Handle device which is attachable to a toilet seat

Abstract

A handle device which is attachable to the seat of a toilet includes a base portion having two opposite sides and an amount of adhesive spread over a section of one side of the base portion permitting the base portion to be adhesively secured to the underside of a toilet seat. When the base portion is adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat so that a remainder section of the base portion extends to one side of the toilet seat, the remainder section can be grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat without requiring that the toilet seat be touched. The remainder section can be U-shaped in form so that the U of the U-shaped form accepts the tips of a user's fingers when grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat.

Description

The benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/921,129, filed Mar. 30, 2007 and entitled TOILET SEAT HANDLE DEVICE, is hereby claimed. The disclosure of this referenced provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is concerned with means by which a toilet seat can be raised or lowered in a sanitary fashion.

In order to permit a user of a toilet to raise or lower the seat of a toilet without touching the seat, it would be desirable to provide a device which can be secured to the toilet seat by the user and which provides a grip enabling the user to raise or lower the seat without touching the seat.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device by which a toilet seat can be raised or lowered without requiring that the toilet seat be touched by the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which can be readily attached to a toilet seat by a user and which provides a handle which can be grasped by the user for raising or lowering the toilet seat.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is small or compact enough to be conveniently carried in the pocket of a user until needed.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is uncomplicated in construction, yet effective in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention resides in a handle device which is attachable to the seat of a toilet wherein the seat has an underside.

The handle device includes a base portion having two opposite sides and an amount of adhesive spread over a section of one side of the base portion. The adhesive permits the base portion to be adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat so that when the base portion is adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat so that a remainder section of the base portion extends to one side of the toilet seat, the remainder section can be grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat without requiring that the toilet seat be touched.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a handle device within which features of the present invention are embodied.

FIG. 2 is a view of a toilet whose seat can be raised or lowered with the FIG. 1 device, shown before attachment of the FIG. 1 device to the seat.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, as seen generally from the front in FIG. 2, of the toilet seat and handle device, following attachment to one another.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the handle device within which features of the invention are embodied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings in greater detail and considering first FIG. 1, there is illustrated an embodiment, generally indicated 20, of a handle device within which features of the present invention are embodied. The handle device 20 includes a two-sided base portion 22 comprised of an attachment section 24 and a remainder section 26. Each of the attachment section 24 and the remainder section 26 is constructed of a relatively stiff material, such as a relatively rigid plastic material (e.g. polyvinylchloride) or a heavy paper stock; and the sections 24 and 26 are preferably joined together as a unitary structure which has been formed in a mold as a one-piece item.

The attachment section 24 bears an amount of adhesive 30 which is spread over a portion of one side thereof. As will be apparent herein, the adhesive 30 permits the attachment section 24, and hence the entire device 20, to be adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat 32 (FIG. 2). Preferably, the adhesive 30 is covered with a piece 34 (FIG. 1) of release paper which can be readily peeled from the adhesive 30 for attachment of the device 20 to a toilet seat 32.

Furthermore and in the depicted embodiment 20, the adhesive 30 can be borne by one side surface of a thin layer of foam material 31 which, in turn, is adhesively secured to the attachment 24. In this instance, therefore, the adhesive 30 is provided by the adhesive borne on the side surface of the layer of foam material 31 opposite the attachment section 24.

The remainder section 26 of the device 20 bears an arcuate outer edge 36 which is positioned outboard of the toilet seat to which the device 20 is connected, and if desired and as depicted in FIG. 3, can be formed to provide a shape having a U-shaped cross section. In the depicted device 20, the U-shaped form of the remainder section 26 opens generally downwardly when the device 20 is secured to a toilet seat and is sized so that the U of its U-shape accepts the tips of a user's fingers inserted therein for purposes of raising or lowering the toilet seat by way of the device 20. Furthermore, the outer edge 36 of the remainder section 26 is disposed in such a relation to the attachment section 24 that when the device 20 is operatively secured to the underside of a toilet seat 32 (as depicted in FIG. 3), the outer edge 36 is higher than the underside of the toilet seat 32.

With reference again to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a toilet 40 having a seat 32 of the type to which the device 20 is capable of being attached to thereby enable a user to raise or lower the seat 32 without requiring that the user touch the seat 32. In this connection, the toilet 40 has a bowl section 42 defining an upper rim 44, and the seat 32 has a plurality of feet 46 (only one shown in FIG. 2) which normally maintains the underside, indicated 48, of the seat 32 in a spaced relationship with the upper rim 44.

To use the device 20 with the toilet seat 32 when the seat is in a lowered portion, the release paper piece 34 is peeled from the attachment section 24 to expose the adhesive 30, and then the attachment section 24 is inserted edgewise between the spacing provided between the upper rim 44 and the underside 48 of the seat 32 so that the adhesive-borne side of the attachment section 24 faces upwardly. When the attachment section 24 is positioned within such a spacing so that the remainder section 26 extends to one side of (e.g. extends away from the outside edge of) the toilet seat 32, the attachment section 24 is then gently raised so that the adhesive 30 contacts and becomes adhered to the underside of the seat 32. If necessary, the user can press against the side of the attachment section 24 opposite the adhesive-borne side thereof with his fingers to enhance the contact between the adhesive 30 and the underside of the toilet 32.

With the attachment section 24 adhesively attached to the underside of the toilet seat 32, the reminder section 26 can be grasped with the user's fingers to raise and subsequently lower the seat 32. Hence, the remainder section 26 acts a grip capable of being grasped by the hand of the user.

It follows that a handle device 20 has been described which can be readily attached to a toilet seat which enables the user to raise and lower the seat without requiring that the user touch the seat 32. Accordingly, the device 20 facilitates the sanitary use of a toilet and is advantageous in this respect.

It will be understood that numerous modifications and substitutions can be had to the aforedescribed embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, there is illustrated in FIG. 4 an alternative embodiment, generally indicated 120, of a handle device having a two-sided, platen-like base portion 122 comprised of an attachment section 124 and a remainder section 126. Each of the attachment section 124 and the remainder section 126 is constructed of a relatively stiff material, such as a heavy paper stock; and the sections 124 and 126 are preferably joined together with a living hinge 128 which permits the remainder section 126 to be readily bent or folded relative to the attachment section 124.

Again, the attachment section 124 bears an amount of adhesive 130 which is spread over a portion of one side thereof and which permits the attachment section 124, and hence the entire device 120, to be adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat. Preferably, the adhesive 130 is covered with a piece 134 of release paper which can be readily peeled from the adhesive 130 for attachment of the device 120 to a toilet seat.

It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the remainder section 126 can be provided with an arcuate outer edge 136 and formed to resemble the shape of a common handle (e.g. a briefcase handle) to enhance the visual esthetics of the device 120. It will be understood, however, that the remainder section 126 can possess any of a number of alternative shapes. Accordingly, the aforedescribed embodiments are intended for the purpose of illustration and not as limitation.

Claims

1. A handle device which is attachable to the seat of a toilet wherein the seat has an underside, the handle device comprising:

a base portion having two opposite sides and

an amount of adhesive spread over a section of one side of the base portion for adhesively attaching the base portion to the underside of a toilet seat so that when the base portion is adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat so that a remainder section of the base portion extends to one side of the toilet seat, the remainder section can be grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat without requiring that the toilet seat be touched.

2. The handle device as defined in claim 1 wherein the remainder section of the base portion is U-shaped in form and is arranged so that when the device is adhesively secured to the underside of a toilet seat and the toilet seat is in a lowered condition, the U-shape of the U-shaped form of the remainder section opens downwardly.

3. The handle device as defined in claim 1 wherein the remainder section of the base portion is U-shaped in form so that the U of the U-shaped form accepts the tips of the user's fingers when grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat.

4. The handle device as defined in claim 1 wherein the U-shaped form has an outer edge which is disposed outboard of the toilet seat and is arranged in such a relation to the toilet seat so that when the device is adhesively secured to the underside of a toilet seat and the toilet seat is in a lowered condition, the outer edge is higher than the underside of the toilet seat.

5. The handle device as defined in claim 1 wherein the length of the remainder section is at least about 2.0 inches in length.

6. The handle device as defined in claim 1 wherein the base portion is constructed of a relatively stiff material.

7. The handle device as defined in claim 6 wherein the base portion is constructed of a relatively hard plastic material.

8. The handle device as defined in claim 1 in combination with a sheet of release paper for releasably covering the amount of adhesive until removed for attachment to the underside of a toilet seat.

9. A handle device which is attachable to the seat of a toilet wherein the seat has an underside, the handle device comprising:

a base portion having two opposite sides and an attachment section and a remainder section which are joined together; and

an amount of adhesive spread over one side of the attachment section of the base portion for adhesively attaching the base portion to the underside of a toilet seat so that when the base portion is adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat and the remainder section of the base portion extends to one side of the toilet seat, the remainder section can be grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat without requiring that the toilet seat be touched.

10. The handle device as defined in claim 9 wherein the remainder section of the base portion is U-shaped in form and is arranged so that when the device is adhesively secured to the underside of a toilet seat and the toilet seat is in a lowered condition, the U-shape of the U-shaped form of the remainder section opens downwardly.

11. The handle device as defined in claim 9 wherein the remainder section of the base portion is U-shaped in form so that the U of the U-shaped form accepts the tips of the user's fingers when grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat.

12. The handle device as defined in claim 9 wherein the U-shaped form has an outer edge which is disposed outboard of the toilet seat and is arranged in such a relation to the toilet seat so that when the device is adhesively secured to the underside of a toilet seat and the toilet seat is in a lowered condition, the outer edge is higher than the underside of the toilet seat.

13. The handle device as defined in claim 12 wherein the remainder section of the base portion disposed between the outer edge and the attachment portion is U-shaped in form so that the U of the U-shaped form accepts the tips of the user's fingers when grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat.

14. The handle device as defined in claim 8 wherein the length of the remainder section is at least about 2.0 inches in length.

15. The handle device as defined in claim 8 wherein the base portion is constructed of a relatively stiff material.

16. The handle device as defined in claim 15 wherein the base portion is constructed of a relatively hard plastic material.

17. The handle device as defined in claim 8 further comprising a thin layer of foam material which is adhesively secured to the one side of the attachment section and includes a layer of adhesive on the side of the thin layer opposite the one side which provides said amount of the adhesive for adhesively attaching the base portion to the underside of a toilet seat.

18. The handle device as defined in claim 8 in combination with a sheet of release paper for releasably covering the amount of adhesive until removed for attachment to the underside of a toilet seat.

19. A handle device which is attachable to the seat of a toilet wherein the seat has an underside, the handle device comprising:

a base portion having two opposite sides and an attachment section and a remainder section which are joined together, the remainder section having a U-shaped form and an outer edge which are disposed outboard of the toilet seat when the device is attached thereto; and

an amount of adhesive spread over one side of the attachment section of the base portion for adhesively attaching the base portion to the underside of a toilet seat so that when the base portion is adhesively attached to the underside of a toilet seat and the remainder section of the base portion extends to one side of the toilet seat, the U-shaped form of the remainder section can be grasped for raising and lowering the toilet seat without requiring that the toilet seat be touched; and

the U-shaped form is arranged in such a relation to the attachment portion so then when the device is attached to the underside of the toilet seat and the toilet seat is in a lowered condition, the U of the U-shaped form opens downwardly and the outer edge of the remainder section is higher than the underside of the toilet seat.

20. The handle device as defined in claim 19 in combination with a sheet of release paper for releasably covering the amount of adhesive until removed for attachment to the underside of a toilet seat.