Patent Publication Number: US-7712159-B2

Title: Convertible potty chair and urinal training device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application is a continuation application of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/708,553, filed Aug. 16, 2005, included by reference herein and for which benefit of the priority date is hereby claimed. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to male and female potty chairs and training device and, more particularly, to training male toddlers to urinate while standing with a male urinal. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to training potties. It also concerns a urinal device for use in training male toddlers to urinate while standing. Conventional training potties are designed to be used by both male and female toddlers in the seated position. They are typically lightweight and portable and plumbing free, having a base, an a seat for sitting, and a waste-receiving pot aligned beneath the opening in the seat providing access to the pot for elimination waste. Since traditionally potties were designed for male and female toddlers to use in the sitting position, their unisex design has not properly met the potty training needs of male toddlers. Since it is difficult for a male toddler to direct his urine into the potty from a seated position, a urine guard is added to the front edge of the seat&#39;s opening. The purpose of this urine shield is to deflect the stream of urine into the training potty&#39;s pot, but most urine shields are not effective. Traditionally male adults do not urinate sitting down, conventional potty training devices fail to train male toddlers to urinate the way they will be expected to as adults. 
   Traditionally potty chairs were designed for male and female toddlers to use in the sitting position. Their unisex design has been unaccommodating of male toddlers. These types of potty chair designs ignored the need of training young male toddlers to stand while urinating. Attempts were made by industry to help male toddlers by designing urinals for them. Attempts were also made to solve this problem by combining the potty chair and urinal into one toilet training device. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,943 issued to loretta Dawson for “Training Urinal and Commode,” and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,020 issued to David G. Lewandoski and Edward Guard for “Urinal For Convience And Training Juvenile Males.” Another example is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,279 issued to Estelle B. Rasmussen. 
   Conventional potty training devices for male and females toddlers have ignored the need for training males to urinate in the standing position. Potty training devices for young male toddlers i.e. urinals, were designed in an attempt to meet this need, but they also created a need for parents with both male and female toddlers to buy two separate potty training devices, which is an added expense. There have been potty training devices that were designed to act as a potty training device for both male and female toddlers that also included a stand-up urinals for male toddlers, but some of them were un-sanitary due to the fact that the user often came in contact with the urine and were difficult to clean. Another problem was that some were complicated in design and expensive to make. 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved training potty that encourages and facilitates its use by male toddlers who are learning to urinate while standing. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an improved training potty that can be easily converted to a urinal for training male toddlers. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a urinal that needs no plumbing, and able to be easily emptied of waste. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an improved training potty that still may be used conventionally by male and female toddlers to relieve themselves while seated. 
   It is another object of the invention to an improved training potty that is inexpensive to manufacture, easily operated, hygienic, and virtually maintenance-free. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the present invention, provides a training device adapted to be used as a training urinal for male toddlers. The Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device can be used much the same way as a conventions training potty for male and female toddlers, but in addition and unlike conventional potty trainers, it is readily converted to a training urinal to train male toddlers to urinate while standing up. The Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device consists of a urinal and a removable seat along with their elements. The urinal construction consists of a base with legs having a back wall, front wall, and sidewalls, and has an opening in the middle of its tapered floor through which waste passes into a waste collection pot aligned beneath the urinal. The waste collection pot can be readily pulled out and emptied and replaced as necessary. The outer side walls of the urinal has a recessed area on both sides used as handles to carry the Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device. 
   The removable seat construction consist of a base for sitting with a opening in the middle through which waste flow through. When the removable seat is attached to the urinal, it can be used as most conventional potty trainers by both male and female toddlers. When used as a conventional potty chair, the waste flows through the bottom of the seat and pass through the urinal, and through the opening in the bottom of the tapered urinal floor, and into the waste collection pot. The tops of the side walls of the seat are also arm rests for the toddler when he or she is seated, and the back wall of the seat is the back rest. The removable seat has a urine splash guard positioned at the front edge of the seat&#39;s opening to minimize urine from splashing when the seat is attached to the urinal section and a male toddler uses the Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device in the seated position. The removable seat is attached to the urinal by sliding the seat back flange of the seat over the brim of the back of the urinal, which allows the removable seat to rest on the sides and the front of the urinal. Now male or female toddlers can sit and use the Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device like a conventional potty chair, and when the removable seat is lifted off, the Potty Chair and Urinal Training Device becomes a training urinal for male toddlers who are old enough, and/or are able to stand to be trained to urinate in the standing position. 
   By virtue of the invention, there is thus provided a Potty Chair and Training device for both male and female toddlers which is readily convertible to a training urinal to train male toddlers to urinate in the standing position. Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of the seat section of the potty chair mounted on the urinal; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the removable seat section of the potty chair mounted on the urinal; 
       FIG. 3  is a front exploded view of the seat section of the potty chair; 
       FIG. 4  is a rear view of the seat section of the convertible potty chair and urinal training device; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view view of a side view of the urinal of the convertible potty chair and urinal training device; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the urinal; 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of an urinal and seat section of the convertible potty chair and urinal training device with seat dismounted from urinal; and 
       FIG. 8  is a front view of the potty chair being mated to the urinal section. 
   

   For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the Figures. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  is a front view of the Convertible Potty Chair and Urinal  2  Training Device showing removable seat  1  having seat waste cavity  4 , an opening in the middle of removable seat  1  through which allows toddler&#39;s body waste to pass in route to waste collection pot  9 . There is a urine splash guard  3  forward of the opening of removable seat  1  for directing a male toddler&#39;s urine into the potty from a seated position. The Logo placement area  5  is optional and is located on removable seat  1  on the back wall near top center. Removable seat  1  is designed to be positioned on top of urinal  2 . There are four adjustable Legs  8 , but not limited to four, that supports potty training device and are attached underneath urinal  2 . Waste collection pot  9  is shown attached beneath urinal  2 . Waste collection pot  9  is a round and/or deep container with a protruding brim in the front as a handle for inserting, removing waste collection pot  9  from attachment beneath urinal  2 , as well as for handling waste collection pot  9 . Waste collection pot  9  is aligned on a track beneath the front base of urinal  2  to catch waste matter i.e. urine and feces from toddlers. Waste collection pot  9  is inserted and removed for dumping waste by sliding it out on the track underneath the bottom front of urinal  2 . With removable attached onto urinal  2 , the convertable potty training device can be used as a conventional potty training device by male and female toddlers. The Convertible Potty Chair and Urinal  2  Training Device may be fabricated of fiberglass, plastic, or any other suitable material. 
     FIG. 2  shows a rear view of the potty training device. The top section is the removable seat  1 , with seat back track flange  15  that acts as a guide to slide the back of removable seat  1  over the back outside urinal wall  6 , with the sides and front of removable seat  1 , resting on and over-lapping the brim of inside urinal walls  12  and front urinal wall  13  securing removable seat  1  to urinal  2 . Seat back track flange  15  is also used as a handle to lift and place removable seat  1  on to urinal  2 . Urinal bottom flange  11  is the rim around the bottom of urinal  7  cavity shown in  FIG. 7  that directs wastes into waste collection pot  9 . The other reference numbers are explained in  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 3  is a top exploded view of the front of removable seat  1 , and is explained in  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 4  shows the rear of removable seat  1 . Seat cavity flange  16 , which is a rim around the bottom of seat waste cavity  4  of removable seat  1 , that allows waste to flow through into urinal  2 , in route to waste collection pot  9 . Other reference numbers explained in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 5  shows side view of urinal  2 . This potty training device can be converted into a urinal  2  to train male toddlers to urinate in the standing position by removing removable seat  1 . By pulling up on the seat back track flange  15  and or the sides of removable seat  1 , easily removes removable seat  1 , from the base converting it into a urinal  2 .  FIG. 5  also shows inside urinal walls  12 . When removable seat  1  is placed on urinal  2 , it rests on, and is supported by inside urinal walls  12  brims, top brim of back inside urinal wall  14 , the top brim of the back outside urinal wall  6 , and front urinal wall  13 . Urinal side handles  17  are recessed areas on the outside of urinal  2 , and are used to lift urinal  2  as well as the entire potty chair when removable seat  1  is attached. Other reference number explained in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 . 
     FIG. 6  shows front view of urinal  2 . Reference numbers explained in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  &amp;  5 . 
     FIG. 7  shows urinal  2 , with bottom of urinal  7 , which is the floor of the urinal  2  which is slightly tapered down toward the center of the urinal  2  which allows body waste to slide through urinal cavity  10  into waste collection pot  9 . Other reference numbers of urinal  2  are explained in  FIGS. 1-6 .  FIG. 7  also shows removable seat  1 , and its elements. All reference numbers are explained in  FIG. 1-6 . With removable seat  1  is removed, the potty training device is a urinal  2  for boy toddler to use as a stand-up trainer to urinate in the standing position. 
     FIG. 8  shows removable seat  1  in the process of being mated onto urinal  2 , converting it into a potty chair. Reference numbers explained in  FIGS. 1-6 . 
   Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
   Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.