Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Opener or closer for a closet seat or lid
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-05
2001-11-27
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Opener or closer for a closet seat or lid
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321393
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toilet seat lowering devices and more particularly pertains to a new automated toilet seat lowering device for lowering a raised toilet seat after a predetermined amount of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of toilet seat lowering devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet seat lowering devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,619; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,444; U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,946; U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,342; U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,411; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 161 ,108.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new automated toilet seat lowering device. The inventive device includes a motor for rotating a spindle securely attached to a toilet seat. The motor is mechanically coupled to the spindle. The spindle is generally coaxial with hinges hingedly coupling the toilet seat to the toilet. The motor rotates the spindle to lower the toilet seat downward from a raised position. A housing is mountable to a wall. The housing has a front side facing outwardly away from the wall. Control circuitry adapted for actuating the motor, tracking elapsed time and receiving an electrical signal from a sensor is positioned in the housing and electrically coupled to the motor. A sensor for detecting motion is positioned on the front side of the housing is electrically coupled to the control circuitry. The sensor sends electrical signals to the control circuitry when the sensor detects movement. The control circuitry actuates the motor when the control circuitry does not receive a signal from the sensor after predetermined amount of elapsed time.
In these respects, the automated toilet seat lowering device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of lowering a raised toilet seat after a predetermined amount of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of toilet seat lowering devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new automated toilet seat lowering device construction wherein the same can be utilized for lowering a raised toilet seat after a predetermined amount of time.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the toilet seat lowering devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new automated toilet seat lowering device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art toilet seat lowering devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a motor for rotating a spindle securely attached to a toilet seat. The motor is mechanically coupled to the spindle. The spindle is generally coaxial with hinges hingedly coupling the toilet seat to the toilet. The motor rotates the spindle to lower the toilet seat downward from a raised position. A housing is mountable to a wall. The housing has a front side facing outwardly away from the wall. Control circuitry adapted for actuating the motor, tracking elapsed time and receiving an electrical signal from a sensor is positioned in the housing and electrically coupled to the motor. A sensor for detecting motion is positioned on the front side of the housing is electrically coupled to the control circuitry. The sensor sends electrical signals to the control circuitry when the sensor detects movement. The control circuitry actuates the motor when the control circuitry does not receive a signal from the sensor after predetermined amount of elapsed time.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one 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 arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. 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 the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Pat. 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.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the toilet seat lowering devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new automated toilet seat lowering device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art toilet seat lowering devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such automated toilet seat lowering device economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device for lowering a raised toilet seat after a predetermined amount of time.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new automated toilet seat lowering device which includes a motor for rotating a spindle securely attached to a toilet seat. The motor is mechanically coupled to the spindle.
Huson Gregory L.
Nguyen Tuan
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