DRAWSTRING POTTY CHAIR LINER AND RELATED METHOD

Abstract

A drawstring potty chair liner includes a composite sheet of material having an absorbent layer and a liquid barrier, and a drawstring extending around a periphery of the sheet and accessible at opposite sides thereof. The sheet is placed into the bowl of a potty chair with the water resistant side facing the bowl. After the potty chair is used, the drawstrings are drawn up to enclose waste within the sheet with the water resistant side out. The sheet can then be discarded or transported over a toilet, opened and emptied, or otherwise discarded.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/352,427, filed on Jun. 8, 2010, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's potty chairs, and more particularly, to disposable liners for potty chairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While little children are generally a source of joy for their parents, one notable exception is potty training. The transition from diapers to toilets is often a trial for parents and children. Potty chairs have been used from time immemorial as an intermediate step in that transition. While potty chairs can make things easier on the child, the parents may be loathe to clean the chair after use.

To ease the clean-up burden for pet owners in areas with restrictions on pet waste, it has been proposed to encourage a pet to defecate onto a drawstring sheet, which can then be drawn up to enclose the pet waste. Examples of such sheets can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,900 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0005891.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drawstring potty chair liner and related method. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a drawstring potty chair liner includes a composite sheet of material having an absorbent layer and a liquid barrier, and a drawstring extending around a periphery of the sheet and accessible at opposite sides thereof. According to a method aspect, the sheet is placed into the bowl of a potty chair with the water resistant side facing the bowl. After the potty chair is used, the drawstrings are drawn up to enclose waste within the sheet with the water resistant side out. The sheet can then be discarded or transported over a toilet, opened and emptied. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a potty chair and liner combination includes both the potty chair and the potty chair liner arranged in a bowl thereof.

These and other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will be better appreciated in view of the drawings and following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a drawstring potty liner, with hidden components shown in broken lines, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the liner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liner of FIG. 1, placed into a potty chair bowl; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liner of FIG. 1, removed from the potty chair bowl after use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drawstring potty chair liner 10 includes a composite sheet 12 and a drawstring 14. The composite sheet 12 is preferably approximately round and dimensioned to conform to the shape of an average potty chair, although the shape and dimensions can be adapted as necessary for a given potty chair.

The composite sheet 12 has a first side 18 and a second side 20. The first side 18 preferably includes an absorbent material, to facilitate urine absorption and to minimize splashing. The second side 20 preferably includes a liquid barrier to prevent liquid waste from penetrating the second side 20. The absorbent material of the first side 18 can include a plurality of absorbent layers 22 above the second side. Some or all of the absorbent layers 22 can be localized to the center of the sheet 12.

The drawstring 14 extends around a periphery of the sheet 12, preferably between the first and second sides 18, 20. Alternately, the drawstring can be stitched in and out of the first side, or arranged in another fashion around the periphery that still permits a drawing action. The drawstring 14 has substantially opposed handles 24 that can be grasped by a user from outside the sheet 12.

In use, referring to FIG. 3, the potty chair liner 10 is placed over and into the bowl of a potty chair 30 with the second side 20 generally facing the bowl and the first side 18 generally facing away from the bowl. Edges of the liner 10 extend out of the bowl to help retain the liner 10 in place during use. If desired, and depending on the particular potty chair, a removable seat 32 can subsequently be placed over the liner 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, after the potty chair 30 has been used, the handles 24 of the drawstring 14 are grasped and pulled outwards. As result, the sheet 12 is drawn up and around any waste deposited in the potty chair 30 bowl. The liner 10 is then removed and discarded. If desired, the liner 10 can be re-opened to empty the contents into a toilet.

In general, the foregoing description is provided for exemplary and illustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional modifications, as well as adaptations for particular circumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described and of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method of using a potty chair, the method comprising:

arranging a potty chair liner in a bowl of the potty chair to catch waste deposited in the bowl;

drawing the potty chair liner up and around the deposited waste; and

removing the potty chair liner and the deposited waste from the bowl.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes an absorbent material and arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with the absorbent material generally facing away from the bowl.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a liquid barrier, and arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with the liquid barrier generally facing the bowl.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a composite sheet, having a first side including an absorbent material and a second side including a liquid barrier, and arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with the second side generally facing the bowl.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof, and drawing the potty chair liner up and around the deposited waste includes pulling on the drawstring.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the drawstring includes a pair of generally opposed handles, and pulling on the drawstring includes pulling outwardly on the handles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with edges thereof extending out of the bowl to help retain the liner in place during use.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging a potty chair seat on the potty chair over the potty chair liner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a composite sheet and a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof, the composite sheet having a first side including an absorbent material and a second side including a liquid barrier, arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with the second side generally facing the bowl, and drawing the potty chair liner up and around the deposited waste includes pulling on the drawstring.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the drawstring includes a pair of generally opposed handles, and pulling on the drawstring includes pulling outwardly on the handles.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with edges thereof extending out of the bowl to help retain the liner in place during use.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising arranging a potty chair seat on the potty chair over the potty chair liner.

13. A potty chair and liner combination comprising:

a potty chair for use by a child including a bowl for receiving waste from the child;

a potty chair liner arranged in the bowl to catch the waste deposited therein and configured to be drawn up and around the waste and removed from the bowl.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein the potty chair further includes a potty chair seat arranged over the potty chair liner.

15. The combination of claim 13, wherein the potty chair liner includes a composite sheet, having a first side including an absorbent material facing generally away from the bowl and a second side including a liquid barrier facing generally toward the bowl.

16. The combination of claim 13, wherein the potty chair liner includes a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof to facilitate drawing the potty chair liner up and around the waste.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the drawstring includes at least a first handle accessible for grasping.

18. The combination of claim 17, wherein the drawstring further includes a second handle generally opposite to the first handle.

19. The combination of claim 13, wherein the potty chair liner includes:

a composite sheet, having a first side including an absorbent material facing generally away from the bowl and a second side including a liquid barrier facing generally toward the bowl; and

a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof to facilitate drawing the potty chair liner up and around the waste.

20. The combination of claim 19, wherein the drawstring includes a pair of generally opposed handles accessible for grasping.