Patent Publication Number: US-11391633-B2

Title: Heat reactive toilet seat assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to toilet seat devices and more particularly pertains to a new toilet seat device for integrating the novelty of a mood ring into a toilet. 
     (2) Description of Related Art including Information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to toilet seat devices including a light emitter that is mounted to a toilet lid for illuminating a toilet at night. The prior art also discloses a toilet seat that has a pivoting hinge. The prior art also discloses a toilet seat that has flashing lights, a heater and musical functions. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a toilet seat that includes a thermochromic element thereby facilitating the toilet seat to change colors based on temperature. The toilet seat is hingedly coupled to a toilet for a user of the toilet to sit on. In this way the toilet seat is in thermal communication with the user for changing colors based on the user&#39;s body temperature in the convention of a mood ring. A lid is hingedly coupled to the ring thereby facilitating the lid to close the toilet. The lid includes a thermochromic element thereby facilitating the lid to change color based on temperature. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective in-use view of a heat reactive toilet seat assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure showing a lid in an open position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a lid in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a toilet seat with a flattened end. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new toilet seat device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the heat reactive toilet seat assembly  10  generally comprises a toilet seat  12  including a thermochromic element thereby facilitating the toilet seat  12  to change colors based on temperature. The toilet seat  12  is hingedly coupled to a toilet  14  such that a user of the toilet  14  sits thereon. In this way the toilet seat  12  is in thermal communication with the user for changing colors based on the user&#39;s body temperature in the convention of a mood ring. The toilet  14  may be a plumbing fixture in a residential bathroom or other similar type of toilet. 
     The toilet seat  12  comprises a ring  16  that has a top surface  18  and a bottom surface  20 , and the bottom surface  20  faces a rim  22  of the toilet  14  when the toilet seat  12  is lowered. The toilet seat  12  includes a ring thermochromic member  24  that is positioned on the top surface  18  of the ring  16 . In this way the ring thermochromic member  24  is in thermal communication with the user when the user sits on the ring  16 . 
     The ring thermochromic member  24  is comprised of a thermochromic material thereby facilitating the ring thermochromic member  24  to change color based on temperature. 
     The ring thermochromic member  24  extends around a full circumference of the ring  16 , and the ring thermochromic member  24  has a lower surface  26  and an upper surface  28 . The lower surface  26  is bonded to the top surface  18  of the ring  16  and the lower surface  26  substantially covers the top surface  18 . Additionally, the upper surface  28  is convexly arcuate with respect to the lower surface  26 . 
     The toilet seat  12  includes a ring shield  30  that is positioned over the ring thermochromic member  24 . The ring shield  30  is comprised of a translucent material thereby facilitating the ring thermochromic member  24  to be visible through the ring shield  30 . Moreover, the ring shield  30  is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating thermal communication between the ring thermochromic member  24  and the user when the user sits on the ring  16 . The ring shield  30  has a first edge  32 , a second edge  34 , a topmost surface  36  and a bottommost surface  38 . The bottommost surface  38  rests against the upper surface  28  of the ring thermochromic member  24 , and each of the first edge  32  and the second edge  34  is bonded to the top surface  18  of the ring  16 . 
     A lid  40  is provided that is hingedly coupled to the ring  16  thereby facilitating the lid  40  to close the toilet  14 . The lid  40  includes a thermochromic element thereby facilitating the lid  40  to change color based on temperature. The lid  40  has a top surface  42  and a bottom surface  44 , and the bottom surface  44  of the lid  40  faces the topmost surface  36  of the ring shield  30  when the lid  40  is closed. 
     The lid  40  includes a lid thermochromic member  46  that is positioned on the top surface  42  of the lid  40 . The lid thermochromic member  46  is comprised of a thermochromic material thereby facilitating the lid thermochromic member  46  to change color based on temperature. The lid thermochromic member  46  substantially covers the top surface  18  of the lid  40 . The lid thermochromic member  46  has a lower surface  48  and an upper surface  50 , and the lower surface  48  of the lid thermochromic member  46  is bonded to the top surface  42  of the lid  40 . The upper surface  50  of the lid thermochromic member  46  is convexly arcuate with respect to the lower surface  48  of the lid thermochromic member  46 . 
     The lid  40  includes a lid shield  52  that is positioned over the lid thermochromic member  46 . The lid shield  52  is comprised of a translucent material thereby facilitating the lid thermochromic member  46  to be visible through the lid shield  52 . The lid shield  52  is comprised of a thermally conductive material thereby facilitating thermal communication between the lid thermochromic member  46  and the user when the user sits on the lid  40 . The lid shield  52  has a first edge  54 , a second edge  56 , a topmost surface  58  and a bottommost surface  60 . The bottommost surface  60  of the lid shield  52  rests against the upper surface  50  of the lid thermochromic member  46 . Additionally, each of the first edge  54  and the second edge  56  of the lid shield  52  is bonded to the top surface  42  of the lid  40 . As is most clearly shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the toilet seat  12  and the lid  40  may have an ovoid shape. As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 4 , the toilet seat  12  may have a flattened end  62 . 
     In an alternative embodiment  63  as is most clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , a cover  64  is provided that is positionable over an existing toilet seat  66  on an existing toilet  14 . In this way the cover  64  is in thermal communication with the user when the user sits on the toilet seat  66 . The cover  64  is comprised of a thermochromic material such that the cover  64  changes color based on the temperature of the user&#39;s body. In this way the novelty of a mood ring can be enjoyed on a toilet without requiring replacement of the factory installed toilet seat  66 . 
     The cover  64  has an upper wall  68  and a pair of side walls  70  each extending downwardly from the upper wall  68 . The upper wall  68  rests on the toilet seat  66  and each of the side walls  70  compresses against sides of the toilet seat  66  for retaining the cover  64  on the toilet seat  66 . The cover  64  is continuous such that the cover  64  forms a closed ring thereby facilitating the cover  64  to conform to the shape of the toilet seat  66 . 
     In use, the toilet seat  12  and the lid  40  are retrofitted onto an existing toilet  14 . The toilet seat  12  changes color when the user sits on the toilet seat  12  due to the user&#39;s body heat being transferred into the toilet seat  12 . In this way the toilet seat  12  facilitates a novelty display in the convention of a mood ring. Additionally, the lid  40  also changes color based on temperature. In this way the lid  40  will changes colors when the user sits on the lid  40 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.