Toilet Lift Apparatus

• US 20200130721A1
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elva Blevins, Irmgard Blevins
• Original Assignee: Elva Blevins, Irmgard Blevins
• Inventors: Blevins, Elva, Blevins, Irmgard
• Granted Patent: US 10,919,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/80 Household appliances, e.g. bath tubs, toilets or radiators
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/10 comprising lifting means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2206/02 adjustable in length or width
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/0606 manually operated
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/0625 using rigid mechanical lifting mechanisms, e.g. levers, cams or gears
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 3/36 Load-engaging elements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/18 Load gripping or retaining means

Abstract

A toilet lift apparatus for removing and installing toilets includes a base having a left side slidably engageable with a right side. An attachment bar is coupled to the base. A pair of supports is coupled to the base and a cantilever is coupled to the pair of supports. The cantilever selectively engages with a toilet and pivots on the pair of supports to lift and alternatively lower the toilet. A ratchet assembly is coupled to the cantilever to pull in, or alternatively push out, each of the left arm and the right arm. A latch bar is coupled to the ratchet assembly and extends down past the attachment bar. The latch bar has a plurality of hooks with each of the plurality of hooks being selectively engageable with the attachment bar.

Claims

1. A toilet lift apparatus comprising:

a base having a left side and a right side, the left side being slidably engageable with the right side;

an attachment bar coupled to the base, the attachment bar comprising a left attachment bar and a right attachment bar, the left attachment bar being coupled to the left side of the base and the right attachment bar being coupled to the right side of the base, the left attachment bar being slidably engageable with the right attachment bar;

a pair of supports coupled to the base, the pair of supports comprising a left support coupled to the left side of the base and a right support coupled to the right side of the base;

a cantilever coupled to the pair of supports, the cantilever comprising a left arm pivotably coupled to the left support and a right arm pivotably coupled to the right support, each of the left arm and the right arm having a lift end and a handle end, the lift end being configured to selectively engage with a toilet, the cantilever pivoting on the pair of supports to lift and alternatively lower the toilet, the cantilever having a rest position and an alternate lifted position;

a ratchet assembly coupled to the cantilever, the ratchet assembly being coupled to the handle end of each of the left arm and the right arm, the ratchet assembly pulling in, or alternatively pushing out, each of the left arm and the right arm, the ratchet assembly thus moving a left half of the toilet lift apparatus comprising the left side of the base, the left attachment bar, the left support, and the left arm of the cantilever and a right half of the toilet lift apparatus comprising the right side of the base, the right attachment bar, the right support, and the right arm of the cantilever from an open position to an alternate closed position; and

a latch bar coupled to the ratchet assembly, the latch bar extending down past the attachment bar and having a plurality of hooks, each of the plurality of hooks being selectively engageable with the attachment bar to secure the cantilever in the lifted position.

2. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of wheels coupled to the base, the plurality of wheels comprising a pair of fixed front wheels and a pair of swivelable rear wheels.

3. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the base being a U-shape, each of the left side and the right side having a forward section and a rear section, the rear section being perpendicular to the forward section.

4. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 3 further comprising each of the left attachment bar and the right attachment bar having a vertical section and a horizontal section.

5. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 4 further comprising each of the rear section of the left side and the horizontal section of the left attachment bar having a thin portion and each of the rear section of the right side and the horizontal section of the right attachment bar having a hollow portion, the thin portion of each of the rear section of the left side and the horizontal section of the left attachment bar being slidably engageable within the hollow portion of each of the rear section of the right side and the horizontal section of the right attachment bar, respectively.

6. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 4 further comprising each of the pair of supports being an inverted V-shape and having a vertex, the cantilever being coupled to the vertex of each of the pair of supports.

7. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a pair of pads coupled to the cantilever, the pair of pads comprising a left pad coupled to the lift end of the left arm and a right pad coupled to the lift end of the right arm.

8. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 7 further comprising each of the pair of pads being a rectangular prism having a pivot, the pivot being selectively engageable with a plurality of pivot apertures extending through the lift end of each of the left arm and the right arm of the cantilever, the pair of pads thus being pivotably coupled to the cantilever.

9. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the ratchet assembly further comprising:

a ratchet mechanism, the ratchet mechanism having a fixed half, a ratchet half, and a pair of sleeves, the fixed half being coupled to the latch bar;

a lever coupled to the ratchet mechanism, the lever having a lever arm coupled to the ratchet half and a lever pad coupled to the lever arm, the lever pad providing a place for a user to operate the ratchet mechanism; and

a pair of threaded extensions coupled to the ratchet mechanism, the pair of threaded extensions being coupled within the pair of sleeves, the pair of threaded extensions rotating as the lever arm is manipulated, the pair of threaded extensions being coupled within the handle end of each of the left arm and the right arm of the cantilever.

10. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a pair of handles coupled to the cantilever, the pair of handles comprising a left handle and a right handle coupled to the handle end of the left arm and the right arm, respectively.

11. The toilet lift apparatus of claim 10 further comprising each of the pair of handles being L-shaped, the pair of handles being perpendicularly coupled to the handle end of the left arm and the right arm.

12. A toilet lift apparatus comprising:

a base having a left side and a right side, the left side being slidably engageable with the right side, the base being a U-shape, each of the left side and the right side having a forward section and a rear section, the rear section being perpendicular to the forward section;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the base, the plurality of wheels comprising a pair of fixed front wheels and a pair of swivelable rear wheels;

an attachment bar coupled to the base, the attachment bar comprising a left attachment bar and a right attachment bar, each of the left attachment bar and the right attachment bar having a vertical section and a horizontal section, each of the rear section of the left side and the horizontal section of the left attachment bar having a thin portion and each of the rear section of the right side and the horizontal section of the right attachment bar having a hollow portion, the thin portion of each of the rear section of the left side and the horizontal section of the left attachment bar being slidably engageable within the hollow portion of each of the rear section of the right side and the horizontal section of the right attachment bar, respectively;

a pair of supports coupled to the base, the pair of supports comprising a left support coupled to the left side of the base and a right support coupled to the right side of the base, each of the pair of supports being an inverted V-shape and having a vertex;

a cantilever coupled to the pair of supports, the cantilever comprising a left arm pivotably coupled to the vertex of the left support and a right arm pivotably coupled to the vertex of the right support, each of the left arm and the right arm having a lift end and a handle end, the lift end being configured to selectively engage with a toilet, the cantilever pivoting on the pair of supports to lift and alternatively lower the toilet, the cantilever having a rest position and an alternate lifted position;

a pair of handles coupled to the cantilever, the pair of handles comprising a left handle and a right handle coupled to the handle end of the left arm and the right arm, respectively, each of the pair of handles being L-shaped, the pair of handles being perpendicularly coupled to the handle end of the left arm and the right arm;

a pair of pads coupled to the cantilever, the pair of pads comprising a left pad coupled to the lift end of the left arm and a right pad coupled to the lift end of the right arm, each of the pair of pads being a rectangular prism having a pivot, the pivot being selectively engageable with a plurality of pivot apertures extending through the lift end of each of the left arm and the right arm of the cantilever, the pair of pads thus being pivotably coupled to the cantilever;

a ratchet assembly coupled to the cantilever, the ratchet assembly comprising;

a ratchet mechanism, the ratchet mechanism having a fixed half, a ratchet half, and a pair of sleeves;

a lever coupled to the ratchet mechanism, the lever having a lever arm coupled to the ratchet half and a lever pad coupled to the lever arm, the lever pad providing a place for a user to operate the ratchet mechanism; and

a pair of threaded extensions coupled to the ratchet mechanism, the pair of threaded extensions being coupled within the pair of sleeves, the pair of threaded extensions rotating as the lever arm is manipulated, the pair of threaded extensions being coupled within the handle end of each of the left arm and the right arm;

wherein the ratchet assembly pulls in, or alternatively pushes out, each of the left arm and the right arm, the ratchet assembly thus moving a left half of the toilet lift apparatus comprising the left side of the base, the left attachment bar, the left support, and the left arm of the cantilever and a right half of the toilet lift apparatus comprising the right side of the base, the right attachment bar, the right support, and the right arm of the cantilever from an open position to an alternate closed position; and

a latch bar coupled to the ratchet assembly, the latch bar being coupled to the fixed half of the ratchet assembly and extending down past the attachment bar and having a plurality of hooks, each of the plurality of hooks being selectively engageable with the attachment bar to secure the cantilever in the lifted position.