Patent Publication Number: US-6904622-B1

Title: Auxiliary toilet seat

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to a toilet seat and, more particularly, to an auxiliary toilet seat for providing user comfort during operating conditions. 
   2. Prior Art 
   In caring at home for persons who cannot care for themselves, it is often inconvenient for them to use a bathroom that does not meet their needs. Conventional toilets are unsuitable for such patients and even perhaps for persons with slight handicaps. It is true that these toilets can be adapted or reconstructed to suit the needs of these persons, but this is very expensive and sometimes, as in rented apartments, is not allowed. With increasing age or with handicaps from illness come physical limitations that make it impossible for a person to use conventional toilets without help from others. 
   As nursing home accommodations for such patients become increasingly expensive, it is becoming more and more common for them to be cared for at home. Daily care for such a patient demands enormous effort on the part of the caregiver since, as a rule, the patient must be transported onto the toilet, and afterward, back into bed. In general, wheelchairs cannot be used in conventional bathrooms. 
   The use of commode chairs is known in the prior art. The primary users of such commode chairs often have some type of physical disability that impairs the freedom of movement of the user. Because of their disabilities, commode chair users can find it difficult, if not impossible, to sense and react to the occurrence of points of excessive and prolonged pressure on the user&#39;s body. For example, two points where pressure may concentrate on the buttocks of the user are the areas of flesh surrounding the trochanter and ishial areas of the skeleton. The exposure to the pressure for a prolonged period can lead to a break down of the user&#39;s skin, and may produce open sores that can become infected and even lead to amputations of the legs of the user. 
   Commode chairs heretofore known have included various structures for reducing the supportive pressure exerted on the buttocks of the user. Commode chairs having cushions with enhanced padding, and even inflatable cushions, have been devised for reducing the likelihood of problems caused by excess concentrations of pressure on the skin of the user. One concern with cushions that exert less pressure on vulnerable points of the user&#39;s body is that these softer cushions tend to provide less firmness for the user, and thus, the user tends to feel less stable in the chair. 
   The reduced stability can be of a significant concern to users who do not have full control of their bodies, since these users are less able to react to situations such as, for example, leaning too far in a lateral direction with respect to the commode, or even in a rearward direction toward the rear of the commode. The lessened stability problem appears to be the greatest for the inflatable cushions, since the air within the cushion tends to not provide any significant resistance to these lateral or rearward movements. The air cushions may be provide even less stability when the interior air pressure of the cushion is reduced in order to provide a softer cushion, as compared to higher interior air pressure cushions. 
   Accordingly, a need remains for an auxiliary toilet seat in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a toilet seat that is easily accessible and provides superior support and comfort when compared to conventional toilet seats. Such a toilet seat features a larger diameter and armrests that provide stability, especially to handicapped or injured individuals. The auxiliary toilet seat can easily be added to a conventional toilet bowl. Such a toilet seat is appreciated by individuals caring for an injured or handicapped loved-one at home, as well as by nursing homes, hospitals and public restrooms that wish to provide improved comfort. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for an auxiliary toilet seat. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a toilet seat removably attachable to an existing toilet stool for providing user comfort during operating conditions. 
   The toilet seat includes a seat portion that has a generally annular shape and is conveniently positionable on top of a toilet stool rim such that the seat portion defines a centrally disposed opening therethrough. Such a seat portion has an integrally disposed flange extending rearwardly from the opening. 
   A back portion is pivotally connected to the flange such that the seat portion can be adapted between raised and lowered positions while the back portion remains at a substantially upright position. Such a back portion extends rearwardly and upwardly from the seat portion and has a top end terminating at a predetermined height thereabove. 
   The back portion further has a front surface including a plurality of resilient support members extending forwardly therefrom for advantageously providing lumbar support to a user seated on the seat portion. The front surface of the back portion is preferably formed to be substantially concave and includes outer edge portions converging downwardly towards the seat portion. Such a back portion includes a horizontally disposed support plate extending rearwardly therefrom and is positioned adjacent a selected portion of the toilet stool. A rigid fastening member having a substantially U-shape and including opposed end portions is positioned through the support plate for effectively securing the toilet seat to the toilet stool. 
   A plurality of arm rests are connected to the back portion and extend forwardly therefrom. The arm rests preferably include a plurality of brackets secured to the back portion wherein the brackets are provided with a plurality of elongated slots through which the arm rests can be slidably positioned. Such arm rests are contemporaneously movable along a plurality of arcuate paths and a linear path respectively such that a user can conveniently adapt the arm rests to a desired position. Such a plurality of arcuate paths are defined along a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis and the linear path is defined along a substantially vertical axis. 
   The arm rests include a plurality of elongated support portions symmetrically positionable on opposed sides of the seat portion and a plurality of couplings operably connected to the support portions for assisting a user to rotate the arm rests along one of the arcuate paths respectively. 
   The toilet seat may further include a head rest removably attachable to the back portion. Such a head rest advantageously includes a padded front surface for providing support. Such a toilet seat may also further include an ashtray connected to one of the arm rests. The ash tray has a substantially linear edge portion defining a fulcrum axis about which the ashtray can be pivoted between folded and exposed positions. Such an ashtray is provided with an opening therein for conveniently receiving and maintaining a beverage bottle at a fixed position. 
   It is noted the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an auxiliary toilet seat, in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the arm rest shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the ashtray and the beverage container opening; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the armrest shown in  FIG. 4 , showing the arcuate paths along which it may move; 
       FIG. 6  is a top-plan view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  positioned on top of a toilet stool rim. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures. 
   The apparatus of this invention is referred to generally in  FIGS. 1–7  by the reference numeral  10  and is intended to provide an auxiliary toilet seat. It should be understood that the apparatus  10  may be used to provide comfort to many different individuals and should not be limited to only the injured or handicapped. 
   Referring initially to  FIGS. 1 and 7 , the apparatus  10  includes a seat portion  20  that has a generally annular shape and is conveniently positionable on top of a toilet stool rim  11  such that the seat portion  20  defines a centrally disposed opening therethrough. Such a seat portion  20  has an integrally disposed flange  21  extending rearwardly from the opening. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  6  and  7 , a back portion  30  is pivotally connected to the flange  21  such that the seat portion  20  can be adapted between raised and lowered positions while the back portion  30  remains at a substantially upright position, thus conveniently preventing the seat portion  20  from being urinated upon in the event that an individual is standing in front of it during operating conditions. Such a back portion  30  extends rearwardly and upwardly from the seat portion  20  and has a top end terminating at a predetermined height thereabove. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  6  and  7 , the back portion  30  further has a front surface  31  including a plurality of resilient support members  32  extending forwardly therefrom for advantageously providing lumbar support to a user seated on the seat portion. The front surface  31  of the back portion  30  is formed to be substantially concave and includes outer edge portions  33  converging downwardly towards the seat portion  20 , thus securing and conforming to an individual&#39;s back and advantageously maintaining them upright. Such a back portion  30  includes a horizontally disposed support plate  34  extending rearwardly therefrom and is positioned adjacent a selected portion of the toilet stool  12 . A rigid fastening member  35  having a substantially U-shape and including opposed end portions is positioned through the support plate  34  for effectively securing the toilet seat  10  to the toilet stool  12 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4  and  5 , a plurality of arm rests  40  are connected to the back portion  30  and extend forwardly therefrom. The arm rests  40  include a plurality of brackets  41  secured to the back portion  30  wherein the brackets  41  are provided with a plurality of elongated slots  42  through which the arm rests  40  can be slidably positioned. Such arm rests  40  are contemporaneously movable along a plurality of arcuate paths and a linear path respectively such that a user can conveniently adapt the arm rests  40  to a desired position. This feature allows a user to more easily access the seat portion  20  while allowing for optimum comfort once seated. Such a plurality of arcuate paths are defined along a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis and the linear path is defined along a substantially vertical axis, as best shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   Still referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4  and  5 , the arm rests  40  include a plurality of elongated support portions  43  symmetrically positionable on opposed sides of the seat portion  20  and a plurality of couplings  44  operably connected to the support portions  43  for assisting a user to rotate the arm rests  40  along one of the arcuate paths respectively. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  6  and  7 , the toilet seat  10  further includes a head rest  50  removably attachable to the back portion  30 . Such a head rest  50  advantageously includes a padded front surface  51  for providing support. Such a toilet seat  10  also further includes an ashtray  45  connected to one of the arm rests  40 . The ash tray  45  has a substantially linear edge portion defining a fulcrum axis about which the ashtray  45  can be pivoted between folded and exposed positions, as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Such an ashtray  45  is provided with an opening  46  therein for conveniently receiving and maintaining a beverage bottle at a fixed position. 
   While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
   In particular, with respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present invention may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation. The assembly and use of the present invention are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art.