Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Opener or closer for a closet seat or lid
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-28
2004-04-20
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Opener or closer for a closet seat or lid
Reexamination Certificate
active
06721964
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program Registration No. 510,753, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on May 1, 2002.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of toilet seat lifting devices in general and in particular to a uniquely configured finned lifting tab.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,717,884; 5,963,992; 5,729,239; and, 5,727,258, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse handle constructions designed to be secured to the underside of a toilet seat.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical toilet seat lifting aid that is inexpensive to manufacture and has a unique contour that minimizes the physical contact between the user and the lifting aid while lowering the toilet seat.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among users of public toilets for a new and improved toilet seat lifting aid that is easy to install and contains structural features that facilitate both the lifting of the toilet seat and the lowering of the seat after use with minimum physical contact with the lifting aid, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the toilet seat lifting aid that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a specially contoured lifting tab unit and a securing unit for mounting the lifting tab unit to the underside of a toilet seat.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the lifting tab unit comprises a generally rectangular lifting tab member having an outer end provided with both an arcuate finger engaging recess and a plurality of raised ribs that minimize the surface area contact between a user's finger and the outer half of the lifting tab member when the toilet seat is lowered relative to the toilet bowl.
In addition, the inner half of the lifting tab member has a generally smooth top and bottom surface wherein, the securing unit is disposed on the top surface of the inner half of the lifting tab member and comprises a layer of double sided adhesive that attaches the inner half of the lifting tab member to the bottom of a conventional toilet seat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2758315 (1956-08-01), Hylton
patent: 3717884 (1973-02-01), Mantooth
patent: D295604 (1988-05-01), Purdy
patent: 5511252 (1996-04-01), Kreemer
patent: 5727258 (1998-03-01), Derouin
patent: 5729839 (1998-03-01), Bigelow
patent: D399937 (1998-10-01), Earleywine
patent: 5963992 (1999-10-01), Bonner
patent: D427293 (2000-06-01), Yastrop
Phillips Charles E.
Sturm & Fix LLP
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