Abstract:
A removable toilet lid cover with hook-and-loop or other fasteners for quick and sturdy attachment to a toilet lid. The uniquely designed lid cover does not extend to a toilet lid&#39;s side or underside and consequently avoids soiling by an inattentive user.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to toilets and, more particularly, to a removable cover for quick and sturdy attachment to a toilet lid while limiting the potential for soiling by an inattentive user.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    With the growing popularity of interior design, there have been efforts to improve the décor of various rooms in the home. Individuals of varying age frequent the bathroom. As a result, there has been a push to develop aesthetically pleasing yet functional restrooms. To improve bathroom décor, a bathroom may include decorative shower curtains with coordinated rugs and soap dispensers.  
           [0003]    Some decorative efforts have included putting a fabric cover on the toilet lid colored to coincide with the general bathroom color scheme. Generally, these covers fit over the lid and an elastic portion that extends along the lid&#39;s underside holds the cover in place. While this type of cover does improve bathroom décor, it creates other problems. Because the cover extends along the lid&#39;s underside, the cover is exposed when the toilet is in use. Consequently, a youth or inattentive adult can soil the cover when using the toilet. Soiling this fabric cover can create an odor that detracts from the bathroom décor that the cover helped create.  
           [0004]    Despite the development in the area of toilet lid covers, conventional solutions do not provide an effective method of improving bathroom décor by covering a toilet lid while limiting the potential for soiling. Thus, a need still exists for a more effective toilet lid cover.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention meets the needs described above in a removable toilet lid cover for quick and sturdy attachment to a toilet lid while limiting the potential for soiling by an inattentive user. The invention&#39;s uniquely designed cover does not extend to a toilet lid&#39;s side or underside and consequently avoids soiling.  
           [0006]    Generally described, the lid cover is a cover body with a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface can be decorative to coordinate with colors or items in the bathroom. The cover body has outer dimensions that are the same as or smaller than the outer dimensions of the lid. Also, the lid cover has mating fasteners, including cover fasteners on the bottom surface of the cover body and lid fasteners for mounting to the lid.  
           [0007]    The toilet lid has a side and a bottom surface, and because the lid cover body is smaller than the lid, it does not extend down over the side of the lid or onto the bottom of the lid. In this way, the lid cover is concealed behind the lid when the lid is in a raised position when viewed by a standing user.  
           [0008]    The mating fasteners may be provided by conventional hook-and-loop fasteners. In this way, the lid cover can be easily removed and replaced with another lid cover, as suits the user. Alternatively, other removable fasteners can be used.  
           [0009]    In a first embodiment, the mating fasteners are arranged in strips. For example, the fasteners can be provided by a peripheral strip and at least one interior fastener strip positioned within the peripheral fastener strip.  
           [0010]    In a second embodiment, the cover fasteners are provided by a sheet of material for mating with the lid fasteners and having outer dimensions that are the same as or smaller than the top surface of the lid. For example, the cover fasteners can be provided by a loop-type material such as loop fasteners, terry cloth, etc.  
           [0011]    In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a toilet having a lid cover according to the present invention avoids the drawbacks of prior systems. The specific techniques and structures employed by the invention to improve over the drawbacks of the prior systems and accomplish the advantages described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended drawings and claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a commode with a detachable lid cover illustrating a first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the commode of FIG. 1 illustrating mating fastener strips that connect the lid cover to the commode lid.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a commode with a detachable lid cover illustrating a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    In describing the embodiments of the present invention, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional commode  100  with a bowl  102  and with a seat  104  and a lid  106  hinged to the bowl. A lid cover  110  is provided that attaches to the lid  106  according to a first embodiment of the invention. The lid cover  110  is a cover body  112  with a top surface  120  and a bottom surface  122 . The cover body  112  is a slab or sheet of fabric, carpet, plastic, wood, a combination thereof, or other material. The top surface  120  is selected to coordinate with colors or items in the bathroom. For example, the cover body  112  can be made of a fabric with the top surface  120  having a color selected to coordinate with the color-scheme of the bathroom or with another decorative appearance such as a design or graphic.  
         [0017]    As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid cover body  112  can be shaped and sized to be approximately the same size and shape as the top surface  108  of the lid  106 . In any configuration, the lid cover body  112  is sized no larger than the top surface  108  of the lid  106 . When so sized, the lid cover body  112  effectively conceals and decorates the lid&#39;s top surface  108  but does not extend down over the side  107  of the lid and to its bottom surface  109 . In this way, when the lid  106  is in the raised position so that the toilet  100  can be used by standing males for urination, the lid cover  110  is entirely or nearly entirely concealed behind the lid  106 . Because none of the lid cover  110  is exposed to the user, he cannot accidentally urinate onto it.  
         [0018]    With regards to the shape of the lid cover body  112 , it could be oval-shaped, circular, or some other suitable shape that matches the lid&#39;s shape. Alternatively, the cover body  112  could have a shape completely different from the lid&#39;s shape. For example, the lid  106  could be oval-shaped and the cover body  112  could be smaller and heart-shaped, to accentuate the bathroom décor for Valentine&#39;s Day.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the commode  100  with the lid cover  110  removed and illustrating fasteners  130  mounted onto or integrated into the lid  106 . The configuration of the fasteners  130  illustrated in the figure includes a peripheral fastener strip and a number of interior fastener strips positioned within the peripheral fastener strip. The number, size, and position of these fasteners may vary. In an alternative embodiment, the fasteners could be positioned in another regular or irregular arrangement on the lid. For example, the fasteners  130  could be positioned along the peripheral edges of the lid  106  with no fasteners in the lid&#39;s center.  
         [0020]    To removably secure the lid cover  110  to the lid  106 , the lid fasteners  130  mate with fasteners  140  positioned on the bottom surface  122  of the lid cover body  112 . For example, the mating fasteners  130  and  140  can be hook-and-loop fasteners. Alternatively, other types of fasteners may be used, such as double-sided tape, magnetic and metallic strips attached to the lid and the lid cover, snaps, and/or epoxy, silicone gel, or another adherent that can be readily dissolved to remove the lid cover.  
         [0021]    Using hook and loop fasteners, the lid cover  110  can be quickly and firmly attached to and detached from the lid  106 . When changing the bathroom&#39;s color scheme or cleaning the bathroom, an individual can quickly and easily peel off the lid cover  110  and replace it with another cover. Because the lid cover body  112  is firmly attached to the lid  106  by the fasteners  130  and  140 , twisting or rocking motion by toilet users does not loosen or detach the cover from the lid  106 . In addition, this movement does not cause the cover  110  to be exposed during use and subject to soiling.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lid cover  210  according to a second embodiment of the invention. Similar to the first embodiment, the lid cover  210  detachably connects to the lid  206  of the toilet  200  by fasteners  230  and  240 . In this embodiment, however, the cover fasteners  240  are provided by a sheet of material for mating with the lid fasteners  230  and having a size and shape that is the same as or smaller than the top surface  208  of the lid  206 . For example, if the lid fasteners  230  are provided by hook-type fasteners, then the cover fasteners  240  could be provided by a sheet of loop-type material for mating with the lid fasteners. The loop-type material may be a sheet of loop fasteners, fabric with loops such as terry cloth, or another conventional material. Similarly, the lid fasteners  230  could be provided by a sheet of mating material.  
         [0023]    In this arrangement, the sheet of material of the cover fasteners  230  will engage the lid fasteners  240  wherever the lid fasteners are positioned. Accordingly, the fasteners  230  and  240  do not need to be aligned when installing the cover  210  on the lid  206 . This makes for an even quicker and easier installation and ensures that the cover  210  will not come loose over time.  
         [0024]    In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a toilet lid cover that avoids soiling during use of the toilet. In addition, the toilet lid cover is easily removable so that it can be replaced seasonally or otherwise as suits the user. While the invention has been disclosed in preferred forms for illustration purposes, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.