Toilet seat lifting apparatus

Abstract

A toilet seat lifter comprising brackets which are bolted to the base of the toilet and connected to a foot pedal lever system. The foot pedal is connected to one end of a lever, while the other end of the lever is connected to a lift bar member. When pressure is applied to the foot pedal, the lever pivots on a fulcrum to move the lift bar member upward. This movement elevates the lift bar member which is connected to a bar that is placed under the toilet seat to raise the seat as the lift bar member is elevated.

1 . Apparatus for lifting the seat of a toilet, said toilet having a bowl and said bowl having a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side and a back with the top of the bowl having an opening and the bottom of the bowl resting on and being mounted to a floor, said bowl further having a ledge located along the sides of the bowl adjacent to, but above the floor, said seat having a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, a front and a back, the bottom of said seat resting on the top of the bowl about the edge of said opening, the back of said seat being hingedly attached to the top of said bowl adjacent its back to allow the front of said seat to be raised, said apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a pedal located in the front of the bowl,    (b) a pedal bar extending across the front of the bowl and along the right side and left sides of the bowl, the portions of said pedal bar which extend along the sides of the bowl being referred to, respectively, as the right and left side bars, said side bars having ends proximate the back of the bowl and said ends being referred to respectively as the right and left back ends of said pedal side bars, said right and left pedal side bars each having a hole through a point proximate its midpoint and said pedal being attached to the pedal bar in the front of the bowl,    (c) a first pivot means being attached to and supported by said bowl and positioned above said floor by said ledge on one selected side of the bowl, the pedal side bar on the selected side of the bowl being attached to said first pivot means at said hole along said pedal side bar on said selected side of the bowl to permit said back end of said pedal bar on the selected side of the bowl to rise when said pedal is depressed,    (d) a seat bar having a first and a second end located on top of said bowl beneath said seat on the selected side of the bowl with said first end facing the opening in said bowl and the second end extending over the outside of the bowl on the selected side, and    (e) a lift bar located on the selected side of said bowl, positioned generally vertically and having an upper and a lower end, the lower end of said lift bar being attached to the said pedal side bar on the selected side at said back end of said side bar and the upper end of said lift bar being attached to said second end of said seat bar, said seat bar and said seat being raised when said pedal is depressed.    
   
   
       2 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  ftuther comprising: 
 (a) a second pivot means being attached to and supported by said bowl and positioned above said floor by said ledge on the side of the bowl opposite the selected side, the pedal side bar on the side opposite the selected side of the bowl being attached to said second pivot means at said hole along said pedal side bar on the side opposite the selected side of the bowl to permit said back end of said pedal side bar on the side opposite the selected side of the bowl to rise when said pedal is depressed,    (b) a second seat bar having a first and a second end and being located on top of said bowl beneath the seat on the side of the bowl opposite the selected side with the first end facing the opening in said bowl and the second end extending over the outside of the bowl on the side opposite the selected side, and    (c) a second lift bar located on the side of the bowl opposite the selected side, positioned generally vertically and having an upper and lower end, the lower end of said lift bar being attached to the pedal side bar on the side of the bowl opposite the selected side at the said hole in said side bar, and the upper end of said lift bar being attached to said second end of said second seat bar and said seat being raised by both said first and second seat bars when said pedal is depressed.    
   
   
       3 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said bowl is bolted to said floor by a right bolt and a left bolt which extend upwardly from said floor through said ledge on the right side and left side, respectively, of said bowl, said right bolt and said left bolt being secured with a right nut and a left nut, respectively, said apparatus further comprising a left and a right bracket, each of said brackets having a first and a second end and said brackets each having a hole near its first end and a pivot pin extending axially outward from its second end, said right and left brackets being bolted to the bowl by passing the right and left bolts through the hole in the right and left bracket, respectively, and said brackets being secured in place on said ledge with the right and left nuts when placed and tightened on said right and left bolts, respectively, said first pivot means being used on the left and right sides and being formed by said pivot pin on the right bracket which is passed through the hole in the right pedal bar, and the pivot pin on the left bracket which is passed through the hole in the left pedal bar.  
   
   
       4 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said seat bar is rigidly attached to said lift bar.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said seat bar is rotatably attached to said lift bar to enable said seat bar to rotate when being raised and in contact with said seat.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a roller placed about said seat bar to roll against the seat when said seat is raised.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a seat bracket attached to the bottom of said seat which covers said seat bar with sufficient clearance only to allow said seat bar to travel along said seat when raising said seat, said seat bar contacting said seat bracket when said pedal is raised to close said seat.  
   
   
       8 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising a spring having a first and a second end, said spring having its first end attached to said “L” bracket and said spring's second end attached to said pedal bar, said spring being biased to lower the seat on to the bowl and said bias being overcome when said pedal is depressed to raise said seat.  
   
   
       9 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the linkage comprises of the pedal bar, the lift bar and the seat bar, further including constraint means which prevents the seat form being raised to a fully vertical position to allow the seat weight to lower the seat when the pedal is not depressed.  
   
   
       10 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said first and second seat bars are rotatably attached to the right and left seat bar.  
   
   
       11 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said first and second seat bars are connected together to add strength to the structure.