Patent Publication Number: US-5020165-A

Title: Toilet seat raising apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the conventional lavatory, the user has to bend to raise the toilet seat with a hand after stooling. If the seat is not raised after someone urinates, it may be dirtied to the consternation of the next user. 
     In the prior art, various apparatus have been disclosed for raising the toilet seat, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,219 ,044 which discloses and apparatus including an electric motor and gears for raising the toilet seat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,863,682 discloses an apparatus providing a complex gear means for raising the toilet seat. 
     However, it has been found that the apparatus of those described either comprises complex mechanisms or utilizes an electrical motor to raise a toilet seat. 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for raising the toilet seat actuated by flushing the toilet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a driving means, a weighting means and a bar, and utilizes the moment of the driving means and weighting means caused by the receiving water to rotate the bar. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a simple structured apparatus for automatically raising the toilet seat. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for raising the toilet seat actuated by flushing the toilet pan after stooling. 
     it is the purpose of this present invention, therefore, to mitigate and/or obviate the above-mentioned drawback in the manner set forth in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating the apparatus in accordance with the present invention in which the apparatus being shown to mount on a toilet pan; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of a toilet seat raising apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a pre-operating configuration and the toilet seat in a horizontal position; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a after-operating configuration and the toilet seat in a vertical position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus 1 of the present invention is mounted behind the toilet pan and below the water tank of a conventional toilet. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the apparatus 1, in accordance with the invention, substantially comprises a bar 3, a driving means 4, and a weighting means 5. 
     The bar 3, which can be rotatably supported in the housing 8 in a known manner, has a pin 30 radially extending therefrom. The bar 3 is rigidly connected to a toilet seat 7 so that, upon actuation, the bar 3 can be rotated to raise the toilet seat 7. 
     The driving means 4 comprises a bucket 42, a first tube 40 rotatably mounting on the bar 3, and a first L-shape pin 41 fixed axially outwardly on the first tube 40. The bucket 42 is linked to the first tube 40 by a pair of rods 43. The bucket 42 may be a box-like container with an open top, rotatably supported by the rods 43, further, the bucket when empty is raised about 30 degrees from the horizontal. 
     The weighting means 5 comprises a block weight 52 and a second tube 50, said tube rotatably mounted on the bar 3 and positioned adjacent to the first tube 40. The second tube 50 has a first radial pin 51 on a side adjacent to the L-shaped pin 41 and a second L-shaped pin 510 fixed axially outwardly on another side cooperating with the second radial pin 30 of the bar 3. The block weight 52 is provided with slots 54 on its opposing sides to engage with a U-shaped rod 53 which is connected fixedly to the second tube 50. The U-shaped rod 53 can be enlarged in width slightly so as to adjust the position of the block weight 52 along the length of rod 53. 
     The position of the block weight 52 can be adjusted so that the moment exerted by the driving means 4 and the weighting means 5 on the bar 3 is slightly less than that of the toilet seat 7. 
     In operation, when the paddle of the water tank (not shown) is pressed to flush the toilet pan, the bucket 42 receives a certain amount of water inparted from the flush pipe 2 by the inlet pipe 20 and then revolves around the bar 3. The revolving bucket 42, fixed to the first tube 40, produces a moment around the bar 3. The first L-shaped pin 41 on the tube 40 rotates with the first tube 40 and contracts the first radial pin 51 on the second tube 50. 
     When the first radial pin 51 is forced by the first L-shaped pin 41, it is caused to rotate with the first tube 40 by the moment of the bucket 42, and the second tube 50 simultaneously is rotated around the bar 3 with the first tube 40. 
     The second radial pin 30 on the bar 3 is located adjacent to the second tube 50 and abutted by the second L-shaped pin 510. While the weighting means 5 rotates around the bar 3, the second L-shaped pin 510 actuates the bar 3 to rotate and to thereby raise the seat 7. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a horizontal rod 6 extends within the housing below the bucket 42. When the bucket 42 has received a certain amount of water, it causes the driving means to rotate. When the driving means is rotated sufficiently to contact with the rod 6, the rod 6 stops and tilts the bucket 42, pouring out the water contained therein. The water may then flow through a drainage hole 21 provided in the bottom of the housing 8 and may lead back to the flush pipe 2. 
     After contact between the bucket and the rod 6, the rotation of the weighting means 5 continues due to the rotational inertia of the weighting means. And while the weighting means hits the front wall of the housing, the rotating toilet seat 7 continues to rotate because of its moment of inertia until the toilet seat 7 is raised to abut with the water tank. The seat is then kept in this position, see FIG. 4, until the next user lowers it. 
     Further, the bucket 42 may be provided with a hole 421 on a lower portion of its wall. The diameter of the hole being smaller than that of hte inlet pipe, the flow rate of the water through the hole is always less than that of the inlet pipe 20. While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various modification thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover all such modifications as shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.