Field of the invention

The invention is in the field of sanitation facilities. More specifically, the invention relates to a sanitation facility in form of a toilet with an adjustable inclination arrangement for enabling a user to mimic a squatting posture.

Background of the invention

The toilet is commonly used throughout the world for centuries. While there are various toilet designs with regards to its external shape and the drainage process, the basic usage position of the toilet is common across times and places.

Although the basic toilet and use of it is common many new hygienic accessories have been developed to improve the use of toilets and hygiene, for example under the seat washing and drying devices and toilet seat expendable cover.

Following the constantly growing use of toilets in the developing world, there is more awareness towards the manner in which one may relieve oneself. This act may not be as obvious as it perceived by an approach from the Far East. This approach claims that defecating in an incorrect manner could affect a human health and hygiene. Researchers found the anorectal angle had greater widening in the squatting position than in the common sitting posture. Moreover, one may have less abdominal straining while squatting.

The approach suggests that the squatting defecation posture with the abdomen and the body at a certain angle provides a much healthier and better position for the digestive tract, the abdomen and the body in general.

The objective of the current invention is to enable a practical adjustment of the seating angles and a support for people who choose to use the toilet in accordance with the aforesaid approach of squatting defecation posture. It is another objective of the current invention, to enable practical seating angles and support for accessible toilet usage by children, elderly and by physically challenged toilet users.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is a toilet seat with an adjustable inclination for enabling a user to mimic a squatting posture while using the toilet, comprising: a toilet seat; supportive structural elements; mechanical apparatus which allows the maneuvering of said toilet seat to a posterior or anterior inclination; and a control measure for the operation of said mechanical apparatus to determine the inclination level of said toilet seat, wherein posterior or anterior inclination of said toilet seat is adjusted by utilizing a control measure, which controls the mechanical apparatus, and wherein the mechanical apparatus is attached to a maneuverable supportive structural element onto said toilet seat is firmly attached.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical apparatus comprises static and movable arms.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical apparatus comprises at least one electric motor.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical apparatus comprises a pneumatic apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical apparatus is controlled by: a combination of a mechanical actuator (e.g., a rotating handle) and mechanical transmission (e.g., rack and pinion arrangement) ; or an electronic control pad with electro-mechanical relays.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the toilet seat further comprises a decorative cover for the mechanical apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical apparatus comprises an air bag pump wedge.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1A schematically illustrates a side view of a typical toilet;

Fig. IB schematically illustrates a front view of the typical toilet of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 2A schematically illustrates a toilet provided with a toilet seat in a posterior inclination position, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2B schematically illustrates a toilet provided with a toilet seat in an anterior inclination position, according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 shows an illustration of an embodiment of the toilet seat provided with a decorative cover, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 shows an example of an air bag pump wedge which can be used as a mechanical arrangement which allows the maneuvering of the toilet seat to a desirable posterior or anterior inclination, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a toilet seat with an adjustable inclination, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

The invention relates to a sanitation facility in form of a toilet that comprises a toilet seat, a supportive structural elements and a mechanical or electro-mechanical arrangement which allows the maneuvering of the toilet seat to a desirable posterior or anterior inclination, thereby enabling a user sitting on the toilet seat to form a squatting defecation posture that may provide a much healthier and better position for the digestive tract, the abdomen and the body in general with respect to common sitting posture. For example, the mechanical or electro-mechanical arrangement can be based on a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, a lever-based system, or any other arrangement that is suitable to maneuver the toilet seat to a desirable posterior or anterior inclination. According to another embodiment of the invention, the mechanical or electro-mechanical arrangement adapted to lift the legs of a user sitting on the toilet's seat to a desired incline in a way that mimics a squatting posture.

Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures for purposes of illustration only. Wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figs. 1A and IB schematically illustrate a typical toilet 10. Typical toilet 10 usually comprises a toilet seat 11, a lid 12, a commode bowl 13 and a water tank 14, in which toilet's seat 11 is limited to either horizontal or vertical position without any option for inclination adjustment.

Fig. 2A schematically illustrates a toilet 100 provided with a toilet seat 101, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Toilet seat 101 is firmly attached to a supportive structural element 102, which is maneuvered by an integrated mechanical apparatus to a desirable posterior inclination, e.g., within the range of up to 35 degrees.

In Fig. 2B, supportive structural element 102 is maneuvered by the integrated mechanical apparatus to a desirable anterior inclination, e.g., within the range of up to 35 degrees, according to another embodiment of the invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mechanical apparatus of supportive structural element 102, is manually controlled by a user, utilizing a mechanical control element, for example the toilet user rotates an adjustment handle, which through a mechanical transmission, actuates the mechanical apparatus. In this embodiment, the mechanical apparatus may comprise static and movable arms, which are connected to movable support elements. The mechanical apparatus maneuvers the support elements to increase or to decreasing the posterior inclination of toilet seat 101 (as shown in Fig. 2A) or the anterior inclination of toilet seat 101 (as shown in Fig. 2B).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic control pad comprises of push and / or touch buttons is utilized to control the mechanical apparatus, which comprises of at least one electric motor.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic control pad comprises of push and / or touch buttons is utilized to control the mechanical apparatus, which comprises of a pneumatic compressor and its ancillaries.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the toilet seat of the present invention, in which the inclination mechanical apparatus and the supportive structure are enclosed within a flexible decorative cover 103.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the toilet seat and its support and some of its mechanical parts are produced from recycled ecological materials.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the integrated mechanical apparatus can be provided in form of an air bag pump wedge 401, which can be similar to the form of KLOM U Type Air Bag Part# A065 as shown in Fig. 4. Air bag pump wedge 401 comprises a pump 402 and a bag 403 which can be fitted under toilet seat 101 and may be used to incline toilet seat 101 by pumping air into the interior of bag 403 by pump 402. According to some embodiments of the invention, air bag pump wedge 401 can be located on the floor in front of the toilet's bowl, thus it can be used to lift the legs of a user sitting on the toilet's seat to a desired incline. In such embodiment, air bag pump wedge 401 can be used as an adjustable stool, while placing the user's feet on the bag 403 elevates the user's knees above the hip, and thereby mimicking a squatting posture that provides a much healthier and better position for the digestive tract, the abdomen and the body in general.

All the above will be better understood through the following illustrative and non- limitative examples.

Referring now specifically to Fig. 5, the reference numeral 100 generally designates the toilet of the present invention that is associated with a conventional commode bowl 13 having the usual rim at its upper end and a water tank 14 positioned above and in communication with the commode bowl 13 with the tank 14 being provided with a water supply line 18 provided with the usual valve 17 to control flow of water to the tank 14. Toilet 100 includes a toilet seat 101 closely simulating existing toilet seats with the rearward end of the toilet seat 101 including a lid 12 attached thereto in a way that enable seat 101 and lid 12 to be pivoted to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position when oriented at the upper edge of the commode bowl 13 in a conventional manner. In this example, the supportive structural element 102 is hingedly connected to a pair of lift assemblies generally designated by the numeral 50 at a point generally adjacent the forward edge of the toilet but spaced rearwardly therefrom for pivotal movement of the supportive structural element 102 and toilet seat 101 about a transverse horizontal axis with a pair of fluid pressure operated pistons 60 interconnecting the forward edge of the supportive structural element 102 and the lift assemblies 50 to incline the toilet seat 101 between a generally horizontal position (that is suitable for a common sitting posture) when it is at its lowered position just above the top edge of the commode bowl 13 and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position when the toilet seat 101 is in one of its inclined positions (e.g., up to 35 degrees) to support engagement with a person using the toilet generally designated by the reference numeral 30 with the toilet seat 101 generally enabling to the person sitting on the toilet seat 101 to form a squatting posture by lifting the persons' knees 38 and lower leg portions 40 which occurs during movement between a sitting and squatting posture.

The lift assemblies 50 include a base 44 in the form of a U-shaped tubular member which may straddle the commode bowl 13 to render the device portable by virtue of its being easily positioned on the surface of floor 46 and moved rearwardly into straddling relation to the lower end of the commode bowl 13 or the base 44 may be a base plate permanently anchored to floor 46 by suitable fasteners. Rigidly affixed to the base 44 is a pair of lower rigid tubular members 48 which extend upwardly and forwardly in an inclined relation to the commode bowl 13 with the upper ends thereof being slidably received in tubular members 52 rigidly connected to a pair of armrests 54. The supportive structural element 102 for the toilet seat 101 is hinged to the fluid pressure operated pistons 60 by a pivot pin 62 for lifting the toilet seat 101 and the about a transverse, horizontal axis to a desired inclined position. Attached to the upper end of each of the tubular members 52 is the armrest 54 which are horizontally oriented and extend both forwardly and rearwardly from the upper end of the tubular members 52 to provide stable support for the arms 56 of the user.

The lower portion of each fluid pressure operated piston 60 is pivotally attached to a lower portion of the tubular member 50 by a pivotal connection 63 and the upper portion of each fluid pressure operated piston 60 pivotally connected to the supportive structural element 102 by a pivotal connection 62 for extension and retraction as a lift assemblies for lifting and lowering toilet seat 10 in an inclined manner.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in order to power the toilet seat 101 a hydraulic system can be used. As shown in Fig. 5, in such configuration, water supply line 70 is connected to the water supply line for the commode and may be provided with a valve with the water supply line being connected to the fluid pressure operated pistons 60 through a control valve 72 having an operating handle 74 extending upwardly therefrom by which fluid pressure can be admitted to the lower end of the fluid pressure operated pistons 60 and drained therefrom back to a suitable return line 75 extending to the sewer pipe below the commode or to any other drain line or back to the commode tank 14.

As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, a pneumatic system, a lever-based system, or any other arrangement that is suitable to maneuver the toilet seat to a desirable posterior or anterior inclination can be used to power the toilet seat instead of the above described hydraulic system.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried out with many variations, modifications, and adaptations, without exceeding the scope of the claims.