Method and arrangement for automatically raising and lowering a toilet seat
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In combination with a toilet including a toilet bowl and a toilet seat and a hinge mounting therefore allowing said toilet seat to be pivoted between a lowered position resting atop a rim surface of said toilet bowl to a raised position upright with respect to said toilet bowl;
- an arrangement for raising and lowering said toilet seat, said arrangement comprising;
a fulcrum defined by said hinge mounting, the weight of said toilet seat on one side of said fulcrum and a counterbalancing weight to the rear of said fulcrum;
means for shifting said counterbalancing weight supported by said toilet seat relative to said fulcrum with said seat in a lowered position so as to cause said toilet seat to thereafter pivot up on said fulcrum from a resulting imbalance thereof, and also for shifting said counterbalancing weight relative to said fulcrum with said toilet seat in said raised position so as to thereafter cause a pivoting down of said toilet seat.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement and method for automatically raising and lowering a toilet seat including a sensor pad located to be stepped on only by a standing user. The toilet seat is counterbalanced, and a shifting of weight causes the seat to pivot up or down. Various weight shifting arrangements are described, including an electromechanical drive, a liquid transfer system, and a mechanical drive weight positioner.
15 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. In combination with a toilet including a toilet bowl and a toilet seat and a hinge mounting therefore allowing said toilet seat to be pivoted between a lowered position resting atop a rim surface of said toilet bowl to a raised position upright with respect to said toilet bowl;
- an arrangement for raising and lowering said toilet seat, said arrangement comprising;
a fulcrum defined by said hinge mounting, the weight of said toilet seat on one side of said fulcrum and a counterbalancing weight to the rear of said fulcrum; means for shifting said counterbalancing weight supported by said toilet seat relative to said fulcrum with said seat in a lowered position so as to cause said toilet seat to thereafter pivot up on said fulcrum from a resulting imbalance thereof, and also for shifting said counterbalancing weight relative to said fulcrum with said toilet seat in said raised position so as to thereafter cause a pivoting down of said toilet seat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- an arrangement for raising and lowering said toilet seat, said arrangement comprising;
-
16. A method of raising a toilet seat from a fully lowered position and lowering said toilet seat from a fully raised position, said toilet seat having a hinged support at a rear portion of said toilet seat, comprising the steps of:
-
counterbalancing said toilet seat with respect to said hinged support to create a fulcrum at said hinged support; controllably creating a weight imbalance about said fulcrum with said toilet seat in said fully lowered position to thereafter raise said toilet seat by shifting weight on said seat towards said fulcrum; and controllably creating a weight imbalance about said fulcrum with said toilet seat in said fully raised position to thereafter lower said toilet seat by shifting weight on said seat away from said fulcrum.
-
Specification