Abstract:
A mechanism lifts a toilet seat from a condition covering the toilet bowl to a condition in which the seat is upright with respect to a top rim of the toilet bowl. The mechanism includes a foot pedal in front of the toilet bowl. The foot pedal is connected to the toilet seat by a mechanism that includes a third class lever.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of bathrooms, and to the particular field of commodes. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     There is a constant running battle between people regarding the proper position of a toilet seat. There are those who believe that the proper position of a toilet seat is closed over the toilet bowl, and there are those who believe that there is no required protocol for toilet seat position and any position of the toilet seat, even “up” uncovering the toilet bowl, is acceptable. People from both groups often inhabit the same domicile. 
     Accordingly, people from the first group, relying on a toilet seat being down when they seat themselves, often encounter the toilet bowl rather than the expected toilet seat. This is not only disconcerting, it can be dangerous, especially to an older person. 
     For purposes of this disclosure, a toilet seat is in an “up” condition when that toilet seat is located in a plane that is upright with respect to a plane containing the rim of the toilet bowl, and is in a “down” condition when that toilet seat is resting on the toilet bowl and is located in a plane that is nearly parallel to the plane containing the top rim of the toilet seat. 
     People in the second group often simply forget to replace the toilet seat in a “down” condition covering the toilet bowl after using the toilet. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that makes it easy to move a toilet seat into an “up” condition and to thereafter return the toilet seat to the “down” condition. 
     The art contains numerous disclosures of toilet seat lifting mechanisms. However, these mechanisms all have various drawbacks, from requiring a person to grasp a handle to being complicated and hence difficult to install and prone to malfunctions. If a person must grasp a handle connected to the toilet seat, this will discourage people from operating the mechanism because they do not want to touch the toilet seat and it is the same thing as simply moving the seat back by hand and thus is of questionable value for this purpose. If the mechanism is difficult to install, it may be expensive to install and may not be usable for a retrofit application. This is an especially important drawback for mechanisms that require a great deal of structural elements or which require electronic equipment. 
     The art also contains toilet seat lifting mechanisms that are operated by stepping on a foot pedal. However, these mechanisms are prone to failure since they use cables and the like. Cables are required because the mechanism connecting the foot pedal to the toilet seat includes a first class lever and movement of a toilet seat from a “down” condition to an “up” condition with a mechanism that, uses a cable that requires the use of a first class lever. Cables can become frayed and may break or be difficult to keep clean. As used herein, a first class lever is a lever in which the fulcrum is located between the force and the weight being moved, a second class lever is a lever in which the weight is located between the fulcrum and the force, and a third class lever is a lever in which the force is located between the fulcrum and the weight being moved. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that is easy to operate, install, maintain and which is reliable. 
     Still further, many of the toilet seat lifting mechanisms of the prior art locate a foot pedal to the side of the toilet bowl. This makes it difficult for a person to reach the foot pedal, and may even discourage the person from making the effort. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a toilet seat lifting mechanism that has an operating pedal located so a person is encouraged to use the mechanism. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism which makes it easy to move a toilet seat into an “up” condition and to thereafter return the toilet seat to the “down” condition. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism that is easy to operate, install, maintain and which is reliable. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lifting mechanism that has an operating pedal located so a person is encouraged to use the mechanism. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by a toilet seat unit which includes a third class lever and has a foot pedal located in front of the toilet bowl. The structural elements and the operation and function of the unit embodying the present invention makes the seat easily and conveniently moved without the use of cables or the like. 
     Broadly, the toilet seat unit embodying the present invention comprises a toilet seat having a forward section and an aft section; a hinge pivotably attaching the aft section of the toilet seat to a bowl, the toilet seat moving between a “closed” condition with the forward section of the toilet seat resting on the bowl and an “open” condition with the aft section of the toilet seat spaced apart from the toilet bowl as the toilet seat extends upwardly from the bowl; a toilet seat lifting mechanism which includes a base, a fulcrum pivotably connected to the base and resting on the floor adjacent to the bowl, a foot pedal attached to a proximal section of the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, a connecting unit pivotably connected to a distal section of the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, a seat mount fixed to the toilet seat, a pivot mechanism pivotably connecting the seat mount to the connecting unit of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, the pivot mechanism being located between the hinge and the forward section of the toilet seat; the base of the toilet seat lifting mechanism pivoting about the fulcrum of the toilet seat lifting mechanism in a manner of a first class lever to move between a first position with the foot pedal of the toilet seat lifting mechanism spaced upwardly from a floor on which the toilet bowl is supported and a second position with the foot pedal resting on the floor on which the toilet bowl is supported; and the seat mount pivoting about the hinge in the manner of a third class lever to move between the “open” condition and the “closed” condition, with the third class lever including the connection between the toilet seat and the hinge, the pivot mechanism pivotally connecting the seat mount to the connecting unit of the toilet seat lifting mechanism and the seat mount fixed to the toilet seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet seat lifting mechanism embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toilet seat unit which includes the toilet seat lifting mechanism embodying the present invention in combination with a toilet. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in the figures, the present invention is embodied in a toilet seat unit  10  which comprises a toilet  12  which has a bowl  14  mounted on a floor  16  and which has a frame  18  with a top rim  20 , a forward section  22 , an aft section  24 , a first side section  26  connecting the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  to the aft section  24  of the bowl  14  and a second side section (not shown in FIG. 2, but identical in reverse to side section  26  shown) connecting the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  to the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . A water tank  30  is fluidically connected to the bowl  14  in the manner known to those skilled in the art. A hinge  32  is mounted on the frame  18  of the bowl  14  near the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . 
     A toilet seat  34  has an outer perimeter  36 , a first surface  38 , a second surface  40 , a forward end  42 , and an aft end  44  which is located near the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . The aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34  is pivotably connected to the hinge  32 . The toilet seat  34  is movable between a “closed” condition (shown in FIG. 2) in which the second surface  40  of the toilet seat  34  is in contact with the top rim  20  of the bowl  14  and an “open” condition (not shown, but those skilled in the art will be able to understand this condition based on the teaching of this disclosure and their own knowledge) in which the second surface  40  of the toilet seat  34  is spaced apart from the top rim  20  of the bowl  14 . 
     A toilet seat lifting mechanism  45  is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and moves the toilet seat  34  between the “open” condition and the “closed” condition. The toilet seat lifting mechanism  45  includes a U-shaped base  46  located adjacent to the bowl  14  and rests on the floor  16  adjacent to the bowl  14 . Base  46  includes a bight section  47  located adjacent to the forward section  22  of the bowl  14 , a first leg  48  extending adjacent to the first side section  26  of the bowl  14  and having a distal end  46  located near the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . A second leg  50  extends adjacent to the second side section of the bowl  14  and has a distal end  50  located near the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . A first fulcrum-defining element  52  is pivotably attached to the first leg  48  between the bight section  47  of the base  46  and the distal end  49  of the first leg  48  of the base  46  and a second fulcrum-defining element  54  is pivotably attached to the second leg  50  between the bight section  47  of the base  46  and the distal end  51  of the second leg  50  of the base  46 . Pivot pins, such as pivot pin  56 , pivotably attach foot-like elements, such as element  58 , to base  46 . 
     A foot pedal  60  is mounted on the bight section  47  of the base  46  adjacent to the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  and extends forward from the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  to be in a position for easy and ready access by a person who desires to lift the toilet seat  34  from the “closed” condition to the “open” condition. As will be understood from the teaching of the present disclosure, the toilet seat  34  is moved by simply pressing down on the foot pedal  60 . 
     The U-shaped base  46  forms a first class lever with the fulcrum-defining elements  52 ,  54  located between the foot pedal  60  mounted on the bight section  47  of the base  46  and the distal ends  49 ,  51  of the first and second legs  48 ,  50 . The U-shaped base  46  moves between a first orientation (not shown, but one skilled in the art will be able to envision this orientation based on the teaching of this disclosure) with the bight section  47  of the base  46  in contact with the floor  16  adjacent to the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  and the distal ends  49 ,  51  of the legs  48 ,  50  of the base  46  spaced above the floor  16  adjacent to the aft section  24  of the bowl  14  and a second orientation (shown in FIG. 2) with the bight section  47  of the base  46  spaced above the floor  16  adjacent to the forward section  22  of the bowl  14  and the distal ends  49 ,  51  of the legs  48 ,  50  of the base  46  located closely adjacent to the floor  16  adjacent to the aft section  24  of the bowl  14 . The toilet seat  34  will be in a “closed” condition when the base  46  is in the second orientation, and will be in an “open” condition when the base  46  is in the first orientation. 
     A first connecting link  70  has a proximal end  72  connected to the distal end  49  of the first leg  48  of the base  46  for movement therewith and a distal end  74  located adjacent to the first side section  26  of the toilet bowl  14  near the top rim  20  of the bowl  14 . A second connecting link  76  has a proximal end  78  connected to the distal end  51  of the second leg  50  of the base  46  for movement therewith and a distal end  80  located adjacent to the second side section of the toilet bowl  14  near the top rim  20  of the bowl  14 . 
     The first connecting link  70  and the second connecting link  76  move between a first position (not shown) having the distal ends  74 ,  80  of the first and second connecting links  70 ,  76  spaced above a plane containing the top rim  20  of the bowl  14  when the base  46  is in the first orientation and a second position (shown in FIG. 2) having the distal ends  74 ,  80  of the first and second connecting links  70 ,  76  spaced near the plane containing the top rim  20  of the bowl  14  when the base  46  is in the second orientation. 
     A toilet seat mount  90  is fastened to the second surface  40  of the toilet seat  14  and includes a U-shaped body  92 , a bight section  94  on the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and located near the forward end  42  of the toilet seat  34 , a first leg  96  on the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and which is located near the first side section  26  of the toilet seat  34  and which extends from the bight section  94  of the toilet seat mount  90  to the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34 , a distal end  98  on the first leg  96  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and located near the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34 , a second leg  100  on the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and which is located near the second side section of the toilet seat and which extends from the bight section  94  of the toilet seat mount  90  to the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34 , and a distal end  102  on the second leg  100  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and located near the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34 . Fasteners, such as screws or the like extend through bores, such as bore  104 , and are used to attach the toilet seat mount  90  to the toilet seat  34 . 
     A first pivot fastener  110  pivotably connects the distal end  98  of the first leg  96  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  to the distal end  74  of the first connecting link  70  of the toilet seat lifting mechanism, and a second pivot fastener  112  pivotably connects the distal end  102  of the second leg  100  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  to the distal end  80  of the second connecting link  76  of the toilet seat lifting mechanism. 
     The first pivot fastener  110  is located between the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34  and the forward end  42  of the toilet seat  34  to be located between the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  and the forward end  42  of the toilet seat  34 . The second pivot fastener  112  is located between the aft end  44  of the toilet seat  34  and the forward end  42  of the toilet seat  34  to be located between the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  and the forward end  42  of the toilet seat  34 . 
     Pivot pins, such as pivot pins  120  and  122 , effect the pivotable connections discussed above. A lost motion-type connection, such as connection  124 , can also be used to effect the pivotable connection between ling  70  and distal end  98 , and between link  76  and distal end  102 . 
     A first third class lever  114  is formed by the first leg  96  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and the first pivot fastener  110  and the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  with the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  being the fulcrum of the first third class lever. A second third class lever is identical to the just-described first third class lever and is formed by the second leg  100  of the U-shaped body  92  of the toilet seat mount  90  and the second pivot fastener  112  and the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  with the hinge  32  of the toilet  12  being the fulcrum of the second class lever. 
     The toilet seat  34  is in the “closed” condition when the U-shaped base  92  is in the second orientation (shown in FIG. 2) and the toilet seat  34  is in the “open” condition when the U-shaped base  92  is in the first orientation. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.