Pivotal splash guard for a toilet

• US 7,921,478 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Annmarie Vanini
• Original Assignee: Annmarie Vanini
• Inventors: Vanini, Annmarie
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson; Gregory L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEITZER, LAUREN ASHLEY
• Application Number:
  US12/157,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 430/03, 465/8, 414/41, 445/0, 466/1, 150/154, 220/731, 220/4.03, 220/137
• US Class Current: 4/300.3
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/00 Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30

Abstract

A splash guard includes a shield that helps deflect and drain misdirected urine into a toilet bowl. When not needed, the shield can pivot 180 degrees from an operative, raised position down to tuck underneath the front end of the toilet bowl at a stored, lowered position. In the lowered position, the shield is generally inverted. To prevent residual urine on the inverted shield from dripping onto the floor, the shield includes a drip lip that temporarily collects the residual urine. When returned to the upright, raised position, urine in the drip lip is free to drain back into the toilet. The shield is pivotally connected to the toilet bowl at a point below the upper rim of the bowl so that when the shield pivots to the lowered position, the shield is completely out of the way.

Claims

1. A splash guard for a toilet bowl, wherein the toilet bowl has an upper rim, a concave inner surface, and a convex outer surface, the splash guard comprising:

a first anchor attachable to the convex outer surface of the toilet bowl;

a second anchor attachable to the convex outer surface of the toilet bowl, the first anchor and the second anchor are spaced apart from each other to define an axis that is below the upper rim when the splash guard is attached to the toilet bowl; and

a shield including a central section, two arm sections, an intermediate section, and a urine-deflection surface, all of which are adjoined, the intermediate section being between the central section and one of the two arm sections, the two arm sections pivotally connect the shield to the first anchor and the second anchor such that the shield is rotatable relative to the first anchor and the second anchor and is selectively movable between a raised position and a lowered position upon pivoting about the axis such that;

a) in the raised position, the central section extends down into the toilet bowl and overlaps the inner surface of the toilet bowl, the intermediate section rests upon the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and the urine-deflection surface faces forward with reference to the toilet bowl; and

b) in the lowered position, the central section is displaced out from within the toilet bowl, the intermediate section is spaced apart from the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and the urine-deflection surface faces backward with reference to the toilet bowl.

2. The splash guard of claim 1, wherein the shield rotates appreciably more than 90 degrees upon rotating from the raised position to the lowered position.

3. The splash guard of claim 1, wherein the shield rotates at least 180 degrees upon rotating from the raised position to the lowered position.

4. The splash guard of claim 1, further comprising a drip lip disposed on the shield, wherein the drip lip is above the upper rim when the shield is in the raised position, and the drip lip is below the upper rim when the shield is in the lowered position.

5. The splash guard of claim 1, wherein the first anchor comprises a suction cup that sticks to the convex outer surface of the toilet bowl.

6. The splash guard of claim 4, further comprising a handle disposed on the shield, wherein the handle and the drip lip are a unitary piece.

7. The splash guard of claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed on the shield, wherein the handle is above the upper rim when the shield is in the raised position, and the handle is below the upper rim when the shield is in the lowered position.

8. The splash guard of claim 1, wherein the shield in the raised position overlaps both the concave inner surface and the convex outer surface.

9. The splash guard of claim 1, wherein the toilet bowl supports a toilet seat, and the shield is interposed between the toilet seat and the upper rim when the shield is in the raised position, and the shield is displaced out from between the toilet seat and the upper rim when the shield is in the lowered position.

10. A splash guard for a toilet bowl, the splash guard comprising:

a first anchor attachable to a convex outer surface of the toilet bowl;

a second anchor attachable to the convex outer surface of the toilet bowl, the first anchor and the second anchor are spaced apart from each other to define an axis that is below the upper rim when the splash guard is attached to the toilet bowl; and

a shield including a central section, two arm sections, an intermediate section, and a urine-deflection surface, all of which are adjoined, the intermediate section being between the central section and one of the two arm sections, the two arm sections pivotally connect the shield to the first anchor and the second anchor such that the shield is rotatable relative to the first anchor and the second anchor and is selectively movable between a raised position and a lowered position upon pivoting appreciably more than 90 degrees about the axis such that;

a) in the raised position, the central section extends down into the toilet bowl and overlaps the inner surface of the toilet bowl, the intermediate section rests upon the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and the urine-deflection surface faces forward with reference to the toilet bowl; and

b) in the lowered position, the central section is displaced out from within the toilet bowl, the intermediate section is spaced apart from the upper rim of the toilet bowl, and the urine-deflection surface faces backward with reference to the toilet bowl; and

a drip lip disposed on the shield, wherein the drip lip is above the first anchor and the second anchor when the shield is in the raised position, and the drip lip is below the first anchor and the second anchor when the shield is in the lowered position.

11. The splash guard of claim 10, wherein the shield rotates at least 180 degrees upon rotating from the raised position to the lowered position.

12. The splash guard of claim 10, further comprising a handle disposed on the shield, wherein the handle and the drip lip are a unitary piece.

13. The splash guard of claim 10, wherein the toilet bowl supports a toilet seat, and the shield is interposed between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl when the shield is in the raised position, and the shield is displaced out from between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl when the shield is in the lowered position.

14. The splash guard of claim 10, wherein the first anchor includes a first suction cup, and the second anchor includes a second suction cup.