U.S. patent application number 10/280539 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-29 for toilet seat lifting aid.
Invention is credited to Marshall, Randall B..
Application Number | 20040078881 10/280539 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32069383 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040078881 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Marshall, Randall B. |
April 29, 2004 |
TOILET SEAT LIFTING AID
Abstract
A lifting aid (10) for raising and lowering a toilet seat (100)
having a bottom surface (101) provided with a plurality of
cushioning pads (102) wherein, the lifting aid (10) comprises a
rigid generally rectangular lifting tab member (20) having an outer
half (22) that is provided with an arcuate finger recess (24) and a
plurality of raised ribs (23) to minimize the surface area contact
between a user's fingers and the lifting tab member 20; and
wherein, the inner half (25) of the lifting tab member (20) is
provided with a layer of double sided adhesive for securing the
lifting tab member (20) to the bottom (101) of a toilet seat.
Inventors: |
Marshall, Randall B.;
(Parker, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STURM & FIX LLP
206 SIXTH AVENUE
SUITE 1213
DES MOINES
IA
50309-4076
US
|
Family ID: |
32069383 |
Appl. No.: |
10/280539 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/246.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 13/105
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/246.1 |
International
Class: |
A47K 013/10 |
Goverment Interests
[0001] This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure
Program Registration No. 510,753, filed in the United States Patent
and Trademark Office on May 1, 2002.
Claims
1. A lifting aid for raising and lowering the bottom of a toilet
seat wherein, the lifting aid comprises a generally rectangular
rigid lifting tab member having an outer half and an inner half
wherein, the outer half terminates in an arcuate finger engaging
recess; and, means for securing the inner half of the lifting tab
member.
2. The lifting aid as in claim 1; wherein, both the outer and inner
halves of the lifting tab member have a generally flat bottom
surface.
3. The lifting aid as in claim 2; wherein, the inner half of the
lifting tab member has a flat top surface.
4. The lifting aid as in claim 3; wherein, the outer half of the
lifting tab member has a top surface provided with a plurality of
raised ribs.
5. The lifting aid as in claim 4; wherein, said plurality of raised
ribs have a generally arcuate recess.
6. The lifting aid as in claim 5; wherein, said means for securing
the inner half of the lifting tab member comprises a double sided
adhesive.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to the field of toilet seat
lifting devices in general and in particular to a uniquely
configured finned lifting tab.
[0006] 2. Description of Related Art
[0007] As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,717,884; 5,963,992; 5,729,239; and, 5,727,258, the prior art is
replete with myriad and diverse handle constructions designed to be
secured to the underside of a toilet seat.
[0008] While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are
more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which
they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient
with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and
practical toilet seat lifting aid that is inexpensive to
manufacture and has a unique contour that minimizes the physical
contact between the user and the lifting aid while lowering the
toilet seat.
[0009] As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has
existed a longstanding need among users of public toilets for a new
and improved toilet seat lifting aid that is easy to install and
contains structural features that facilitate both the lifting of
the toilet seat and the lowering of the seat after use with minimum
physical contact with the lifting aid, and the provision of such a
construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Briefly stated, the toilet seat lifting aid that forms the
basis of the present invention comprises in general a specially
contoured lifting tab unit and a securing unit for mounting the
lifting tab unit to the underside of a toilet seat.
[0011] As will be explained in greater detail further on in the
specification, the lifting tab unit comprises a generally
rectangular lifting tab member having an outer end provided with
both an arcuate finger engaging recess and a plurality of raised
ribs that minimize the surface area contact between a user's finger
and the outer half of the lifting tab member when the toilet seat
is lowered relative to the toilet bowl.
[0012] In addition, the inner half of the lifting tab member has a
generally smooth top and bottom surface wherein, the securing unit
is disposed on the top surface of the inner half of the lifting tab
member and comprises a layer of double sided adhesive that attaches
the inner half of the lifting tab member to the bottom of a
conventional toilet seat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] These and other attributes of the invention will become more
clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the
best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when
reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toilet seat lifting aid
installed on a toilet;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an isolated detail view of the lifting aid with
the toilet seat in the lowered position;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an isolated detail view of the lifting aid with
the toilet seat in the raised position;
[0017] FIG. 4 is an isolated perspective view of the toilet seat
lifting aid; and,
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the lifting aid installed
on the bottom of a toilet seat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in
particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, the toilet seat lifting aid that
forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by
the reference number 10. The lifting aid 10 comprises in general a
lifting tab unit 11 and a securing unit 12. These units will now be
described in seriatim fashion.
[0020] As can best be seen by reference to FIG. 4, the lifting tab
unit 11 comprises an elongated generally rigid tab member 20
preferably fabricated from hard plastic 21 or the like; wherein,
the outer half 22 of the top surface of the tab member 20 is
provided with a plurality of raised arcuate ribs 23 and terminates
in a generally arcuate recess 24 dimensioned to receive one of a
user's fingers.
[0021] In addition, the inner half 25 of the rigid tab member 20
has a generally rectangular flat smooth configuration on both its
upper and lower surfaces; and, wherein, the outer half 22 of the
tab member 20 has a flat bottom surface 22' and is angled slightly
downwardly from the inner half 24 of the tab member 20 to
accommodate the downward outer bevel found on a number of
conventional toilet seats 100.
[0022] As can best be see by reference to FIGS. 3 through 5, the
securing unit 12 comprises a layer of double slick adhesive 40 that
is provided on the top surface of the inner half 25 of the lifting
tab member 20 wherein, the adhesive 40 secures the tab member 20 to
the bottom surface 101 of a toilet seat 100 preferably adjacent to
one of the toilet seat cushioning pads 102.
[0023] By now it should be appreciated that once the lifting aid 10
has been installed on the bottom 101 of a toilet seat 100,
subsequent users of the toilet can easily lift the toilet seat 100
by inserting one of their fingers against the arcuate recess 24
with minimum contact with the bottom surface of the lifting aid 10.
Then when the user wants to lower the seat, their finger is
inserted in the opposite direction relative to the arcuate recess
24 and in this direction, the raised ribs 23 substantially minimize
the surface area contact and potential contamination between the
user's finger and the outer half 22 of the lifting tab member 20
for hygienic purposes.
[0024] It should also be noted that in the preferred embodiment of
the invention, the lifting tab member 20 has the following
dimensions: 2" in length and 3/4" in width with a 1/8" thickness
and raised ribs 1/4" in height.
[0025] Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has
been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without
materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of
this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to
be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the
following claims.
[0026] Having thereby described the subject matter of the present
invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions,
modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in
light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that
the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited
to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.
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