US3594831A — Combination toilet seat and elevator therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 377 words

For use with a toilet bowl that includes an upper, opening defining brim, a rearwardly extending shelf portion at the level of the brim, and two laterally spaced vertical mounting holes through the shelf portion for receiving bolt shanks for hingedly mounting a conventional toilet seat structure; an occupant seat assembly for invalids and the like, comprising in combination an elevator unit comprising an upstanding annular skirt, the lowermost end portion of which is conformed for positioning within the inner periphery of the bowl brim, rearwardly extending bracket structure rigidly carried by the skirt at its upper end, an outwardly extending peripheral support flange rigidly carried by the lower portion of the skirt above the lower end thereof and adapted to rest on the bowl brim, said flange being generally annular and including rearwardly extending rigid mounting structure in position to directly overlie said bowl shelf portion, said mounting structure having two parallel slots extending in a fore-and-aft direction and laterally spaced to overlie said respective mounting holes and to receive mounting bolts through said holes for mounting the elevator unit on the bowl in rigidly fixed mutual relation in absence of a conventional toilet seat structure, a seat unit comprising an annular seat portion, rearwardly extending seat mounting structure rigidly carried by the seat portion at the rEar thereof, and handle structures rigidly carried by the seat portion at the opposite sides thereof and inclined laterally outwardly and upwardly from the seat portion and terminating in hand grip formations in position to be gripped by a seat occupant prior to reaching fully seated position, the seat portion and the handle structures providing a substantially continuous upwardly facing guide surface adapted to guidingly orient an occupant toward a properly seated position, and hinge structure for pivotally interconnecting the seat unit mounting structure and the elevator unit bracket structure for swinging movement of the seat unit relative to a mounted elevator unit about a horizontal pivot axis between raised and lowered positions with respect to the upper end of the skirt, said hinge structure and said mounting bolts cooperating to positively prevent lateral tilting of the seat assembly relative to the toilet bowl in response to unbalanced weight applied to the two handle structures by the seat occupant.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 377 words

For use with a toilet bowl that includes an upper, opening defining brim, a rearwardly extending shelf portion at the level of the brim, and two laterally spaced vertical mounting holes through the shelf portion for receiving bolt shanks for hingedly mounting a conventional toilet seat structure; an occupant seat assembly for invalids and the like, comprising in combination an elevator unit comprising an upstanding annular skirt, the lowermost end portion of which is conformed for positioning within the inner periphery of the bowl brim, rearwardly extending bracket structure rigidly carried by the skirt at its upper end, an outwardly extending peripheral support flange rigidly carried by the lower portion of the skirt above the lower end thereof and adapted to rest on the bowl brim, said flange being generally annular and including rearwardly extending rigid mounting structure in position to directly overlie said bowl shelf portion, said mounting structure having two parallel slots extending in a fore-and-aft direction and laterally spaced to overlie said respective mounting holes and to receive mounting bolts through said holes for mounting the elevator unit on the bowl in rigidly fixed mutual relation in absence of a conventional toilet seat structure, a seat unit comprising an annular seat portion, rearwardly extending seat mounting structure rigidly carried by the seat portion at the rEar thereof, and handle structures rigidly carried by the seat portion at the opposite sides thereof and inclined laterally outwardly and upwardly from the seat portion and terminating in hand grip formations in position to be gripped by a seat occupant prior to reaching fully seated position, the seat portion and the handle structures providing a substantially continuous upwardly facing guide surface adapted to guidingly orient an occupant toward a properly seated position, and hinge structure for pivotally interconnecting the seat unit mounting structure and the elevator unit bracket structure for swinging movement of the seat unit relative to a mounted elevator unit about a horizontal pivot axis between raised and lowered positions with respect to the upper end of the skirt, said hinge structure and said mounting bolts cooperating to positively prevent lateral tilting of the seat assembly relative to the toilet bowl in response to unbalanced weight applied to the two handle structures by the seat occupant.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 141 words

A toilet seat assembly as defined in claim 1, and in which said elevator unit bracket structure includes two laterally spaced vertical mounting holes having the same lateral spacing as said flange slots, and said hinge structure includes two straight bolt shanks and pivot structure mounting the shanks on said seat unit mounting structure for pivotal movement about said pivot axis with the shanks perpendicular to the pivot axis and mutually spaced longitudinally of the pivot axis by said lateral spacing of the bracket structure holes, said hinge structure being adapted for mounting the seat unit on the elevator unit with the bolt shanks secured in the bracket structure holes, and being adapted, in absence of an elevator unit, for mounting the seat unit on said toilet bowl with the bolt shanks secured in said mounting holes of the bowl shelf.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 185 words

A toilet seat structure for use by invalids and the like in combination with a toilet bowl, said seat structure comprising a unitary seat member including a generally annular seat portion adapted to overlie a toilet bowl, and having an upwardly facing seat surface, lateral extensions at the respective sides of the seat portion, extending laterally outward from the seat portion and inclined curvingly upward, said extensions having upwardly facing surfaces that are essentially continuous with the seat surface and that form therewith an effectively smooth, upwardly facing, concavely curved guide surface adapted to guidingly orient an occupant toward a properly seated position, the lateral extensions terminating in respective hand grip formations in position to be gripped by a seat occupant during and after attaining a seated position, and structure for pivotally mounting the seat member on a toilet seat bowl for swinging movement between raised and lowered positions with respect to the bowl and for positively preventing lateral tilting movement of the seat member, when in lowered position, in response to unbalanced weight applied to the two hand grip formations by the seat occupant.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 185 words

A toilet seat structure for use by invalids and the like in combination with a toilet bowl, said seat structure comprising a unitary seat member including a generally annular seat portion adapted to overlie a toilet bowl, and having an upwardly facing seat surface, lateral extensions at the respective sides of the seat portion, extending laterally outward from the seat portion and inclined curvingly upward, said extensions having upwardly facing surfaces that are essentially continuous with the seat surface and that form therewith an effectively smooth, upwardly facing, concavely curved guide surface adapted to guidingly orient an occupant toward a properly seated position, the lateral extensions terminating in respective hand grip formations in position to be gripped by a seat occupant during and after attaining a seated position, and structure for pivotally mounting the seat member on a toilet seat bowl for swinging movement between raised and lowered positions with respect to the bowl and for positively preventing lateral tilting movement of the seat member, when in lowered position, in response to unbalanced weight applied to the two hand grip formations by the seat occupant.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-07-26	1975-01-25	1975-07-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-07-26	1979-01-25	1979-07-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-07-26	1983-01-25	1983-07-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Combination toilet seat and elevator therefor

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