Toilet assembly

The toilet assembly includes a toilet seat lid, a toilet seat, a toilet tank, a toilet bowl and a hinge assembly. The toilet seat lid is situated on top of the toilet seat. The toilet seat lid has a front peripheral lid portion and an end portion extended off of the front peripheral lid portion. The toilet seat has a front peripheral seat portion and an end portion extended normal to the front peripheral seat portion. The hinge assembly is affixed to the lid end portion, the seat end portion, and additionally to the front surface of the toilet tank. The seat end portion rises perpendicular to the front peripheral seat portion so that when the toilet seat lid is raised, the hinge assembly is covered, protecting it from exposure to urine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to toilet seats, and particularly to a toilet assembly with a toilet seat having a raised backing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Toilet assemblies used in homes typically have a toilet bowl, toilet seat, toilet seat lid, and a toilet tank that flushes waste products. The toilet tank is mounted upon the toilet bowl. The toilet seat lid rests a top the toilet seat. The toilet seat and toilet seat lid are attached with a hinge to the toilet bowl, allowing the seat and lid to be raised or lowered by an individual.

The problem that arises with an assembly such as the one described above is that any attachment from the toilet seat and lid onto the bowl tends to become dirty. Urine and dust often collect about the hinges. Cleaning the area around the hinges is troublesome and difficult for individuals to easily reach.

The related art endeavors to solve the problem of difficult to clean hinges by developing new ways of attaching the seat and seat lid to the toilet assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,357, issued Dec. 7, 1993 to B. Ades, shows a releasable toilet lid and seat locking apparatus. The apparatus is attached to the front surface of a toilet flush tank. The apparatus has a rod and hinges that are attachable to the rod. The hinges connect to the toilet lid and toilet seat, allowing the lid and seat to be raised or lowered against the front surface of the toilet flush. The apparatus does not attach to the toilet bowl.

U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US 2004/0045082, published Mar. 11, 2004 and invented by J. Marras, shows a self-supportive toilet seat and cover system. The seat and cover system includes levers attached to the toilet seat and toilet cover by hinges. A user presses downward on the levers, causing either one or both of the seat and cover to raise to a vertical position. The system includes support members that fit within holes in the toilet bowl.

U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US 2603/0204900 A1, published Nov. 6, 2003 and invented by E. Hsieh, shows a toilet seat and toilet cover hinge. A vertical sleeve fits upon a subplate attached to a toilet bowl. Two hinge plates are attached to a shaft connected to the vertical sleeve. One hinge plate is fastened to the toilet seat and the other is attached to the toilet cover.

Although the related art addresses toilet assemblies or hinge attachments designed to provide for easier cleaning, what is needed is a toilet assembly in which the seat and seat lid are attached to the toilet tank and not the toilet bowl. This assembly would allow the toilet bowl to be easily cleaned. What is further needed is a toilet assembly having a seat and seat lid designed to block the hinge entirely from urine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The toilet assembly includes a toilet seat lid, a toilet seat, a toilet tank, a toilet bowl and a hinge assembly. The toilet tank has a front surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the tank is attached to the toilet bowl base. The toilet seat lid is situated on top of the toilet seat. The hinge assembly is affixed to the seat lid and the seat, and additionally attached to the front surface of the toilet tank. Thus there is no attachment device on the surface of the toilet bowl to affix the toilet seat or lid to the bowl surface.

The toilet seat lid has a front peripheral portion and an end peripheral portion extended off of the front portion. The toilet seat has a front peripheral portion and an end peripheral portion extended normal to the front seat portion. The seat end portion has a top surface, to which a hinge bracket of the hinge assembly is bolted. One edge of the top surface of the seat end portion is raised slightly higher than the hinge bracket to protect it against exposure to urine.

The hinge assembly is attached to the lid end portion, the top surface of the seat end portion, and the front surface of the toilet tank. The seat end portion rises perpendicular to the front seat portion so that when the toilet seat lid is raised, the hinge assembly is covered. The hinge assembly is thereby protected from urine.

The toilet seat, toilet seat lid and hinge assembly may be an after-market attachment that is secured to an existing toilet bowl and toilet tank. The hinge assembly is attached to the toilet seat and toilet seat lid, then secured to the toilet tank by drilling holes in the existing tank.

Accordingly, it is a principal aspect of the invention to provide a toilet assembly that allows for easy cleaning of the toilet bowl, toilet seat and toilet seat lid. It is another aspect of the invention to conceal the hinge assembly from exposure to urine.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a toilet assembly, designated generally as10in the drawings. The toilet assembly10has a toilet seat lid12, a toilet seat18, a toilet tank40, a toilet bowl50, and a hinge assembly30. The hinge assembly30is attached to the toilet seat lid12and the toilet seat18. The hinge assembly30is additionally attached to the toilet tank40.

Referring first toFIG. 1, the toilet assembly10is shown with the toilet seat lid12sitting on top of the toilet seat18. The toilet seat18rests upon the toilet bowl50. The toilet tank40has a front surface42and a bottom surface46. The bottom surface46of the tank40is attached to the base of the toilet bowl50. The toilet seat lid12has a front peripheral portion14and a lid end portion16extended off of the front peripheral portion14. The toilet seat18has a front peripheral portion20and a seat end portion22. The seat end portion22extends off of the front seat portion20and is perpendicular to the front seat portion20. The seat end portion22includes a top surface at an elevation higher than the front peripheral seat portion20. The hinge assembly30is affixed to the lid end portion16, the seat end portion22, and the front surface42of the toilet tank40.

FIG. 2Ashows a side view of the toilet assembly10with the toilet seat lid12and toilet seat18in a horizontal position. The toilet seat lid12has a front lid portion14and a lid end portion16. The toilet seat18has a front seat portion20and a seat end portion22extended normal to the front seat portion20. The hinge assembly30has hinge plates32, a hinge bracket34and a pair of mounting attachments36. The mounting attachments36and hinge plates32are connected to the hinge bracket34. The hinge bracket34is affixed to the top surface24of the seat end portion22. The hinge plates32are bolted onto the lid end portion16of the toilet seat lid12. The mounting attachments36are secured within holes44on the front surface42of the toilet tank40. The toilet tank40is mounted onto the base of the toilet bowl50.

Lid spacers60separate the toilet seat lid12from the toilet seat18. Seat spacers62separate the toilet seat18from the toilet bowl50.

FIG. 2Bshows the toilet assembly10with the toilet seat lid12and toilet seat18raised in a vertical position. It can be seen that the toilet bowl50lacks mounting holes or hinges to allow for easier cleaning.

FIG. 3shows an exploded view of the hinge assembly30. The hinge bracket34bolts onto the top surface24of the seat end portion22. The hinge bracket34has pivot shafts38onto which the hinge plates32and the mounting attachments36are set. The mounting attachments36slide onto the pivot shafts38then the hinge plates32slide onto the pivot shafts38. The hinge plates32affix to the toilet seat lid12. The mounting attachments36bolt into the toilet tank40.

Referring toFIG. 4, the toilet seat18and the toilet seat lid12are shown without the toilet bowl50and the toilet tank40. The toilet seat lid12is lifted, illustrating that the hinge assembly30is covered when the lid12is raised such that the hinge assembly30may be protected from exposure to urine. The lid end portion16is extended off of the front lid portion14and covers a portion of the seat end portion22.

FIG. 5shows a rear view of the toilet seat18, the toilet seat lid12, and the hinge assembly30. The hinge assembly30is affixed to the top surface24of the seat end portion22and the top of the lid end portion16. The hinge bracket34is bolted to the top surface24of the seat end portion22. One edge of the top surface24of the seat end portion22is raised slightly higher than the hinge bracket34to protect it against exposure to urine. The mounting attachments36extend off the middle of the pivot shafts38. The hinge plates32extend off the end of the pivot shafts38and are attached to the toilet lid12.

The toilet seat18, toilet seat lid12and hinge assembly30may be an after-market attachment that is secured to an existing toilet bowl and toilet tank. The hinge assembly30is attached to the toilet seat18and toilet seat lid12, then secured to the toilet tank by drilling holes in the existing tank.