TOILET SEAT COVER WITH SECURE COMPARTMENTED INTERNAL STORAGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application Serial Number

60/662,093, filed 03/15/2005 and from U.S. nonprovisional patent application Serial Number 11/245,728 filed 10/06/2005.

The present invention relates generally to toilet seats and toilet seat cover assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toilet seat and cover assembly providing one or a plurality of secure internal storage compartments within the seat covering component of the device. Additionally, the invention relates to separate toilet seat cover elements available as optional replacements or attachments for the cover provided on a standard toilet seat assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The first use of toilets with seats can be traced back more than four thousand five hundred years to the sitting type toilets in the remains of the Harappa civilization in Western India in the year circa 2500 BC. Water borne toilets located in each house were linked with a functional sewer system and bore many features similar to modern toilets such as seats, covers, water chambers and methods to preserve privacy during defecation. Evidence shows that the Egyptians had similar methods and devices for this purpose as well. The invention of the water closet by John Harrington in 1596 and subsequent advances by Brondel, Cummings, Preiser and Helior provided much improvement in method.

It was around 1900 that the institution of the bathroom came into vogue in Europe. The ensuing Victorian age influenced the desire for privacy and cleanliness and the need for storage of necessary cleaning materials, toilet accessories, medicines, matches, and other accouterments without the appearance of clutter. As bathrooms are generally small enclosures, the storage of the resultant clutter of this equipment has been addressed in many ways including drawers, cupboards, fixed, portable and temporary shelves, and even hanging baskets, selections of which will be noted below in the description of prior art. As can be seen, the toilet has been in use for quite some time and much innovation in the art has been addressed to the improvement of the methodology and equipment. Much effort as well has been directed toward the toilet seat and cover, key components of the system. A myriad of innovations such as toilet paper dispensers, blood pressure testers, odor attenuators, sanitary

cover automafϊbrrafϊd many othέsf'tdii'et seat enhancements are to be found in the art. However, very few address the utilization of the toilet seat cover as both a potential solution to the issue of sanitary storage within the bathroom and a place upon which to sit during the process of defecation. Examples of some attempts to enhance the functionality of the toilet seat and to simplify the bathroom storage requirements, as shall be seen in the following examples below, illustrate the failure to rectify this issue.

U.S. Patent No. 5,594,957 (Shih, 1997) describes a foldable toilet seat cover includes two sections pivotally coupled together. A lower section has a lower portion for pivotally coupling to a toilet seat. The lower portion of the upper section includes a notch for engaging with a handle. The handle includes a cavity for engaging with the hand of a user and includes two side portions each having a slot for engaging with fastening members so as to allow the handle to be rotated about the fastening members. The lower section includes a rear peripheral flange for engaging with and for retaining newspaper and books. Evident from the associated drawings is the necessity of increased manufacturing and assembly labor costs due to the plurality of parts required to effect the proposed results. Additionally, the internal storage provided is specific to books, magazines and the like and is not necessarily to be used other than during the actual process of defecation, as the locking assembly would be obstructed when attempting to close the cover were said items to be present. U.S. Patent No. 5,862,536 (Sen-Don Huang, 1999) depicts an approach to the concept of bathroom storage within the toilet tank body by including a cavity within the cover of the tank intended to store articles, such as newspapers, books and magazines, or toilet cleaning tools. Though of similar intent and mounted upon the toilet, this device is primarily intended for the storage of magazines and, potentially, cleaning materials. As there is no cover present, these articles are always in view—an unaesthetic approach to say the least. The lack of a cover also exposes the contents to contamination from urine and various other substances present during toilet and other bathroom use. Cleaning of the cover would also be made more difficult due to the internal cavity, necessitating possibly additional tools, or at the least, insertion of the hand during the process. U.S. Patent 3,239,850 (Kiss, 1966) teaches of a mechanism to provide a detachably fixed bathtub accessory, the principal object of which is to hold soap and other small items and to provide a mirror for use during the bathing event. Another object of the invention is to reduce accidents resulting from slipping while seeking such objects in places within the bathroom while

bathing'. WlulS nominally Useful fϋ'r tlϊe described intended purpose, this device contributes to the general clutter present before and after the bath unless removed subsequent to bathing. This need for removal to prevent visual dysfunction presents the issue of additional required storage when the invention is not in use. The plurality of surfaces presented by the device during the bathing process also suggests a need for increased effort with regard to proper cleaning of the invention.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0204903 (Moster, 2003) outlines another proposal to provide bathroom storage by means of a gravitationally engaged box to be clipped upon the rim of a bath tub. The box is to be provided with a waterproof cover and contains a plurality of internal storage compartments. When opened, the lid or cover provides a shelf upon which a book or magazine could be positioned for reading during the bathing process and in the open position allows access to the items stored. Though adequate with regard to the intended use in the bath, the presence of the device necessarily adds to the perceived clutter in the bathroom before and after the bath and as noted in the prior reference presents a potentially increased effort when the device is to be cleaned.

Accordingly, there exists an unfulfilled need for general storage of bathroom items and sundries in a convenient and concealed location. Such an invention must be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to supply and use, and must also provide covered, moisture resistant, childproof, removable, sanitary storage for toilet articles such as reading materials, soaps, medicines, cleaning tools and other sundry items as determined by the user. Another key requirement will be to reduce the perceived clutter present in the bathroom area. Another object of such an invention is to be easily adaptable to most bathroom environments, preferably being hidden from view within some generally present bathroom fixture such as a toilet seat cover. With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components or steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the invention are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art once they review this disclosure. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other devices, methods and

systems for ^' carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the objects and claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further objectives of this invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It an object of the disclosed device to provide a toilet seat and toilet lid-cover device that safely encloses and secures generally utilized bathroom items or other items, that reduces perceived clutter in the bathroom environment, and that also embodies the desirable capabilities outlined above and overcomes noted shortfalls. An additional objective provided by the present invention is to provide manufacturers the capability of providing to the public commercially available standardized inserts containing selections of their products such as cleaning materials, soaps, unguents, medicines and other items that could be used with the invention.

Accordingly the invention disclosed herein embodies a toilet seat cover storage system having a seat component adapted for engagement to the top of the toilet, the seat portion of which would be shaped to accommodate and engage with the variously shaped top rims of the toilets generally available or yet to be proposed. A seat cover component composed of a top section and a bottom section rotationally engaged as in the manner of a "clamshell" and with sidewalls extending therebetween all of which will define an internal cavity within the "clamshell" which will provide storage. The cavity would best be water resistant due to the nature of the locale of the installation of the device.

A cover assembly hingedly or otherwise rotationally engaged to move from a lowered position resting on the toilet seat to an upright position as is normal with toilet seat covers would be held in the upright position either by shaping the device to effect the use of gravity for retention or through the use of clamps, hook and loop closures, powerful magnets or other means provided as components in the installation kit. Optionally, any embodiment of the proposed invention could incorporate one of the many available toilet seat closure dampening hinges to be found in the arts to maintain position and to prevent "slamming" of the seat or assembly.

A releasably engageable upper section of the cover separable from the lower section thereby reveals the storage compartment within. Such releasable engagement may be provided by means of molded-in locks, clips, frictional engagement such as hook and loop closures or

other means adapted ¹ fd ^f this ^" "purpose.

An interior storage compartment is provided, pre-molded to be sectionalized and possibly adapted to contain specifically shaped components in certain compartments. Or the storage compartment may be adapted to engage a separate insert component that would be molded to retain whatever is to be stored. This insert could be produced in a "clamshell" configuration or it could be provided in a half "clamshell" with the single section intended to maintain control of the enclosed items while affixed within the toilet seat cover component of the device.

When employed with such optional removable inserts, they can be produced by multiple suppliers and specialized to control such collections of their products as were intended for storage. Such products could be cleaning materials kits or medicine supplies or any product that the manufacturer or customers would wish to store in the compartment. Each such insert would be dimensioned on the exterior to fit within the dimensions of the lockably engaged "clamshell" toilet seat cover compartment. The interior of the insert would be molded to hold the products of that manufacturer and would be removably engaged within the cover compartment to allow the top of the cover to be secured over the bottom once so engaged. Many alternatives are known or will occur to those skilled in the art that could provide other methods of such object retention and thus are anticipated in the scope of this device. For example, the objects to be controlled and the interior of the insert could be covered with hook and loop closures, or frictionally engaged clamps could be molded in the interior of the insert. Such "clamshells" or half "clamshells" could also be offered under license by the manufacturers themselves in a fully stocked condition and might contain promotional or generic offerings. Hotels might feature such an implementation in their bathrooms using their own branded toiletries.

In another mode of the device, it might have the lower half of the bottom "clamshell" molded such that when closed some portion of the "clamshell" extends below the level of the top of the seat and provides increased storage capacity. Additionally, any of the previously identified embodiments of the device could be made as a bottom section adapted to engage with an existing cover or top section on a standard toilet seat. The bottom section could be a planar component with sidewalls rising from one side. At the base could be a mechanical or adhesive hinge that attaches to the already installed top of the toilet seat. Once engaged it would form a storage compartment and would either be adapted or compartmentalized itself, or it could be dimensioned to accept the commercially available clamshell inserts containing manufacturer specific products as previously indicated.

An object of this invention is to provide a toilet mounted storage device that makes use

of neretoiore wasted" sp'aceioϊttte provision of storage.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a toilet mounted storage device which makes use of heretofore wasted space to store articles used in a bathroom.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of such a toilet mounted storage device which provides for remote packaging of products to be stored in a package adapted for cooperative engagement with a toilet seat-engaged compartment.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of such a toilet mounted storage device featuring a compartment dimensioned for cooperative engagement with engageable inserts having products therein sold with the insert to allow for easy engagement and disengagement of such inserts and their products with the toilet mounted storage device.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of such a toilet mounted storage device which features a compartment adapted to engage with any of a plurality of inserts having sub-compartments therein adapted for holding cleaning and other items to allow users of the disclosed toilet storage device to purchase inserts from manufacturers which are prepackaged to engage in the compartment of the device.

Yet a further object of this device is the provision of such a toilet mounting storage device that features a main storage compartment dimensioned to engage one or a plurality of sub-storage compartments to allow for changing of the items stored in, or the configuration of, the main storage compartment. These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSOCIATED DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a 3/4 side view of a preferred embodiment of the device in opened position and ready to receive items into the main compartment(s) and describes other basic functional components.

Fig. 2 depicts a side view of a preferred embodiment of the device in the closed position. Fig. 3 describes a preferred embodiment of the device in which the compartment is optionally engineered to receive and retain a standard insert of either the clamshell version or the half clamshell version. A "clamshell" embodiment is pictured representing the insert component.

Fig. ia'tiescribes a '"generic ^™ embodiment or version of the optional storage insert with molded-in cavities to receive and retain items and represented as a half "clamshell."

Fig. 3b describes a packaged pre-stocked embodiment of a version of the optional storage insert with molded-in cavities filled with example items and also represented as a half "clamshell."

Fig. 4 represents an embodiment of the invention 10 in which the means for stored item retention is provided by internal clamps 54 molded in or attached to the inner surfaces of the upper 12 and lower 14 components.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention 10 in which the upper 12 and lower 14 components of the cover assembly 48 are constrained in position through means of a manufactured interference fit friction lock 58.

Fig. 6 shows a 3/4 side view example of an embodiment of the invention 10 in which the lower portion 14 of the seat cover assembly 48 protrudes below the upper level of the seat 18 providing increased storage area within. Fig. 7 demonstrates an embodiment of the positioning of the pivot point hinges 20 and 22 and the seat attachment flange 42 with reference to the device 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSED DEVICE Referring now to the drawings in figures 1-7, some preferred embodiments of the present invention in current preferred modes in accordance with the present invention are shown.

As can be seen in Figure 1, a three-quarter side view of a preferred embodiment of the device 10 shown in an opened position to receive storage, the upper section or cover 12 of the device 10 is in an unengaged position from the lower section 14 and ready for placement of material into an internal storage cavity 16 formed in the lower section 14 of the toilet seat cover. Of course those skilled in the art will realize that the storage cavity 16 might be formed in the cover 12 also, or partially in both the cover 12 and the lower section 14, and such is anticipated in the scope of this patent.

The seat cover assembly 48 components 12 and 14 are shown raised in 45 degree and 70 degree angles respectively from the seat 18 and maintained positionally with one another through means of rotational engagement of the pivotally coupled seat cover hinge that is fixed transversely within the anterior portion of the cover 12 and lower section 14 components of the assembly 48 formed of the seat covers 12 and lower section 14 and the seat attachment flange 42.

Seat 18 is sh ^' oMiτdMfe'd"in ^IL a Wctegree position similar to that which it would occupy were it resting upon the rim of a toilet and is held in pivotal rotational engagement with the seat attachment flange 42.

Figure 2 depicts a side view of a preferred embodiment of the device 10 showing the engaged cover 12 and lower section 14 components which form the storage cavity 16 inside.

The pivot point 20 is a hinged area between top and bottom section of 12 and 14. Pivot point 22 is a hinged area adapted to engage the device 10 to a conventional toilet seat using conventional means such as the depicted seat mount 23 which engages to the apertures formed in most toilets. As shown, the cover 12 and lower section 14 components of the assembled toilet seat cover 48 are held together through means of releasable engagement which in this case is a frictional engagement of a lip 13 around the perimeter edge of cover 12 to a sidewall 17 around the perimeter edge of the lower section 14.

This frictional engagement between the cover 12 and lower section 14 may be enhanced or substituted with the provision of a releasable means for locking the two components such as the interface of the molded-in locking system 58 shown as flexible clips which would engage to the sidewall 17 of the lower section 14. Such a locking system 58 or other means for locked engagement of the two components would be preferable when the device 10 is employed where children use the toilet to prevent their access to the storage cavity 16.

Figure 3 provides a side view perspective of an especially preferred embodiment of the device 10 showing the cover 12 and lower 14 components of the assembled toilet seat cover 48 which form a compartment 16 dimensioned for releasable engagement with a storage insert 24. The storage insert 24 is shown in a clamshell configuration engaged at a pivot point 50 dimensioned with an exterior surface adapted to removably engage with the surface of the compartment 16. Of course the insert might also be one or two individual pieces which are adapted to engage in the compartment 16. The storage insert 24 as noted could be made by one or a plurality of manufacturers in dimensions adapted to engage the compartment 16 and having depressions 36 or sub-compartments formed therein that hold products intended for storage in the compartment 16. This would allow the device 10 to hold any supplier's or manufacturer's goods, remotely sold, so long as the insert 24 they are sold in is dimensioned to engage within the compartment 16.

A means for removable engagement of the insert 24 with the compartment 16 is depicted by protrusions 30 intended for provision of releasable frictional engagement with molded-in cavities 32 to be found on one or both of the upper portion 44 and lower portion 46 of the

optiόMl'sfbf ^' age'iiis'fettliC ©f WiStfs^dther means to engage one or both such portions of the insert 24 could be used such as adhesive, clips, suction, or any means that will releasably engage the insert into the compartment, and such is anticipated so long as the means for engagement renders any insert 24 removably engaged in the compartment 16. This would allow users to purchase inserts at the store which contained products that would be stored in the compartment 16 and easily mount them therein and replace such inserts 24 with new inserts 24 and replenished products when they run out. The storage cavity 16 is shown within the lower 14 component of the toilet seat cover assembly 48. Exhibited as well are the hinged pivot points 20, 22, and the upper 12 and lower 14 seat cover components and the hinged pivot point 50 located at the anterior of the optional clamshell storage unit 24.

Figure 3 a illustrates a half section of the optional storage insert 26 which can be employed for engagement in the compartment 16. Shown are molded-in depressions or cavities 36 intended to receive and maintain items such as soap, air freshener, or other bathroom style products. Such an insert would make it especially easy for manufacturers of such items to offer them in groups that are sold mounted in the cavities 36 of an insert 26 and ready for insertion by the buyer into the compartment 16 of their device 10.

Fig. 3b portrays a half section showing such a pre-stocked, packaged implementation of an optional storage insert 28 including an example of packaging 40 and variously shaped products 38 within the molded in depressions 36. Fig. 4 represents an embodiment of the device 10 in which the means for retention of an item in the compartment 16 is provided by internal clamps 54 molded in or attached to the surfaces of the compartment 16 surfaces formed on the cover 12 and lower section 14 components of the toilet cover assembly 48. As noted, many other means for retention might be employed to hold an item in the compartment 16 in temporary or removable engagement and all suitable means for the purpose are envisioned in the scope of this patent.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention 10 in which the cover 12 and lower section 14 components of the cover assembly 48 are constrained in position through means of an interference fit friction lock 58 formed during manufacture. When caustic or hazardous materials are held in the compartment 16 and especially when children are present in the household, a means for locking the cover 12 to the lower section 14 to secure the compartment 16 would be desirable.

In figure 6 there can be seen a 3/4 side view example of an embodiment of the device 10 which can provide increase storage in the cavity 16. In this embodiment, the lower section 14 of

the Below the upper level of the seat 18. This would provide increased storage area within the compartment 16 by increasing its dimensions.

Although the invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, it should be realized that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. While the invention as shown in the drawings and described in detail herein discloses arrangements of elements of particular construction and configuration for illustrating preferred embodiments of structure and method of operation of the present invention, it is to be understood, however, that elements of different construction and configuration and other arrangements thereof, other than those illustrated and described, may be employed in accordance with the spirit of this invention. Any and all such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.

Further, the purpose of the attached abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

What is claimed is: