It is well known to provide apparatus for training young children to go to the bathroom in prescribed vessels, with an ultimate aim of encouraging them to perform all of their urination and defecation on an adult toilet. Among the issues to be addressed is the fact that non toilet-trained children usually are much smaller than adults. Many commodes and potties have been provided that are considerably smaller in their dimensions than adult toilets. Some of these prior potty training systems are convertible between a first configuration in which they are used as a separate commode and a second configuration during which they act as platforms suspended across adult toilet seats.
A child potty must also include a basin for catching the child's urine and feces. Ideally a child potty has a urine shield positioned to the front of the child, because the child under training, particularly if male, may urinate in a direction other than downward. It would further be advantageous for the child potty to have a topper formed of a soft, cushionable material, so configured that its soiling is minimized and so that it is supported by a structural member capable of bearing the child's weight without undue deflection. It would also be advantageous for different components of a child potty system to be keyed to each other so that they can be assembled in only one way.
According to one aspect of the invention, a potty training system is provided that includes a base, a platform, a basin and a topper. The base is hollow, has a top rim and like the other components is disposed on a vertical axis. The platform is removably mounted on the top rim of the base and has a central opening defined by a circumferential platform inner margin. The basin has a top margin and a hollow interior bounded by a circumferential basin sidewall. The basin sidewall has a basin end wall. A support flange of the basin extends laterally outwardly from the basin top margin. The sidewall of the basin is adapted to be removably received in the platform central opening such that the support flange supports the basin on the platform. A pour spout of the basin is formed to radially outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the basin end wall. A pour spout outer surface is a portion of an outer surface of the basin end wall, while a pour spout inner surface is a portion of an inner surface of the basin end wall. The topper is removably mounted on the platform and has a lower surface. A topper central opening communicates with the hollow interior of the basin. When the topper is mounted on the platform, a topper ring downwardly extends from the topper lower surface, through the platform central opening and into the hollow interior of the basin. An outer surface of the topper ring is inwardly spaced from the inner surface of the pour spout. An end portion of the platform margin has an outwardly extending pour spout notch that is adapted to receive the outer surface of the pour spout. A blade receptacle is formed in the platform to downwardly extend from the platform top surface and to be spaced radially outwardly from the pour spout notch. A topper blade downwardly depends from the topper lower surface. The topper blade is radially outwardly spaced from the topper ring and is adapted to be received in the blade receptacle when the topper is assembled to the platform.
In one embodiment, the basin sidewall further has at least a first basin lug that is formed to downwardly extend from the support flange of the basin and to laterally outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the basin sidewall. The first basin lug is angularly spaced around the vertical axis from the pour spout of the basin. A first platform lug notch is formed in the platform margin to be angularly spaced around the axis from the pour spout notch, and is adapted to receive the outer surface of the first basin lug. A first topper lug is formed to outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the topper ring, and is angularly spaced around the axis from the topper blade. The first topper lug is received by an inner surface of the first basin lug when the topper is assembled to the platform and the basin.
In one embodiment, the basin sidewall has an upper portion and a lower portion, joined by a circumferential and horizontally extending step. When the topper and the basin are assembled to the platform, an inner surface of the topper ring is substantially aligned with an inner surface of the lower portion of the basin sidewall. In one embodiment, the pour spout of the basin outwardly protrudes from both the lower portion and the upper portion of the basin sidewall. In this embodiment an inner surface of the basin pour spout is not stepped.
Optionally, a flexible and fluid-impermeable liner may be inserted into the hollow interior of the basin. A wall of the liner is fitted over the top surface of the support flange and is drawn underneath the bottom surface of the support flange, so as to be clamped between the bottom surface of the support flange and the platform top surface.
In one embodiment, the potty training system is configurable to each of first and second configurations. In the first configuration, the basin is suspended by its support flange on the platform top surface, the platform bottom surface is supported by the top rim of the base, and the topper is supported by the platform top surface. In the second configuration, the base is inverted such that the top rim of the basin contacts the floor and such that the bottom surface of the base faces upward to become a step surface. The topper is removed from the base and placed to span a central opening of an adult toilet seat. The basin and platform are not used in the second configuration.
In one embodiment, the platform has a left wing that extends outwardly from the left side of the platform outer margin, and a right wing that extends outwardly from the right side of the platform outer margin. The topper has a left handle that outwardly extends from a left side of a topper outer margin, and a right handle that outwardly extends from a right side of the topper outer margin. The left handle is supported by the left wing of the platform while the right handle is supported by the right wing of the platform. A right hand cutout is formed as a cavity in the bottom surface of the right handle and a left hand cutout is formed as a cavity in the bottom surface of the left handle. These cutouts afford locations where the training child may insert his or her hands.
According to another aspect of the invention, a potty training system includes a base disposed on a vertical axis and having a top rim. A platform is removably mounted on the top rim of the base and has a platform central opening defined by a circumferential platform inner margin. A basin is provided that has a hollow interior and a basin top margin. A basin sidewall downwardly extends from the top margin of the basin, and includes a basin front end wall and a basin rear end wall opposed to the basin front end wall. A support flange of the basin laterally outwardly extends from the basin top margin. The basin sidewall is adapted to be removably received in the platform central opening such that the support flange supports the basin on the platform top surface. A pour spout is formed in the basin to laterally outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the basin rear end wall. A pour spout outer surface is a portion of the outer surface of the basin rear end wall, while a pour spout inner surface is a portion of the inner surface of the basin rear end wall. A topper is provided that is removably mounted on the platform. When the topper is assembled to the platform and basin, a topper central opening communicates with the hollow interior of the basin. A topper ring downwardly extends from a lower surface of the topper, through the central opening of the platform and into the hollow interior of the basin. The outer surface of the topper ring is spaced from the pour spout inner surface. A rear end portion of the platform margin has an outwardly extending pour spout notch that is adapted to receive the outer surface of the pour spout. A blade receptacle is formed in the platform to downwardly extend from a top surface of the platform and to be laterally outwardly spaced from the pour spout notch. A topper blade downwardly extends from the topper lower surface, and so as to be outwardly spaced from the topper ring. The topper blade is adapted to be received in the blade receptacle of the platform when the topper is assembled to the platform. First and second basin lugs are formed to downwardly extend from the support flange of the basin and to laterally outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the basin sidewall. The first basin lug is disposed in the basin front end wall to be angularly spaced around the axis from the pour spout. The second basin lug is disposed in the basin front end wall to be angularly spaced around the axis from the first basin lug and the pour spout. First and second platform lug notches are formed in the platform margin to be angularly spaced around the axis from the pour spout notch and from each other. The first platform lug notch is adapted to receive the outer surface of the first basin lug, while the second platform lug notch is adapted to receive the outer surface of the second basin lug. First and second topper lugs are formed to outwardly protrude from the outer surface of the topper ring. The first topper lug is angularly spaced around the axis from the topper blade, while the second topper lug is angularly spaced around the axis from the topper blade and the first topper lug. When the topper is assembled to the platform and basin, the first topper lug is received by the inner surface of the first basin lug and the second topper lug is received by the inner surface of the second basin lug.
The components of the toilet training system are keyed to each other for error-free assembly. But, instead of having the outer surface of the topper ring conform to the inner surface of the pour spout, a separate, downwardly depending topper blade is provided that is keyed to a topper blade receptacle in the platform. In this manner, and in the instance that a liner is not used, the topper becomes less likely to be soiled by the contents of the basin.
Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of exemplary embodiments, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:
Referring to
A rear end 502 of the topper 500 may have an elevated back 504 to guide the child's bottom into a position such that the child's bottom is positioned on or near axis X over a topper central opening 506. The topper central opening 506 communicates with a hollow interior 402 of the basin 400. The topper 500 has a left handle 508 which laterally and outwardly extends from a topper left side 510. The topper 500 has an opposed right handle 512 which laterally and outwardly extends from a topper right side 514. In the illustrated embodiment, a curved, upwardly extending urine shield 548 is disposed at the front of the central opening 506 of the topper.
In the illustrated embodiment, handle 508 has a lower surface 516 into which a cavity or cutout 518 is formed. The cutout 518 is open back to left side 510 and is sized and shaped to admit the fingers of a young child's hand. A similar cutout (not shown in
The general arrangement of system 100 in its first configuration is shown in an exploded view in
As seen in
As seen in
A concave pour spout notch 320 is formed in the inner margin 309 to be near rear end 314 and to be remote from front end 312. A first, right concave lug notch 322 is formed in the inner margin 309 near the front end 312 and to be remote from rear end 314. A second, left concave lug notch 324 is formed in the inner margin 309 near the front end 312 and to be remote from rear end 314. First lug notch is angularly spaced around axis X from second lug notch 324 and pour spout notch 320. Lug notches 322, 324 may be semicylindrical in shape.
A blade receptacle 326 extends from top surface 306 to bottom surface 310 (
As are system components 200, 400 and 500, the platform 300 can be longer (between ends 312 and 314) than it is wide (between sides 316 and 318). An elongate handle hole 328 may be formed in platform 300 to be radially outwardly spaced from inner margin 309 and near front end 312.
As seen in
A lower surface 340 of the left wing 302, a lower surface 342 of the right wing 304, and the bottom margin of outer platform rib 334 may be constituted by a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) overmold component 308. Alternatively, overmold component 308 may be omitted. Lower surface 340 and lower surface 342 may be respectively provided with elongate hand cavities 344, 346 to receive the fingers of the training child or of an adult positioning the platform 300.
With reference to
Most of the support flange 404 is flat and conforms to a horizontal plane orthogonal to axis X. An exception is a raised handle 420 that is formed at a front end 422 of the basin 400. The handle 420 is opposed to a pour spout 424 that is formed at a rear end 426, and in the rear end wall 412, of the basin 400. The pour spout 424 is an inwardly concave, upwardly and outwardly extending surface that starts at its intersection with lower sidewall portion 412 and continues through step 416 and upper portion 414 to open through support flange 404. In the illustrated embodiment, the pour spout 424 is not stepped. Pour spout 424 has an inner surface 428 that outwardly protrudes from the inner surfaces 430, 432 of lower and upper sidewall portions 418 and 414, and is monotonic.
A first, right basin lug 434 is formed to laterally outwardly protrude from upper portion inner surface 432 and to downwardly extend from top margin 408 and support flange 404. The first basin lug 434 has an inner surface 436 that faces the basin interior 402 and an opposed outer surface 438 (
As seen in
Further details of the topper 500 can be seen in
Referring again to
In the illustrated embodiment, topper bottom surface 526 is not flat but rather is somewhat hollow, and has a set of downwardly extending reinforcing ribs 540 that also extend laterally outwardly from ring 524 to a downwardly depending, circumferential, outer rim or margin 542.
As assembled, topper ring 524 extends through platform central opening 311 and into basin hollow interior 402.
As seen in
While lug/lug notch sets 322, 434, 528; 324, 440, 530 are designed to closely conform to each other once assembled, it is otherwise at the rear of system 100. As seen in
As assembled in the first configuration, an inner surface 546 of the topper ring 524 may be in general alignment with the inner surface 430 of basin lower portion 418. The lateral width of basin step 416 is largely occupied by a thickness of topper ring 524 between the outer surface 544 and the inner surface 546 thereof.
To accommodate the potty training of boys, a urine shield 548 may upwardly and inwardly extend from topper ring 524 in the region near front topper end 532.
In summary, a potty training system configurable to either of a first or a second configuration has been shown and described. The platform, basin and topper components are keyed to each other for error-free assembly. A blade in the topper is keyed to a blade receptacle in the platform, so that conformance to an inner surface of a basin pour spout is avoided.
While an illustrated embodiment of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.