Foot-operated toilet flushing device

A foot-operated toilet flushing device for flushing a toilet with your foot. The foot-operated toilet flushing device includes an actuator assembly for mounting to a floor. The actuator assembly is positioned adjacent to a front portion of a toilet to facilitate operation of the actuator assembly by a foot of a user. A pivot assembly mounts to the floor. The pivot assembly is positioned adjacent to a rear portion of the toilet to facilitate the operation of a flush lever of the toilet. A linkage assembly operationally couples the actuator assembly, the pivot assembly, and the flush lever together. Actuation of the actuator assembly by the foot of the user moves the linkage assembly through the pivot assembly to operate the flush lever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to toilet flushing devices and more particularly pertains to a new foot-operated toilet flushing device for flushing a toilet with your foot.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of toilet flushing devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,513 describes a toilet flusher for disable people. Another type of toilet flushing device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,925 which discloses a foot flush adaptor for commercial latrines.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that is more versatile in design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets the needs presented above by the ncorporation of a linkage assembly that permits the foot actuator ortion to be mounted in a position more accessible to the user, along with a flexible section of the linkage which eliminates the need to hold the foot actuator down until the flush lever on the toilet releases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new foot-operated toilet flushing device that would eliminate the need for the user to bend over and manually grasp and turn a germ-laden flush lever to flush a toilet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new foot-operated toilet flushing device that would be especially useful for those with a physical disability.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flushing device which is particularly user-friendly for small children. Often very young children do not have the ability to reliably flush a toilet either because the handle is out-of reach or because they lack the strength to fully actuate the handle. Further, because many very small children only remember to flush when leaving the bathroom or being prompted by a care-giver, the foot operation of the present invention allows them to keep their hands essentially germ-free.

To this end, the present invention generally comprises an actuator assembly for mounting to a floor. The actuator assembly is positioned adjacent to a front portion of a toilet to facilitate operation of the actuator assembly by a foot of a user. A pivot assembly mounts to the floor. The pivot assembly is positioned adjacent to a rear portion of the toilet to facilitate the operation of a flush lever of the toilet. A linkage assembly operationally couples the actuator assembly, the pivot assembly, and the flush lever together. Actuation of the actuator assembly by the foot of the user moves the linkage assembly through the pivot assembly to operate the flush lever.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new foot-operated toilet flushing device embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 , the foot-operated toilet flushing device 10 generally comprises an actuator assembly 12 for mounting to a floor 13 . The actuator assembly 12 is positioned adjacent to a front portion 14 of a toilet 15 to facilitate operation of the actuator assembly 12 by a foot of a user.

A pivot assembly 16 mounts to the floor 13 . The pivot assembly 16 is positioned adjacent to a rear portion 17 of the toilet 15 to facilitate the operation of a flush lever 18 of the toilet 15 .

A linkage assembly 19 operationally couples the actuator assembly 12 , the pivot assembly 16 , and the flush lever 18 together. The linkage assembly 19 includes a first portion 20 and a second portion 23 . Each of the portions has a first end 21 , 24 and a second end 22 , 30 . The portions 20 , 23 are oriented generally perpendicular to each other and are generally rigid.

The actuator assembly 12 includes an actuator mounting member 25 mounted on the floor 13 adjacent to the front portion 14 of the toilet 15 .

The actuator assembly 12 includes a lever member 27 that is rotatably coupled to a top portion 26 of the actuator mounting member 25 .

The lever member 26 comprises a foot portion 28 and a linkage portion 29 . The portions are oriented substantially perpendicular to each other such that the lever member 26 is L-shaped.

The foot portion 28 of the lever member 26 is oriented generally parallel to the floor 13 and extends generally away from the pivot assembly 16 . The linkage portion 29 is oriented generally perpendicular to and extends away from the floor 13 when the actuator assembly 12 is in a non-actuated position 31 .

The linkage portion 29 of the lever member 26 is pivotally attached to the first end 21 of the first portion 20 of the linkage assembly 19 . The first portion 20 of the linkage assembly 19 is biased in a first direction 32 when the actuator assembly 12 is biased into an actuated position by the foot of the user.

The pivot assembly 16 includes a pivot mounting member 34 mounted on the floor 13 adjacent to the rear portion 17 of the toilet 15 and located generally below the flush lever 18 of the toilet 15 .

The pivot assembly 16 includes a pulley member 35 rotatably coupled to a side 36 of the pivoting member 34 .

The pulley member 35 has a pair of diametrically opposed coupling members 37 for coupling to the first and second portion 23 s of the linkage assembly 19 . Each of the coupling members 37 is positioned adjacent to an outer edge 38 of the pulley member 35 .

A first of the coupling members 39 is pivotally coupled to a second end 22 of the first portion 20 of the linkage assembly 19 and is positioned proximate to a bottom part 41 of the pivot mounting member 34 . A second of the coupling members 42 is positioned proximate to a top part 43 of the pivot mounting member 34 . Each of the coupling members 37 is substantially vertically aligned with respect to the floor 13 when in the non-actuated position 31 .

The second portion 23 of the linkage assembly 19 comprises a first section 44 and a second section 45 . The second section 45 is generally flexible.

The first end 24 of the second portion 23 of the linkage assembly 19 is pivotally attached to the second coupling member 42 of the pulley member 35 . The second end 30 of the second portion 23 of the linkage assembly 19 is releasably attachable to the flush lever 18 of the toilet 15 .

The pulley moves in a first rotational direction 46 when the first portion 20 of the linkage assembly 19 is biased in the first direction 32 causing the second portion 23 of the linkage assembly 19 to bias an outer end 47 of the flushing lever downward thereby flushing the toilet 15 .

The actuator assembly 12 is biased into the non-actuated position 31 by a force exerted on the linkage portion 29 of the lever member 26 by a weight of the first portion 20 of the linkage assembly 19 causing the second section 45 of the second portion 23 of the linkage assembly 19 to flex, thereby allowing the outer end 47 of the flush lever 18 to remain down until a flushing sequence of the toilet 15 is complete.

As an alternate embodiment, the linkage assembly 19 comprises a flexible cable 48 engaging the pulley member 35 of the pivot assembly 16 with opposite ends 49 being attached to the linkage assembly 19 and the flush handle of the toilet 15 . Operation of the actuator assembly 12 by the foot of the user causes the cable 48 to pull around the pulley member 35 and downward on the flush lever 18 , thereby flushing the toilet 15 .