Abstract:
A toilet seat elevates from a first elevation to a second elevation. If in the first elevation, the toilet bowl seat appears to be a normal toilet bowl seat. To elevate the toilet bowl seat the toilet bowl seat is guided in a slot and locked into an upper elevation and support legs depend downwardly from the seat.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some people have infirmities that make it difficult to use toilets at the height that they are typically manufactured. As a result, many companies manufacture toilet seats that allow a user to sit more comfortably at a higher elevation than existing toilet seats. 
     Other types of elevated toilet seats are sought. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a non-limiting embodiment, a toilet seat has an opening and a shape, a first support extending downwardly from said seat, and a bracket attaching to the seat at a lower first elevation or at a higher second elevation. 
     According to a further non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a toilet seat has an opening of a given shape, a tube conforming to the shape of the seat and extending downwardly therefrom, and a bracket attaching to the seat at a lower first elevation or a higher second elevation. 
     According to a further non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a toilet has a bowl having an opening defined by a ledge, a seat having an opening, a bracket attaching to the seat at a lower first elevation or a higher second elevation and, a first support extending downwardly from the seat into the bowl. 
     According to a further non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a base has an opening defined by a ledge, a seat, a bracket attaching to the seat at a lower first elevation or a higher second elevation and, a first support extending downwardly from the said seat into the opening. 
     When the toilet seat is not in use, a user may lower it to give a casual observer the impression that there is no one in the home that is infirm. At the upper elevation, the seat allows an infirm user to use the toilet more easily. The toilet may also be shared by a non-infirm user who can simply use the toilet seat at the lower elevation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. 
         FIG. 1  is a first embodiment of the toilet seat shown in perspective at a first elevation. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the toilet seat in a second elevation. 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the toilet of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the toilet lid of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is a sectional view taken along lines  3 A of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a sectional view taken along lines  3 B of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of the support arm of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of the bracket of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the locating mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic representation of a chair utilizing the toilet seat of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the toilet seat  10  is shown. The invention includes a toilet bowl  15 , a seat  20 , a bracket  25 , and a tank  30 . The toilet seat is shown in  FIG. 1  at a first elevation  75  and is shown in  FIG. 2  at a second elevation  80 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , the toilet bowl  15  has a support portion  35 , a ledge  40 , bowl opening  45  having a length L and a width W and a pair of through holes  50 . A pair of screws  52  extend through the holes  50  to attach to the bracket  25  as will be discussed herein. A tank  30  attaches to the support portion  35  of the bowl behind the through holes  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 2A  and  3 , the seat  20  and has a downwardly extending tube  47 , a pair of ears  55  each ear  55  having an opening  60  extending therethrough, and a pair of support arms  65  (see  FIG. 2 ) as will be discussed herein. The tube has a contour  70  that extends downwardly so that the seat may rotate about its ears  55  without striking the bowl opening  45  in either the first elevation  75  (see  FIG. 1 ) or the second elevation  80  (see  FIG. 2 ). The seat has a set of downwardly depending lugs  85  to allow the seat  20  to sit on the ledge  40  and allow the support arms  65  space if the seat  20  is at the first elevation  75 . The seat  20  has a pair of bosses  90  for holding a support arm  65  and a pair of rectangular recesses  95  each retaining a support arm therein if in the second position  80 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the tube bottom  96  has a width  97  and an extended width  98  as will be discussed hereinbelow. The tube acts as a funnel for effluent (not shown) and as a support. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a support arm  65  having a rectangular shape, a recess  100  for allowing rod  105  to pass therethrough and a rectangular cap  110  extending from the top thereof is shown. The rod is seated in the lugs  90  in the seat bottom and the support arms may rotate about the rods. The rectangular cap  110  is sized to and comprised of a suitable material to snap fit into the rectangular recesses  95  so that the seat may securely be supported on the ledge  40  if the seat  20  is in the second elevation  80  (see  FIG. 2 ). The support arms provide support and lateral stability to the toilet seat. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the bracket  25  in the non-limiting embodiment shown is a solid piece. The bracket has a pair of threaded holes  115 , each hole receiving a mounting screw  52  through the through holes  50  of the bowl shown in  FIG. 2A . To attach the bracket  25  to the toilet bowl  15 , one centers the bracket  25  over the through holes  50  and twists the screws  52  through the through holes  50  into the threaded  115  holes to secure the bracket thereto. 
     The bracket  25  has on each side portion  120  thereof, a tortuous slot  125  that has a first portion  130  extending upwardly from the bottom  135  of the bracket  25 , a second portion  140  that extends upwardly and inwardly towards the bowl opening  45  from the first portion and a third portion  145  extending downwardly from the second portion towards the bottom of the bracket  135 . In the third portion  145 , at the bottom  150  thereof, a hole  155  is inserted that is deeper than the slot for use with the locating mechanism  160 , as will be discussed herein. Another hole  165  that is deeper than the slot for use with the locating mechanism  160  is disposed in the slot  125  near the bottom  135  of the bracket. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the locating mechanism  160  is shown. The locating mechanism has an ergonomic handle  170 , a seating shaft  175 , and a limit washer  180 . The seating shaft is inserted through the opening  60  in the ears  55  and the limit washer  180  is disposed around the seating shaft such that pulling on the ergonomic operating handle, will not allow the seating shaft to be removed from the slot  125  in the bracket  25  because the limit washer will not extend through the opening  60 . Despite any movement of the ergonomic handle, the seating shaft  175  does not leave the slot  125 . 
     To manipulate the locating mechanism, the toilet seat  25  is at the first elevation  75  as shown in  FIG. 1  seated upon the ledge  40  of the toilet bowl  15  with the seating shaft disposed in hole  165  at the bottom of the bracket  25 . If a user desires to move the toilet seat  20  into the second elevation as shown in  FIG. 2 , the user grasps ergonomic handle  170  and pulls the seating shaft  175  out of the hole  165 . The slot  125  acts as a guide for the user who then moves the toilet seat upwardly in first portion  130  of the slot, upwardly and forwardly in second portion  140  of the slot and downwardly in the third portion  145  of the slot  125 . The user then pushes the ergonomic handle  170  into the bracket where the seating shaft seats securely in the hole  150 . A user then rotates the legs  65  until the rectangular cap  110  snaps into the rectangular recess  95  (see  FIG. 3 ) to support the seat  20  at the second elevation. To reverse the process, user unsnaps the rectangular cap  110  out of the rectangular recess  95  and rotates the leg  65  out of the way. The user grasps ergonomic handle  170  and pulls the seating shaft  175  out of the hole  150 . The slot  125  again acts as a guide for the user who then moves the toilet seat upwardly in the third portion  145  of the slot  125 , downwardly and backwardly in second portion  135  of the slot, and downwardly in the first portion  130  of the slot. The user then pushes the ergonomic handle  170  into the bracket where the seating shaft seats securely in the hole  165  thereby holding the seat in the first elevation  75 . A user will readily appreciated that the slot  125  may have different shapes to enable the seat  25  to be moved from the first position to the second position and back while still allowing room for the seat to lock in the first and second elevations  75 ,  80  and allow the seat to rotate about its ears  55  to an upward position to allow for cleaner urination. One may observe that the tube in the seat is moved forward due to the shape of the slots. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A, and  3 B by moving the toilet forward, a user brings at least a portion of the extended width  98  onto ledge  40  to provide support to a user when sitting on the seat  20  in the second elevation  80 . However, because at least a portion of the width  97  still overhangs the bowl opening  45 , user effluent drops into the bowl opening  45 . If the toilet seat is at the first elevation  75 , the tube fits entirely within the bowl. The tube is designed and sized to fit over the bowl opening. 
     The toilet seat herein provides several advantages. Because the seat  20  can be stowed in the first elevation  75 , other people using the toilet may not perceive that the owner of the toilet has an infirmity. And, there is no elevated toilet seat that can be perceived to be an eyesore. Also, because of the easy to use locating mechanism  160 , the toilet may be easily shared by the infirm and others. 
     Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments. 
     The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. For instance, the principles of this invention for a seat  20 ′ may also apply to a chair  190  ( FIG. 7 ) for which multiple heights are desired. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.