Alarm system for a toilet seat

• US 6,323,778 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger W. Simpson, Ruth Simpson
• Original Assignee: Roger W. Simpson, Ruth Simpson
• Inventors: Simpson, Ruth, Simpson, Roger W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/754,916
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/573.1, 340/384.4, 340/392.3, 466/1, 200/61.62
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 13/24 Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats

Abstract

An alarm system for signaling when the toilet seat of a toilet is left in an upright position in relation to a rim of the toilet bowl. The alarm system for a toilet seat includes a housing for mounting the alarm system to the toilet bowl. A sensor is provided for detecting when the toilet seat in the upright position in relation to the rim of the toilet. The sensor is mounted in the housing. Control circuitry is provided for controlling the alarm system. The control circuitry is mounted in the housing. A power supply is provided for providing power to the control circuitry. The power supply is removably mounted in the housing. A sound emitter is provided for audibly signaling that the toilet seat has been left in the upright position. The sound emitter is mounted in the housing.

Claims

1. An alarm system for sounding an audible alarm when a toilet seat of a toilet is left in an upright position in relation to a rim of the toilet bowl, said system comprising:

a housing for mounting having a top wall and a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall and a pair of side walls extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing;

a fastening means for fastening said housing to an outer surface of the toilet bowl;

an alarm assembly comprising;

a connecting sensor for detecting when the toilet seat is in the upright position, said connecting sensor having a first contact being attachable to a lower surface of the toilet seat and a second contact being mounted in said housing, said connecting sensor detecting the toilet seat being left in the upright position when said first and said second contacts are not in contact with each other;

control circuitry for controlling the alarm system, said control circuitry being mounted in said housing and activating an alarm when said first and said contacts are not in contact with each other;

a power supply for providing power to said control circuitry, said power supply being removably mounted in said housing; and

a sound emitter for audibly signaling that the toilet seat has been left in the upright position, said sound emitter being mounted in said housing.

3. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said first contact comprises:

a plate for contacting the top wall of the housing;

a protruding member extending away from a peripheral edge of said plate; and

a first magnetic member being mounted in said plate and being positioned between said upper and lower surfaces of said plate.

4. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said second contact comprises:

a second magnetic member being attached to a lower surface of a top wall of said housing.

5. The alarm system of claim 4, wherein said second magnetic member is electrically connected to said control circuitry.

6. The alarm system of claim 3, additionally comprising:

a securing means for securing said protruding member to a lower surface of the toilet seat, said securing means being attached to an upper surface of said protruding member.

7. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said control circuitry is electrically connected to said second contact.

8. The alarm system of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a plurality of switches for controlling said alarm system, each of said switches being mounted in said housing.

9. The alarm system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a power switch for providing power from said power supply to said control circuitry.

10. The alarm system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a volume switch for controlling the volume of said sound emitter.

11. The alarm system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a tone switch for controlling the type of tone emitted from said sound emitter.

2. The alarm system of 1, wherein said fastening means is attached to an outer surface of a back wall of said housing.

12. An alarm system for sounding an alarm when a toilet seat of a toilet is left in an upright position in relation to a rim of the toilet bowl, said system comprising:

a housing for mounting said alarm system to the toilet bowl, said housing having a top wall and a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall and a pair of side walls extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing, said housing comprising a substantially rigid material, said top wall comprising a substantially rigid material;

a fastening means for fastening said housing to an outer surface of the toilet bowl, said fastening means being attached to an outer surface of said back wall of said housing, said fastening comprising a substantially adhesive material;

a sensor for detecting when the toilet seat in the upright position, said sensor comprising;

a first contact attachable to a lower surface of the toilet seat, said first contact comprising;

a plate for contacting the top wall of the housing, said plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, a peripheral edge of said plate extending between said upper and lower surfaces of said plate, said plate comprising a substantially magnetized material;

a protruding member extending away from said peripheral edge of said plate, said protruding member having a length equal to a length of said plate, said protruding member having a thickness approximately half a thickness of said plate;

a first magnetic member being mounted in said contact portion and between said upper and lower surfaces of said contact portion;

a securing means for securing said protruding member to a lower surface of the toilet seat, said securing means being attached to an upper surface of said protruding member, said securing means comprising an adhesive material;

a second contact being mounted on said housing, said second contact comprising;

a second magnetic member being attached to a lower surface of said top wall of said housing, said second magnetic member being in magnetic communication with said first magnetic member;

wherein said sensor detects the toilet seat being left in the upright position, wherein said first magnetic member is positioned away from said second magnetic member breaking magnetic communication between said first and second magnetic members;

control circuitry for controlling the alarm system, said control circuitry being electrically connected to said second contact;

a sound emitter for audibly signaling that the toilet seat has been left in the upright position, said sound emitter being mounted in said housing and positioned generally adjacent to said front wall of said housing, said sound emitter being electrically connected to said control circuitry, said sound emitter comprising a speaker;

a plurality of switches for controlling said alarm system, each of said switches being mounted in said housing and extending through one of said side walls of said housing, said plurality of switches comprising;

a power switch for providing power from said power supply to said control circuitry, said power switch being electrically connected to said power supply and said control circuitry;

a volume switch for controlling the volume of said sound emitter, said volume switch being electrically connected to said control circuitry;

a tone switch for controlling the type of tone emitted from said sound emitter, said tone switch being electrically connected to said control circuitry.