Abstract: A toilet seat assembly includes a toilet seat mounted at its rear edge for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a horizontal position and a raised position; and an operator-controlled device for selectively raising and lowering the seat, the device including an operator-actuated member movable between first and second positions a control member movable by the operator-actuated member to apply and remove raising torque to and from the seat in the first and second positions, respectively, and a resilient absorbing device connected to the control member for permitting movement of the control member upon forcible lowering of the seat when the control member is in its first position.

Abstract: An operator-controlled, toilet-seat lifting device applies a constant bias force, for example, by means of a helical spring, to the seat in a direction tending to raise the seat. The weight of the seat is sufficient to overcome the constant bias force so that the seat normally assumes a horizontal or down position. To raise the seat the user increases the bias force, for example, by depressing a foot-operated pedal connected to the bias means, so as to overcome the weight of the seat and cause the seat to swing upwardly. As the seat is held in raised position solely by bias force, forcible manual lowering of the seat when in its raised position does not damage any of the components.