion force. By exerting a resilient expansion force against the irregularly shaped walls of mounting hole 64, elastomeric bushing 54 can inhibit movement of post 24 within mounting hole 64.
As illustrated in
Once post engagement portions 50 are received in the above-described manner within the respective receiving openings 40, pulling or otherwise moving toilet seat assembly 10 in the direction of the arrows shown in
With reference to
As illustrated in
While one or more embodiments of the invention have been described as illustrative of or examples of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not to be limited by such embodiments but rather is determined by the appended claims.
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Office Action Received in Counterpart Chinese Application 201310113241.2, dated Jun. 24, 2016. |
Chinese office action received application No. 201310113241.2, dated Feb. 20, 2017, eleven pages. |
Mexican office action received in related patent application No. MX/a/2013/003727, dated Mar. 7, 2017, six pages. |
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20130254981 A1 | Oct 2013 | US |