Patent ID: 8214932
Filing Date: 2012-07-10
Classification: A47K

Abstract:
1. A self-closing toilet seat assembly for attachment over the bowl of a conventional toilet, comprising: a toilet lid having a pair of spaced apart hinge flanges on an underside thereof proximate a rear edge thereof, each of said spaced apart hinge flanges having a central opening therein, said toilet lid having a longitudinal hinge tube cavity on the underside thereof between said pair of spaced apart hinge flanges; a toilet seat having a pair of rearwardly extending spaced apart hinge flanges, each having a central opening therein, said spaced apart hinge flanges of said toilet seat being positioned for axial alignment of said central openings therein with said central openings in said pair of spaced apart hinge flanges of said toilet lid; a longitudinal hinge tube having first and second end faces, each of said end faces having a central opening therein, said hinge tube residing in said hinge tube cavity of said toilet lid; a pair of slow-close hinge dampeners, each having an inwardly extending body portion and an outwardly extending splined shaft, said slow-close hinge dampeners being operative for limiting a rate of rotation of their shafts in response to a rotational force applied thereto with respect to their body portions, said slow-close hinge dampeners being positioned within said hinge tube at opposite ends thereof, said body portion of each of said slow-close hinge dampeners being fixedly mounted within said hinge tube, said outwardly extending shaft portion of each of said slow-close hinge dampeners extending outwardly through respective ones of said central openings in said end faces of said hinge tube, through respective ones of said central openings in said hinge flanges of said toilet seat, and through respective ones of said central openings in said hinge flanges of said toilet lid for securing said toilet lid and said toilet seat in hinged engagement with each other and with said hinge tube; and a mounting base attached to an underside of said hinge tube, said mounting base having a pair of rearwardly-protruding mounting tabs for attachment of said self-closing toilet seat assembly to said bowl of a conventional toilet; said central opening in one of said hinge flanges of said toilet lid having an inner grooved surface for engaging the splined shaft of an associated first one of said slow-close hinge dampeners, said central opening in an adjacent one of said hinge flanges of said toilet seat having a smooth inner surface that does not engage the splined shaft of said first one of said slow-close hinge dampeners; and said central opening in the other one of said hinge flanges of said toilet seat having an inner grooved surface for engaging the splined shaft of an associated second one of said slow-close hinge dampeners, said central opening in an adjacent one of said hinge flanges of said toilet lid having a smooth inner surface that does not engage the splined shaft of said second one of said slow-close hinge dampeners; said self-closing toilet seat assembly further comprising a self-closing mechanism in association with said mounting base, said self-closing mechanism being responsive to manual lifting of only said toilet lid or of both said toilet lid and said toilet seat to an open vertical position in preparation for use of the toilet, for initiating closing rotation of said toilet lid and said toilet seat, if also upright, to a vertical tipping point, past which said toilet lid and said toilet seat, if also upright, continue to gravitationally rotate, at a rate limited by said slow-close hinge dampeners, to a lowered or closed position, said self-closing mechanism being further responsive to the weight of a user seated on said toilet seat for inhibiting the initiation of closing rotation of said toilet lid until such time as the user rises from said toilet seat, said mounting base is attached to said hinge tube by means of fasteners that include a pair of hinge tube suspension springs positioned within said hinge tube proximate respective ends thereof, said suspension springs serving to suspend said hinge tube a predetermined distance above said mounting base in the absence of the weight of a user seated on said toilet seat, said suspension springs being compressed by the weight of a user seated on said toiled seat such that said predetermined distance is reduced to zero.