Abstract:
A collapsible, portable, lightweight, disposable potty training device that may be carried inconspicuously into any private or public restroom and that may be securely fitted onto a conventional toilet seat quickly and effortlessly, with the use of minimum stall space, to be used in teaching children to use toilets and at the same time to maintain the utmost hygiene. The training device is disposable and constructed of inexpensive materials for single use.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Application No. 60/972,437, filed Sep. 14, 2007, which is specifically incorporated herein by reference, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e). 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of devices used to teach and assist children to use toilets. Specifically, the invention relates to a device that may be easily and inconspicuously transported and fitted onto a toilet seat to permit a child to use a toilet while preventing the child from coming into contact with the toilet seat or fluids located within the toilet bowl, and is also designed for single-use and easily disposability. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The use of potty-chairs as potty training devices is well known among parents. When choosing a potty training device, parents are typically concerned with hygiene, transportability and adaptability. This is the case particularly with parents that travel often or enjoy outdoor activities such as visiting public parks or camping with their children. 
         [0004]    Hygiene is a concern when using toilets in public places such as parks or campgrounds because these places are usually equipped with a limited number of toilets, the toilets are not cleaned regularly, and because hundreds of people may use the same toilet within a single day. 
         [0005]    Transportability and adaptability are a concern because parents must be able to simultaneously transport their children and the potty training devices. In addition, parents must be able to quickly assemble the potty training devices to standard toilets within standard size stalls. Simplicity of use is important because it ensures that the device can be used in the same manner every time thereby making the use of toilets second nature. 
         [0006]    To address these needs, various potty training devices have been designed and are known in the prior art, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,777,672, 5,991,938, 6,473,911, 6,647,560. While other portable potty training devices are known in the prior art, such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,573, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, such devices are not designed for single-use and easy disposability. While the structures described in those patents may address some of the needs previously discussed, those structures have numerous shortcomings. 
         [0007]    Thus, a need exists for a potty training device which is easily transportable, easily and quickly fitted onto standard toilets, and is inexpensive such that is ideal for single-use and can be easily disposed of. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present invention resolves the shortcomings and fulfills the needs identified above. The invention relates to a highly collapsible, highly portable, extremely lightweight, potty training device that may be reusable or disposable, and that may be fitted onto a conventional toilet seat effortlessly, without need of additional stall space, to allow children to use toilets safely. To fulfill these needs, the invention provides a compactable, lightweight enclosure that is to be fitted around a toilet seat; multiple openings on the enclosure to be aligned over the toilet bowl, and some attachment for removably attaching the device to the toilet. 
         [0009]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent hereinafter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training, shown on a toilet; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training, shown in an exploded view away from the toilet; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is top view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is side view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training, shown on a toilet seat; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is cross section view of one embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training taken along line  6  in  FIG. 1 , shown on a toilet seat; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a toilet seat cover for use in potty training, shown on a toilet; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , shown on a toilet seat; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a cross section view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , taken along line  9  in  FIG. 7 , shown on a toilet seat. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    Referring now to the drawings, a potty training device  10  is formed by an top layer  12  and a bottom layer  14 , which are generally aligned over each other. As seen in  FIGS. 1-6 , the layers may be integrally formed together to constitute a bag. Alternatively, top layer  12  and bottom layer  14  could be joined at a seam about a portion of the outer edge. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the top layer  12  and bottom layer  14  are generally of rounded or oval shape, or other shape suitable for fitting relatively closely over most toilet seats. The top layer  12  and bottom layer  14  are fastened together only part way around, leaving an open end  20 . The proximal curved edge  26  is shaped similarly to the curved edge of a standard toilet seat  11 , and the distal end  24  is generally straight, similar to the distal end of a standard toilet seat  11 . Thus, the potty training device  10  is an enclosure that may be fitted onto and generally surrounding a toilet seat  11 , and is easily fitted onto a toilet seat  11  with the use of minimum space, for example minimum stall space in the case of use in a public restroom stall. 
         [0020]    In the preferred embodiments, shown in the FIGURES, the training device  10  is designed to be disposable after a single use. In one embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , the training device  10  includes two holes  41 ,  42  for allowing a child&#39;s waste to pass through. One hole  41  is in the top layer  12  and one hole  42  is in the bottom layer  14 . The holes  41 ,  42  are positioned within the device  10  generally so that they are over the opening in the toilet seat  11 . The holes  41 ,  42  are of sufficient size to permit a child to use the toilet comfortably without falling through the openings. The holes  41 ,  42  may be the same size, or, alternatively, as seen best in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , bottom hole  42  may be sized somewhat larger than top hole  41  so that, when a child sits on the device, any stretching downward of the fabric and/or outward around the top hole  41  that would be caused by the weight of the child results in a clearer path through the opening formed by the two holes  41 ,  42  into the toilet bowl below. After the training device  10  is installed onto the toilet seat  11 , the child sits down onto the training device  10  to relieve himself, and the waste passes through the holes  41 ,  42  to the toilet. The holes  41 ,  42  may include edging to ensure that the cuts in the fabric to form the holes  41 ,  42  stay intact. The holes  41 ,  42  may also be enlarged by removing perforated sections of fabric to allow children of different ages or sizes to use the training device  10  safely and comfortably. The top layer  12  and bottom layer  14  may be formed of one or more layers of fabric. 
         [0021]    The device  10  is also designed to be easily collapsible for convenient and discreet transport for use in places such as restaurants and airports, and also constructed of inexpensive materials so that parents can buy numerous disposable training devices  10  at a reasonable cost. A typical use of the disposable embodiment would be, for example, as follows. The device  10  is easily folded to a small size to fit in a parent&#39;s handbag or other small bag for transportation. The family goes to a restaurant. When the child needs to use the restroom, the device  10  is unfolded, slipped onto the toilet seat  11 , and quickly secured to the seat  11  using an attachment device  30 . The child then sits onto the device  10 . When the child is finished, the device  10  is removed from the toilet seat  11  and placed into a garbage container for disposal. Thereby, an inexpensive and easily transported potty training device  10  is provided as an alternative to large potty training seats or chairs so that parents can continue potty training with the child away from home, while further providing a sanitary barrier between the child and the toilet seat  11 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment of a disposable device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , the top layer  12  and bottom layer  14  may be joined together by sewing or other acceptable methods, such as RF/HF welding. The bottom layer  14  may be shorter than the top layer  12 , to save manufacturing costs by using less fabric to form the device  10 . The bottom layer  12  should extend far enough beyond the hole  42  such that it does not fold back toward the holes  41 ,  42  when the child sits down on the device  10 . In this embodiment, the top layer  12  has a portion  22  which extends beyond the bottom layer  14 , and this portion  22  terminates at a distal edge  24 . Alternatively, however, the bottom layer  14  could extend all the way to the distal edge  24 . 
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment, the top layer  12  is provided with a securement or attachment device  30  for use in attaching or securing the training device  10  to the toilet seat  18 . In the most preferred embodiment, the attachment device  30  is an adhesive strip on the underside of the top layer  12  having a length generally no longer than the length of the distal edge  24 . The strip may include a protective paper covering which can be peeled away from the strip to uncover the adhesive strip for sticking to the toilet seat  11 . As shown in the figures, attachment device  30  connects the extension portion  22  of the top layer  12  to the toilet seat  11 . The attachment device  30  may also be formed by adding an adhesive strip or other similar device to the distal end  24  so that the attachment device  30  extends beyond the distal end. 
         [0024]    The material of which the training device  10  is fabricated is preferably a flexible, lightweight, resilient and disposable material. Non-woven materials, certain types of tissue paper, and certain types of lightweight plastics or PVC would be usable to form the device  10 . Along those same lines, if the attachment device  30  is an adhesive strip, preferably it would have the property that it would only attach once and, once removed, would have lost most of its adhesive strength, so that it would not be usable a second time, thus, practically speaking, limiting the device  10  to being a single use device. 
         [0025]    In an alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , device  100  is constructed of a single layer  120  which fits over the top of a toilet seat  11 . In this embodiment the device is sized to completely cover the toilet seat  11  from the top and fit securely over the outer edge of the seat  11 , as seen best in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In a preferred embodiment, the outer edge  130  of the device  100  is attached to a band of elastic. Other methods of securing the device  100  such as a drawstring placed inside a hem around the outer edge  130  may be used to secure the device  100  to the toilet seat  11 . Layer  120  has a hole  410  through which a child&#39;s waste can pass. 
         [0026]    The material of which the training device  100  is fabricated is preferably a flexible, lightweight, resilient and disposable material. Non-woven materials, certain types of tissue paper, and certain types of lightweight plastics or PVC would be usable to form the device  100 . 
         [0027]    While the apparatus described herein is effectively adapted to fulfill the aforesaid objects, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific preferred embodiments of potty training device set forth above. Rather, it is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the appended claims.