U.S. patent application number 13/651147 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-17 for raised toilet seat assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to APEX MEDICAL CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is APEX MEDICAL CORPORATION. Invention is credited to David Donovan Fravel, Duane Richard Wagner, Shane Henry Walz.
Application Number | 20140101832 13/651147 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49304753 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140101832 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wagner; Duane Richard ; et
al. |
April 17, 2014 |
Raised Toilet Seat Assembly
Abstract
Disclosed is a raised toilet seat assembly with improved
coupling features. The raised toilet seat assembly includes an
adapter plate configured to couple to a toilet, a shoe configured
to couple to the adapter plate, and a raised toilet seat configured
to couple to the shoe thereby forming a fully assembled raised
toilet seat assembly. In some embodiments, the adapter plate
comprises a plurality of passages configured to fit about fasteners
when positioned over holes at a rear portion of the toilet, and a
slot configured to receive a first portion of the shoe when coupled
thereto.
Inventors: |
Wagner; Duane Richard;
(Belle Fourche, SD) ; Walz; Shane Henry; (Sioux
Falls, SD) ; Fravel; David Donovan; (Sioux Falls,
SD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
APEX MEDICAL CORPORATION |
Sioux Falls |
SD |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
APEX MEDICAL CORPORATION
Sioux Falls
SD
|
Family ID: |
49304753 |
Appl. No.: |
13/651147 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 13/005 20130101;
A47K 13/02 20130101; A47K 13/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/239 |
International
Class: |
A47K 13/00 20060101
A47K013/00 |
Claims
1. A raised toilet seat assembly comprising: an adapter plate
configured to couple to a toilet seat attachment point; a shoe
comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion
of the shoe configured to couple to the adapter plate; and a raised
toilet seat having a forward portion and a rear portion, the raised
toilet seat configured to couple to the second portion of the shoe
at the rear portion of the raised toilet seat.
2. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the adapter
plate comprises a slot configured to receive the first portion of
the shoe, and wherein the raised toilet seat further comprises a
cavity configured to receive the second portion of the shoe.
3. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the adapter
plate further comprises a plurality of passages, each passage
configured to fit about a fastener.
4. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 3, wherein the adapter
plate further comprises a plurality of end sections extending
outwardly from the adapter plate, each end section adjacent at
least one passage of the plurality of passages.
5. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the second
portion of the shoe comprises an arcuate side with a radius of
curvature corresponding to a radius of curvature of a side of the
cavity.
6. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the first
portion of the shoe is configured to slidably couple within the
slot of the adapter plate, and wherein the second portion of the
shoe is configured to slidably couple within the cavity of the
raised toilet seat.
7. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 6, wherein the coupling
between the shoe and either of the adapter plate or the raised
toilet seat is through an interference fit relation.
8. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 6, wherein the first
portion of the shoe comprises a flange having a tapered end.
9. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the slot is
an openly configured slot.
10. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 9, wherein a width of
the slot is smaller than a width of the first portion of the
shoe.
11. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 1, wherein at least
one of the adapter plate, the shoe or the raised toilet seat is
manufactured using an injection molding technique.
12. A raised toilet seat assembly comprising: a raised toilet seat
configured to rest on a toilet bowl of a toilet, the raised toilet
seat comprising an upper surface having an inclined contour and a
rear portion including a recess on an underside of the rear
portion; an adapter plate configured to couple to the toilet at a
seat attachment point of the toilet; and a shoe comprising a first
portion and a second portion, the first portion of the shoe
configured to couple to the adapter plate via a sliding engagement
between the first portion and the adapter plate, the second portion
of the shoe configured to couple to the raised toilet seat via a
sliding engagement between the second portion of the shoe and the
recess on the underside of the rear portion.
13. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the first
portion of the shoe comprises a flange with a tapered end.
14. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the second
portion of the shoe comprises a curved side with a radius of
curvature appropriate for mating with a curved side of the
recess.
15. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the
adapter plate, the shoe and the raised toilet seat are made of
plastic.
16. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 12, wherein at least
one of the adapter plate, the shoe or the raised toilet seat is
manufactured using an injection molding technique.
17. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the
adapter plate comprises a slot configured to receive the first
portion of the shoe via the sliding engagement.
18. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the
coupling between the shoe and either of the adapter plate or the
raised toilet seat is through an interference fit relation.
19. The raised toilet seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the
adapter plate further comprises a plurality of passages, each
passage configured to receive a fastener.
20. A raised toilet seat assembly comprising: means for providing a
raised seating surface configured to rest on a toilet bowl of a
toilet; an adapter means for coupling to a toilet seat attachment
point; and means for coupling the adapter means to the means for
providing the raised seating surface.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to raised toilet
seats, and in particular, to a raised toilet seat assembly with
improved coupling features to the underlying standard toilet
seat.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Certain people may experience difficulty in bending, sitting
and/or standing for various reasons. Often elderly people start to
experience symptoms of arthritis or general muscle atrophy as they
age. Youthful people may have injuries, or side effects from
surgery (e.g., hip surgery) that make it difficult to sit and
stand. For example, it may be difficult for such persons to sit on,
and/or stand up from, a toilet seat that is low to the ground.
[0005] Specialty products have been designed to assist people that
have difficulty sitting or standing. Such specialty products
include rails mounted to the floor or the wall, and raised toilet
seats, among other things. Raised toilet seats work by increasing
the height of the toilet seat above the ground, and providing an
inclined contour to the top of the raised toilet seat, making it
easier for people to sit without extreme bending, and likewise
making it easier for them to return to a standing position.
[0006] Current designs for raised toilet seats offer means for
coupling the raised toilet seat to a conventional toilet. These
coupling means can make use of existing attachment methods for
attaching the raised toilet seat to the rim of the toilet, but such
means tend to be overly complex, making assembly/disassembly of the
raised toilet seat a difficult and tedious endeavor. Other
less-secure means for coupling tend to offer a raised toilet seat
that is unstable when coupled to the toilet, which can increase the
risk of injury to a person using the raised toilet seat.
[0007] Furthermore, current methods of manufacturing raised toilet
seats include blow molding and rotational molding techniques, which
can have certain drawbacks, such as requiring much more material
than is needed for the manufacture of the parts themselves,
difficulty achieving high levels of production, and difficulty
maintaining desired tolerances across products.
SUMMARY
[0008] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0009] Accordingly, disclosed herein is a raised toilet seat
assembly with improved coupling features. The raised toilet seat
assembly comprises an adapter plate configured to couple to an
existing toilet, a shoe configured to couple to the adapter plate,
and a raised toilet seat configured to couple to the shoe thereby
forming a fully assembled raised toilet seat assembly.
[0010] In some embodiments, the adapter plate comprises a main body
portion and end sections extending beyond the main body portion to
define associated passages in the adapter plate for coupling to a
toilet. When the adapter plate is oriented flat on a rear portion
of the toilet between the toilet bowl and the water tank, the
passages of the adapter plate may be positioned over holes on the
rear portion of the toilet and may fit about fasteners such that
the fasteners pass through the passages and into the holes in the
rear portion of the toilet. In some embodiments, the adapter plate
further comprises a slot configured to receive a first portion of
the shoe when the adapter plate is coupled to the toilet and
oriented such that the slot is facing downward. The shoe may
further comprise a second portion configured to couple with a rear
portion of the raised toilet seat.
[0011] In some embodiments, the coupling between the adapter plate
and shoe, as well as between the shoe and the raised toilet seat,
may include an interference fit relation without the need for
additional fastening components.
[0012] Through the improved coupling features of the raised toilet
seat assembly disclosed herein, the adapter plate, the shoe and the
raised toilet seat may be assembled with ease. Furthermore, the
improved coupling features of the raised toilet seat allow each
component of the assembly to be easily separated, or detached, from
the other component parts of the assembly, allowing for quick
interchangeability which may be useful for preparing the toilet for
guests who do not require a raised toilet seat. Notably, the raised
toilet seat assembly of the present invention does not require
additional fastening elements beyond the adapter plate, the shoe
and the raised toilet seat in order to fully assemble the raised
toilet seat assembly onto an existing toilet. The embodiments
disclosed herein provide improved convenience to a user as a
consequence.
[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description of the invention,
which refers to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The detailed description is described with reference to the
accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a
reference number identifies the figure in which the reference
number first appears. The same reference numbers in different
figures indicate similar or identical items.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, perspective view of an
example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly, the raised toilet
seat assembly comprising an adapter plate, a shoe, and a raised
toilet seat.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up perspective view of the
adapter plate of FIG. 1 in further detail, the adapter plate
comprising a main body portion and end sections extending from the
main body portion to define passages for coupling to a conventional
toilet, and further comprising a slot configured to receive a
portion of the shoe of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the
example toilet and the adapter plate of FIG. 1, the adapter plate
being configured to couple to the toilet by receiving fasteners
through the passages of the adapter plate;
[0018] FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded, perspective view of the
example toilet and the adapter plate of FIG. 1 with the adapter
plate in an alternative orientation to that shown in FIG. 3A.
[0019] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the shoe of FIG. 1 in further
detail, the shoe comprising a first portion configured to slide
into the slot of the adapter plate for coupling the shoe to the
adapter plate of FIG. 1, and further comprising a second portion
configured to slide into a rear portion of the raised toilet seat
of FIG. 1 for coupling the raised toilet seat to the shoe.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet
with the adapter plate of FIG. 1 coupled to the toilet, and the
shoe of FIG. 1 coupled to adapter plate.
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the raised toilet seat of
FIG. 1 in further detail, the raised toilet seat comprising a top
portion with an inclined contour, a rear portion, and a bottom
portion that is smaller than the top portion to fit within a toilet
bowl of the toilet in FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the example toilet
and raised toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1 when fully assembled.
[0023] FIG. 8 illustrates a side elevation view of the fully
assembled example toilet and raised toilet seat assembly of FIG. 7,
along with a close-up view of the adapter plate, the shoe and the
rear portion of the raised toilet seat when fully assembled.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a raised toilet
seat assembly 100 according to an example embodiment. The raised
toilet seat assembly 100 is shown from a perspective, exploded view
and is intended for use with a toilet 102, such as a conventional
toilet. The raised toilet seat assembly 100 comprises an adapter
plate 104 configured to removably couple to the toilet 102 at a
rear portion of the toilet 106, a shoe 108 configured to removably
couple to the adapter plate 104, and a raised toilet seat 110
configured to removably couple to the shoe 108 at a rear portion of
the raised toilet seat 112. The toilet 102 may be any standard
toilet with fasteners to couple a standard lid to the toilet 102,
the fasteners including, but not limited to screws, bolts with
corresponding nuts, etc. The toilet 102 is shown and described
herein in only as much detail as necessary to understand the
present invention.
[0025] In some embodiments, the shoe 108 engages the adapter plate
104 by slidably coupling with the adapter plate 104 via an
interference fit relation. The shoe 108 also engages with the
raised toilet seat 110 by slidably coupling with the raised toilet
seat 110 via an interference fit relation. That is, portions of the
shoe 108 may each be slidably coupled to the adapter plate 104 and
the raised toilet seat 110, respectively, in a manner of an
interference fit relation whereby the coupled components are
securely coupled by the force of friction without the need for
additional fastening elements. This coupling allows for
assembling/disassembling the raised toilet seat assembly 100 with
greater ease, allowing for each component part of the assembly to
be easily separated or detached from the other component parts of
the assembly, and therefore enabling quick interchangeability which
may be useful for preparing the toilet for guests who do not
require the raised toilet seat assembly 100. Although the
illustrated examples herein show coupling between the component
parts of the raised toilet seat assembly 100 via an interference
fit relation, it is to be appreciated that other means of coupling
the shoe 108 to the adapter plate 104 and/or to the raised toilet
seat 110 will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the
art. Importantly, the raised toilet seat assembly 100 of the
present invention does not require additional fastening elements
beyond the component parts (i.e., the adapter plate 104, the shoe
108 and the raised toilet seat 110) in order to fully assemble the
raised toilet seat assembly 100 and attach it to the toilet
102.
[0026] It is to be appreciated that the specific dimensions,
proportions, shapes and configurations of each of the adapter plate
104, the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 are not specific
to the present invention. For example, the raised toilet seat 110
may be shaped or contoured in various ways to provide a suitably
inclined top surface, and the raised toilet seat 110 may be of
various sizes, or heights, for a particular toilet configurations
such that the adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108 may be of a
suitable size to accommodate the coupling of the raised toilet seat
110 to the shoe 108 and to accommodate the coupling of the adapter
plate 104 to the toilet 102.
[0027] In some embodiments one or more of the adapter plate 104,
the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 may be made of plastic,
such as molded plastic, or any other suitable material known in the
art. Specifically, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or a
suitable polymer, such as polyethylene, and the like, may be used
in the manufacturing of the component parts of the raised toilet
seat assembly 100. Suitable materials may be rigid or semi-rigid,
waterproof, and/or resistant to chemicals, heat and stress.
Additionally, the adapter plate 104, the shoe 108 and the raised
toilet seat 110 are preferably separate units that are operably
interconnected.
[0028] In some embodiments, one or more of the adapter plate 104,
the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 may be manufactured
using an injection molding technique, the process for which should
be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art. By using
an injection molding method to manufacture the adapter plate 104,
the shoe 108 and/or the raised toilet seat 110, minimal material is
used for the manufacture of the component parts, thereby preventing
excess waste of material. Furthermore, injection molding techniques
allow for easily forming the open cavity, or recess, on the
underside, rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112, as will be
explained in more detail, below.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 2, an adapter plate 104 according to
an example embodiment is shown in further detail. As illustrated,
the adapter plate 104 comprises a predominantly flat, rectangular
main body portion 202. The main body portion 202 includes a slot
204 configured to receive a portion of the shoe 108 shown in FIG. 1
when coupled thereto. The slot 204 is shown in FIG. 2 as a recess,
or cutout, of the main body portion 202 and is shown in an open
configuration. However, it is to be appreciated that the slot 204
may be an enclosed slot with openings on one or both ends of the
main body portion 202 where the shoe 108 slides into the adapter
plate 104.
[0030] The open configuration, shown in FIG. 2, allows for more
flexibility in tolerances between the adapter plate 104 and the
shoe 108, and allows for multiple orientations of the adapter plate
104 when coupled with the other components of the raised toilet
seat assembly 100 of FIG. 1. Furthermore, the width of the slot 204
is designed to establish an interference fit relation with the shoe
108 when coupled thereto. Accordingly, the width of the respective
portion of the shoe 108 that is to be received in the slot 204 of
the adapter plate 104 may be slightly wider than the width of the
slot 204 to establish the interference fit relation between the
adapter plate 104 and the shoe 108.
[0031] In some embodiments, the adapter plate 104 further comprises
two end sections 206a and 206b extending outward from the main body
portion 202 and defining associated passages 208a and 208b, the
passages 208a/b each configured to receive a screw, or similar
fastener, typically found on a conventional toilet, such as the
toilet 102 of FIG. 1. The configuration of the adapter plate 104
shown in FIG. 2 allows for the adapter plate 104 to be securely
coupled to the toilet 102 via the fasteners, as further illustrated
in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 3A, the adapter plate 104 may be
positioned in a flat orientation at the rear portion of the toilet
106, and at a toilet seat attachment point, with the slot 204
facing downward toward the ground, and with each passage 208a and
208b positioned over holes 302a and 302b on the rear portion of the
toilet 106. The rear portion of the toilet 106 includes the area of
the toilet that connects the toilet bowl to the water tank of the
toilet 102. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, the standard
lid of the toilet may be removed permanently, or alternatively, the
standard lid may replaced onto the toilet 102 after coupling the
adapter plate 104 to the toilet 102 where it may remain in a lifted
position in order to make room for the raised toilet seat 110. The
adapter plate 104 may be oriented with the tips of the end sections
206a/b pointing toward the back (i.e., the water tank) of the
toilet 102 as shown in FIG. 3A, or toward the front of the toilet
as shown in FIG. 3B. In either orientation, the passages 208a/b are
to be positioned over the respective holes 302a/b such that each
passage 208a/b may receive, or otherwise fit about, a respective
fastener 304a and 304b, such as a screw. Accordingly, each of the
fasteners 304a/b may pass through the passages 208a/b and into the
holes 302a/b where they may be fastened to the toilet 102 in the
conventional manner known to a person having ordinary skill in the
art. Alternatively, the adapter plate 104 may be coupled to the
toilet 102 by simply sliding the adapter plate 104 between the
standard toilet seat and the toilet bowl when the standard toilet
seat is in a raised position such that the passages 208a/b fit
about the fasteners 304a/b. In this way, the adapter plate 104 may
be securely coupled to the toilet 102 to ensure stability of the
raised toilet seat assembly 100 when in use. The holes 302a/b and
the fasteners 304a/b are typically found on a conventional toilet,
and are intended for use in attaching a standard, hinged toilet
seat thereto.
[0033] It is to be appreciated that the specific size and shape of
the adapter plate 104 is not specific to the present invention, and
it may therefore have any suitable shape. For example, the adapter
plate 104 may have a shape other than a predominantly rectangular
shape, as shown in FIG. 2, such as, but not limited to, a
triangular, circular, elliptical, oblong shape, etc. So long as the
adapter plate 104 is configured to receive a portion of the shoe
108 to couple thereto, and is further configured to couple to the
toilet 102 in the manner described hereto, the adapter plate 104
may be of any suitable size and shape to enable this functionality.
Additionally, although the adapter plate 104 is shown with two end
sections 206a/b and two passages 208a/b, the adapter plate 104 may
include a single end section and associated passage, or it may
include more than two passages and associated end sections.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an shoe 108 according to
an example embodiment is shown in further detail, with FIG. 4A
showing a perspective view of the shoe 108, and FIG. 4B showing a
side view of the shoe 108. As illustrated, the shoe 108 comprises a
flange member 402, or a first portion, configured to slide into the
slot 204 of the adapter plate 104. The flange member 402 is shown
in FIG. 4A to have a rectangular shape with a v-shaped cutout, but
it is to be appreciated that the flange member 402 can be designed
to have any suitable shape, such as rectangular, triangular,
semi-circular, etc. The flange member 402 is of a thickness such
that it may be slid within the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104
when the adapter plate 104 is securely coupled to the toilet 102,
as will be described further with reference to FIG. 5. The flange
member 402 further comprises a tapered end 404 (shown in FIG. 4B)
toward the end of the flange member 402. The tapered end 404
facilitates the engagement of the flange member 402 when it is slid
into the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104 after the adapter plate
104 has been securely coupled to the toilet 102.
[0035] The shoe 108 further comprises a main body member 406, or a
second portion, which is configured to slide into the rear portion
of the raised toilet seat 112 (shown in FIG. 1) such that the shoe
108 acts as a connection point between the adapter plate 104 and
the raised toilet seat 110. The main body member 406 is shown in
FIG. 4A to have an arcuate curved side 408 which allows for a
proper mating engagement between the shoe 108 and the rear portion
of the raised toilet seat 112, the rear portion of the raised
toilet seat 112 having the same, or similar, radius of curvature as
that of the arcuate curved side 408.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 5, the shoe 108 is shown to be coupled
to the adapter plate 104. As illustrated in FIG. 5, after the
adapter plate 104 has been securely coupled to the toilet 102 (as
described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B), a space is provided
between the rear portion of the toilet 106 and the adapter plate
104 by virtue of the slot 204 of the adapter plate 104.
Accordingly, the shoe 108 may be slid into the slot 204 of the
adapter plate 104 such that the flange member 402 of the shoe 108
slides within the slot 204 and into the space between the adapter
plate 104 and the rear portion of the toilet 106. In this manner,
the shoe 108 is securely coupled to the adapter plate 104, but is
also detachable from the adapter plate 104 by applying an opposing
force to slide the flange member 402 out from within the slot 204
of the adapter plate 104. Although the coupling between the adapter
plate 104 and the shoe 108 is described in example embodiments as
being an interference fit relation by sliding the flange member 402
within the slot 204, it is to be appreciated that other suitable
coupling means comprising two complimentary components may be
utilized without changing the basic characteristics of the system,
such as, but not limited to, a tooth and groove mechanism, dovetail
coupling, snaps, a hook-and-loop mechanism such as Velcro.RTM.,
etc., or any other detachable coupling known in the art.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 6, a side view of the raised toilet
seat 110 is illustrated. The raised toilet seat is configured to
rest on the toilet bowl of toilet 102 and comprises a rear portion
112 configured to receive the shoe 108 from the underside of the
raised toilet seat 110, as will be described in more detail with
reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The raised toilet seat 110 further
comprises a top surface 602 which is contoured such that it
provides a slightly inclined surface where a portion of the top
surface 602 near the rear portion 112 is raised higher than the
remainder of the top surface 602. The raised toilet seat 110
further comprises a bottom portion 604 that is smaller in diameter
relative to the remaining portion of the raised toilet seat 110
such that the bottom portion 604 is configured to fit within the
toilet bowl of the toilet 102.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 7, the raised toilet seat assembly 100
is illustrated in its fully assembled form. As illustrated in FIG.
7, the raised toilet seat 110 may be coupled to the shoe 108, the
details of which will be described in further detail with reference
to FIG. 8. The raised toilet seat 110 is easily detachable from the
shoe 108 by lifting upward on the raised toilet seat 110. While in
use, however, the components of the raised toilet seat assembly 100
are securely coupled in fully assembled form and thereby provide a
stable raised toilet seat assembly 100 for use by patrons.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 8, the fully assembled raised toilet
seat assembly 100 of FIG. 7 is shown from a side elevation view
along section line A-A (illustrated in FIG. 7). Section line A-A
bisects the toilet 102 and the raised toilet seat assembly 100. As
illustrated in FIG. 8, the adapter plate 104 is coupled to the
toilet 102 for example by tightening the fasteners 304a/b while the
adapter plate 104 is positioned flat on the rear portion of the
toilet 106 with the slot 204 facing downward and the passages
208a/b positioned over the holes 302a/b. The shoe 108 is shown to
be coupled to the adapter plate 104 by sliding the flange member
402 into the slot 204 and into the space between the adapter plate
104 and the rear portion of the toilet 106, as shown in the zoomed
view of FIG. 8. Importantly, FIG. 8 illustrates how the shoe 108 is
coupled to the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112 by
sliding the main body member 406 of the shoe 108 within a cavity
802, or recess, in the rear portion of the raised toilet seat 112
which is openly configured and accessible from the underside of the
raised toilet seat 110. By virtue of the arcuate curved side 408 of
the shoe 108 shown in FIG. 4A, the shoe 108 securely mates with the
raised toilet seat 110 since the rear portion of the raised toilet
seat 112 has a curvature at least similar to that of the arcuate
curved side 408 of the shoe 108. In some embodiments, the coupling
between the shoe 108 and the raised toilet seat 110 is by
interference fit relation.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described in
relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations
and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those
skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should be
limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the
appended claims.
* * * * *