Automatic toilet seat cover dispensing and removing apparatus

An automatic rolled sheet that can unroll to become toilet seat cover. The dispensing roll is housed within a dispenser housing. The dispenser housing is vertically oriented and located behind the toilet seat. The dispensed sheet is pulled from the dispenser housing onto a toilet seat via a motorized take-up spool within a take-up housing located under the toilet bowl. A sensor detects the presence of a person, and when the person leaves the vicinity of the toilet, the motorized take-up spool winds the used toilet cover sheet onto the take-up spool.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of toilet seat covers and more specifically to rolled toilet seat cover system including a dispenser roll and a motorized take-up roll.

Toilet seats have been known to harbor germs, STDs, fecal remains and urinary remains of the person or persons using the toilet previously. For cleanliness purposes some people prefer to use a fresh sheet of material on top of the traditional toilet seat to avoid potential germs and debris that may be found on an uncovered toilet seat.

The sheets are generally stored in a dispenser near the toilet. A person must remove the sheet, place it carefully on the toilet and then dispose of the sheet after use.

There are a number of disadvantages to this prior technology. First, the user must pull the thin sheet out of its dispenser without damaging or tearing it. Second, the user must carefully place the sheet on the toilet seat. This act can in itself cause the user's fingers and hand to come into contact with the top of an unsanitary toilet seat. Third, the user must sit down on the sheet without having it slide out of place. Fourth, the user must dispose of the sheet after use. In many cases the user elects to through the sheet into the toilet bowl creating a possible blockage when flushing the sheet plus fecal remains down the pipes of the toilet. Fifth, the entire process is time consuming. Sixth, the sheets are generally made of absorbent paper which absorb bodily fluids and therefore are not completely hygienic.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INSTANT INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a rolled toilet seat cover that automatically advances a sheet of protective material onto a toilet seat after each use of the toilet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rolled toilet seat cover that uses a plurality of vertically stacked smaller rolls to reduce the width of the toilet roll housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rolled toilet seat cover that includes a method to attach the end of one roll to the beginning of the next roll so that sheet material from all stacked rolls can be automatically dispensed and used.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a rolled toilet seat cover comprising: a dispenser roll housing, a take-up roll housing, a sensor, a plurality of dispensing rolls, a take-up roll assembly, a toilet bowl, a toilet bowl seat, the dispensing rolls each made of thin sheet material and having a plurality of evenly spaced apertures that are similar in size to a toilet seat aperture, each the dispensing roll including a dispensing spool, the dispenser roll housing placed vertically behind the toilet bowl, the take up roll housing placed below the toilet bowl, the beginning and end of each dispensing roll sheet having a magnetic strip fixedly attached across the width of the roll, the take-up roll assembly including a take-up spool powered by an electric motor and controlled by an electronic encoder circuit, the dispensing rolls removably housed within the upper dispenser roll housing, the take-up roll assembly housed within the take-up roll housing roll housing, the dispensing roll sheet directed down from the dispensing housing and over the toilet bowl seat and then down through a slit in the take-up roll housing and onto the take-up roll spool, and the sensor positioned to sense the presence of a person and sending a signal to the electronic encoder circuit when the person is no longer in range of the toilet to command the motor to wind the dispensing roll sheet onto the take-up spool until a new aperture in the sheet is directly over the toilet bowl seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms to be able to conform to the differing configurations of public toilets. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Referring now toFIG. 1we see a perspective view of the invention100. A toilet14, is fitted with a dispenser roll housing4and a take-up roll housing12. A sheet of thin material8is unwound from a dispenser roll18within the housing4. The sheet8proceeds through a slit28to be rolled up on a take-up roll16as shown inFIG. 2. An aperture10within the sheet8is approximately the size and shape of the aperture in the toilet seat88. A sensor2detects the presence of a person. When the person leaves the proximity of the toilet, it sends a signal to a motor40and encoder42shown inFIG. 10which rolls in the sheet8and stores it within housing12for later disposal.

FIG. 2is a side section view of the invention100. Dispensing rolls18,20,22are stacked in a vertical orientation within housing6. Slots24allow spools to slide in and out of the rear portion6of the dispensing housing. The vertical orientation of the rolls18,20,22allows for storage of a relatively large quantity of sheeting material while taking up relatively little space between the back of the user and the front of the toilet assembly6. Rollers44,46help guide the sheet8onto the take-up spool16.

FIG. 3is a side perspective view of the invention100showing the housing cover4removed and one dispensing roll18removed from rear housing26. The receiving slots24allow for easy removal and replacement.

FIG. 4is a perspective view of the invention100with the right-side panel of the take-up roll housing removed exposing take-up roll16as it rolls up sheet8.

FIG. 5is a partial perspective view showing sheet8being drawn from dispenser roll18as it is supported by spool19. The sheet8passes through two rollers62,64and then slides onto toilet seat88.

FIG. 6is a partial perspective view showing the trailing edge30of sheet8leaving spool19and sliding down toward roll20.

FIG. 7is a partial perspective view showing the trailing edge of sheet8making contact with the leading edge of roll20. The end of sheet8comprises a thin magnetic strip30and the beginning of roll20comprises a thin magnetic strip36so that when the two edges make contact they stick together. In this way, a plurality of rolls18,20,22can be sequentially joined together to form one long sheet that can be rolled up on take-up spool16thereby keeping the width of the dispenser housing4to a minimum. Other methods of connection may also be used, such as hook and loop attachment strips or edges comprising rigid U-shaped-inverted U-shaped pairs.

FIG. 8shows sheet8attached to sheet9via magnet strips30,36thereby drawing sheet9down to be used on toilet seat88. trailing strips32and34perform a similar task as each roll20,22is used up.

FIG. 9is a perspective view of the invention100seen from the left side. A cylindrical protrusion38to housing12accommodates and electric motor40and encoder42as shown inFIG. 10.

FIG. 10also clearly shows support rollers44and46. Take-up roll16can be removed from housing12when all the dispensing rolls18,20,22are used up.

FIG. 11shows an alternate embodiment of the invention200that is designed to fit on a standard porta-potty unit214where the dispensing roll housing204would be mounted against the back wall of a porta-potty and the roll receiving housing228is mounted on the front wall of the porta-potty214.

In the above described way, a toilet can have a continuously fresh seating surface for a user thereby reducing the possibility of disease due to touching a soiled toilet seat.