Prior attempts to provide a toilet seat lifting device have involved systems with numerous links, biasing members or cables. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,160 to Pettus discloses a toilet seat lifting device having a lever assembly mounted on a platform that rests on the floor such that depressing a foot pedal downward causes upward movement of a link connected to a lift arm attached to the toilet seat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,192 to Hodges, U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,782 to Ratajac, U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,595 to Carmel, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,496 to Blair disclose a similar device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,446 to Crocker discloses a similar device including a cable which pulls on a lever attached to the toilet seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,741 to Ellison discloses a toilet seat lifter having a foot actuated lever 20 which is operably connected to the hinged toilet seat 14. The device includes a bracket 16 secured to the top of the toilet bowl 10. The bracket 16 includes a downward turned flange 22 which serves as an attachment point for the fulcrum point 24 of the foot lever 20 (col. 1, lines 63-68), and the fulcrum point 32 for a motion transmitting linkage 26 pivotally mounted at point 32 (col. 2, lines 1-3). The foot lever 20 has a roller 34 (see FIG. 3) mounted on a stud 36 to engage and actuate the underside of arm 28 of linkage 26. The other end 30 of linkage 26 has a roller 38 mounted on a stud extending at right angles to the arm 30 and extending under the toilet seat 14 to elevate the seat when the lever 20 is actuated (col. 2, lines 8-12).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,347 to King discloses a toilet seat lifting system having a bracket secured to a toilet seat of a toilet, a vertical member, a lever arm pivotally attached to a lower portion of the vertical member, a pair of support arms attached to an upper portion of the vertical member extending at an angle thereof, an air cylinder attached between the vertical member, and the lever arm, two pulleys rotatably attached to an upper portion of the vertical member, and a length of cord attached to the lever arm extending about the pulleys and attached to bracket (col. 1, lines 58-67). U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,335 to Gaston discloses a similar floor mounted, foot actuated, anti-slamming, toilet seat raising and lowering device which includes a hydraulic device which dampens the descent of the toilet seat to prevent the seat from slamming onto the toilet opening. U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,589 to Rice discloses a similar device except that it includes a pneumatic cylinder assembly to prevent the toilet seat from slamming onto the toilet bowl opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,165 to Wescott, Sr., discloses a commode flush and seat lift device in which foot pedals are linked to the flush lever 25 and to the toilet seat lid 11 via four conduits 15, 16, 17 and 18 which house the mechanical links between the foot pedals and their respective operable components (col. 3, lines 47-68).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,106 to Carter, et al., discloses a hand operated, lever actuated toilet seat lift having three componentsxe2x80x94namely, a right angle mounting bracket 16, a pivotal seat lifter 18 and a pivotal actuator lever arm 20 (col. 3, lines 14-16). The seat lifter includes a slot 41 which engages a driving pin 46 attached to the lever arm such that movement of the vertical lever arm causes the lifting bracket to move (col. 4, lines 4-11).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,084 to Greco discloses a lift mechanism which attaches to the rear edge of a toilet bowl which includes a flexible lever which pivots with regard to the rear edge of the bowl. The flexible lever includes a tang dimensioned such that it can be inserted between the toilet bowl and seat (col. 2, lines 11-16). The lever is may be used to lift the seat by trapping the seat between the tang and a stabilizer located on the lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,063 to Cotham discloses an automatic toilet seat lifting device having a lever arm 5 with a counter weight 6 attached at the end thereof which acts to raise the toilet seat to a vertical position (col. 3, lines 40-49), after flushing.
None of the prior toilet seat or toilet cover lifting devices are as simple as the present invention. There is a need for a toilet seat and cover system that is simple, self-supportive, durable and easy to maintain.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple toilet seat and cover system which operates using a foot pedal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a self-supportive toilet seat and cover system which lifts either the toilet cover, the toilet seat (if the cover is already open), or both the seat and cover.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat and cover system which is easy to maintain sanitary.
The self-supportive toilet seat and cover system for lifting and placing a toilet seat and cover on an open end of a toilet bowl includes a hinge assembly attached to one end of the toilet bowl opening which also attaches to an end of the toilet seat and toilet cover. The system also includes a first seat lever and first cover lever located on one side of the toilet bowl which are coupled via a second seat lever and a second cover lever, respectively, to respective collars attached to the hinge assembly such that downward pivotal movement of either the first seat lever or first cover lever causes respective second levers to move in a generally downward direction thereby causing rotational movement of the respective cylindrical members of the hinge assembly which are attached to the toilet seat and cover. The rotational movement of the hinge members causes the toilet seat and cover to swing from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.
Another embodiment of the self supportive toilet seat and a toilet cover lifting system includes, in combination with the toilet, the toilet seat, toilet cover, a hinge assembly mounted on a distal end of the toilet bowl opening such that the toilet seat and toilet cover may swing about the hinge to a substantially upright position, and a fulcrum located on a lower side of the toilet; a toilet cover assembly having a cover collar mounted to an end of the hinge and a first cover lever having a first end rotatably coupled to the fulcrum and a second end extending proximally therefrom. The system also includes a second cover lever rotatably coupled intermediate the first cover lever and the cover collar such that downward pivotal movement of the first cover lever causes the toilet cover to swing from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position. The system also includes a toilet seat assembly having a seat collar mounted to the end of the hinge, a first seat lever located adjacent the first cover lever and having a first end rotatably also coupled to the fulcrum; and a second seat lever rotatably coupled intermediate the first seat lever and the seat collar such that downward pivotal movement of the first seat lever causes the toilet seat to swing from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position.
The system of the present invention may also include a bracket adapted to be attached to the distal end of a toilet such that a portion of the bracket defines the fulcrum at which the toilet seat and toilet cover levers are rotatably coupled. The bracket may include a pivot mount to couple the seat and cover levers, or may include two pivot mounts to couple same at two different locations such that the seat and cover levers are rotatably coupled about both pivot mounts.
The toilet seat and cover system cover collar and seat collar may be structurally defined as a third cover lever and third seat lever, respectively, that are attached to and radiating from the hinge to permit the rotation of the hinge upon force being applied to the second cover and seat levers.
The toilet seat and cover system may also include an extending tab located on the first seat lever such that at least a portion of the tab extends over a portion of the first cover lever such that the downward pivotal movement of the seat lever causes downward pivotal movement of the first cover lever as well.