Automatic toilet seat lowering apparatus
US5819327A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 30, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 30, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA47K13/10
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An automatic toilet seat closing apparatus, particularly adapted for use with a toilet seat is described. The apparatus will automatically lower a toilet seat that has been rotated to a raised position after a time interval determined by the extent to which a wind-up motor is wound. The mechanism is simply constructed and preferably mounted on the bottom surface of a standard toilet seat, so that it provides a clean, neat appearance which is aesthetically pleasing and does not interfere with the cleaning or maintenance of the toilet fixture. The apparatus includes an energy storage device, a locking mechanism, an override mechanism, and a wind-up motor which serves both as a timer and a triggering device. The energy storage device includes springs which store energy transferred to it by a user when a user raises the toilet seat, for use in urging the toilet seat back to a lowered position after the time period clocked by the wind-up motor has elapsed. The springs in the energy storage device also dampen the descent of the toilet seat so that the seat does not close with a loud noise or damaging the seat or the toilet bowl. The locking mechanism releasably but temporarily locks the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.