Clamp assembly for quick fasten toilet seat

A clamp assembly for mounting a toilet seat hinge to a toilet fixture. An arm holder is inserted into a toilet seat mounting hole and includes a laterally extending flange engaging the toilet fixture and a through shaft hole. An elongate shaft is slidably and rotatably disposed in the shaft hole and includes a substantially perpendicularly extending pad at one end. A knob is adjustably secured to an opposed end of said shaft. A compression spring is disposed around the shaft and extends between the arm holder flange and the knob. A seat hinge mounting hole of a toilet seat is disposed on the shaft with the seat hinge between the arm holder flange and the spring such that the shaft pad can be extended and rotated by the knob to engage the toilet fixture under surface to clamp the assembly to the fixture under bias of the spring.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention concerns a device to fasten covering elements onto a 
sanitary fixture, such as toilets or bidets, and particularly to a 
fastening apparatus to mount the corresponding seat/cover assemblies onto 
toilets. 
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
Toilet seats are removed for replacement, repairs to the toilet, and 
cleaning. Most toilet seat assemblies are presently fastened to the toilet 
by means of fasteners which insert from the top of a hole and into a 
connector on the bottom of the hole, the most familiar example being a nut 
and bolt. Such assemblies require the use of tools for installation and 
removal. Metal fasteners tend to corrode and bind while plastic fasteners 
of this type tend to loosen with use. Recognition of the difficulties 
presented in such fasteners has prompted several alternative assemblies. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,004,023, discloses a toilet mounted `D` hole fixture into 
which a seat hinge `D` pin slides down into. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,534, discloses a cam locking fastener, which replaces 
the nut in a typical toilet seat assembly. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,015, discloses a releasable hinge assembly which has an 
expandable section at the base of the fastener which can be contracted by 
squeezing. The expanded section replaces the nut. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,774, discloses an attachment device having a deformable 
sleeve which expands at sides and base to hold the seat. Deformation is 
done by an internal nut. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,663, discloses an eccentric central spindle that when 
turned deforms and expands a sleeve which fits into a toilet seat mounting 
hole. 
Fasteners with expandable and deformable sleeves are used for attaching and 
sealing a number of devices. Among the earliest of these are bottle 
stoppers such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 408,364, 875,397, and 
1,212,871. Fasteners include U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,372, which is a hold-down 
attachment for a trolley seat. However, these generally have used a 
cylindrical center, which expands a cylindrical sleeve. Devices which use 
permanently installed pieces are unsatisfactory since the piece traps 
dirt. 
It is desirable to have a fastener which makes it easy to install or remove 
a toilet seat assembly, and has no part permanently fastened to the 
toilet. It is also desirable to have a fastener which provides a 
compressing force to attach the fastener to the ceramic toilet fixture. In 
addition, the fastener should not use expandable or deformable components 
which degrade with use and are hard to clean. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an objective of this invention to provide a means of removing and 
installing a toilet seat assembly easily and completely, from above the 
toilet fixture structure. 
It is also an objective of this invention to provide a device that replaces 
the nut, bolt and washers that typically secure toilet seats. The 
replacement device would require no modification to existing toilet seat 
hinge assemblies. 
The present invention consists of an insert/arm holder, with the arm being 
the toilet seat hinge mounting arm. Through an offset center hole in the 
insert/arm holder is placed a coil spring loaded clamp pad attached to a 
rotating shaft. At the top of the shaft is a knob used to twist the shaft. 
The hole through the hole insert/arm holder used by the shaft is placed 
off center from the center of the insert/arm holder. The insert/arm holder 
is placed into the toilet seat mounting holes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in use. The assembly 
has an insert/arm holder 10 placed into the toilet fixture 19 (shown for 
reference) seat mounting hole. The typical style of a toilet seat mounting 
pad 18 (shown for reference) is shown placed on the mounting flange 11 
(FIG. 3) of the insert/arm holder 10. The shaft/pad 9 is inserted into 
hole 13 (FIG. 3) of the insert/arm holder 10. Compression spring 17 is 
shown placed onto shaft/pad 9 and over mounting flange 11 (FIG. 3) and 
sitting on top of toilet seat mounting pad 18. Knob 16 is secured to 
shaft/pad 9 with set screw 15. Compression spring 17 is shown compressed 
and shaft/pad 9 is shown turned to the clamped position. 
The compression force of spring 17, shown compressed, against toilet seat 
hinge mounting arm 18 and circular flange 12 (FIG. 3) and the compression 
force of spring 17 against knob 16 which pulls shaft/pad 9 provides a 
clamping force to toilet seat fixture 19 securing clamp assembly to toilet 
fixture seat mounting hole. 
The off-center hole 13 (FIG. 3) of the insert/arm holder 10 allows for the 
clamp assembly to be inserted into the toilet fixture seat mounting hole 
when knob 16 turns 180 degrees either direction from its position shown in 
FIG. 1. 
FIG. 2 showing the top view of the insert/arm holder 10 also specifies the 
sectional line 7 for use in the FIG. 3 cross sectional view of the 
insert/arm holder 10. 
FIG. 3 mounting flange 11 provides a holder for a toilet seat hinge 
mounting arm 18 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 5) and also serves as a centering guide 
for compression spring 17 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 5). The shaft/pad 9 (FIG. 1, 4, 
5) and the universal shaft/pad 24 (FIG. 6) is reciprocally mounted 
longitudinally in the insert/arm holder 10 for protraction, retraction and 
rotation through the hole 13 (FIG. 3). Circular flange 12 rests on a 
toilet fixture and functions as a clamp pad. 
FIGS. 4a and 4b shaft/pad 9 is shown in a side and top view. The joining of 
the shaft to the circular pad at 14 the edge of the circular pad results 
in an eccentric motion of the pad when the shaft is rotated. 
FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c is a clamp assembly shown in the closed or insertable 
position, ready to be inserted into a toilet fixture seat mounting hole. 
The toilet seat hinge mounting arm 18 is shown as an example of the 
typical type of arm to be used with the clamp assembly. 
FIGS. 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d is a universal shaft/pad 24 for use when the depth 
of toilet fixture 19 (FIG. 1) seat mounting hole is unknown. The placement 
of spaced holes 23 along the shaft of shaft/pad 24 allows for cutting off 
or removing excess shaft length, and then inserting shaft of shaft/pad 24 
into vertical hole of knob 20. Knob 20 has a horizontal hole 22 into which 
is inserted rod 21 which joins knob 20 and shaft/pad 24. 
Usage as defined above in FIG. 6 description, the universal shaft/pad 24 
and Knob 20 and Rod 21 would replace shaft/pad 9 (FIG. 1, 4 and 5) and 
Knob 16 and Set Screw 15 (FIG. 1 and 5). 
Suitable materials for the manufacture of the clamp include metal and 
polymers.