Electro-mechanical toilet seat system

Abstract

A self-lifting toilet system includes toilet seat configured to be sat upon by a user. A hinge rotatably couples the toilet seat to a base. The hinge is configured so that the toilet seat is transitionable between a down position and an up position. A mechanical lifting device is configured to lift the toilet seat towards the up position. A mechanical latch is configured to hold the seat in the down position. An electronic timing system is configured to cause a seat time delay before triggering an electro-mechanical latch release system to release the mechanical latch so that the mechanical lifting device lifts the toilet seat towards the up position.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A self-lowering toilet lid system comprising:
 a toilet seat configured to be sat upon by a user;   a toilet lid;   a hinge rotatably coupling the toilet seat and lid, the hinge configured so that the toilet lid and seat are transitionable between a down position and an up position;   a mechanical lowering device configured to self-lower the toilet lid towards the down position;   a mechanical latch configured to hold the lid in the up position;   an electronic timing system configured to cause a lid time delay before triggering an electro-mechanical latch release system to release the mechanical latch so that the mechanical lowering device lowers the toilet lid towards the down position.   
     
     
         4 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the system includes a toilet bowl, and the toilet seat is rotatably coupled with the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         5 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein electro-mechanical latch release system includes a servo motor and/or a solenoid. 
     
     
         6 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , further comprising a toilet lid. 
     
     
         7 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the electronic timing system and/or the sensing system is substantially sealed. 
     
     
         8 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , further comprising a hinge housing, wherein the hinge housing is substantially sealed. 
     
     
         9 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the mechanical latch includes a clutching feature configured to allow the user to manually disengage the latch before expiration of the time delay. 
     
     
         10 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the mechanical latch includes an interlock switch configured to uncouple the delay system from a power source when the interlock switch is disengaged, and more particularly, wherein the interlock switch is disengaged after the lifting device or the lowering device moves the seat or lid to its bias position. 
     
     
         11 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the seat system is integrated with an IOT flushometer. 
     
     
         12 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , further comprising a sensing system configured to detect the absence or presence of a user, the sensing system including an electronic position sensor, optical time of flight sensor, a load sensor, and/or a capacitive sensor to detect when a user is near the toilet bowl, wherein the seat time delay is a function of detecting the absence of the user. 
     
     
         13 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the electronic timing system includes a pre-set, fixed delay time that is independent of a sensing system. 
     
     
         14 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , wherein the user raises the seat and lid to the up position, and the lowering of the lid biases the seat to lower to the down position. 
     
     
         15 . A system as defined by  claim 3 , further comprising a hard stop configured to prevent over-rotation of the lid or seat when moved to the lifted position. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product for controlling a toilet seat system, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:
 program code for controlling an electronic timing system to cause a lid time delay;   program code for controlling an electro-mechanical latch release system to release a mechanical latch after expiration of the seat time delay, wherein releasing the mechanical latch allows a mechanical device to rotate a toilet of lid towards the down position.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 program code for sensing whether a user is not near the toilet seat, wherein the seat time delay is a function of the sensing.   
     
     
         18 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of self-lowering a toilet lid comprising:
 providing:
 a toilet seat configured to be sat upon by a user; 
 a toilet lid; 
 a hinge rotatably coupling the toilet seat and lid, the hinge configured so that the toilet lid and seat are transitionable between a down position and an up position; 
 a mechanical lowering device configured to self-lower the toilet lid towards the down position; 
 a mechanical latch configured to hold the lid in the up position after being rotated there by the user; 
 an electronic system configured to cause a lid time delay before triggering an electro-mechanical latch release system to release the mechanical latch. 
   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 engaging a delay system by lifting the toilet seat to the up position.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 disengaging the delay system after the expiration of a time delay; and   lowering the toilet seat using a passive lowering system after the time delay ends.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the time delay begins after a user is not detected. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising lowering the toilet lid towards the down position using the lowering device after releasing the mechanical latch. 
     
     
         34 - 40 . (canceled)