Abstract:
The mechanism is a powered toilet seat lift that attaches to the side lip of a toilet and lifts the seat without modification to the toilet or seat. It consists of an attachment bracket, a linear actuator, a battery, and a remote control transmitter. An alternative to the linear actuator is a rotary actuator that pushes up the seat as it rotates from the front of the toilet to the back. An alternative to the battery is a cord connecting to the building electrical power supply.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application supplements and completes Provisional Application No. 60/717,440, filed Sep. 15, 2005.  
       REFERENCES CITED  
       [0002]     U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS  
                                                               6,915,532   July 2005   Mohammed   4/246.1           6,643,852   November 2003   Lin   4/246.1           5,307,524   May 1994   Veal   4/246.1           4,995,120   February 1991   Tager   4/251           6,038,708   March 2000   Schreck   4/244.1           6,351,856   March 2002   Browne   4/246.2           6,226,804   May 2001   Ballard   4/246.1           6,539,557   April 2003   Avila   4/240           6,067,667   May 2000   Suzuki   4/246.1           5,029,347   July 1991   Lin   4/251           5,311,619   May 1994   Ward   4/246.1           2004/0199987   October 2004   Stemen   4/246.1           2003/0154541   August 2003   Miller   4/246.1                      
 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention relates to toilet appliances that raise and lower toilet seats.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0004]     Toilet seats are easily contaminated during use. Contamination is reduced when seats are lifted during standing urination. However, because of biological contamination on the seats, many users are reluctant to touch the seat to raise it—instead, they leave the seat down during standing urination which further contaminates the seat. If one user chooses to lift the seat, the next user must touch the seat to lower it to a sitting position.  
         [0005]     The field of toilet seat lifts contains a wide range of lifts that use a variety of mechanical and powered means to lift the seat. Prior devices for raising and lowering toilets seats can be grouped into several categories. The first category includes simple handles that attach to the toilet seat and are lifted by the user to raise the seat instead of touching the seat itself. The drawback to these devices is that user must still lift and lower the seat manually with the handles—and possibly contaminate their hands.  
         [0006]     A second category of lifts includes a wide array of foot-actuated mechanical lifts. These lifts often require modifications to the toilet and sometimes require the user to keep their foot on a pedal during urination.  
         [0007]     A third category of toilet seat lifts includes hydraulic lifts, using pressure from the toilet tank water to lift the seat. These lifts require modifications to the toilet tank or tank cover to accommodate the hydraulic tubing. In addition, the tubing can be unsightly and difficult to clean.  
         [0008]     A forth category of toilet seat lifts includes pneumatic lifts. Lin in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,347 (2003) shows one variation of a pneumatic lift using a lip-attached bellows mechanism with a bellows foot pedal to raise the seat. This is similar to the foot-actuated mechanical lifts and requires the user to maintain pressure on the foot bellows to keep the seat in the upright position. The lift also has tubing from the pedal to the lifting device that will be difficult to clean.  
         [0009]     The last category includes motorized lifting devices. This category includes cable-driven motorized lifts, hinge-mounted lifts, and linear actuator lifts. Ward in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,619 (1994) shows one example of a cable-driven lift. The lifting motorized device is attached to the wall and attached to the seat with cables to pull the seat to a raised position. The long cables are unsightly and will be difficult to clean. Mounting the lift motor to the wall can also compromise the integrity of normal bathroom sheetrock if not installed to firm structure.  
         [0010]     Avila in U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,557 (2003) shows one example of a hinge-mounted lift. A motor with a drive assembly is attached to the toilet seat hinge mechanism to raise and lower the seat. This type of motorized lift requires modifications to the toilet seat hinge mechanism or requires the user to purchase a new seat with the hinge mechanism already installed. Mohammed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,532 (2005) attempted to overcome this problem by proposing a similar device that mounts behind the hinge instead of to the hinge itself. This presents new mounting difficulties, as the device must either be bonded or fastened to the toilet itself in some semi-permanent fashion.  
         [0011]     Mohammed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,532 (2005) also showed two more embodiments that are examples of motorized linear actuator lifts. These devices, while similar to the proposed design, are floor mounted and must be adjusted for toilets of different heights. The shown embodiments also require the fastening of a pivot pin to the seat. The vertical rod and stabilizer rod of the first linear actuator embodiment and the exposed rack of the second embodiment will make these devices difficult to clean. The power cord attached to the building power supply will possibly require long, unsightly cords or might require a new electrical wall connection (many bathrooms do not have an electrical wall outlet close to the toilet).  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The proposed design is a device for raising and lowering a standard toilet seat without touching the seat or the area near the seat with the hands. It is compatible with and attaches to standard toilets without requiring modifications to the toilet or toilet seat. It is easy to install, as it only clamps onto the lip of the toilet. It is removable from the toilet for ease of cleaning. It has an enclosed design and smooth external surface that allows for ease of cleaning and prevents contaminants from entering. If the seat is left in the raised position, a timer automatically closes the toilet seat after a set amount of time and thus prevents the common complaint that someone has left the seat up.  
         [0013]     The mechanism consists of an attachment bracket, a linear actuator, a battery, a motor controller, and a remote switch. The attachment bracket has two tabs that hook over the side lip of the toilet and attachment knobs that press against the toilet and create a firm clamp. The linear actuator is attached to the attachment bracket and has a push rod driven by an electric motor that pushes up on the seat. Power is provided to the motor by a rechargeable battery. The battery is inserted into the actuator housing during use but can easily be removed for recharging.  
         [0014]     A remote control transmitter with an up/down switch sends signals to a receiver in the motor controller circuit to raise or lower the seat. Limit switches indicate end-of-travel and stop the motor. If the seat is left in the raised position, the motor controller circuit has a timer to automatically lower the seat after a pre-set amount of time.  
         [0015]     An alternative to the linear actuator is a rotary actuator that pushes up the seat as it rotates from the front to the back of the toilet.  
         [0016]     An alternative to the attached battery is for the motor to be powered from a standard wall outlet using an AC to DC transformer or for the motor controller to be attached directly to the building power supply. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of the toilet seat lift attached to the toilet with the seat in the raised position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a close up isometric view of the toilet seat lift.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows an isometric view of the inside mechanisms of the toilet seat lift.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a close up isometric view of the toilet seat motor, gears, and lead screw.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows an isometric view of the remote control transmitter.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  shows an isometric view of the inside mechanisms of the remote control transmitter.  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  shows an isometric view of a second embodiment of the toilet seat lift attached to the toilet with the seat in the raised position.  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  shows an isometric view of the second embodiment of the device.  
         [0025]      FIG. 9  shows an isometric view of the inside mechanisms of the second embodiment of the device.  
         [0026]      FIG. 10  shows an isometric exploded view of the second embodiment of the device. 
     
    
     DRAWING KEY  
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               1 . Toilet  
               2 . Toilet Seat  
               3 . Lip Attachment Bracket Assembly  
               4 . Linear Actuator Assembly  
               5 . Rechargeable Battery Pack  
               6 . Remote Control Transmitter Assembly  
               7 . Lip Attachment Bracket  
               8 . Lip Attachment Knobs  
               9 . Back Linear Actuator Housing  
               10 . Front Linear Actuator Housing  
               11 . Battery Attachment Housing  
               12 . Straight Push Rod  
               13 . Seat Push Rod  
               14 . Lead Screw Nut  
               15 . Lead Screw  
               16 . DC Motor  
               17 . Motor Spur Gear  
               18 . Middle Spur Gear  
               19 . Lead Screw Spur Gear  
               20 . Bottom Limit Switch  
               21 . Top Limit Switch  
               22 . Motor Controller Circuit Board Assembly  
               23 . Infrared Receiver Module  
               24 . Front Transmitter Housing  
               25 . Back Transmitter Housing  
               26 . Transmitter Up/Down Switch  
               27 . Switch Axle  
               28 . Transmitter Circuit Board Assembly  
               29 . Infrared LED  
               30 . 9 v Battery  
               31 . Rotary Actuator Assembly  
               32 . Rotary Actuator Housing  
               33 . Rotary Actuator Cover  
               34 . Rotary Lift Rod  
               35 . Roller  
               36 . Large Worm Gear  
               37 . Small Worm Gear  
               38 . Worm Shaft  
               39 . Bushing, Small  
               40 . Bushing, Large  
               41 . Spacer  
           
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0068]      FIGS. 1 through 6  show the preferred embodiment of the toilet seat lift.  FIG. 1  shows the major components of the design. A Lip Attachment Bracket Assembly  3  attaches to the lip of a Toilet  1 . A Linear Actuator Assembly  4  attaches to the Lip Attachment Bracket Assembly  3  and raises and lowers a Toilet Seat  2 . A Rechargeable Battery Pack  5  provides power to the Linear Actuator Assembly  4 . The Linear Actuator Assembly  4  is control by a Remote Control Transmitter Assembly  6 .  
         [0069]      FIG. 2  shows a close-up of the toilet seat lift. A Lip Attachment Bracket  7  fits over the side lip of the Toilet  1 . Threaded Lip Attachment Knobs  8  tighten against the Toilet  1  and clamp the Lip Bracket  7  to the Toilet  1 .  
         [0070]     A Back Linear Actuator Housing  9  attaches to the Lip Bracket  7  with screws (not shown). A Front Linear Actuator Housing  10  attaches to the Back Actuator Housing  9  with screws (not shown). A Battery Attachment Housing  11  attaches to the Front Actuator Housing  10  with screws (not shown). The Battery Pack  5  inserts into the Battery Housing  11  and makes electrical contact with metal clips (not shown) to provide power to the Linear Actuator Assembly  4 .  
         [0071]     A Seat Push Rod  13  fits between the Toilet Seat  2  and the Toilet  1  and is bonded to a Straight Push Rod  12 . When the Linear Actuator Assembly  4  is commanded to go UP, the Straight Rod  12  is extended and the Seat Rod  13  pushes against the underside of the Toilet Seat  2  and raises the seat. When the Linear Actuator Assembly  4  is commanded to go DOWN, the Straight Rod  12  is retracted and the Toilet Seat  2  follows the Seat Rod  13  back to the sitting position.  
         [0072]      FIG. 3  shows the inside mechanisms of the toilet seat lift. A Lead Screw Nut  14  is bonded to the Straight Rod  12 . A reversible DC Motor  16  sits in the Back Actuator Housing  9  and is bonded to a Motor Spur Gear  17 . The Motor Gear  17  turns a Middle Spur Gear  18  which turns a Lead Screw Spur Gear  19 . The Lead Screw Gear  19  has flats that engage with flats on a Lead Screw  15  and turns the Lead Screw  15  when the Motor  16  is activated. The Lead Screw Nut  14  rides up and down in the Back Actuator Housing  9  when the Lead Screw  15  is actuated.  
         [0073]     An Infrared Receiver Module  23  is part of a Motor Controller Circuit Board Assembly  22 . The Motor Controller  22  receives power from the Battery Pack  5 . The Receiver Module  23  waits for a signal from the Transmitter Assembly  6 .  
         [0074]     When the Toilet Seat  2  is in the DOWN position, the Motor Controller  22  will accept only an UP command. Upon receiving an UP command, the Motor Controller  22  will provide power to the Motor  16  to rotate such that the Lead Screw  15  drives the Lead Screw Nut  14  upward. The Motor  16  will continue to turn until the Lead Screw Nut  14  reaches the top and activates a Top Limit Switch  21 . The Top Limit Switch will signal the Motor Controller  22  to shut off the Motor  16  and start the TIMING MODE.  
         [0075]     When the Toilet Seat  2  is in the UP position and the Top Limit Switch  21  is activates, the Motor Controller  22  goes into a TIMING MODE and starts a timer. If the Receiver Module  23  receives an UP command during the TIMING MODE the Motor Controller  22  will ignore the command. If the Receiver Module  23  receives a DOWN command during the TIMING MODE, the Motor Controller  22  will cancel the timing device and activate the Motor  16  to go down until a Bottom Limit Switch  20  is activated. If the timer runs out before Motor Controller  22  receives a DOWN command, the Motor Controller  22  will command the Motor  16  to go down until the Bottom Limit Switch  20  is activated. Once the Bottom Limit Switch  20  is activated, the Motor  16  will shut off and the Motor Controller  22  will go into a SLEEP MODE waiting for another UP command.  
         [0076]     If the Motor  16  is in the process of raising the Toilet Seat  2  and the Receiver Module  23  receives a DOWN command, the Motor Controller  22  will cancel the UP command and command the Motor  16  to go down. If the Motor  16  is in the process of lowering the Toilet Seat  2  and the Receiver Module  23  receives an UP command, the Motor Controller  22  will cancel the DOWN command and command the Motor  16  to go up. Motor  16  motion is only stopped at the Top Limit Switch  21  and Bottom Limit Switch  20 .  
         [0077]      FIG. 4  shows a close-up of the Motor  16 , gears, and Lead Screw  15 .  
         [0078]      FIG. 5  shows a close-up of the Remote Control Transmitter Assembly  6 . The transmitter housing consists of a Back Transmitter Housing  24  and a Front Transmitter Housing  25 . A Transmitter Up/Down Switch  20  is pressed by the user to command the toilet seat lift to raise or lower the Toilet Seat  2 .  
         [0079]      FIG. 6  shows the inside mechanisms of the Remote Control Transmitter Assembly  6 . A Switch Axle  27  runs through the Up/Down Switch  26  and allows it to rock back and forth. When the Up/Down Switch  26  is pressed, the back of the Up/Down Switch  26  presses into PCB mounted switches (not shown) on a Transmitter Circuit Board Assembly  28 . If the UP switch is pressed, the Transmitter Circuit  28  sends an infrared signal through an Infrared LED  29  to the Receiver Module  23  commanding the Motor controller  22  to raise the Toilet Seat  2 . If the DOWN switch is pressed, the Transmitter Circuit  28  sends an infrared signal through the Infrared LED  29  to the Receiver Module  23  commanding the Motor Controller  22  to lower the Toilet Seat  2 . A 9 v Battery  30  provides power for the Transmitter Circuit  28  and the Infrared LED  29 .  
         [0080]      FIG. 7  shows a second embodiment of the design. The Linear Actuator Assembly  4  is replaced with a Rotary Actuator Assembly  31 . The Lip Attachment Bracket Assembly  3  and the Rechargeable Battery Pack  5  remain the same as for the Linear Actuator Assembly  4 .  
         [0081]      FIG. 8  shows a close-up of the rotary toilet seat lift. The Lip Attachment Bracket Assembly  3  attaches to the side lip of the Toilet  1 . A Rotary Actuator Housing  32  attaches to the Lip Bracket Assembly  3  with screws (not shown). A Rotary Actuator Cover  33  attaches to the Rotary Actuator Housing  32  with screws (not shown). A Roller  35  fits between the Toilet Seat  2  and the Toilet  1  and is attached to a Rotary Lift Rod  34  such that it can roll but will not come off. When the Rotary Actuator Assembly  31  receives an UP command, the Rotary Lift Rod  34  is rotated from the front of the Toilet  1  to the back of the Toilet  1 . When the Rotary Actuator Assembly  31  receives a DOWN command, the Rotary Lift Rod  34  is rotated back to the sitting position. Limit switches (not shown) signal the end of travel and shut off the Motor  16 .  
         [0082]      FIG. 9  shows the major internal mechanisms of the Rotary Actuator Assembly  31 . The Rotary Lift Rod  34  passes through the Rotary Actuator Cover  33 , a Large Worm Gear  36 , and the Rotary Actuator Housing  32 . The Motor  16 , which is the same motor used for the linear actuator, fits in the Rotary Actuator Housing  32  and is bonded to a Worm Gear Shaft  38 . The Worm Gear Shaft  38  is bonded to a Small Worm Gear  37  and drives the Large Worm Gear  36  and the Rotary Lift Rod  34  to raise and lower the Toilet Seat  2 . Two Small Bushings  39  (only one visible) fit over the Worm Gear Shaft  38  to react loads from the Small Worm Gear  37  to the Rotary Actuator Housing  32  with minimal friction.  
         [0083]      FIG. 10  shows an exploded view of the Rotary Actuator Assembly  31  internal components. Two Large Bushings  40  fit over the Rotary Lift Rod  34  to transfer loads from the Toilet Seat  2  to the Rotary Actuator Housing  32  with minimal friction. Two Spacers  41  keep the Large Worm Gear  36  centered with the Small Worm Gear  37  and transfer axial loads to the Large Bushings  40 .