Bumperless toilet lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10485390-B2
Application number	US-201313791111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2013
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A lid for a toilet including a bottom surface that faces a top surface of a seat for the toilet when the seat is in a lowered position proximate to a bowl of the toilet. The bottom surface of the lid has a sweeping profile that extends along at least a portion of the bottom surface of the lid and is configured to engage the top surface of the seat. A uniform gap between the seat and lid is defined by the sweeping profile of the lid and the material thickness of the lid when both the lid and the seat are in a lowered position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cover for a toilet, the cover comprising:
a seat;
a lid having a bottom surface configured to face a top surface of the seat when the seat and the lid are in a lowered position proximate to a bowl of a toilet and a rim extending from the bottom surface;
wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface of the lid has a sweeping profile that is convex and is configured to directly engage, without a bumper, only a portion of the top surface of the seat; and
wherein the sweeping profile of the bottom surface is configured to provide a uniform gap between the rim of the lid and the bowl of the toilet when both the lid and the seat are in the lowered position.

2. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the sweeping profile is an integral part of the lid.

3. The cover of claim 2 , wherein the shape of the sweeping profile is convex in the direction of the seat from a rear portion of the lid to a front portion of the lid.

4. The cover of claim 3 , wherein the seat includes a plurality of bumpers that are configured to interface with the toilet bowl, and wherein the sweeping profile of the lid is configured to interface with the seat proximate to the bumpers.

5. The cover of claim 4 , wherein the sweeping profile of the lid is convex in the direction of the seat across a front portion of the lid, and wherein the sweeping profile interfaces with the seat at a plurality of locations when the seat and lid are in a lowered position.

6. The cover of claim 1 , wherein a contour of a top surface of the lid corresponds with at least a portion of the sweeping profile.

7. The cover of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the lid opposite the bottom surface is substantially planar.

8. A cover for a toilet, comprising:
a seat;
a lid having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface configured to face a top surface of the seat when the seat and the lid are in a lowered position proximate to a bowl of a toilet; and
a rim extending from the bottom surface;
wherein the bottom surface of the lid has at least a convex portion that is convex laterally across a front portion of the lid in the direction away from the top surface of the lid and the convex portion is configured to directly engage, without a bumper, only a portion of the top surface of the seat; and
wherein the portion is an integral part of the lid.

9. The cover of claim 8 , wherein the convex portion of the lid and the material thickness of the lid are configured to define a uniform gap between the lid and a top surface of a bowl of a toilet when both the lid and the seat are in the lowered position.

10. The cover of claim 9 , wherein said convex portion of the lid interfaces with the seat in a plurality of locations when the seat and lid are in the lowered position.

11. The cover of claim 9 , wherein the convex portion of the lid is configured to align the bottom surface of the lid on the top surface of the seat, when both the lid and the seat are in the lowered position.

12. The cover of claim 11 , wherein the seat includes a plurality of bumpers that are configured to interface with the toilet bowl; and wherein the convex portion of the lid is configured to interface with the seat at a position proximate to the bumpers.

13. A cover for a toilet, the cover comprising:
a lid, having a lid upper surface and a lid bottom surface, opposing the lid upper surface;
a seat, having a seat upper surface and a seat bottom surface, opposing the seat upper surface; and
a lip projecting from the lid, the lip forming a rim having a uniform height;
wherein a portion of the lid bottom surface is convex and is configured to directly engage, without a bumper, only a portion of the seat upper surface when the seat and the lid are in a lowered position proximate to a bowl of a toilet; and
wherein the rim is configured to be proximate to the seat bottom surface when the seat and the lid are in the lowered position.

14. The cover of claim 13 , wherein the lip is configured to provide a uniform gap between the rim and a bowl of a toilet when the lid is in a lowered position.

15. The cover of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the lid bottom surface is convex in the direction away from the lid upper surface.

16. The cover of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the lid upper surface is convex in the direction away from the lid upper surface.

17. The cover of claim 15 , wherein the lid upper surface is substantially planar.

18. The cover of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the lid bottom surface has a sweeping profile configured to engage the seat upper surface.

19. The cover of claim 18 , wherein the seat includes a plurality of bumpers configured to interface with a bowl of a toilet, and wherein the sweeping profile interface with the seat at a plurality of locations proximate to the bumpers.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Murphy Roger W
• Laundre Jeffrey T
• Bates Michael R
• Ourada David P

Classifications

• A47K13/04

  Buffers for seats · CPC title

• A47K13/00 Primary

  Seats or covers for all kinds of closets · CPC title