Patent Publication Number: US-10781580-B1

Title: Toilet bowl strike pad

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to bathroom accessories and more particularly concerns a strike pad for a typical household toilet. 
     A toilet bowl strike pad or screen and associated bowl mount and seat-driven linkage are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,784. The linkage automatically rotates a strike pad into or out of a target orientation in response to the rotation of the toilet seat toward a raised approximately vertical condition or a lowered approximately horizontal condition, respectively. When the seat is fully raised, the strike pad is a target. When the seat is fully lowered, the strike pad is stored at the back of the bowl out of the water. 
     Since the known strike pads reduce splatter by redirecting a stream of urine before it strikes the water surface in the bowl, when the seat is fully raised they must be above the standing water level. When the seat is fully lowered, they are washed clean by the higher level of water that swirls in contact with the redirecting surface during flushing. Surface contact washing efficiency increases with smoother pad surfaces. But smoother pad surfaces increase splatter. The countervailing impacts of pad surface smoothness limit the benefits to be derived with known strike pads. Furthermore, the above-standing-water requirement precludes other benefits that might be gained from use of a strike pad. 
     It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl strike pad that affords greater splatter reduction than known pads. Another object of this invention is to provide a toilet bowl strike pad that does not require a smooth contact surface. It is also an object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl strike pad that need not be entirely above the standing water level of the bowl in a fully-lowered condition. A further object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl strike pad capable of dispersing scented product into the bowl. And it is an object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl strike pad capable of dispersing disinfectant into the bowl. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, a toilet bowl strike pad is provided for use in combination with a linkage mounted on the toilet bowl and operated in response to the rotation of the toilet seat toward a raised approximately vertical condition or a lowered approximately horizontal condition. 
     The toilet bowl strike pad has a rigid frame with an inside wall that defines an endless perimeter. A porous target pad and a porous release pad have perimeters sized to overlap the endless inside wall perimeter of the frame. The target and release pad perimeters are secured in the frame and form a pocket between the pads. 
     A water-soluble product is encapsulated in the pocket. An arm extending from the frame is adapted to be connected to the linkage to orient the frame approximately horizontally in the bowl with the porous target pad above the threshold standing water level of the bowl when the seat is in the raised approximately vertical condition. 
     Preferably, the arm is further adapted to be connected to the linkage to orient the frame approximately horizontally in the bowl with the porous release pad and the water-soluble product at least partly below the threshold standing water level of the toilet bowl while the porous target pad is above the threshold standing water level of the bowl. 
     Preferably, the porous target pad is splash-inhibiting and the water-soluble product releases a scent or disinfectant. The frame is preferably ovate and may be formed in a laminar arrangement of frame portions securing the perimeters of the target and release pads. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the strike pad; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the strike pad of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the upper portion of the frame of the strike pad of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the upper portion of the frame of the strike pad of  FIG. 1  with parts broken away; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the upper portion of the frame of the strike pad of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective assembly view of the strike pad of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A strike pad  10  illustrated in the drawings serves as a target for a stream of urine into a toilet bowl (not shown). The strike pad  10  is adapted to be combined with a linkage (not shown) that operates in response to the rotation of the toilet seat (not shown) toward its raised approximately vertical condition leaning back against the tank of the toilet or toward its lowered approximately horizontal condition atop the rim of the bowl. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-4 and 8 , the strike pad  10  has a rigid frame  20 , a target pad  40  and a release pad  60  secured in the frame  20 , and a water-soluble product  80  encapsulated between the pads  40  and  60 . 
     Looking at  FIGS. 5-7 and 8 , the rigid frame  20  shown includes upper, intermediate and lower portions  20   a ,  20   b  and  20   c , respectively. Alternatively, the frame  20  need not include the intermediate portion  20   b . As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 8 , the upper portion  20   a  has an inside wall  23  that defines an endless inner perimeter  25 . The upper portion  20   a  also has an endless lower seat  27  and an arm  29  that extends outwardly and upwardly from the upper portion  20   a  of the frame  20 . The free end of the arm  29  is adapted to be connected to the linkage mounted on the bowl (not shown) to orient the frame  20  approximately horizontally in the bowl (not shown) when the toilet seat (not shown) is raised to its approximately vertical condition leaning back against the tank of the toilet tank (not shown). 
     The intermediate and lower portions  20   b  and  20   c  of the frame  20  are endless rings with outer perimeters  27   b  and  27   c  that are dimensionally congruent with the side wall of seat  27  in the upper portion  20   a  of the frame  20 . Preferably, the frame  20  is ovate and the arm  29  is attached to a narrow end of the frame  20 . A frame  20  made of styrene has been found to be suitable. 
     Looking again at  FIGS. 1-4 and 8 , the target and release pads  40  and  60  have perimeters  41  and  61  sized to overlap the endless inside perimeter  25  of the frame  20 . The overlapping portions  43  and  63  of the perimeters  41  and  61  of the target and release pads  40  and  60  are secured in the frame  20 . 
     The pads  40  and  60  are porous and the target pad  40  is preferably also splash-inhibiting. “Porous” as herein used relates to the permeability of water. “Splash-inhibiting” as herein used relates to texture enabling fragmentation of a stream of urine and absorption of at least a portion of the stream into the pad. As an example, furnace filter material such as FM100 synthetic plastic affords a suitable texture. The same porous and splash-inhibiting material may be used for both the target and release pads  40  and  60 . 
     Continuing to look at  FIGS. 1-4 and 8 , the water-soluble product  80  is encapsulated in the pocket  81  formed between the pads  40  and  60 . Preferably, the water-soluble product  80  is scented or disinfecting or both. Water-soluble product demonstrating other or additional characteristics may also be employed. 
     As seen in  FIG. 8 , one way of assembling the strike pad  10  is to overlay and adhesively tack the release and target pads  60  and  40  on top of their corresponding lower and intermediate portions  20   c  and  20   b  of the frame  20 , forming sub-assemblies. With the water-soluble product  80  placed between pads  60  and  40 , the sub-assemblies are vertically aligned and adhesively tacked with the perimeter  63  of the release pad  60  between the lower and intermediate portions  20   c  and  20   b  of the frame  20 . To secure the sub-assembly to the upper portion  20   a  of the frame  20 , the intermediate portion  20   b  of the frame  20  is press-fit engaged into and against the seat  27 . As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the perimeter  43  of the target pad  40  is between the intermediate portion  20   b  of the frame  20  and the seat  27  in the upper portion  20   a  of the frame  20 . If the intermediate portion  20   b  is omitted, the bottom perimeter of the target pad  40  is abutted against the top perimeter of the release pad  60 . The assembled portions  20   a ,  20   b  and  20   c , or  20   a  and  20   c  if portion  20   b  is omitted, can then be heat sealed to form an integral frame  20 . If the same porous and splash-inhibiting material is used for both the target and release pads  40  and  60 , the combinations of each pad  40  or  60  with its corresponding frame portion  20   b  or  20   c  may be identical. 
     The strike pad  10  is mounted in the toilet bowl (not shown) by connecting the arm  29  of the strike pad  10  to the operating linkage (not shown) with the target pad  40  approximately horizontal and above the threshold standing water level of the bowl when the seat is in its raised approximately vertical condition. As shown, the arm  29  is of rectangular cross-section for use with a linkage having a mating socket that will press-fit grip the arm  29 . The arm  29  can be cut to the length necessary to position the target pad  40  in its approximately horizontal condition. Preferably, the strike pad  10  will be positioned to orient the frame  20  approximately horizontally in the bowl with the release pad  60  and the water-soluble product  80  positioned at least partly below the threshold standing water level of the toilet bowl while the target pad is above the threshold standing water level of the bowl. The plug and the socket mating the arm  29  and the linkage may be of any cross-section. Other adjustable mechanisms for mating the arm  29  and the linkage may be employed. 
     In operation, with the toilet seat in its raised approximately vertical condition, the target pad  40  is above the threshold standing water level and presents a target for a urine stream. The splash-inhibiting target pad  40  fragments the stream and captures at least a portion of the stream in the pad. On flushing, the swirling high water flows through the porous target and release pads  40  and  60  to rinse the strike pad  10  and bring the water-soluble product  80  into contact with the swirling water, releasing some of the product from the strike pad  10 . If the arm  29  positions a portion of the release pad  60  and the water-soluble product  80  in the standing water in the approximately horizontal condition of the strike pad  10 , some product will be continuously released in the threshold standing water level condition. 
     Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a toilet bowl strike pad that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit of the appended claims.