TOILET LID CLOSURE APPARATUS

Abstract

A toilet closure apparatus adapted to mount on a toilet having a toilet seat, a toilet lid, and a tank assembly includes a flushing mechanism configured to trigger a flushing event, a cable assembly coupled to the flushing mechanism having a cable, and a release mechanism operatively coupled to the cable. Movement of the flushing mechanism can axially move the cable to actuate the release mechanism to rotate the toilet lid from an open position to a closed position. The release mechanism can include one of a cam mechanism, a latch mechanism, and a ball detent mechanism.

Description

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to toilets and, more particularly, to automatic closure of toilet seats and toilet lids through mechanical mechanisms.

Description of the Related Art

There has been a long-felt need for a device which automatically, or semi-automatically, lowers a toilet seat, a toilet lid, or a toilet seat and lid assembly after use. Naturally enough, the toilet has presented a household hazard when users neglect to fully close a toilet lid after use. For example, children and pets have been known to play in the water contained in the toilet bowl even to the point of drinking from the toilet bowl or, in the extreme, falling into the toilet bowl. By closing the toilet bowl, users prevent these hazards, by making the bowl less accessible to both children and pets.

The use of a toilet by multiple members of a household also presents some hazards. For example, male users tend to leave the seat and lid assembly in an open position after urination. When open, however, an inattentive and subsequent user might sit on the actual toilet bowl instead of the toilet seat, by acting on an assumption that the toilet is in a seat down, lid up position. While never pleasant, in the case of an elderly user, such an episode might cause injury, or at least discomfort in the actual sitting and recovery. Thus, in addition to being more aesthetically pleasing, a consistently closed lid and seat can prevent the spread of germs, possible injury, and, possibly, embarrassment to members of the household.

The number of alternate means various inventors have proposed of achieving the result of a uniformly closed toilet when not in use has borne witness to the desirability of such consistent practice of toilet lid closure upon completion of use. But a number of these solutions have presented users with contraptions that have been unwieldy, bulky, and visually unacceptable in an activity that is, out of necessity, both private and necessary. Users tend to avoid solutions that intrude too much upon their expectations of a simple and sanitary toilet. Large cylindrical dampers and smaller but extremely complex clockworks that can perform the simple task of closing a toilet lid and seat are available but have never gained much of a market share over the simple hinged toilet seats. Whether true or not, these large installation toilets are considered complex and intrusive, and in practice the intrusive and complex nature outweighs any benefit achieved by their presence.

In addition, such devices are difficult to install, complex in design, and therefore often expensive. For example, devices employing sensors of various types and electric switches to close the lid and seat are believed to be considerably complex and costly. The more complex, the more perceived opportunities to foster the growth of bacteria and molds in nooks and crannies defined by the complexity of the devices. For these reasons, even if unearned, these devices are tagged with a reputation for being unclean.

Finally, toilets are one province wherein thrifty homeowners have felt confident enough to repair and even upgrade the conventional toilet. For example, Fluidmaster™, a maker and supplier of higher end internal mechanical parts for toilets, has about $150 million in annual sales and 350 employees located in San Juan Capistrano in California according to a 2011 issue of Orange County Business Journal. Do-It-Yourselfers (“DIYers”) take pride and are willing to spend money on the toilet care products Fluidmaster™ sells annually, including more toilet tank replacement valves than any other manufacturer in the world. But the success of Fluidmaster™ has been due to the extremely simple nature of the hardware they have sold and the simple installation of a superior product which affords DIYers a feeling of success beyond that obtained in a simple repair. Perceived as an upgrade, the installation of Fluidmaster™ parts has, for fifty years, been driven by the DIY market.

An example of a toilet closure apparatus that addresses the deficiencies of conventional toilet closure apparatuses is shown and described in the present inventor's commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,869, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,869 discloses various embodiments of toilet closure apparatuses and mechanisms where activating a flush mechanism permits automatic closure of toilet seats and/or lids, including cable assemblies, release mechanisms, and hinge assemblies, among other things. The present disclosure includes improvements to the embodiments disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,869 that simplify some of the mechanisms by reducing some of the moving parts, and also improving cost efficiencies.

BRIEF SUMMARY

As an overview, various embodiments of release mechanisms, flushing mechanisms, and override mechanisms are described in the present disclosure. The various embodiments of the release mechanisms, flushing mechanisms, override mechanisms, and other structures and methods described herein are compact, rigid, and lend themselves to simplified and efficient manufacturing and assembly processes.

An embodiment of a toilet closure apparatus that is adapted to mount on a toilet having a toilet seat, a toilet lid, and a tank assembly can be summarized as including a flushing mechanism, actuation of which triggers a flushing event, a cable assembly coupled to the flushing mechanism, the cable assembly including a cable, and a release mechanism operatively coupled to the cable. Movement of the flushing mechanism can axially move the cable and cause the cable to actuate the release mechanism, actuation of the release mechanism causing rotation of the toilet lid from an open position to a closed position. The release mechanism can include one or more of a cam mechanism, a latch mechanism, and a ball detent mechanism.

An embodiment of an override mechanism that is adapted to prevent movement of a toilet lid when a user is seated on a toilet seat can be summarized as including a tab member disposed on a lid hinge that rotatably moves the toilet lid, and an override groove disposed on a seat hinge that rotatably supports the toilet seat. The seat hinge can have a tab securing portion, where the override groove is arranged to engage the tab member in the tab securing portion when the user is seated on the toilet seat. Alternatively, the tab member can be disposed on the seat hinge and the override groove on the lid hinge.

An embodiment of a cable securing device that is adapted for securing a cable assembly to a toilet can be summarized as including a cable stop configured to restrict movement of the cable assembly, and a securing nut having a body that extends between an upper flange and a lower flange. The lower flange can have an opening that is sized such that an interior surface of the lower flange abuts a lower surface of the cable stop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet closure apparatus including a cutaway, according to one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top elevation view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1 when a toilet seat and a toilet lid are in a closed position with some components removed for clarity, illustrating a release mechanism according to one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 2 when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 2 when the toilet lid is in a first intermediate position.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 2 when the toilet lid is in an open position.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 2 when the toilet lid is in the open position and a flushing mechanism has been actuated.

FIG. 7 is a top elevation view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1 when a toilet seat and a toilet lid are in a closed position with some components removed for clarity, illustrating a release mechanism according to another non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 7 when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in a closed position.

FIG. 9 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 7 when the toilet lid is in an intermediate position.

FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 7 when the toilet lid is in an open position.

FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 7 when the toilet lid is in the open position and a flushing mechanism has been actuated.

FIG. 12 is a top elevation view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1 when a toilet seat and a toilet lid are in a closed position with some components removed for clarity, illustrating a release mechanism according to another non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a top elevation view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1 with some components removed for clarity, illustrating the release mechanism of FIG. 12, when the toilet lid and the toilet seat are in an open position.

FIG. 14 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 12 when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the closed position.

FIG. 15 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 12 when the toilet lid is in an intermediate position.

FIG. 16 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a partial detail view of the example embodiment of the release mechanism of FIG. 12 when the toilet lid is in an open position.

FIG. 17 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1 with some components removed for clarity, illustrating a detail view of an override mechanism according to one non-limiting embodiment, when a toilet seat and a toilet lid are in a closed position.

FIG. 18 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a detail view of the override mechanism of FIG. 17, when the toilet lid is in an open position.

FIG. 19 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a detail view of the override mechanism of FIG. 17, when the toilet seat and the toilet lid are in the open position.

FIG. 20 is a partial side view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a detail view of the override mechanism of FIG. 17 in cutaway, when the toilet lid is in the open position and a user depresses the toilet seat.

FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of the toilet closure apparatus of FIG. 1, illustrating a cable securing device, according to one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an exploded view of a flushing mechanism, according to one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the flushing mechanism of FIG. 22, illustrating a reversible flush arm in one orientation.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the flushing mechanism of FIG. 22, illustrating the reversible flush arm in another orientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the subject matter of this application have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter. Accordingly, the subject matter of this application is not limited except as by the appended claims.

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the disclosed subject matter. However, the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and methods of attaching structures to each other comprising embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the descriptions of other aspects of the present disclosure.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a toilet closure apparatus 10 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The toilet closure apparatus 10 includes a tank assembly 13 and a base assembly 15. The base assembly 15 includes a bowl 17 and a bowl ledge assembly 151. The bowl ledge assembly 151 includes an upper surface for landing one or more components of a release mechanism. A cable assembly, for example, a cable assembly 11 shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,869 (hereinafter the “'869 Patent”), mechanically links a mechanism (e.g., a flushing mechanism) within the tank assembly 13 to the release mechanism and effects the release of the release mechanism to allow a toilet lid 12 and a toilet seat 14 to fall to their closed position in response to mechanical action within the tank assembly 13 that draws or moves a cable (e.g., cable 111 of the '869 Patent) through the cable assembly 11.

FIGS. 2 through 6 illustrate one example embodiment of a release mechanism 118 that can be coupleably linked to the flushing mechanism via the cable assembly 11. The release mechanism 118 is coupled to the cable assembly 11 and a first lid hinge 119 and a first seat hinge 120 to allow the toilet lid 12 or the toilet seat 14 and toilet lid 12 to move from an open position, where the toilet lid 12 or toilet seat 14 and toilet lid 12 are upright and facing the tank assembly 13, to a closed position, where the toilet lid 12 or the toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 12 face down toward the base assembly 15. In particular, the release mechanism 118 includes a lever or cam mechanism 139 having a first cam member 121, a second cam member 122, and a cam follower 123. The first and second cam members 121, 122 are pivotably coupled to the bowl ledge assembly 151. For example, the first and second cam members 121, 122 can be pivotably coupled to the bowl ledge assembly 151 via a mounting bracket (not shown) that is secured to the bowl ledge assembly 151. In this manner, the first cam member 121 can pivotably rotate about first rotational axis X1 and the second cam member 122 can pivotably rotate about second rotational axis X2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet closure apparatus 10 can include a pair of lid hinges and seat hinges on opposing ends of the bowl ledge assembly 151. For example, in the embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the toilet closure apparatus 10 includes the first lid hinge 119 positioned proximal to the first seat hinge 120 on one end of the bowl ledge assembly 151 and a second lid hinge 124 positioned proximal to a second seat hinge 125 on the other end of the bowl ledge assembly 151. The cam follower 123 is positioned proximal to the first lid hinge 119 and includes a first damper aperture 126 to receive a first damper 127. In some embodiments, the cam follower 123 can be integral with the first lid hinge 119; for example, the embodiment of the cam follower 123 and lid hinge 119 shown in FIGS. 2 through 6 are integral. In other embodiments, the cam follower 123 can be a separate component that is rotatably coupled to the lid hinge 119. The first damper 127 can include a shaft member 128 that protrudes through the cam follower 123 into and through the first lid hinge 119 and into and at least partially through the first seat hinge 120.

At the other end of the bowl ledge assembly 151, the toilet closure apparatus 10 can also optionally include a second damper 129. Again, the second damper 129 can include a shaft member 128 that protrudes through a torsion spring 130, the second lid hinge 124, and into and at least partially through the second seat hinge 125. The first and second dampers 127, 129 are configured to provide a controlled, consistent closing speed for the toilet lid 12 and/or the toilet seat 14. The torsion spring 130 is configured to bias the toilet seat 14 and/or the toilet lid 12 into the closed position (FIG. 3). Although the example embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 2 through 6 includes a torsion spring 130, other biasing mechanisms are within the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, when the toilet lid 12 is in the open or upright position (FIG. 5), the torsion spring 130 biases or applies forces that urge the toilet lid 12 into the closed position (FIG. 3). The biasing force of the torsion spring 130 is counteracted by the first cam member 121, the second cam member 122, and the cam follower 123, as described in more detail below.

The cable assembly 11 is coupled to the first cam member 121 to allow axial displacement or linear motion of the cable assembly 11 to be converted to rotational motion of the first cam member 121. Thus, when the cable of the cable assembly 11 is drawn though the cable assembly 11 or axially displaced—for example, when a user activates a flush mechanism—the cable assembly 11 imparts rotational motion to the first cam member 121 in a first direction R1. Rotation of the first cam member 121 in the first direction R1 imparts rotational motion to the second cam member 122 in a second direction R2, thereby causing shifting, raising, or causing rotational movement of the cam follower 123. In particular, the release mechanism 118 includes a pair of biasing devices, such as, for example, springs 131 shown in FIGS. 2 through 6. The springs 131 bias the first and second cam members 121, 122 in a manner such that the second cam member 122 remains engaged with the cam follower 123, thereby resisting the biasing force applied by the torsion spring 130, urging the toilet lid 12 to the closed position (FIG. 3).

By way of example, FIGS. 3 through 6 show various operational positions of the toilet lid 12. Although the embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 3 through 6 shows the toilet lid 12 being rotated between the open and closed positions, in some implementations both the toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 12 may operate in a similar manner, for example, where the release mechanism 118 is directly coupled to both the toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 12. In other implementations, including the embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, movement of the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position pushes the toilet seat 14 if both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the open position.

FIG. 3 shows the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 in the closed position. FIG. 4 shows the toilet lid 12 in a transitory or intermediate position as the toilet lid 12 is being rotated toward the closed position from the open position. FIG. 5 shows the toilet lid 12 in the open position. FIG. 6 shows the toilet lid 12 in the open position after the user has actuated the flushing mechanism. Thus, in operation, when the user activates the flush mechanism, the cable of the cable assembly 11 is axially displaced and drawn through the cable assembly 11. Axial displacement of the cable rotates the first cam member 121 and second cam member 122 in the first direction R1 and second direction R2, respectively. As the second cam member 122 rotates in the second direction R2, an end portion 133 of the second cam member 122 disengages the cam follower 123, as shown in FIG. 6, where the toilet lid 12 is in the open position after the flushing mechanism has been actuated. The toilet lid 12 then falls into the closed position due, in part, to the biasing by the torsion spring 130, and also due to gravitational forces. When the toilet lid 12 is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, the first and second cam members 121, 122 return to the biased position via the springs 131, where the end portion 133 of the second cam member 122 contacts or abuts a lower portion of the cam follower 123. When in the closed position, the user can lift the toilet lid 12 to move from the closed position to the open position, counteracting the biasing forces of the torsion spring 130 and the springs 131, and cause the second cam member 122 to engage the cam follower 123, as shown in FIG. 5.

The release mechanism 118 can in some embodiments further include a manual override mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6. The manual override mechanism allows the user to move the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the various components of the toilet closure apparatus 10. In particular, when the user moves the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position, the cam follower 123 causes the second cam member 122 to rotate, e.g., in direction R2, but the first cam member 121 remains substantially stationary based in part due to the spring 131 that biases the first cam member 121 and a separation between the first cam member 121 and the second cam member 122. In this manner, the user can advantageously close the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the components of the release mechanism 118 and more generally the toilet closure apparatus 10.

FIGS. 7 through 11 illustrate the toilet closure apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 that includes a release mechanism 218, according to another embodiment, where some components (e.g., dampers, torsion spring, mounting brackets, etc.) have been omitted for clarity. The release mechanism 218 provides a variation in which the release mechanism 218 includes a latch mechanism 219. The latch mechanism 219 includes a bell crank 220, a lever arm 221, and a cam follower 223. Again, the cam follower 223 is positioned proximal to a lid hinge 259 and, in some embodiments, can either be integral with the lid hinge 259 or be a separate component that is pivotably coupled to the lid hinge 259. The bell crank 220 is pivotably coupled to the bowl ledge assembly 151. For example, the bell crank 220 can be pivotably coupled to the bowl ledge assembly 151 via a mounting bracket (not shown) that is secured to the bowl ledge assembly 151.

The cable assembly 11 is also coupled to the bell crank 220 to allow axial displacement or linear motion of the cable assembly 11 to be converted to rotational motion of the bell crank 220. Thus, when a cable of the cable assembly 11 is drawn though the cable assembly 11 or axially displaced, for example, when a user activates a flush mechanism, the cable assembly 11 imparts rotational motion to the bell crank 220 to cause the bell crank 220 to rotate about rotational axis X3 in a direction R3. In some embodiments, including the embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 7 through 11, the latch mechanism 219 includes a link member 235 that pivotably couples the bell crank 220 to the lever arm 221. In some embodiments, however, the latch mechanism 219 may omit the link member 235, and the cable of the cable assembly 11 may extend from the bell crank 220 to the lever arm 221 to impart rotational motion to the lever arm 221 when the cable assembly 11 is axially displaced. In other embodiments still, the latch mechanism 219 may omit the bell crank 220, and the cable of the cable assembly 11 may directly couple to the lever arm 221 to impart rotational motion to the lever arm 221.

As shown in FIGS. 7 through 11, the pivotable coupling of the bell crank 220 and the lever arm 221 through the link member 235 causes the lever arm 221 to rotate about rotational axis X4 in a direction R4 when the bell crank 220 rotates in the direction R3. The lever arm 221 includes a lip portion 236 that engages the cam follower 223. The latch mechanism 219 further includes a biasing device, such as, for example, a spring 237 that biases the lever arm 221 to urge the lip portion 236 of the lever arm 221 into engagement with the cam follower 223. For example, the latch mechanism 219 can include a mounting member 238 with the spring 237 positioned between the mounting member 238 and the lever arm 221. One end of the spring 237 is coupled to the mounting member 238 and the other end of the spring 237 is coupled to the lever arm 221 so that the lip portion 236 of the lever arm 221 is urged toward the cam follower 223.

Moreover, as discussed above, the toilet closure apparatus 10 can include one or more dampers that are coupled to respective seat hinges and lid hinges and also include one or more torsion springs (e.g., torsion spring 130) that can be positioned proximal to the seat hinges and the lid hinges. Again, in some embodiments, the dampers can include a shaft member that protrudes through the torsion spring, the lid hinge and at least partially through the seat hinge. The torsion spring can be configured to bias the toilet seat 14 and/or toilet lid 12 into the closed position. For example, the example embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 7 through 11 includes a torsion spring (not shown) that is positioned proximal to the lid hinge that is located at an opposing end of the bowl ledge assembly 151 relative to an end where the latch mechanism 219 is located. In some embodiments, however, the latch mechanism 219 can include one or more torsion springs located at each end of the bowl ledge assembly 151. Thus, when the toilet lid 12 is in the open or upright position, the torsion spring biases or applies forces that urge the toilet lid 12 into the closed position. The biasing force of the torsion spring is counteracted by the bell crank 220, the lever arm 221, and the cam follower 223, thereby resisting the biasing force applied by the torsion spring, which urges the toilet lid 12 to the closed position.

FIGS. 8 through 11 show various operational positions of the latch mechanism 219. FIG. 8 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the closed position, where both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are facing the base assembly 15. FIG. 9 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 in a first intermediate position after the user has activated the flush mechanism. FIG. 10 shows the toilet seat closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is upright and facing the tank assembly 13. FIG. 11 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid is in a second intermediate position where the user has activated the flush mechanism. Thus, in operation, when the user activates the flush mechanism, the cable of the cable assembly 11 is axially displaced and drawn through the cable assembly 11. Axial displacement of the cable rotates the bell crank 220 in direction R3, thereby rotating, pulling, or generally moving the link 235 to cause the lever arm 221 to rotate in direction R4. As shown in FIG. 9, rotation of the lever arm 221 in direction R4 causes the lip portion 236 of the lever arm 221 to disengage the cam follower 223, in particular, a first groove portion 239 of the cam follower 223. As the lever arm 221 is disengaged, the toilet lid 12 then falls into the closed position due, in part, to the biasing forces of the torsion spring, and also due to the gravitational forces. As the toilet lid 12 is falling into the closed position, for example, when the toilet lid 12 is in the second intermediate position, the spring 237 continues to urge the lever arm 221 to engage the cam follower 223, until the toilet lid 12 is into the closed position, as shown in FIG. 8, where the lip portion 236 of the lever arm 221 engages the cam follower 223 again, in particular, a second groove portion 240 of the cam follower 223. When in use, the user can lift the toilet lid 12 from the closed position to the open position, counteracting the biasing forces of the torsion spring and the spring 237, and cause the lever arm 221 to engage the cam follower 223, in particular, the first groove portion 239 of the cam follower 223, as shown in FIG. 10.

Again, the release mechanism 218 can in some embodiments further include a manual override mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 11. The manual override mechanism allows the user to move the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the various components of the toilet closure apparatus 10. In particular, when the user moves the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position, the cam follower 223 causes the lever member 221 to rotate in direction R4, but the link member 235 and the bell crank 220 remain substantially stationary. For example, in some embodiments, including the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 through 11, the link member 235 can be configured to move when the cable of the cable assembly 11 is axially displaced as the bell crank 220 rotates but remain substantially stationary when the user manually moves the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position. In this manner, the user can advantageously close the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the components of the release mechanism 218 and more generally the toilet closure apparatus 10.

FIGS. 12 through 16 illustrate the toilet closure apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 that includes a release mechanism 318, according to another embodiment, where some components (e.g., dampers, torsion spring, mounting brackets, etc.) have been omitted for clarity. The release mechanism 318 provides a variation in which the release mechanism 318 includes a ball detent mechanism 319. The ball detent mechanism 319 includes a biasing device, for example, an outer spring 321, a detent ball 322, a detent spring loaded pin 323, and a housing 334 that houses the outer spring 321, the detent spring loaded pin 323, and at least partially the detent ball 322. The ball detent mechanism 319, specifically the detent ball 322, is configured to engage a first groove 325 or a second groove 326 formed in a lid hinge 315. In alternate embodiments, the first and second grooves 325, 326 can be disposed on the seat hinge. In particular, the outer spring 321 biases the detent ball 322 into engagement with the first groove 325 or the second groove 326.

The cable assembly 11 is also coupled to the ball detent mechanism 319. Thus, when a cable of the cable assembly 11 is drawn though the cable assembly 11 or axially displaced, for example, when a user activates a flush mechanism, the cable assembly 11 axially displaces the detent spring loaded pin 323 and the detent ball 322 within the housing 334 to allow the toilet lid 12 to move from an open position to a closed position.

Moreover, as discussed above, the toilet closure apparatus 10 can include one or more dampers that are coupled to respective seat hinges and lid hinges and also include one or more torsion springs (e.g., torsion spring 130) that can be positioned proximal to the seat hinges and the lid hinges. Again, in some embodiments, the dampers can include a shaft member that protrudes through the torsion spring, the lid hinge and into at least partially through the seat hinge. The torsion spring can be configured to bias the toilet seat 14 and/or toilet lid 12 into the closed position. For example, the example embodiment of the toilet closure apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 12 through 16 includes a torsion spring (not shown) that is positioned proximal to the lid hinge that is located at an opposing end of the bowl ledge assembly 151 relative to an end where the ball detent mechanism 319 is located. In some embodiments, however, the ball detent mechanism 319 can include a pair of torsion springs located at each end of the bowl ledge assembly 151. Thus, when the toilet lid 12 is in the open or upright position, the torsion spring biases or applies forces that urge the toilet lid 12 into the closed position. The biasing force of the torsion spring is counteracted by the ball detent mechanism 319, thereby resisting the biasing force applied by the torsion spring, which urges the toilet lid 12 to the closed position.

FIGS. 12 through 16 show various operational positions of the ball detent mechanism 319. FIG. 12 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the closed position, where both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are facing the base assembly 15. FIG. 13 shows the ball detent mechanism 319 when the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the open position and a user has activated the flush mechanism. FIG. 14 shows the toilet seat closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the closed position. FIG. 15 shows the toilet seat closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is in an intermediate position. FIG. 16 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is upright and facing the tank assembly 13 in the open position. Thus, in operation, when the user activates the flush mechanism, the cable of the cable assembly 11 is axially displaced and drawn through the cable assembly 11. Axial displacement of the cable axially displaces the detent spring loaded pin 323 within the housing 334 and disengages the detent ball 322 from the second groove 326. As the toilet lid 12 is moved from the open position to the intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 15, the detent ball 322 engages the first groove 325 and remains engaged when the toilet lid 12 is moved to the closed position, as shown in FIG. 14. When in use, the user can lift the toilet lid 12 from the closed position to the open position, counteracting the biasing forces of the torsion spring and the detent ball 322 disengages the first groove 325 and engages the second groove 326 when the toilet lid 12 is in the open position.

Again, the release mechanism 318 can in some embodiments further include a manual override mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 12 through 16. The manual override mechanism allows the user to move the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the various components of the toilet closure apparatus 10. In particular, when the user moves the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position, the detent ball 322 moves from engagement with the second groove 326 to the first groove 325 as the toilet lid 12 is moved to the closed position from the open position. In this manner, the user can advantageously close the toilet lid 12 from the open position to the closed position without damaging the components of the release mechanism 318 and more generally the toilet closure apparatus 10.

FIGS. 17 through 20 show an override mechanism 419 of the toilet closure apparatus 10, according to one embodiment. The override mechanism 419 is configured to override or prevent the closure of the toilet lid 12 if the user activates the flush mechanism while sitting on the toilet. The override mechanism 419 includes a tab member 420 that protrudes outwardly from an outer surface of a lid hinge 415, which can be similar to one or more embodiments of lid hinges disclosed herein, e.g., lid hinges 119, 124, 259, 315. The tab member 420 is sized and shaped to engage an override groove 421 that extends through a seat hinge 422, which can be similar to one or more embodiments of the seat hinges disclosed herein, e.g., seat hinge 120. The override groove 421 extends through the seat hinge 422 in an arcuate manner to a terminal end, where the override groove 421 includes a tab securing portion 424. The override mechanism 419 also includes a slot 425 that extends through the seat hinge 422. The slot 425 includes a first end and a second end, and is sized and shaped to receive a shaft of the damper (e.g., dampers 127, 129) or any other pin about which the toilet seat 14 and/or the toilet lid 12 can rotate. The override mechanism 419 also includes a biasing mechanism, such as, for example, an override spring 427. The override spring 427 is coupled to the shaft of the damper at one end and to the seat hinge 422 at another, opposite end. The override spring 427 provides a biasing force such that the shaft of the damper and the lid hinge 415 are urged toward the lower end of the slot 425. In particular, biasing the lid hinge 415 in this manner facilitates separating the hinge side of the toilet seat 14 from the bowl ledge assembly 151 by a gap G, allowing the tab member 420 to remain disengaged with the tab securing portion 424 until the weight of the user or equivalent force is applied to the toilet seat 14.

The tab member 420 rotatably moves along the override groove 421 as the toilet lid 12 is raised from the closed position to the open position. As the user sits on the toilet seat 14, the weight of the user causes downward movement of the toilet seat 14, thus causing the tab member 420 to engage the tab securing portion 424 (FIG. 20). As the tab member 420 is secured within the tab securing portion 424, if the user activates the flush mechanism, downward movement of the toilet lid 12 caused by the cable assembly 11 can be overridden, and thus the toilet lid 12 impacting the user can be avoided.

In particular, FIGS. 17 through 20 show various operational positions of the override mechanism 419. FIG. 17 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is in the closed position. FIG. 18 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is in the open position, where the toilet lid 12 is upright and facing the tank assembly 13 (FIG. 1). FIG. 19 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are in the open position, where both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 are upright and facing the tank assembly 13 (FIG. 1). FIG. 20 shows the toilet closure apparatus 10 when the toilet lid 12 is in the open position and the user (not shown—weight indicated by arrow) sits on the toilet seat 14.

Thus, when the user rotates both the toilet lid 12 and the toilet seat 14 together, both the toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 12 rotate about the shaft of the damper, as shown in FIG. 19, and the tab member 420 remains substantially stationary within the override groove 421. When the user rotates the toilet lid 12, from the closed position shown in FIG. 17 to the open position shown in FIG. 18, the toilet lid 12 rotates with respect to the toilet seat 14 about the shaft of the damper and the tab member 420 travels along the override groove 421 and is positioned proximal to the tab securing portion 424. Again, the override spring 427 biases the lid hinge 415 such that the tab member 420 remains disengaged with the tab securing portion 424 and the gap G between the toilet seat 14 and the bowl ledge assembly 151 remains. When the user sits on the toilet seat 14, the weight of the user depresses the toilet seat 14 to overcome the biasing force of the override spring 427 and substantially closes, minimizes, or reduces the gap G such that the tab member 420 is secured in the tab securing portion 424. In this manner, if the user activates the flush mechanism, the toilet lid 12 is prevented from moving to the closed position and impacting the user.

FIG. 21 shows a cable securing device 520 that assists in securing the cable assembly 11 to the bowl ledge assembly 151 (FIG. 1). As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,015,869, the cable assembly 11 can be secured to the bowl ledge assembly 151 via mounting bolts (e.g., mounting bolts 121 and hinge bolts 125, and corresponding nuts 123, 127 of the '869 Patent). The cable securing device 520 includes a cable stop 521 that can abut against a threaded shaft portion 523 of one or more of the mounting bolts (e.g., mounting bolts 121, hinge bolts 125 of the '869 Patent) that is exposed after the nuts (e.g., nuts 123, 127 of the '869 Patent) are secured. The cable stop 521 is configured to restrict movement of the cable assembly 11 when the cable assembly 11 is secured to the bowl ledge assembly 151. The cable securing device 520 also includes a securing nut 525 that can be threadedly coupled to the exposed threaded shaft portion 523 of the mounting bolts. The securing nut 525 includes a body 526, an upper flange 527, a lower flange 528 with a cable aperture 529 extending therethrough, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart gussets 530. The securing nut 525 includes a vertical slit 531 that extends through the body 526, the upper flange 527, and the lower flange 528 to allow the securing nut 525 to clip on to the cable assembly 11. In particular, the cable aperture 529 has a first opening 532 proximal to the upper flange 527 and a second opening 533 proximal to the lower flange 528. The first opening 532 is generally circularly shaped and is sized and shaped to be received by the exposed threaded shaft portion 523. The second opening 533 is sized and shaped such that an interior surface of the lower flange 528 abuts or makes substantial contact with a lower surface of the cable stop 521 as the securing nut 525 is threadedly coupled to the exposed threaded shaft portion 523. In this manner, when the cable assembly 11 is secured to the bowl ledge assembly 151 (FIG. 1), the cable securing device 520 restricts, obstructs, or impedes movement of the cable assembly 11.

FIGS. 22 through 24 show a flushing mechanism 610 with some components (e.g., floats, chains, valves, dampers, springs, etc.) removed for clarity, according to one embodiment. As discussed in more detail above, the cable assembly 11 links one or more release mechanisms disclosed herein to the flushing mechanism (e.g., flushing mechanism 610). Actuating the flushing mechanism 610 can actuate the release mechanism to cause the toilet lid 12 and/or the toilet seat 14 to move to the closed position, according to various embodiments disclosed herein.

The flushing mechanism 610 includes a handle 620 which is positioned exterior to the tank assembly 13, a collet actuator 624, which can be configured to provide a desired clamping force to any component received therein, for example, components of the cable assembly 11, a flush housing 625, a reversible flush arm 628, and a pair of flush levers 627, 631 configured to couple one or more cable assemblies (e.g., cable assembly 11) to the flushing mechanism 610. For example, in some implementations, one of the flush levers (e.g., flush lever 627 or flush lever 631) can be configured to coupleably receive a cable assembly that actuates a dual flush mechanism, while the other flush lever can be configured to coupleably receive the cable assembly (e.g., cable assembly 11) that actuates one or more of the embodiments of the release mechanisms disclosed herein. In other implementations, however, either one of the flush levers (e.g., flush levers 627, 631) can coupleably receive the cable assembly 11. Further, as noted above, the flushing mechanism 610 can include other components, such as one or more dampers, springs, etc., which can damp or control the speed of some of the moving parts and, in some implementations, effectuate a delay after the cable assembly 11 actuates the one or more embodiments of the release mechanisms disclosed herein. As the cable slowly moves back to its initial position after the flushing event has been triggered within a short delay of a few seconds, the delay ranging from anywhere between 3 through 15 seconds, or any suitable time which allows sufficient time for the cam follower (e.g., cam follower 123, 223) to clear the corresponding cam members (e.g., second cam member 122) or the lever arm (e.g., lever arm 221), or the ball detent mechanism 318 to return to its initial position and the flush handle to return to its initial position.

In particular, the handle 620 includes a shaft 621 that protrudes outwardly from an interior surface of the handle 620 and extends through the collet actuator 624 and the flush housing 625 through apertures disposed therein. The shaft 621 is directly or indirectly coupled to the reversible flush arm 628. The reversible flush arm 628 allows the flushing mechanism 610 to be installed on tank assemblies 13 in a wide variety of orientations, such as, for example, front mounted handles, side mounted handles, corner mounted handles, etc. The reversible flush arm 628 is generally L-shaped and includes a first flange 629 and a second flange 630. The second flange 630 extends generally perpendicularly with respect to the first flange 629. For example, FIG. 23 illustrates the orientation of the reversible flush arm 628 when the flushing mechanism 610 is mounted to the tank assembly 13 frontally. In this configuration, the first flange 629 is coupled to the shaft 621 via fasteners and is generally perpendicular to the shaft 621. FIG. 24 illustrates the orientation of the reversible flush arm 628 when the flushing mechanism 610 is mounted to the tank assembly 13 on a side of the tank assembly 13. In this orientation, the second flange 630 is coupled to the shaft 621 via fasteners and the second flange 630 extends generally perpendicularly with respect to the shaft 621. In this manner, the flushing mechanism 610 provides modularity thereto, where the flushing mechanism 610 can be installed in any orientation, which allows the flushing mechanism 610 to replace or be retrofitted on existing toilets.

The reversible flush arm 628 can comprise aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, polymers, or any other suitable material that has appropriate properties to allow the reversible flush arm 628 to plastically deform to maneuver around interfering components, such as cables, valves, chains, etc.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

Claims

1. A toilet closure apparatus adapted to mount on a toilet having a toilet seat, a toilet lid, and a tank assembly, the toilet closure apparatus comprising:

a flushing mechanism actuation of which triggers a flushing event;

a cable assembly coupled to the flushing mechanism, the cable assembly including a cable; and

a release mechanism operatively coupled to the cable, movement of the flushing mechanism axially moving the cable and causing the cable to actuate the release mechanism, actuation of the release mechanism causing rotation of the toilet lid from an open position to a closed position, the release mechanism including one of a cam mechanism, a latch mechanism, and a ball detent mechanism.

2. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cam mechanism includes:

a first cam member coupled to the cable;

a second cam member rotatably coupled to the first cam member; and

a cam follower rotatably coupled to the second cam member and the toilet lid, axial movement of the cable imparting rotational motion to the cam follower, the rotational motion of the cam follower causing the toilet lid to move from the open position to the closed position.

3. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second cam member includes an end portion that engages the cam follower when the toilet lid is in the open position.

4. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 3 wherein axial movement of the cable causes the second cam member to disengage the cam follower.

5. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1 wherein the latch mechanism includes:

a bell crank coupled to the cable;

a lever arm rotatably coupled to the bell crank; and

a cam follower rotatably coupled to the lever arm and the toilet lid, axial movement of the cable imparting rotational motion to the cam follower, the rotational motion of the cam follower causing the toilet lid to move from the open position to the closed position.

6. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a link member rotatably coupled to the bell crank and the lever arm.

7. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 5 wherein the lever arm includes a lip portion that engages the cam follower when the toilet lid is in the open position.

8. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 7 wherein axial movement of the cable causes the lever arm to disengage the cam follower.

9. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ball detent mechanism includes:

a detent spring loaded pin;

a detent ball coupled to the detent spring loaded pin;

a biasing mechanism arranged to position the detent ball in engagement with a groove disposed on a lid hinge that rotatably supports the toilet lid when the toilet lid is in the open position, axial movement of the cable disengaging the detent ball from the groove which allows the toilet lid to move from the open position to the closed position.

10. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a housing that houses at least the detent spring loaded pin and the biasing mechanism.

11. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an override mechanism configured to restrict movement of the toilet lid when the flushing event is triggered while a user is seated on the toilet seat.

12. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 11 wherein the override mechanism includes:

a tab member disposed on a lid hinge that rotatably moves the toilet lid; and

an override groove disposed on a seat hinge that rotatably supports the toilet seat having a tab securing portion, the override groove arranged to secure the tab member in the tab securing portion when the user is seated on the toilet seat.

13. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cable securing device that secures the cable assembly to the toilet.

14. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 13 wherein the cable securing device includes:

a cable stop configured to restrict movement of the cable assembly; and

a securing nut having a body that extends between an upper flange and a lower flange, the lower flange having an opening that is sized such that an interior surface of the lower flange abuts a lower surface of the cable stop.

15. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flushing mechanism includes a reversible flush arm.

16. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flushing mechanism includes:

a handle that is rotatable from a rest position to a flush position to trigger the flushing event, the handle including a shaft projecting outwardly from an inner surface of the handle; and

a reversible flush arm having a first flange and a second flange that is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the first flange, the first and second flanges configured to be coupleable to the shaft.

17. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manual override mechanism.

18. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a damper that allows movement of the toilet seat or the toilet lid at a controlled speed.

19. The toilet closure apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a delay mechanism that provides a delay to allow the cam mechanism, the latch mechanism, or the ball detent mechanism to return to an initial position after the flushing event is triggered.

20. An override mechanism adapted to prevent movement of a toilet lid when a user is seated on a toilet seat, the override mechanism comprising:

a tab member disposed on a lid hinge that rotatably moves the toilet lid; and

an override groove disposed on a seat hinge that rotatably supports the toilet seat having a tab securing portion, the override groove arranged to engage the tab member in the tab securing portion when the user is seated on the toilet seat.

21. The override mechanism of claim 20, further comprising:

a biasing mechanism arranged to restrict the tab member from engaging the tab securing portion when the user is not seated on the toilet seat.

22. A cable securing device adapted for securing a cable assembly to a toilet, the cable securing device comprising:

a cable stop configured to restrict movement of the cable assembly; and

a securing nut having a body that extends between an upper flange and a lower flange, the lower flange having an opening that is sized such that an interior surface of the lower flange abuts a lower surface of the cable stop.

23. The cable securing device of claim 22 wherein the securing nut includes a slit that extends through the body, the upper flange, and the lower flange, the slit sized to secure the securing nut to the cable assembly.