Toilet seat advertising display

Abstract

The invention includes a combination of a toilet seat lid and a display for advertising or the like. The display includes a surface imprinted with advertising graphics and/or text, a substantially transparent protective cover and fasteners for securing the display to the toilet seat lid. In some embodiments, the display also includes a frame. The display may be surface mounted on one or both sides of the lid. Alternatively, one or both sides of the lid may have recessed portions into which separate displays are received. In that version, it is preferable that the cover of each display be substantially coplanar with the adjacent surface of the toilet seat lid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to advertising displays and more particularly to a toilet seat advertising display.

2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

I am aware that electronic display screens have been placed above toilet in bathroom stalls for advertising purposes. However, such electronic display screens are expensive to build and operate, require special wiring for power, must be provided with programming, need periodic maintenance and are subject to vandalism.

The present invention overcomes those disadvantages because it is inexpensive to build and operate. It requires no power, wiring or programming. The advertising materials are inexpensive to produce and easy to install and change. Little or no maintenance is required, other than an occasional cleaning of the display surface. Further, it is not attractive to vandals and is durable.

It is, therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide an advertising display for use on a toilet seat lid.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lid advertising display that is inexpensive to fabricate and requires no power, wiring or programming.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lid advertising display that is simple, durable and easy to maintain.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat lid advertising display that is likely to be observed frequently and for extended periods of time.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Because of the importance and frequent use of bathrooms, toilet seat lids provide an excellent base for advertising materials that inform the public and/or promote products to patrons of bathrooms. In particular, because such individuals spend prolonged periods of time in bathroom stalls on a daily basis with little else to do but observe their surroundings. Accordingly, advertising materials displayed on toilet seat lids by my invention are likely to be observed frequently, repeatedly and for extended periods of time, providing good value to the advertiser.

In general, my invention relates to a conventional toilet seat lid that is provided with advertising materials mounted on one or preferably both the top and bottom surfaces thereof. The materials are situated in a frame, under a protective cover. The frame may be surface mounted or be received in a recess created in the toilet seat lid. In the latter case, the surface of the cover may be substantially coplanar with the toilet seat lid surface surrounding the frame.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, a combination including a toilet seat lid and display means is provided. The display means includes a surface imprinted with advertising or other graphic and/or text material. A transparent cover is provided to protect the imprinted surface. Means are provided for securing the display to the toilet seat lid, with the imprinted surface beneath the cover.

Preferably, securing means takes the form of a frame. The frame may include an opening for replacement of the imprinted surface.

Means are provided for fastening the frame to the toilet seat lid. The fastening means may take the form of a conventional fastener, such as a screw, nail, staple, hook and loop tape or may be a layer of adhesive.

The toilet seat lid has a section. The display means is secured to the toilet seat lid in alignment with that section. The display means may be surface mounted or the section may be recessed such that the display means is received in the recess. In the latter case, the surface of the display means is preferably substantially coplanar with the surface of the toilet seat lid.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a combination is provided including a toilet seat lid having first and second opposing sides and first and second display means. Each of the first and second display means includes a surface imprinted with advertising and a substantially transparent cover. Means are provided for securing each of the first and second display means to different ones of the toilet seat lid sides.

Preferably, each of the securing means takes the form of a frame. The frame has an opening for replacement of the imprinted surface.

The securing means also includes means for fastening the frame to the toilet seat lid. The fastening means may take the form of a conventional fastener or an adhesive layer.

Each of the toilet seat lid sides has a section. Each of the first and second display means is mounted in alignment with a different one of those toilet seat lid sections.

The toilet seat lid sections may be recessed. In that case, the surface of the cover of one or both of the display means may be substantially coplanar with adjacent surface of the toilet seat lid side.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a combination is provided including a toilet seat lid with a side having a recessed section and display means. The display means includes a surface imprinted with advertising or similar material. A substantially transparent cover is provided to protect the imprinted surface. Means are provided for securing the display means to the toilet set lid, with the display means situated at least partially within the recessed section.

The display means also includes a frame. The frame preferably includes an opening for replacement of the imprinted surface.

Means are provided for fastening the frame to the toilet seat lid. The fastening means may take the form of a conventional fastener or may be a layer of adhesive.

The toilet seat lid has a surface. Preferably, the surface of the display means is substantially coplanar with the surface of the toilet seat lid.

In one embodiment, the recess extends through the toilet seat lid. In that embodiment the display means includes first and second oppositely facing imprinted surfaces. It also includes first and second transparent covers, one for each imprinted surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appears, the present invention relates to clip-on sunglasses with a flexible and expandable bridge member as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the display of the present invention as it would appear mounted to the top surface of a toilet seat lid;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the display of the present invention as it would appear mounted to the bottom surface of a toilet seat lid;

FIG. 3 is an explodes isometric view of the display of the present invention as it would appear surface mounted to the bottom surface of a toilet seat lid by adhesive;

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of a dual display version of the present invention as it would appear mounted by screws in back-to-back recesses in the top and bottom surfaces of a toilet seat lid;

FIG. 5 is an explodes isometric view of circular version of the display of the present invention as it would appear mounted in a recess in the bottom top surface of a toilet seat lid by hook and loop tape;

FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of a double sided version of the display of the present invention as it would appear mounted by nails within in a recess through extending a toilet seat lid;

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of a surface mounted version of the display of the present invention as it would appear mounted to the top surface of a toilet seat lid with staples; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view of a recessed version of the display of the present invention having a hinge mounted cover, as it would appear mounted to the top surface of a toilet seat lid, showing how the imprinted sheet is replaced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As seen in FIG. 1 the display of the present invention, generally designated A, can be mounted on the top surface 10 of the toilet seat lid, generally designated B, of a conventional toilet, generally designated C. FIG. 2 shows display A of the present invention as it would appear mounted to the bottom surface 12 of the toilet seat lid B.

FIG. 3 shows the display A of FIG. 2 in exploded isometric view. It includes a surface 14, such as a paper or plastic sheet, having indicia imprinted on one side thereof. The indicia may include advertising graphics, text or both. Advertising sheet 14 is protected by a substantially transparent cover 16. Cover 16 may be made of any transparent material such as glass or plastic. In this embodiment, cover 16 is affixed to toilet seat lid surface 12 by a layer of adhesive 18 with advertising sheet 14 situated therebetween. Adhesive layer 18 is deposited on the undersurface of cover 16 and is preferably situated in a strip adjacent the border of cover 16, so as not to obstruct the view of sheet 14.

FIG. 4 shows, in an exploded isometric view, a first dual display version of the present invention. This version includes two displays A1 and A2, each consisting of an advertising sheet 14, a transparent cover 16, and a frame 20 within which the cover is retained. The toilet seat lid B′ is provided with rectangular back-to-back partial recesses 22, 24 in the top and bottom surfaces 10, 12 adapted to receive the displays A1 and A2, respectively. The displays A1 and A2 are fixed to the opposite sides of the lid by screws 26 that pass through openings in frames 20 and into the surfaces of the lid. Preferably, the depth of partial recesses 22 and 24 are such that the surface of the cover 16 of each display A1 and A2 is substantially coplanar with the adjacent lid surface.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded isometric view of circular version A3 of the display of the present invention. In this case, the display sheet 14′ is circular, as are the interconnected front 20a and rear 20b frame sections. The front frame section 20a carries a circular cover 16′. The rear frame section 20b is fixed within a partial circular recess 28 in the toilet seat lid B by hook and loop tape 30, 32.

FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of a second double sided version of the display of the present invention. This version is similar to that depicted in FIG. 4 except that partial recesses 22, 24 are replaced by a full recess 34, that extend through the entire lid B″. In this embodiment, frames 20 are fixed to the lid by nails 38, instead of screws 26. Further, an intermediate member 36 may be inserted between the display sheets 14, if desired to maintain proper spacing.

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of a surface mounted version of the display A4. In this embodiment, frame 40 has only three sides so as to permit the display sheet to be easily inserted and remove through the fourth side, which is open. Further, this embodiment the fastening means takes the form of staples 42.

FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view of a different embodiment of a recessed version of the display A5 in which cover 16 is mounted to the side of partial recess 22 in lid surface 10 by a hinge 44. In this embodiment, insertion and removal of the display sheet 14 is accomplished by pivoting cover 16 relative to the lid around the axis defined by the hinge, as is illustrated.

It will now be appreciated that the present invention includes a combination of a toilet seat lid and display means. The display means includes an imprinted surface, a substantially transparent cover and means for securing the display means to the toilet seat lid. In some embodiments, a frame is also included in the display means. The display means may be surface mounted on one or both sides of the lid. Alternatively, one or both sides of the lid may have recessed portions into which the display means are received. In that version, it is preferable that the cover be substantially coplanar with the adjacent surface of the toilet seat lid.

While only a limited number of preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. In combination, a toilet seat lid and display means, said display means comprising a surface imprinted with advertising and a substantially transparent cover, and means for securing said display means to said toilet seat lid.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said display means comprises a frame for retaining said imprinted surface and said cover.

3. The combination of claim 2 further comprises means for fastening said frame to said toilet seat lid.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastening means comprises a fastener.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastener comprises a screw.

6. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastener comprises hook and loop tape.

7. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastener comprises a staple.

8. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastener comprises a nail.

9. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fastening means comprises an adhesive layer.

10. The combination of claim 2 wherein said frame comprises an opening for replacement of said imprinted surface.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein said toilet seat lid has a section and said display means is secured to said toilet seat lid in alignment with said section.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said section is recessed.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said toilet seat lid has a surface and wherein the surface of said display means is substantially coplanar with said surface of said toilet seat lid.

14. In combination, a toilet seat lid having first and second opposing sides and first and second display means, each of said display means comprising a surface imprinted with advertising and a substantially transparent cover, and means for securing said first and second display means to said opposite sides of said toilet seat lid, respectively.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein each of said display means comprises a frame for retaining said imprinted surface and said cover.

16. The combination of claim 14 further comprising means for fastening said frame to said toilet seat lid.

17. The combination of claim 15 wherein said frame comprises an opening for replacement of said imprinted surface.

18. The combination of claim 14 wherein each of said toilet seat lid sides has a section and wherein each of said display means is situated in alignment with a different one of said sections.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein at least one of said sections is recessed.

20. The combination of claim 14 wherein one of said toilet seat lid sides has a surface with a recessed section and the surface of said display means secured to said one side of said toilet seat lid is substantially coplanar with the adjacent surface of said one side of said toilet seat lid.

21. In combination, a toilet seat lid with a side having a recessed section and display means, said display means comprising an imprinted surface, a substantially transparent cover and means for securing said display means to said toilet seat lid, with said display means situated at least partially within said recess.

22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said display means further comprises a frame.

23. The combination of claim 21 wherein said frame comprises an opening for replacement of said imprinted surface.

24. The combination of claim 21 wherein said toilet seat lid has a surface and the surface of said cover is substantially coplanar with said surface of said toilet seat lid.

25. The combination of claim 21 wherein said recess extends through said toilet seat lid.

26. The combination of claim 21 wherein said display means further comprises a second imprinted surface, wherein said imprinted surfaces face in substantially opposite directions.

27. The combination of claim 26 wherein said display means further comprises a second cover, said second cover being situated proximate said second imprinted surface.