Disposable sanitary barrier for public restroom use

Abstract

A disposable toilet seat cover, made of a liquid impervious laminate having an upper layer of soft, thick paper and a lower layer of plastic film embossed to form a series of ridges which prevents sliding on the toilet seat during use. The cover is a single sheet of laminate material, die cut to shape and embossed to promote ease in fitting. The cover has oval inner and outer embossed creases to define the portion of the cover coming in contact with the seat. The cover is embossed to form creases from which fall the inner and outer portions of the toilet bowl rim area and decorated for children. The inner and outer pleated skirts allow children to grasp the toilet seat for balance without coming into contact with the toilet seat or the bowl rim and upper inner and outer surfaces.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to sanitary seat covers. More particularly, the invention is related to disposable sanitary seat covers for toilet seats.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The use of public restroom toilets in many cases involves exposure to unsanitary conditions, particularly when the toilet seat must be sat upon. The use of such toilets by toddlers who are just being potty trained and small children is particularly difficult and the exposure to disease high since they must generally hold onto the sides of the toilet seat with their hands for balance. The seats are too large for their small frame, causing the child to put their hands on the surfaces of the seat to balance and support themselves, putting them at risk for exposure to germs and disease. The toilet bowl, itself, may be touched or grabbed by the child resulting in exposure to unsanitary conditions. Present available seat covers are very thin and are subject to slippage off the toilet seat, especially since children tend to squirm or slide back and forth on the seat. If there is liquid on the seat cover, the thin seat covers absorb it and travel through to contact the user. This liquid may carry disease bearing bacteria. The use of toilet paper for a seat cover is equally unsatisfactory.

[0005] It would be desirable to provide a disposable toilet seat cover, which may easily be carried in a handbag, covers the toilet seat and upper portion of inner and outer sides of the bowl, resists sliding relative to the seat once it is in place, and will not allow liquid on the seat to permeate the cover and make contact with the user. There has existed a long-standing need for such a new and sanitary toilet seat construction that not only is portable and disposable, but is also specifically child friendly. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an answer to these needs.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,838, issued Mar. 24, 1998, to Schweizer, describes a toilet seat cover which unfolds in the manner of an accordion and drapes over the toilet seat and the outer portion of the toilet bowl rim.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,698, issued Sep. 8, 1992, to McKenzie, describes a toilet seat cover made of layered paper and plastic material and provides cover for both seat and rim of toilet bowl.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,291, issued Mar. 30, 1999, to Bellizzi, describes a toilet seat cover in the form of a plastic ring and which features a draw string to maintain the cover tightly around the toilet seat.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,274, issued Jun. 13, 2000 to McQueen, describes a toilet seat cover which includes a waterproof top layer covering a lower layer of rigid foam containing antibacterial solution and has adhesive patches to affix the seat cover to the toilet seat.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 255,922, issued Jul. 15, 1980, to Price et al., illustrates a child's disposable toilet seat which is round in a storage shape and folded over to rest on the front half of the toilet seat.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 320,069, issued Sep. 17, 1991, to Rossiter, illustrates a toilet seat cover with toilet seat overhang.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 342,859, issued Jan. 4, 1994, to Garcia, illustrates a toilet seat cover with a decorative pattern and which snaps over the seat by means of what appears to be an elastic band which is part of periphery of the toilet seat cover.

[0013] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a disposable sanitary barrier for public restroom use solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention is a disposable toilet seat cover configured to act as a sanitary barrier for public restroom use. The cover is made of a liquid impervious laminate having an upper layer of soft, thick paper and a lower layer of plastic film, the film being embossed to form a series of ridges which are useful in preventing sliding of the toilet seat cover on the toilet seat during use. The cover is preferably made of a single sheet of material which is die cut to shape and embossed so as to promote ease in fitting the cover over the toilet seat.

[0015] The inventive cover is in the general shape of a toilet seat and has oval inner and outer embossed creases to define the portion of the cover coming in contact with the seat. The cover is embossed to form creases from which fall the inner and outer pleats which overhang the inner and outer portions of the toilet bowl rim area. Cutouts are made along inner and outer edges of the inventive cover to allow the formation of the downwardly draping pleats. The upper surface of the inventive toilet seat cover may be decorated as by animal images to please children using the cover. The inner and outer pleated skirts allow children to grasp the toilet seat for balance without coming into contact with the toilet seat or the bowl rim and upper inner and outer surfaces.

[0016] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a toilet seat cover for use in public toilets which protects an adult or child from exposure to the toilet seat and bowl rim and side during use.

[0017] It is another object of the invention to provide a toilet seat cover as above which drapes over the inner and outer rim area of the toilet bowl such that a child may be protected from contact therewith when the child holds the toilet seat to gain balance during use.

[0018] It is a further object of the invention to provide a toilet seat cover as above which is resistant to sliding on the toilet seat during use.

[0019] Still another object of the invention is to provide a toilet seat cover as above which is comfortable for contact with the skin while being resistant to wetting by residual liquid on the toilet seat, thus protecting the user from contact with the liquid.

[0020] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a toilet seat cover as above which has decorative figures on its upper surface.

[0021] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0022] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a disposable toilet seat cover forming a sanitary barrier for public restroom use according to the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the toilet seat cover as provided prior to placement on the toilet seat.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a side detail view of a representative portion of the pleating of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective detail view of the laminate material partially peeled away which is useful in the present invention.

[0027] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0028] The present invention a disposable toilet seat cover configured to act as a sanitary barrier for public restroom use. The cover is made of a liquid impervious laminate having an upper layer of soft, thick paper and a lower layer of plastic film, the film being embossed to form a series of ridges which are useful in preventing sliding of the toilet seat cover on the toilet seat during use. The cover is preferably made of a single web or sheet of laminate material which is die cut to shape and embossed so as to promote ease in fitting the cover over the toilet seat.

[0029] The inventive cover is in the general shape of a toilet seat and has oval inner and outer embossed creases to define the portion of the cover coming in contact with the seat. The cover is embossed to form creases to promote formation of inner and outer pleats which overhang the inner and outer portions of the toilet bowl rim area.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a perspective view of the toilet seat cover of the present invention as installed on a toilet seat, and a plan view of the inventive a disposable toilet seat cover configured to act as a sanitary barrier for public restroom use. The cover is made of a liquid impervious laminate having an upper layer of soft, thick paper and a lower layer of plastic film, the film being embossed to form a series of ridges which are useful in preventing sliding of the toilet seat cover on the toilet seat during use. The cover is preferably made of a single sheet of material which is die cut to shape and embossed so as to promote ease in fitting the cover over the toilet seat.

[0031] The inventive cover is in the general shape of a toilet seat and has oval inner and outer embossed creases to define the portion of the cover coming in contact with the seat. The cover is embossed to form creases from which fall from inner and outer pleats which overhang the inner and outer portions of the toilet bowl rim area when the toilet seat cover is stored or dispensed, respectively. Disposable toilet seat cover 10 is shown mounted on a toilet T and overhangs the upper inner and outer surfaces of bowl B.

[0032] Disposable toilet seat cover 10 having left and right side portions and a front portion and being in the general form of a toilet seat having inner and outer creases conforming to the inner and outer edges of the toilet seat and forming seat portion 12. The cover 10 may have decorative FIG. 13 to make the seat cover attractive to small children.

[0033] Within seat portion 12 lies an inner folded portion 14 defined by embossed inner crease 16 defining and inner edge and encircling the inner portion of the toilet seat cover to conform with the inwardly curved surface thereof. Inner folded portion 14 has inner pleated side skirts 18 and inner forward pleated side skirts 19 depending therefrom, the pleats being formed by embossing creases to facilitate the fitting of the inner skirts within the toilet bowl in their desired overhanging position. An inner pleated front skirt 20 (see FIG. 2) depends from the inner front of the seat portion 12 to protect the user from contact with the front of the toilet seat or bowl and is particularly important when covering an open front “U”-shaped seat is covered. Inner skirt cutouts 22 ease the formation, placement, and vertical orientation of the inner pleated skirts 18 and 19 during the fitting process. Outer pleated side skirts 22 and outer pleated front skirt 24, having outer skirt cutouts 26 therebetween depend from embossed outer crease 24 forming an outer edge, thereof.

[0034] The outer pleats are formed by embossing in the manner of inner pleated skirts 18 and 19 as described above. Outer pleated skirts 24 and 26 are separated by outer skirt cutouts 26 to facilitate the fitting of the outer pleated skirts around the toilet bowl in their desired overhanging position.

[0035] As seen in FIG. 2, inner pleats and cutouts are defined by inner edge 28 which opens into the toilet bowl B.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 there are shown a detail side view of a representative portion of the pleating of FIG. 1 and a perspective detail view of the laminate material useful in the present invention, respectively. The inner and outer pleats as described above are formed in material cover material 30 and are preferably about one-half inch in span 32 from inner to outer extremity. The pleats may vary in width between wide pleats 34 and small pleats 36, with those to be located in smaller radius areas of the toilet seat being about ⅜ inches in width and those to be located in larger radius areas being about ⅝ inches in width.

[0037] As seen in FIG. 4, the preferred sheet or web material for the disposable toilet seat cover 10 is embossed cover material 40 having a soft paper upper layer 42 and a liquid impervious plastic layer 44 having embossed ribs 46. One example of preferred material is that used in making swatches under the Kid-Ding Pee Wees® brand. The upper layer is soft towel-like paper material with decorative images printed thereon. The lower layer is a liquid impervious plastic film. The layers are held together by embossing a series of ribbed lines which assist in making the material skid-resistant on many surfaces, such as a toilet seat cover.

[0038] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A disposable toilet seat cover and toilet barrier for public restroom use comprising:

a seat portion defining an inner portion having an inner edge, and an outer portion having an outer edge, said inner portion defining an access to a toilet bowl;

left and right inner side skirts depending from said inner portion into said toilet bowl;

left and right outer side skirts depending from said outer edge of said outer portion and draping over said toilet bowl; and

an outer front skirt depending from said outer edge of said outer portion, separated from said left and right outer side skirts by outer skirt cutouts-and draping over said toilet bowl;

said seat portion having a left portion, a right portion, and a front portion forward of said left and right portions.

2. The toilet bowl cover of claim 1, further comprising left and right inner forward side skirts depending from said inner portion of said seat portion separated and forward of inner skirt cutouts.

3. The toilet bowl cover of claim 2, further comprising an inner front skirt depending from said inner portion of said front portion of said seat portion.

4. The toilet bowl cover of claim 2, wherein said left and right inner portions, said left and right inner front portions, said left and right outer side portions and said outer front portion being vertically pleated whereby said depending portions are allowed to hang substantially vertical.

5. The toilet bowl cover of claim 4, wherein said seat portion is decorated with forms attractive to children.

6. The toilet bowl cover of claim 4, said inner seat portion further comprising an inner folded portion located along an inner edge thereof.

7. The toilet bowl cover of claim 6, said inner and outer edges, and said portions depending therefrom are formed by an embossed web of material.

8. The toilet bowl cover of claim 7, said pleated portions being embossed to enable formation of pleats therein.

9. The toilet bowl cover of claim 8, said web of material being having a paper upper layer and a liquid impervious plastic lower layer.

10. The toilet bowl cover of claim 9, said liquid impervious plastic lower layer being embossed with ribs whereby said plastic lower layer resists sliding on said toilet seat.

11. The toilet bowl cover of claim 10, wherein said upper paper layer and said lower plastic layer are embossed as a single web.

12. The toilet bowl cover of claim 11, wherein said pleats have a width within the range of about ⅜ inch to about ⅝ inch.

13. The toilet bowl cover of claim 12, wherein said pleats vary in width, pleats conforming to relatively smaller radii being relatively small in width and pleats conforming to relatively larger radii being relatively large in width.

14. The toilet bowl cover of claim 13, wherein said pleats are about {fraction (1/2)} inch in depth.