Abstract:
A quick coupling device, particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl, comprising a post which can be fixed to a toilet bowl. On the post there is provided an open socket for inserting therein, and extracting therefrom, at least one pivot for the connection of a seat assembly. The socket forms an engagement portion which can be detachably engaged by a mating portion of the connection pivot for the removable retention of the connection pivot in the socket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a quick coupling device, particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl.  
           [0002]    It is known that a problem currently occurring in the manufacture of elements for connecting one another a seat assembly and a toilet bowl is that of providing devices which allow to perform coupling and uncoupling very rapidly, thereby allowing easy removal for cleaning operations.  
           [0003]    EP-0853916, incorporated herein by reference, discloses an embodiment which is substantially based on the adoption of a slider element having a particular shaping, so as to engage and disengage with the shaped end of a post being fixed to the toilet bowl.  
           [0004]    This embodiment, while having proved to be valid in many regards, has been found to be susceptible of improvements, especially for enhancing the stability of the connection of a seat assembly to a toilet bowl by increasing the surface for coupling with the post that is connected to the toilet bowl.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The aim of the invention is to solve the above problem, by providing a quick coupling device, particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl, which allows to obtain a stable locking with respect to the post that is fixed to the bowl, while maintaining the possibility of a quick and easy uncoupling.  
           [0006]    Within this aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a coupling device which allows to pass from the locking position to the release position and/or vice versa with extremely simple movements.  
           [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick coupling device which, thanks to its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.  
           [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide a quick coupling device which can be easily obtained starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is also competitive from a merely economic point of view.  
           [0009]    This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a quick coupling device particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl, according to the invention, comprising a post which can be fixed to a toilet bowl, characterized in that it comprises, on said post, an open socket for inserting therein, and extracting therefrom, at least one pivot for the connection of a seat assembly, said socket forming at least one engagement portion which can be detachably engaged by at least one mating portion of said connection pivot for the removable retention of said connection pivot in said socket.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a quick coupling device, particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the quick coupling device according to the invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the quick coupling device;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a partially sectional front view of the device with one pivot in the locking position and one pivot in the release position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 4, 5,  6  and  7  are side elevation views of posts having open sockets provided with a different configuration;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a partially sectional view of a post with a mating portion which is separate from said socket;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a sectional view, taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a quick coupling device for seat assemblies having wing hinges;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the quick coupling device of FIG. 10 in the release position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is a partially sectional view of the device in the locking position;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is a sectional view, taken along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 is a view of a device for a wing hinge with closed bushes;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the quick coupling device;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 16 is a partially sectional view of the device of FIG. 15 in the release position;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 17 is a view of the device of FIG. 15 in the locking position;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 18 is a front view of the coupling device of FIG. 15;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the quick coupling device with an interlocking connection pivot;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 20 is a cut away plan view of the post as taken in an upper part thereof;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 21 is a view of the device of FIG. 19 in the release position;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 22 is a partially sectional view of the device of FIG. 19 in the locking position;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 23 is a perspective view of still another embodiment with an interlocking connection pivot;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 24 is a plan view of the device, with the post shown in cross-section;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 25 is a view of the device of FIG. 23 in the release position;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 26 is a view of the device of FIG. 23 in the locking position.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    With reference to the figures and particularly to FIGS.  1  to  3 , the quick coupling device, particularly for connecting a seat assembly to a toilet bowl, comprises a post  1  which can be fixed in a per se known manner to a toilet bowl  2  by way of a threaded pivot  3  which can be inserted directly in the hole  4  provided in the toilet bowl  2  or which, in a per se known manner, can be connected to an eccentric assembly so as to adjust the center distance of the connection.  
         [0035]    The post  1  defines, at its upper end, a socket  10  which is open upwardly and is preset for the insertion and extraction of a connecting pivot  11 , which can be inserted in a bush  12  acting as an element for rotary connection with the eye  14  of the seat  15  and with the eye  16  of the cover  17  of the seat assembly.  
         [0036]    The important particularity of the invention consists in that the socket  10  defines an engagement portion  20  which is wider than the open portion of the socket.  
         [0037]    A mating portion  21  can detachably couple with the engagement portion  20 , is formed in the pivot  11  and is shaped complementarily to the engagement portion  20 .  
         [0038]    As shown in FIGS.  1  to  3 , the socket  10  is shaped like a cylindrical portion with an upper opening which is narrower than the diameter; accordingly, the mating portion  21 , formed in the pivot  11 , is constituted by a cylindrical expansion shaped complementarily to the engagement portion  20 .  
         [0039]    A groove  25  is provided on the surface of the expansion  21  and acts as a grip element for the translatory motion of the pivot  11 , which has a diameter being equal to, or smaller than, the width of the opening of said socket  10 .  
         [0040]    In further specific embodiments shown respectively in FIGS. 4, 5,  6  and  7 , the socket  10  is configured so as to have a trapezoidal shape, in which the longer parallel side of the engagement portion  20   a  is directed toward the bottom of the socket.  
         [0041]    The pivot  11  has a mating portion being shaped complementarily, so that stable fixing occurs when the correspondingly shaped mating portion  21  is inserted in the socket  10 .  
         [0042]    By causing the pivot  11  to perform a translatory motion, the body of such pivot is arranged at the socket, the dimensions of said body allowing free extraction in an upward direction, i.e., from the open part of the socket  10 .  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 5, the engagement portion has a dovetail shape  20   b  whose operation is similar to what has been described above; likewise, FIG. 6 illustrates a circular and cylindrical engagement portion  20   c  having an open part which has smaller dimensions.  
         [0044]    In FIG. 7, the socket  10  is shaped like an inverted T and the engagement portion  20   d  is directed downwardly, performing a function which is similar to the preceding one in combination with a pivot being shaped complementarily.  
         [0045]    With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, in a preferred embodiment, the engagement portion is separate from the socket and is constituted by an opening  20   e  which is arranged below the open socket and can be engaged by a mating portion constituted by a folded part  21   a  formed at the end of the pivot  11 .  
         [0046]    The pivot  11  is advantageously provided with a notch  30  which engages is a corresponding protrusion  31  formed inside the bush  12 , so as to act as a stroke limiter for the sliding of the pivot in order to prevent its accidental extraction from the bush; obviously it is also possible to reverse the arrangement of the notch and of the protrusion.  
         [0047]    In FIGS.  10  to  14 , the same constructive criterion is used on a coupling device provided with wings which can be connected to the seat and to the cover, respectively.  
         [0048]    In this embodiment, the pivot, designated by the reference numeral  11 ′, is provided with an engagement portion being constituted by lateral protrusions  35  which detachably engage in an engagement portion being constituted by lateral recesses  36  formed in the post, which is again designated by the reference numeral  1 .  
         [0049]    The pivot  11 ′ is inserted at its ends in bushes  37  and  38  which can be rotatably engaged by the wings  39  and  40 , are arranged opposite one another with respect to the pivot  1  and engage the seat and the cover, respectively.  
         [0050]    In both embodiments, the pivot  11  and the pivot  11 ′ can have a grip element constituted by an upper grip protrusion  41 , which allows to perform sliding.  
         [0051]    In the case of a wing-type coupling device, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, it is optionally possible to provide the bushes  37  and  38  open, so that the pivot can exit axially from said bushes in order to position it by pushing from either side.  
         [0052]    If blind bushes are used, as shown in FIG. 14, the movement of the pivot from the locking position to the release position can be performed by using the grip protrusion  41 .  
         [0053]    With reference to FIGS.  15  to  18 , a different solution is provided, in which an upper socket  50 , which is open upward, is provided in the post  1 ; a transverse pivot  51  can be inserted in said socket and enters a transverse bush  52 .  
         [0054]    The pivot  51  can be retained in the socket by way of a U-shaped element  55  slidingly supported by the post  1  and having a locking arm  56  which can detachably overlap the open part of the upper socket  50 , locking the transverse pivot  51 .  
         [0055]    The translatory motion of the U-shaped element  55  occurs along a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the direction defined by the post  1  and to the direction defined by the pivot  51 .  
         [0056]    With reference to the embodiments of FIGS.  19  to  22 , the quick coupling device comprises a post, designated by the reference numeral  1 ′, which can be fixed like the post  1  to a toilet bowl  2  and is provided in an upward region with a socket  10  being open upwards, and in which it is possible to insert a connecting pivot  11 ″ constituted by a strip  60  which can be inserted in a bush, again designated by the reference numeral  12 , which acts as an element for rotary connection to the eye  14  of the seat  15  and to the eye  16  of the cover  17 .  
         [0057]    The strip  60  has, at its free end, a folded portion  61  which is narrower than the strip  60  and is designed to lock under an annular protrusion  62  formed at the free end of post  1 ′.  
         [0058]    With reference to FIGS.  23  to  26 , a post  1 ″ is provided which forms, proximate to its free end, an annular recess  70  in which it is possible to insert, with an interlocking coupling, the curved end  71  of an interlocking connection pivot  11 ″′ constituted by a strip  72  having a constant width and which can also be inserted in a bush, again designated by the reference numeral  12 .  
         [0059]    In the release position, the folded portion  61  and the curved portion  71  are arranged so that they do not interfere with the post  1 ′ or  1 ″, thus allowing to freely remove the toilet seat assembly, while when the folded portion  61  is inserted below the annular protrusion  62  or the curved portion  71  is inserted in the annular recess  70  there is a firm coupling between the connection pivot and the post for fixing the seat assembly to the toilet bowl.  
         [0060]    It should also be observed that the interlocking connection pivots  11 ″ and  11 ″′ also can be provided with the notch, which can engage a corresponding protrusion provided in the bush  12 , so as to provide the stroke limiter for the sliding of the pivot in order to prevent its accidental extraction from the bush.  
         [0061]    From the above description it is thus evident that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects and in particular that a quick coupling device is provided which allows to lock the seat assembly simply by utilizing the translatory motion of a pivot which can be arranged in the locking position inside the post for connection to the toilet bowl or in a release position in which the pivot can be easily extracted from its socket.  
         [0062]    The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.  
         [0063]    All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.  
         [0064]    In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.  
         [0065]    The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2000A000220 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.