Patent Application
20210015311
This invention relates to toilet seats. More particularly, it relates to a device to improve stability of toilet seats.
A toilet seat is a hinged unit consisting of a round or oval open seat, and usually a lid, which is bolted onto the bowl of a toilet used in a sitting position (as opposed to a squat toilet). The seat can be either for a flush toilet or a dry toilet. A toilet seat consists of the seat itself, which may be contoured forum the user to sit on, and the lid, which covers the toilet when it is not in use—the lid may be absent in some cases, particularly in public restrooms.
The seat is generally lifted when a man stands to urinate, or while cleaning the toilet. The issue of men leaving the seat up or putting it back down after use (particularly for the benefit of women), is a perennial topic of discussion and light humor; with it often being argued that leaving the toilet seat up is more efficient for men, but putting it down is more considerate of women.
Toilet seats often have a lid. This lid is frequently left open. It can be closed to prevent small items from falling in, to reduce odors, for aesthetic purposes or to provide a chair in the toilet room. Some people also close the lid to prevent the spread of aerosols on flushing (“toilet plume”).
Toilet seats are manufactured in a range of different styles and colors, and they may be furnished matching the style of the toilet itself. They are usually built to fit the shape of the toilet bowl: two examples of this being the elongated bowl and the regular bowl. Some toilet seats are fitted with slow-closing hinges to reduce noise by preventing them from slamming against the bowl.
Some seats are made of various types of wooden materials, like oak or walnut, and others are made soft for added comfort. Seats with printed multi-colored designs, such as floral or newsprint, have been fashionable at times. Other designs are made of transparent plastic, encapsulating small decorative items such as seashells or coins. The price of toilet seats varies quite considerably.
Decorative textile covers for the toilet seat lid have gone in and out of fashion. Advocates claim that they allow the toilet to be used as a more comfortable seat and provide another way of decorating a bathroom, while critics view them as a sanitation problem which creates unnecessary work.
Toilet seats are coupled to a toilet or commode by two screws with locking nuts. Toilet seats can become loose or not seated properly causing uncomfortably and potential safety issues.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a device to stabilize a toilet seat for the comfort and safety of those needing to sit on the toilet.
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.
“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.
Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.
Referring to
The toilet seat stabilization device 100 is preferably round, however may be oblong dependent on the toilet seat the toilet seat stabilization device 100 is to cover. The toilet seat stabilization device 100 is preferably the same size as the toilet seat but may be larger or smaller than the toilet seat depending on the desires and comfortability of the person. The toilet seat stabilization device is preferably made of a strong material such as plastic, wood, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), etc.
The toilet seat stabilization device 100 has a body 120. The body 120 has a top 101, a bottom 102, a first side 103, a second side 104, a front 105, a bottom 106 and one or more couplers 107, 108, 113, 114.
The one or more couplers 107, 108 are preferably snap clasps, however other couplers are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, weighted straps, Velcro, etc.
The top 101 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100 is preferably padded with a soft material, such as foam, cotton, etc. however the top 101 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100 may be a hard surface.
The one or more couplers 107 are securely and/or removably coupled to an upper edge 109 of the first side 103 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100 and extending beyond a lower edge 110 of the first side 103 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100.
The one or more couplers 113, 114 are securely and/or removably coupled to an upper edge 111 of the second side 104 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100 and extending beyond a lower edge 112 of the second side 104 of the body 120 of the toilet seat stabilization device 100. The one or more couplers 107, 108, 113, 114 are further removably coupled to a bowl of a toilet bowl.
In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.
The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
