BACKGROUND ART _. Research has shown that there are a number of infectious diseases that may be transmitted by contact with contaminated toilets. Toilet seats, whether soiled or not, are generally considered to be unclean, and both men and women hesitate to touch the toilet seat. While most _Q considerate male users manually lift the toilet seat before using the toilet, very few lower it on completion. A subsequent female user must therefore lower the seat manually. If the male user does not raise the seat, it is likely to be soiled during use. ₅ In addition, aged and infirm persons, particularly those with bad backs, often have great difficulty in bending over to reach and lift the toilet seat.

In order to overcome the problem of physically touching the toilet seat, foot-operated toilet seat lifters „. have been proposed. Examples of known toilet seat lifters can be found in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,592,097, 4,150,446, 4,534,073, 4,426,743, 4,470,161; British Patent Application No. 2,171,426A, South African Patent Application No. 849336 and Brazilian Patent Application No. 8401792. The known toilet seat lifters generally comprise a lever system or a cable arrangement which translates downward movement of a _r foot lever into upward movement of a seat lifter. However,

the known toilet seat lifters have been found to possess a number of inherent disadvantages.

First, most of the known foot-operated toilet seat lifters are required to be fastened to the toilet bowl or the toilet floor in order to provide a firm pivot mounting for the foot operated lever. For example, the seat lifter of U.S. Patent No. 4,592,097 is fastened to a base flange on the toilet pedestal. The toilet seat lifter of U.S. Patent No. 4,150,446 is fastened to the toilet floor. As the toilet bowl and toilet floor are normally made of hard ceramic material, it is very difficult for the ordinary householder to fasten the toilet seat lifter to the toilet bowl or floor. Drilling holes into the ceramic toilet bowl or floor may also cause structural damage. Should the toilet seat lifter be removed, unsightly holes will remain which may harbour bacteria and other contaminants. Furthermore such known toilet seat lifters are generally designed for a particular type and/or size of toilet or toilet seat, and do not have universal application. Many _Q would not be suitable for toilet bowls without floor-mounted

« pedestals for example. Perhaps with these deficiencies in mind, U.S. Patent No. 4,103,371 proposed a pneumatically operated toilet seat lifter which need not be fastened to the floor or toilet bowl, and is connected only to the 5 toilet seat itself., However, the pneumatic cylinder assembly of the toilet seat lifter of U.S. Patent No. 4,103,371 is difficult and expensive to construct, and is

prone to mechanical failure as any leak in either the master or slave bellows or interconnecting tube will limit or negate the effectiveness of the device.

A second disadvantage of known toilet seat lifters is that the user end of the foot lever is normally elevated and the user must balance on one foot while raising the other foot onto the lever. Thereafter while urinating, the male user must balance on one foot while applying limited pressure on the lever with the other foot. This exercise is physically awkward, particularly for elderly or infirm male users.

Yet another disadvantage of known toilet seat lifters is that they are normally of open configuration. That is, the foot lever system or cable assembly is exposed. Metal components consequently tend to corrode from repeated exposure to the harsh cleaning agents used in the toilet. The exposed couplings and linkages are easily contaminated by urine, dirt and grime. As these couplings and linkages are difficult to clean, they promote the accumulation of bacteria and other contaminants.

A still further disadvantage of known toilet seat lifters is that upon release of the actuating foot lever, the seat will fall back onto the toilet bowl in an uncontrolled manner; damage to both seat and bowl may result from repeated impact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to

overcome, or substantially ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an improved toilet seat lifter which is of universal application, simple to use, hygienic and of economical construction. In one broad form, the present invention provides a foot-operated toilet seat lifting device comprising: a base member adapted to rest upon a toilet floor in use; a pedal hingedly connected at one end thereof to said base member; a lever member having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said pedal and its opposite end pivotally connected to the proximal-end of a connector member,-- said- lever- being- mounted-between ^" its ^" ends on a pivot mounting supported by said base member; the distal end of said connector member being- adapted for operative engagement with the toilet seat whereby said toilet seat is lifted upon depression of said pedal.

As the toilet seat lifting device of the present invention is foot operated, the user will not have to soil his hands lifting the seat.

Unlike prior art foot levers which are elevated above the floor, the pedal of this invention is inclined to the floor, being hingedly connected to the base member. The user therefore does not have to raise his foot completely off the floor to operate the pedal.

Rather, the user may balance on his heel while operating the pedal with the sole or toe portion of the foot. Greater control can then be exerted on the pedal. This facility is particularly advantageous for elderly or infirm males who may have difficulty in balancing on one foot. This design feature is made possible by using a double lever system. That is, the pedal and lever member act as a pair of pivotally jointed levers to translate the downward depression of the pedal into an upward movement of the connecting member.

Preferably, the device is formed with a substantially closed casing to prevent ingress of urine, dirt and grime, the base member forming the bottom of the casing, while the pedal forms part of the upper surface of the casing. The casing can be cleaned with a simple wipe over with a suitable household cleaner. The device is therefore hygienic and safe to use. Furthermore, the casing can be designed to have an aesthetically pleasing appearance and to suit the decor of other bathroom or toilet equipment. The casing, pedal, lever member and connecting member may be formed of any suitable lightweight inexpensive material, such as plastics, or lightweight metal in the case of the lever member and connecting member.

The casing is floor-mounted and rests under its own weight. As the pivot mount for the lever member is supported by the base member/casing itself, there is no need to fasten the device to the floor or the toilet bowl.

Furthermore, the pedal acts as a class 3 lever since the actuating force is applied to the pedal between the fulcrum (the hinge connection to the base member) and the resistance (the pivotal connection to the lever member) . As the force and resistance are closer together, the class 3 lever system of the pedal is much more stable than the class 1 foot levers of the prior art in which the actuating force applied by the foot and the resistance are on opposite sides of the fulcrum.. A particular advantage of the present invention is that it has a single point of engagement with the toilet seat, namely at the distal end of the connecting member. The device can be connected to the.toilet seat -quickly and simply without the need for special tools. As there is a single point of engagement between the lifting device and the toilet seat, it is universally applicable to toilet seats of the lifting type. The specific means of-attachment to the toilet seat can be varied to suit the particular seat type.. For example, the distal end of the connecting member may be provided with a ball and socket attachment having a clamp which fastens to the rim of the toilet seat. Alternatively, the distal end of the connecting member may be pin-jointed to the rim of the toilet seat. In yet another embodiment, the distal end of the connecting member ma be pin-jointed to an attachment which is adhered to the bottom of the toilet seat. Various examples of the specific attachment means are described in more detail below.

The pedal, lever member and connecting member are suitably dimensioned so that the toilet seat is lifted not quite vertical upon full depression of the pedal. This ensures that the toilet seat will return to the lowered position under its own weight when the pedal is released. Suitable damping means are provided to control the rate of descent of the toilet seat. Such damping means may be in the form of a bellows operated by either the pedal or lever member and vented to the atmosphere through a check valve. 10 Alternatively, the damping means may comprise two bellows interconnected by a valve arrangement, a spring, or other suitable damping mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more fully τ_ understood and put into practice, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, of the toilet seat lifter of the preferred embodiment attached to a toilet oΛ S6d 7

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 in its actuated configuration;

Figs. 3 to 15 illustrate various methods of attachment of the distal end of the connector member to the ₂ j- toilet seat;

Fig. 16 is a sectional elevational view of the device of Fig. 1, illustrating the lever mechanisms therein;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view of part of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 illustrating a single bellows damping mechanism;

Figs. 18 and 19 are sectional elevational views of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 illustrating a double bellows damping mechanism;

Fig. 20 is a sectional elevational view of part of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 illustrating a spring damping mechanism; Fig. 21 is a sectional elevational view of part of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 illustrating an air piston damping mechanism;

Fig. 22_ is- a- sectional-plan- iew- of part of the toilet seat lifter of Fig. 1 illustrating a double air piston damping mechanism, and

Figs. 23 and 24 are sectional elevational views of the toilet seat lifter of- Fig. 1 illustrating alternative spring damping mechanisms.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the toilet seat lifting device 10 of the preferred embodiment is suitable for use with toilets of the type comprising a bowl 1 having a ring seat 2 thereon. A seat cover 3 is usually provided atop the ring seat 2. The seat lifting device 10 is in the form of a substantially closed casing 11, which suitably may be formed in two halves 11A, 11B. The upper sloping surface of the

casing 11 is partially formed by a pedal 15 which is hinged to the front of the base of the casing. The pedal is suitably provided with a non-slip surface. A connector member 20 protrudes from an aperture in the upper rear portion of the casing 11, the distal end of the connector member 20 being adapted for operative engagement with the toilet seat 2. The connector member 20 is suitably formed of two connectable halves 20A, 20B to enable the device to be packaged in a compact container. The aperture in the 0 casing 11 through which the connector member 20 passes is dimensioned to accommodate some pivotal movement of the connector member 20. The aperture is preferably covered by a sliding cover.21 to prevent the ingress- of dirt, urine or other contaminants. _5 In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a pivotal connection 25 is provided at the top of the connector member 20, the pivotal connection 25 being ^" connected to a seat clamp 26 which is fastened to the rim of the toilet seat 20. A height adjustment clamp 22 may be

0 provided to accommodate differences in toilet seat height relative to the floor. Various embodiments of the seat attachments will be described in more detail below.

The mechanics of the toilet seat lifting device 10 are illustrated in Fig. 3. The foot pedal 15 is hingedly

25 connected to the front of the base of the casing 11. A coil spring 8 is provided at the hinged connection to bias the pedal 15 upwardly in the configuration shown in Fig. 3. The

opposite end of the pedal 15 is pivotally connected to a lever arm 16 whose other end is pivotally connected to the proximal (bottom) end of the connector member 20. Preferably, a swivel lug portion 19 is provided at the bottom end of the connector member to accommodate swivelling or rotation of the connector member 20. The connector member 20 is typically of flat tubular configuration, the two halves 20A, 20B being connected by a connector plug 23. The lever member 16 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 0 mount 18 formed by two concave recesses in the abutting ends of two columns 17A, 17B which are brought together when the two halves 11A, 11B of the casing are fitted together. Typically, the columns 17A -17B are moulded integrally-with respective halves 11A, 11B of the casing.

■ _j _5 As shown in the drawing, depression of pedal 15 causes lever ar -16 to pivot anti-clockwise about its pivotal mount 18, ^" -thereby lifting connector member 20. By virtue of the attachment of the distal (upper) ^~ end ^" of the connector member to the toilet seat, the toilet seat will

2 _Q itself be raised. An advantage of the pedal arrangement of the illustrated embodiment is that it may be operated by the sole or toe portion of the foot, while the heel of the foot rests on the floor to maintain the user's balance while urinating. Furthermore, foot pressure is applied between

₂₅ the fulcrum formed by the hinged connection at the front of the casing and the pivotal connection between the pedal 15 and the lever arm 16 to which the weight of the toilet seat

is transmitted. The pedal therefore acts as a class 3 lever in which the actuating force is applied close to the resistance. This arrangement is more stable than prior art class 1 lever systems in which the actuating force is applied on the opposite side of a fulcrum to the resistance. There is consequently less likelihood that the casing 11 will slide along the floor by application of foot pressure to the pedal 15. Nevertheless, the bottom of the casing 11 should be provided with a non slip surface, or suction pads 0 9 may optionally be provided to stabilise the casing 11 on the floor.

The toilet seat lifting device 10 is adapted for use on either side of- the toilet bowl, -i.e. for -left or right foot use. The distal end of the connector member 20 5 is attached to the toilet ring seat 2 at the rear of the seat but forward of the seat hinge. The attachment of the distal end of the connector member 20 to the toilet seat is the only point of engagement between the toilet seat lifting device 10 and the toilet seat 2. The type of attachment o used will depend on the particular toilet seat to which the device, is to be applied. For rimmed toilet seats, a pivotal attachment as shown in Fig. 4 is suitable. The attachment comprises a ball and socket joint 25, the ball of which is connected by a short stem to a clamp 30 having a pair of 5 opposed jaws 32 having soft gripping edges. The connector member 20 is attached to the toilet seat 2 simply by opening the jaws 32 in scissors fashion and clamping them to the rim

of the toilet seat as shown in Fig. 5. An optional leaf spring 31 may be added to the clip 30 to provide increased resilient springing action. The ball and socket joint 25 accommodates rotation about a plurality of axes as the toilet seat is lifted. This facility may be required where the clip 30 is clamped to an angled portion of the seat rim.

Attachment of the connector member 20 to the seat 2- is simplified if the seat 2 is provided with a lug or flange 36 having a bore therethrough as shown in Fig. 6. The _Q coupling may then simply comprise a bifurcated fitting 35 on the end of the connector member 20 having a bore through both jaws thereof. The lug 36 is simply inserted between the jaws of the bifurcated fittihg- ^" 35, and a harpoon snap—in pin 37 is inserted through the registered bores to provide a

. _ pin joint between the connector member 20 and the seat 2« lr>

Alternatively, a cross pin 37a on the connector member 20 may be snap fitted within a pair of claws 36a formed on the seat rim as shown in Fig. 6a. The toilet seat and seat lifter may be sold as a complete package, or separately.

The pivotal attachment illustrated in Fig. 7 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, except that the resilient clip 30 is replaced by a screw clamp comprising a U-shaped clamp 27 and a clamping screw 28. The device 10 can be fitted to the toilet seat simply with a common screw driver. If an angled clamp 29 is used, as shown in Fig. 8, the ball and socket joint 25 is not required. A simple journalled shaft fitting 28 will suffice.

Fig. 9 illustrates an alternative attachment for rimless toilet seats wherein an angle connector 45 has one

flange 46 thereof fixed to the underside of a solid or cushioned seat 2A by adhesive. The other flange forms an apertured tongue which is received within a bifurcated fitting 35 and connected thereto by a snap pin 37 to form a pin joint similar to that of Fig. 6.

In another form of attachment, illustrated in Fig. 10, a chase 50 is adhered to the underside of a toilet seat 2. The chase 40 has a number of apertures 51 therein. A cover 52 is then snap fitted to the chase 50, a slot being left at the outside end of the combination. A barbed slide 53 is pin jointed to a bifurcated fitting 35 at the end of the connector member 20 by a snap pin 37. When the tongue containing barbs 5.4 is-inserted into the-chase, the barbs will lock into position in the apertures 51 and prevent the connector 53 from being pulled out. The chase, and/or connector 53 may optionally be fixed to the underside of the seat by threaded fasteners 55.

Yet another attachment is illustrated in Fig. 11 and is adapted to suit toilet seats of different thicknesses. The attachment comprises a pressure plate 61 rotatably fitted within a pivot head 60 at the distal end of the connector member 20. A spring action clip 62 is provided adjacent the pressure plate 61, the coiled spring being biased to shut the vertical gap between the pressure plate and itself. The clip 62 is then able to accommodate seats of different thicknesses as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. For padded seats, the pressure plate 61 may pierce the

external covering 5 of the seat to clamp the hard substrate 4 as shown in Fig. 14.

In yet another method of attachment to padded seats, an angle bracket 65 is fastened to the hard substrate 4 of a padded seat 2A by threaded fasteners 66 or push in fasteners 67 as shown in Fig. 15. The other arm of the angle bracket 65 is received within a bifurcated fitting 35 to form a pin joint of the type previously described with reference to Fig. 6. In the embodiments-described so far, the connector member 20 has been connected to the seat. However, the operative engagement between the connector member 20 and the seat 2 does not require- that the-connector -member actually be fastened to the seat; it is sufficient if the distal end of the connector- acts-against-the- seat to lift it. Fig. 16 illustrates an embodiment in which a push rod 42 is connected or formed at ^" the end of the connector member 20 and is provided with ^" a pusher head 43 which engages the rim of the seat 2 to lift same. A clamp 40 fitted to the rim of o toilet bowl 1 has a loop fitting 41 through which the pusher rod 42 passes, thereby positioning and guiding the pusher rod 42. This attachment eliminates the problem of different seat shapes and simply requires a universal clip to the rim of the toilet bowl. 5 Upon depression of the pedal 15, the toilet seat 2 is lifted to an inclination slightly less than vertical. This ensures that the seat will return to the toilet bowl

under its own weight when the pedal is released. To control the return of the seat 2 to the toilet bowl, a damping means is provided in the device 10. The damping means may be of any suitable form, such as a bellows, air piston or spring. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 17, a bellows 70 is connected between the lever arm 16 and the base of the casing 11. The bellows 70 communicates with an air inlet hole 72 via check valve 71 and a bleed hole 73. The air bleed rate can be adjusted by regulator knob 74. When the ° pedal 15 is depressed, the bellows 70 is extended to the position shown in dotted outline. The check valve 71 allows air to enter the bellows 70 freely through the air inlet hole 72.- When the pedal is- released, and the seat 2 descends under its own weight, the bellows 70 is compressed 5 and air is released to the atmosphere gradually through bleed hole 73. By limiting the bleed rate, the rate of descent of the toilet seat can be controlled. The bleed rate can be adjusted by regulator knob 74 to suit toilet seats of different weights. 0 Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate a closed bellows damping system using twin bellows 75, 76 interconnected by tube 80. A check valve 77 and bleed rate regulator 78 are interposed in the tube 80 between the two bellows 75, 76. When the pedal 15 is depressed, air from bellows 75 passes freely 5 through the tube 80 and check valve 77 into bellows 76. When the pedal 15 is released, the bellows 76 will be compressed as the seat falls under its own weight. The air

on bellows 76 bleeds back into bellows 75, the bleed rate being set by bleed rate regulator 78 to control the rate of descent of the toilet seat.

In the embodiment of Fig. 20, a compression spring is used to dampen the fall of the toilet seat. A spring 82 located within a spring guide channel 83 is connected between the lever arm 16 and the base of the casing 11. As the toilet seat falls, the lever arm moves clockwise to compress the spring. This action will be resisted by the spring, thereby damping or controlling the fall of the toilet seat. Air pistons may alternatively be used to control the rate of descent of the toilet seat. In the embodiment,of Fig—21, an air piston 84-is connected between- a pivot point 86 on lever arm 16 and a pivot point 85 at the base of column 17B. The air piston is-provided, with a bleed hole 88. As the toilet seat descends, the lever arm 16 rotates clockwise from the position shown in dotted outline to that shown in full outline. This movement compresses the air piston 84, the air within the air piston slowly being released through bleed hole 88. Air inlet into the piston 84 may be provided by a check valve (not shown) or simply by bypassing the seal on the internal sleeve. A compression spring 87 may optionally be provided. The spring 87 not only acts in opposition to the fall of the seat thereby giving extra damping effect, but also aids the lifting action by biasing the air piston towards its extended configuration.

In a variation of the air piston dampening system of Fig. 21, a dual air piston arrangement is shown in Fig. 22. The dual air pistons 90 are connected on either side of the lever arm 16, between the lever arm and the base of the casing 11.

In the embodiment of Fig. 23, a coil spring 94 is connected between lever arm 16 and a bracket 96 on the underside of the top of the casing 11. As the lever arm 16 pivots clockwise under the action of the descending toilet seat, the coil spring 94 will be unwound to the position shown in dotted outline. The spring tension will resist the clockwise pivoting of the lever arm 16, thereby damping the fall of the toilet seat. The coil spring 94 may alternatively be fitted at the other end of lever arm 16 at 97 shown in Fig. 23.

Alternatively, a coil spring 98 may be provided at the pivot point 18 of the lever arm 16, the coil spring 98 having arms 97 biased against column 17B and lever arm 16. The spring 98 not only dampens the fall of the toilet seat but also assists in the lifting action.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the invention, and modifications which are obvious to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following ς claims. For example, the device may incorporate an over-centre locking arrangement on the connector member to hold the seat in an upright position e.g. during cleaning. Alternatively, the pedal may incorporate a push-on push-off locking arrangement to lock the seat in an upright position.