Patent Publication Number: US-2007113328-A1

Title: Auxiliary seat pad for an invalid

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a seat pad, and particularly to an auxiliary seat pad on a toilet, a stool and a chair to assist seating for an invalid with less strength, safety and comfort.  
     DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND ART  
      Conventional raised toilet seat have been invented as an auxiliary for an invalid whom is difficult to use an ordinary toilet, with which an invalid can get up and sit down with less strength. For examples of some of such prior invention are shown in patents to Locarno, U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,445; Locarno, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,112; Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. D489,438. However, they were made in a rigid material, which were uncomfortable and dangerous for an invalid to use in a slippery bathroom.  
      There were also some prior arts of the cushioned seat invented for a soft and comfortable toilet seat as shown in patents to Ginsburg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,432; Ginsburg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,646; Hicks, U.S. Pat. No. D390,644; Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,935; Orgias, U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,723; White, U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,704. The conventional cushioned toilet seats are formed of three layers: a base; an insert disposed on the top surface of the base; and an outer cover layer affixed to the base. Basically they are invented for a normal user. Therefore, they are emphasized on the softness and comfort, for which doesn&#39;t suit for an invalid whom asks for a safe and strength less seat.  
      Considering the above arts, the present invention of an auxiliary seat pad can benefit for an invalid to sit with less strength, safety and comfort. The purposes of the present invention are shown as following; first, offering a soft touching raised pad with certain elasticity and plasticity for assisting an invalid comfortably, safely and with less strength to sit on a toilet, a stool and a chair; second, a waterproof ventilated texture surface which is easy maintaining, washing and preventing the user&#39;s skin to sweat and skid; third, at least a set of the clamping apparatus set on the bottom of the auxiliary seat pad, which is convenient to operate and affix on a toilet bowl.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Briefly described according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary seat pad comprises a support plate, a stuffing body, an enclosed body, and a set of the clamping apparatus. The detail description of each part of said auxiliary seat pad is as following:  
      A support plate is a rigid annular plate as a base to stand the weight of an invalid, and join with a set of the clamping apparatus.  
      A stuffing body is modeled a thick light stuff and deposed on said support plate, with which form offers to raise up the surface of sitting part for an invalid to sit and bend his /her knee with less strength.  
      An enclosed body is a foamed elastic stuff to enclose said support plate and said stuffing body with a ventilated texture on the surface, with which the gooseflesh-like texture offers a dry and skid proof contacts for an invalid, and prefers a waterproof material which is convenient for washing and cleaning. An inner peripheral flange of said enclosed body inserts to said toilet bowl.  
      The density of a stuffing body is relatively opposite to an enclosed body, for example, a lower dense stuffing body enclosed by a higher dense enclosed body, and a higher dense stuffing body enclosed by a lower dense enclosed body. Therefore, the auxiliary seat pad offers certain softness and maintains a form for an invalid to sit on it.  
      A set of the clamping apparatus set on the bottom of said auxiliary seat pad, for which clamps on the outside edge of said toilet, and a blocker set on the front bottom side of said auxiliary seat pad, cooperate to secure said auxiliary seat pad on the top of said toilet.  
      The second preferred embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary seat pad modeled to a round shape without a center hole for depositing on a stool or a chair comprises three layers which are correspondent to said first preferred embodiment with a rigid support plate, a stuffing body and a enclosed body.  
      The third preferred embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary seat pad modeled to an annual shape as same as the preferred embodiment for depositing on a toilet without a set of the clamping apparatus.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a projective view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention for a toilet;  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is front view of the seat pad show in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along lines I--I of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded bottom view of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a exploded view of one clamping apparatus show in  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 7  is an exploded view of one alternative preferred embodiment of the clamping apparatus.  
       FIG. 8  is a view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      As shown in FIGS.  1  to  5 , the first preferred embodiment of the present invention for a toilet, an auxiliary seat pad  100  comprises a support plate  10 , a stuffing body  20 , an enclosed body  30 , and a set of the clamping apparatus  40 . The detail description of each part of said auxiliary seat pad is as following:  
      As shown in  FIG. 4  and  5 , a support plate  10  is a rigid annular plate as a base to stand the weight of an invalid user, and sets a pair of screw hole  341  and limit hole  342  for joining with the guide bases  41 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , a stuffing body  20  is modeled in a annular layer with the thick light material and deposed on a support plate  10 , with which a determined thickness raises up the surface of sitting part for an invalid to sit and bend his/her knee with less strength.  
      As shown in FIGS.  1  to  5 , an enclosed body  30  is a foamed elastic annular layer to enclose a support plate  10  and a stuffing body  20  with a ventilated texture  31  on the surface, with which the gooseflesh-like texture offers the dry and skid proof contact for an invalid, and prefers using a waterproof material which is convenient for washing and cleaning. With certain thickness the enclosed body  30  soften the contact and last the usability. On the bottom inner edge of the enclosed body  30  is formed with a peripheral flange  32  for inserting to a toilet bowl. Therefore, the inner periphery  110  of the enclosed body  30  can connect with the inner bowl of a toilet. The density of a stuffing body  20  is relatively opposite to an enclosed body  30 , for example, a lower dense stuffing body  20  is enclosed by a higher dense enclosed body  30 , and a higher dense stuffing body  20  is enclose by a lower dense enclosed body  30 . Therefore, the auxiliary seat pad  100  can offer the softness and maintain a form as an invalid to sit on it.  
      As shown in FIGS.  1  to  5 , a pair of the clamping apparatus  40  set on the bottom of the auxiliary seat pad  100  cooperates with a blocker  33  set in the front bottom side to clamp and fix on the outside periphery of a toilet bowl. A blocker  33  is an extension of the support plate  10  and enclosed by the enclosed body  30  to block on the front edge of the toilet bowl. On the bottom of the enclosed body, there are two indentations  34  with a screw hole  341  and a limit hole  342  on each, which are set into the support plate  10 , for screwing and joining the clamping apparatus  40  on it. A clamping apparatus  40  comprises a guide base  41  and an L-shape block  42  with a fasten screw  422 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a guide base  41  comprises a hole  412  for inserting a screw  43  through into a screw hole  341 , a limit post  413  for inserting to a limit hole  342  on a indentations  34 , and a guiding notch  411  with a thread of the screw  414  for guiding one end  421  of the L-shape block  42  with a fasten screw  422  to screw into.  
      As shown in  FIG. 6 , a L-shape block  42  comprises one end  421  of the block with a notch for which a fasten screw  422  inserts through, and the other end  423  of the block with an elastic pad  424  for which increases the attachment as a fasten screw screwing into a guide base  41  and forcing the L-shape block  42  to clamp a toilet bowl.  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , an alternative embodiment of a pair of clamping apparatus  40  comprises a pair of L-shape block  42 , a pair of fasten screw  422 , and a pair of guide base  41  which is modeled a part of the support plate  10 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 8 , the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary seat pad modeled to a round shape without a center hole for depositing on a stool or a chair comprises three layers which are correspondent to said first preferred embodiment with a rigid support plate, a stuffing body and a enclosed body.  
      As shown in  FIG. 9 , the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary seat pad modeled to an annual shape as same as the preferred embodiment without a set of the clamping apparatus for depositing on a toilet.