Patent Publication Number: US-2015059073-A1

Title: Toilet seat cover

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to sanitary equipment, and, more particularly, to seat covers for toilets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of public toilets may be an unpleasant and possibly hazardous experience because of the unhygienic conditions often associated with these facilities. Public restrooms may harbor streptococcus, staphylococcus,  E. coli  and  shigella  bacteria, hepatitis A virus, the common cold virus, and various sexually transmitted organisms. Toilet seats are of particular concern. For that reason, disposable toilet seat covers capable of reducing a user&#39;s exposure to these threats are of great interest. 
     Designs for toilet seat covers directed at mitigating the risks associated with toilet seats can be found in, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,906; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2003/0208826 and 2006/0288470; International Patent Application Publication No. WO2006123003; French Patent No. 1,108,590; and UK Patent Application No. 2497567. However, each of these designs suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: poor protection for the user; the need to touch the toilet when mounting and dismounting the cover; and overly complex and expensive designs. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for toilet seat cover designs that address these several deficiencies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention address the above-identified needs by providing a disposable toilet seat cover that: 1) provides excellent protection for the user; 2) may be installed on a toilet without the user coming into direct contact with the toilet; 3) is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture; and 4) may be compactly packaged for transport and storage. 
     Aspects of the invention are directed to a toilet seat cover for use with a toilet having a toilet seat, the toilet seat defining an upper surface, a lower surface, and a toilet seat opening. The toilet seat cover comprises an upper layer, a lower layer, and a loop. The upper layer defines an upper opening therein. Moreover, the lower layer defines a lower opening therein and is coupled to the upper layer such that the upper layer and the lower layer define a pocket therebetween. The loop spans between the upper layer and the lower layer. The pocket is adapted to receive the toilet seat such that the upper layer overlies at least a portion of the upper surface and the lower layer underlies at least a portion of the lower surface while the upper opening and the lower opening align with the toilet seat opening. 
     Additional aspects of the invention are directed to an apparatus comprising a toilet and a toilet seat cover. The toilet comprises a toilet bowl and a toilet seat. The toilet seat is positioned atop the toilet bowl and defines an upper surface, a lower surface, and a toilet seat opening. The toilet seat cover, on the other hand, comprises an upper layer, a lower layer, and a loop. The upper layer defines an upper opening therein. In addition, the lower layer defines a lower opening therein and is coupled to the upper layer such that the upper layer and the lower layer define a pocket therebetween. The pocket receives the toilet seat such that the upper layer overlies at least a portion of the upper surface and the lower layer underlies at least a portion of the lower surface while the upper opening and the lower opening align with the toilet seat opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a toilet seat cover in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention while the toilet seat cover is in use on a toilet; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover; 
         FIG. 3  shows an exploded perspective view of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover; 
         FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of a portion of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover with the flap attached in a first illustrative manner; 
         FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of a portion of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover with the flap attached in a second illustrative manner; 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover while partially installed on a toilet; 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  toilet seat cover while fully installed on a toilet; and 
         FIG. 8  shows a sectional view of the  FIG. 7  toilet seat cover and toilet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. For this reason, numerous modifications can be made to these embodiments and the results will still come within the scope of the invention. No limitations with respect to the specific embodiments described herein are intended or should be inferred. 
       FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a toilet seat cover  100  in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. In this view, the toilet seat cover  100  is being used by a user  200  to prevent direct contact between the user  200  and a toilet  300 . Such a use may occur when, for example, the user  200  is using a toilet  300  in a public restroom. 
     Aspects of the toilet seat cover  100  are more easily visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which show intact and exploded perspective views, respectively, of the toilet seat cover  100  while the toilet seat cover  100  is expanded, but not presently installed on a toilet. The toilet seat cover  100  may be conceptually separated into several constituent elements: an upper layer  105 , a lower layer  110 , a flap  115 , a first loop  120 , a second loop  125 , and a collar  130 . The upper layer  105  defines an upper opening  135  therein. Likewise, the lower layer  110  defines a lower opening  140  therein. 
     In accordance with aspects of the invention, the lower layer  110  is coupled to the upper layer  105  such that the upper layer  105  and the lower layer  110  combine to define a pocket  145  therebetween. In the present non-limiting embodiment, the upper layer  105  defines three upper edges that are attached to three lower edges defined by the lower layer  110 . The pocket  145  preferably has dimensions just large enough to accommodate standard round and elongated toilet seats. In one or more embodiments, the pocket  145  may have a width of about 15 inches, a length of about 18 inches, and a height of about one inch, although these particular values are merely illustrative and other values could be used and still come within the scope of the invention. At the opening of the pocket  145 , the first loop  120  and the second loop  125  each span between the upper layer  105  and the lower layer  110 , thereby forming two handles. 
     The collar  130  is positioned such that it runs along an edge of the upper opening  135  in the upper layer  105 . In one or more embodiments, the collar  130  may be somewhat rigid in relation to the remainder of the toilet seat cover  100  and, therefore, may protrude from the upper layer  105  in what is a downward direction in the figures. Nevertheless, it is emphasized that such a collar  130  is entirely optional and that toilet seat covers with and without such a collar  130  are envisioned and would fall within the scope of the invention. 
     The flap  115  may be attached to the toilet seat cover  100  in various ways.  FIG. 4 , for example, shows a sectional view of a portion of the toilet seat cover  100  cut along the plane indicated in  FIG. 3  with the flap  115  attached in a first illustrative manner, while  FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of a portion of the toilet seat cover  100  with the flap  115  attached in a second illustrative manner. In the illustrative embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the flap  115  is attached to the upper layer  105  above a seam between the upper layer  105  and the lower layer  110 . In contrast, in the particular embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the flap  115  is attached to the lower layer  110  so as to form one continuous sheet therewith, with the upper layer  105  attached at the interface of the lower layer  110  and the flap  115 . In either case, the flap  115  may be made of a flexible material. The flap  115  may therefore be made to extend away from the remainder of the toilet seat cover  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 2-5  or, alternatively, to fold back onto the remainder of the toilet seat cover  100  so as to cover the upper or lower openings  135 ,  140 . The latter configuration is particularly compact and well suited for packaging as well as transport by a user prior to use. 
     In terms of materials and manufacturing, the toilet seat cover  100  will preferably comprise a highly flexible material such as a thin plastic or thin paper. The toilet seat cover  100  may, for example, be formed from relatively thin polyethylene, which is typically inexpensive to obtain and to manufacture into end products. If desired, the collar  130  may be made slightly thicker than the remainder of the toilet seat cover  100  to provide additional rigidity in that component. Polyethylene is regularly formed into plastic shopping bags, and, as a result, its formation into the toilet seat cover  100  will be well within the skill of one having ordinary skill in the relevant manufacturing arts. In one or more embodiments, the toilet seat cover  100  may be formed by, for example, conventional blown film extrusion, plastic welding techniques (e.g., heat sealing), or a combination thereof. Reference is made to B. H. Gregory,  Polyethylene Film Extrusion: A Process Manual , Trafford Publishing, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     Because the toilet seat cover  100  is envisioned as being single-use and disposable, it is preferred that the toilet seat cover  100  be formed of a material certified or capable of being certified by the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association (London, UK) as being oxo-biodegradable, and/or a material certified or capable of being certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (New York, N.Y., USA) as being biodegradable in a managed composting facility. Candidates include, as only a few examples, vegetable-based bioplastics, degradable polyethylene, and polyactic acid (PLA). Here again, these materials are commercially available and their fabrication into consumer products is widely practiced. 
     Advantageously, the use of highly flexible and light materials such as thin plastic and paper allow the toilet seat cover  100  to be folded into a very small form factor that aids in storage and transport. Prior to use, moreover, the flap  115  can be made to fold back onto the remainder of the toilet seat cover  100  so as to reduce the size of the toilet seat cover  100 . In one or more embodiments, a plurality of toilet seat covers may be packaged into a small bag or dispenser for carrying on the person. 
     Once so formed, the toilet seat cover  100  may be readily and effectively utilized to protect a user from direct contact with a toilet. Those risks associated with this type of contact (see Background) are thereby mitigated.  FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the toilet seat cover  100  while partially installed on the toilet  300 , while  FIG. 7  shows the toilet seat cover  100  after being fully installed. The toilet  300  comprises a toilet bowl  305 , a toilet seat  310 , a toilet lid  315 , and a toilet tank  320 . The toilet seat  310 , moreover, defines a toilet seat opening  325 , a lower surface  330  (facing the toilet bowl  305 ), and an upper surface  335  (facing away from the toilet bowl  305 ). In placing the toilet seat cover  100  on the toilet  300 , a user may initially utilize the loops  120 ,  125  as handles to direct the lower layer  110  under the toilet seat  310  and the upper layer  105  above the toilet seat  310  so that the toilet seat  310  is partially received into the pocket  145  defined between the two layers  135 ,  140  ( FIG. 6 ). Subsequently, the loops  120 ,  125  may be further used to slide the toilet seat  310  even further rearward (i.e., toward the toilet tank  320 ) until the toilet seat  310  is fully received into the pocket  145  ( FIG. 7 ). In both steps, the loops  120 ,  125  allow the user to conduct the installation with little or no direct contact with the toilet  300  itself. 
     Once in place, the upper layer  105  of the toilet seat cover  100  overlies the upper surface  335  of the toilet seat  310  while the lower layer  110  underlies the lower surface  330  of the toilet seat  310 . At the same time, the upper opening  135  and the lower opening  140  in the toilet seat cover  100  are aligned with the toilet seat opening  325 . With the upper opening  135 , the lower opening  140 , and the toilet seat opening  325  aligned in this manner, the protruding collar  130  falls along the inside edge of the toilet seat opening  325 . Such a condition is made more apparent in  FIG. 8 , which shows a partially broken perspective view of the fully installed toilet seat cover  100  and the toilet seat  310  cut along the plane indicated in  FIG. 7 . So placed, the toilet seat  310  is almost fully enveloped by the toilet seat cover  100 . 
     At the same time, with the toilet seat cover  100  installed, the flap  115  may be placed so that it drapes in front of the toilet bowl  305 , forming a barrier between the toilet bowl  305  and the user&#39;s legs. Thus, in using the toilet seat cover  100 , and, more generally, apparatus in accordance with aspects of the invention, the user is protected both from the toilet seat  310  and the toilet bowl  305 . 
     Aspects of the invention thereby provide a very effective and easy to use barrier for use when utilizing public restrooms. Direct contact between the user and the toilet  300  is minimized during installation, and almost complete isolation between the user and the toilet  300  is ultimately achieved with the toilet seat cover  100  in place. At the same time, the toilet seat cover  100  is light and may be folded into a compact form factor for storage and transport. Once used, the toilet seat cover  100  may simply be discarded. 
     It should again be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only. Other embodiments can use different types and arrangements of elements for implementing the described functionality. These numerous alternative embodiments within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to one skilled in the art. 
     Moreover, all the features disclosed herein may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purposes, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.