Patent Application
20250009196
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to toilet step devices and more particularly pertains to a new toilet step device for facilitating a child to urinate into a full sized toilet. The device includes a base that is attached to a pedestal of the toilet, a series of steps positioned in front of the base and a motion unit attached between the series of steps and the base. The motion unit urges the series of steps between a deployed position having the series of steps being spaced from the base to facilitate the child to climb the series of steps and a stored position having the series of steps being positioned against the base.
The prior art relates to toilet step devices including a variety of toilet step devices that can either be manually placed against a toilet to assist with urinating in the toilet and a variety of toilet step devices that are pivotally attached to a toilet for pivoting between a deployed position and a stored position. In no instance does the prior art disclose a series of steps that includes a motion unit for automatically urging the series of steps between a deployed position and a stored position.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base that is positionable against a pedestal of a toilet. A pair of straps is each coupled to the base and the straps are extendable around the pedestal of the toilet for securing the base to the toilet. A series of steps is positioned in front of the pedestal of the toilet. The series of steps is positionable in a stored position resting against the base or a deployed position being spaced from the base. The series of steps can be climbed by a child to facilitate the child to urinate into the toilet when the series of steps are in the deployed position. A motion unit is integrated into the series of steps for urging the series of steps between the stored position and the deployed position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A pair of straps 28 is provided and each of the straps 28 is coupled to the base 12. The pair of straps 28 is matable to each other for form a closed loop and each of the pair of straps 28 is extendable around the pedestal 14 of the toilet 16 for securing the base 12 to the toilet 16. Each of the straps 28 has a first end 30 and a second end 32 and the first end 30 of each of the pair of straps 28 is coupled to and extends rearwardly from a respective one of the outward members 20 of the base 12. A respective one of the straps 28 has a clasp 33 that is attached to the second end 32 of the respective strap 28 which insertably receives the second end 32 of the other of the pair of straps 28 to form the closed loop of an adjustable diameter.
A series of steps 34 is provided and the series of steps 34 is positioned in front of the pedestal 14 of the toilet 16. The series of steps 34 is positionable in a stored position having the series of steps 34 resting against the base 12. Additionally, the series of steps 34 is positionable in a deployed position having the series of steps 34 being spaced from the base 12. In this way the series of steps 34 can be climbed by a child to facilitate the child to urinate into the toilet 16. Furthermore, the series of steps 34 can be employed by a user 35 with physical limitations that would make urinating in a toilet 16 difficult or impossible without the series of steps 34.
The series of steps 34 has a front wall 36 and an outer wall 38 extending around the front wall 36. The front wall 36 has a series of vertical faces 40 that is each perpendicularly oriented with and is staggered between a series of horizontal faces 42. In this way each of the plurality of horizontal faces 42 defines a respective one of the series of steps 34. The outer wall 38 has a rear edge 44 which defines an opening into the series of steps 34 and each of the horizontal faces 42 is textured to enhance traction for the child. Furthermore, the series of steps 34 are comprised of a fluid impermeable material, including but not being limited to plastic or steel, to facilitate the steps 34 to be easily cleaned of urine and other contaminants.
A motion unit 46 is integrated into the series of steps 34 and the motion unit 46 is attached to the base 12. The motion unit 46 is actuatable into a retracting condition having the series of steps 34 being positioned against the base 12. Conversely, the motion unit 46 is actuatable into an extending condition having the series of steps 34 being spaced from the base 12. The motion unit 46 includes a button 48 which can be depressed for actuating the motion unit 46 between the retracting condition and the extending condition. The series of steps 34 has a hole 50 extending through a topmost one of the series of vertical faces 52 of the front wall 36 of the series of steps 34. The hole 50 is centrally positioned along a width of the topmost vertical face 52 and the button 48 is positioned in the hole 50.
The motion unit 46 includes a pair of actuators 54 that is each attached to an inwardly facing surface 55 of a respective one of a first lateral side 56 and a second lateral side 58 of the outer wall 38 of the series of steps 34. Each of the actuators 54 includes a rod 60 extending outwardly from the outer wall 38 of the series of steps 34. The rod 60 associated with each of the actuators 54 has a distal end 62 that is attached to an interior surface 64 of a respective one of the outward members 20 of the base 12. The rod 60 associated with a respective one of the actuators 54 is extended outwardly from the respective actuator 54 when the respective actuator 54 is actuated into a first condition thereby urging the series of steps 34 away from the base 12. Conversely, the rod 60 associated with the respective actuator 54 is retraced into the respective actuator 54 when the respective actuator 54 is actuated into a second condition thereby urging the series of steps 34 to abut the base 12. Each of the pair of actuators 54 may comprise an electro-mechanical linear actuator or other type of piston actuator that can lengthen and shorten. Furthermore, as is most clearly shown in
The motion unit 46 includes a control unit 68 that is positioned in the series of steps 34. The control unit 68 is electrically coupled between the button 48 and each of the pair of actuators 54. Furthermore, each of the pair of actuators 54 is actuated between the first condition and the second condition each time the button 48 is depressed. The motion unit 46 includes a power supply 70 is integrated into the series of steps 34 and the power supply 70 is electrically coupled to the control unit 68. The power supply 70 comprises a rechargeable battery 72 that is positioned in the series of steps 34 and the rechargeable battery 72 is electrically coupled to the control unit 68. A charge port 74 is recessed into the series of steps 34 thereby facilitating the charge port 74 to insertably receive a charge cord 76. The charge port 74 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 72 for charging the rechargeable battery 72.
In use, each of the straps 28 is extended around the pedestal 14 of the toilet 16 and the pair of straps 28 are mated together to attach the base 12 to the pedestal 14 of the toilet 16. The user 35 depresses the button 48 when the user 35 approaches the toilet 16 to actuate the motion unit 46 to urge the series of steps 34 into the deployed position. In this way the user 35 can climb the series of steps 34 to facilitate the user 35 to urinate into the toilet 16. The user 35 depresses the button 48 when the user 35 has finished urinating to actuate the motion unit 46 to urge the series of steps 34 into the stored position.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
