Seating assemblies

The present invention relates to seating assemblies and in particular dismantleable seating assemblies.

There are many situations where a strong and stable seating assembly is required and where the ability to readily dismantle the assembly for transportation, storage etc. is a significant advantage or a necessity.

Seating assemblies for use by elderly, invalid or infirm persons often need to have such properties. In particular, the need to be simply and easily dismantled and assembled is important as often in such situations seating assemblies are either handled by such persons themselves, who are often quite weak and/or immobile, or by health visitors or assistants who may not only have to handle the seating assembly but also attend to the elderly, invalid or infirm person as well.

Seating assemblies for toilets, particularly for the elderly, invalid or infirm often need to be raised relative to conventional toilets or sanitary installations. Raising the level of the seating area can be achieved by fixing a raised toilet seat directly to the bowl of a conventional toilet, or by providing a separate, self-standing seating assembly locatable over a conventional toilet bowl, or any other suitable receptacle such as a potty or chamber pot. Such self-standing seating assemblies, often termed commodes in the art, need to be stable and strong, and preferably readily dismantleable.

Conventional self-standing commodes comprise a complex support arrangement having many parts screwed, bolted and otherwise held together to form an integral support for an attachable seat. Such support arrangements are bulky when assembled and so difficult to transport and store. If disassembled for transport or storage the unit is complicated to assemble, requiring tools to ensure secure assembly.

According to the present invention there is provided a seating assembly comprising a seat and a plurality of leg arrangements each independently and reversibly locatable on the seat by manual pushing action to provide support for the seat.

Preferably location is secure to prevent unintentional movement from location, when the assembly is in use. Preferably location is achieved by a simple pushing action.

Each leg arrangement is received in a respective locating formation of the seat. Preferably the seating assembly comprises two leg arrangements, preferably locatable in a spaced arrangement and desirably generally toward or at respective sides of the seat.

Preferably each locating formation is provided on a respective side of the seat, and may comprise a recess formed in a respective side of the seat. Preferably each formation receives a respective leg arrangement with a clipping action, whereby to secure location. The formation preferably locates around part of the leg arrangement to substantially prevent lateral movement of the seat on the leg arrangement.

Preferably each leg arrangement comprises two, in use, generally upstanding legs, fixedly located together to form a frame. Preferably the frame is in the general form of an A-frame with the two legs converging toward the in-use upper end to meet at a curved section, with a cross member extending between the legs partway down their length, to impart strength to the leg arrangement and prevent the legs from splaying apart when bearing load, in use. The cross member may extend out of the plane of the legs, desirably to provide further support for the seat. Preferably the cross-member extends beneath the seat to bear the seat thereon. The cross-member may locate in a recess formed in the seat, to provide further security of location.

Each locating formation is preferably shaped to snugly receive an upper portion of a leg arrangement, which upper portion may generally extend from the cross member to and including the curved section, whereby the locating formation generally extends closely around said portion to receive same and substantially prevent any rocking motion between the leg arrangements and the seat.

Preferably the upper portion of the leg arrangement is tubular in construction, and the locating formation is shaped to resiliently deform and locate around said portion as each leg arrangement is pushed into location. The locating formation may comprise a channel, desirably generally around its perimeter, in which the said portion locates. The channel may have a resilient lip which clips around the leg arrangement to secure location.

One or more leg arrangements may comprise means to enable adjustment of the length thereof. The means may comprise as a threaded arrangement located between first and second sections of a leg enabling adjustment by relative rotation along the thread. Other suitable adjustment arrangements may be used.

One or more leg arrangements may comprise a wheel, castor or other similar means to enable selective rolling movement of the assembly.

One or more leg arrangements may comprise a toilet roll holder which preferably extends from the side of the seat in use, for access by an occupant of the seat. The toilet roll holder may be fixedly attached.

The assembly may further comprise a removably attachable holder for use for example in supporting items such as toilet paper, shampoo and the like thereon for the convenience of an occupant of the seat.

Preferably the holder attaches to a side of the assembly and may locate on to a leg arrangement. The holder may locate over a leg arrangement in the locating recess whereby to provide further security for the location of the leg arrangement, as well as attachment of the holder. The holder may attach to the cross member of the leg arrangement, preferably by a resilient clip formation provided on the holder. Alternatively or in addition the holder may be a sliding fit into the locating recess, desirably to locate over part of a leg arrangement. The assembly may comprise a cover, locatable over the locating recess to generally cover the upper portion of a located leg arrangement. The cover is preferably securely locatable, to provide further security of location of the leg arrangement. The cover may be a sliding fit into location, preferably generally over the tubular section of the leg arrangement.

Preferably the seat comprises a hollow body with the said locating recess formed in the side thereof. The seat may be moulded from plastics material, and may be rotationally moulded. The leg arrangements may comprise tubular metal and/or plastics material.

The seat may comprise a back support for an occupant.

The seat may comprise an opening in the base to allow the passage of material, such as human waste, from an occupant of the seat, to an area beneath the seat. A lid may be provided for the selective coverage of said opening. The lid may be pivotally attached to the seat.

The assembly may comprise means to support a receptacle, such as a potty, chamber pot, bucket, bowl or the like, beneath the said opening. The means may comprise one or more support formations, such as slots or guides, over which the receptacle is locatable for support.

The invention also comprises a toilet seat comprising a seating assembly as described above.

The invention also provides a portable toilet arrangement comprising a seat assembly as described above.

The invention further provides a holder, as described above.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a seating assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2 shows a leg arrangement according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2a shows a front view of a leg arrangement according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2b shows a side view of the leg arrangement of Fig. 2a in the direction of arrow B;</li><li>Fig. 2c shows a plan view of the leg arrangement of Fig. 2a, in the direction of arrow C;</li><li>Fig. 2d shows a front perspective view of the leg arrangement of Fig. 2a;</li><li>Fig. 3a is a side view of the seat assembly generally in the direction of arrow III of Fig. 1, showing the location of the leg arrangement and the side of the seat;</li><li>Fig. 3b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area IV of Fig. 3a;</li><li>Fig. 3c is a view from beneath of the leg arrangements in location on the seat;</li><li>Fig. 3d is an enlarged view from beneath of the locating recess;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a leg arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 5 shows a leg arrangement according to a third embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 6a is a perspective front view of an attachable ledge according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 6b is a side view of a further holder according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 7 shows a seat with the holder of Figs. 6a, and b in position on the seat;</li><li>Fig. 8 is a side view of the seat with the holder of Fig. 7;</li><li>Fig. 9 is a plan view of the seat of Fig. 7; and</li><li>Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention.</li></ul>

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figs. 1 to 3, there is provided a seating assembly 10 comprising a seat 12 and a plurality of leg arrangements 14 each independently and reversibly locatable on the seat 12 by a simple manual pushing action to provide support for the seat 12.

In more detail, the seat 12 comprises a hollow body 16 of a lightweight material, such as plastics. The body 16 is preferably rotationally moulded. The seat 12 has a base 17 providing seating surface 18 on which an occupant sits and two upstanding arms 20 which provide for security and comfort of an occupant of the seat, and also provide for location of the leg arrangements 14 as will be described.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the seat comprises a back support 22 to provide for further comfort and support for an occupant of the seat 12.

In each side 24 of the seat 12, arched locating recesses 26 are formed operable to receive the respective leg arrangement 14. The locating recesses 26 are shaped to closely receive a leg arrangement and are therefore shaped generally to the shape of the leg arrangement 14 as will be further described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 a - 2d, each leg arrangement 14 comprises two legs 28 which converge to meet at an in use upper curved section 30. A cross member 32 extends between the legs 28, generally midway along their length, to provide strength to the leg arrangement and to prevent the legs 28 from splaying apart, in use. The cross member extends generally perpendicular from the plane of the legs 28 to present a support for the seat as will be explained. Each leg arrangement is generally in the form of an A-frame.

The leg arrangement 14 is of tubular construction and is formed from a suitably strong and rigid material to provide for appropriate support to the seat 12 during use and also to enable the push-fit location thereof in the seat as will be described.

To locate a leg arrangement 14 in a respective locating recess 26 involves introducing a leg arrangement 14 to locating recess generally from a direction beneath the seat 12 and pushing the leg arrangement 14 up into the recess 26 to locate within the recess 26 and to be received therein as shown in Fig. 3a - 3d. Generally in the direction of the plane of the side 24, the shape of the locating recess 26 is closely similar to that of the external shape of the upper portion 34 of the leg arrangement 14 which is received in the recess 26, whereby to prevent any rocking movement between the seat 12 and the leg arrangement 14 in the direction of the plane of the side 24 and the leg arrangement 14.

The locating recess 26 is also shaped to extend around the tubular section of the leg arrangement 14, as can be seen in Fig. 3b. An outer lip 36 extends partially around the locating recess 26 to resiliently receive and clip around the leg arrangement 14 to secure the arrangement in place. The lip 36 helps prevent the leg arrangement 14 from becoming dislodged from location during use and helps prevent rocking of the seat 12 on the leg arrangement 14 in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the leg arrangement 14.

The locating recess 26 comprises a portion 26b formed on the underside of the base of the sear 12, which receives the cross member 32 to provide for support of the seat base by leg arrangements 14 and further stability of the assembly 10 (see Fig. 3c), including further stabilising the assembly against rocking motion between the leg arrangements and the seat.

In use, the seating assembly 10 can be erected very simply and quickly by locating the two leg arrangements 14 as described above. The simplicity, stability and strength of the design overcomes difficulties of the prior art.

Dismantling is a simple reversal of the assembly process. The leg arrangements 14 can be independently pulled from location in the recesses simply by applying enough force to overcome the resilience and clip action of the outer lip 36. The two leg arrangements 14 can then be efficiently stored and transported as required.

The seating assembly 10 is principally intended for use over a toilet or other suitable receptacle such as a chamber pot or potty (not shown). In the art, such seating assemblies are referred to as commodes.

In such applications, the quick assembly and disassembly of the seating assembly 10 is particularly advantageous, and for such applications, the seating base 17 will define an opening 37 (see Fig. 3c) extending there-through to allow the passage therethrough of waste material etc.

A further application of the seat assembly 10 is in the provision of a temporary shower seat which again would be particularly useful for the elderly, infirm or invalid. The construction facilitates rapid assembly and disassembly, and also provides for a waterproof construction tolerant to such conditions.

Fig. 4 shows a leg arrangement 114 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The arrangement 114 is generally similar to the arrangement 14 described above, but comprises legs 128 which are adjustable in their length. Each leg 128 has a first section 38 comprising a fixed part of the frame and a second section 40 attached to the in-use lowermost end of the first section 38 by a thread arrangement 42 which provides for selective adjustment of the position of the second section 40 on the first section 38 and thereby the overall length of the leg 128.

The thread arrangement 14 comprises a male thread member 44 provided on the second section 40, and a female thread (not shown) on the inside of the section 38 and operable to threadably receive the male thread 44. Adjustment of the relative position of the sections 38, 40 and thereby the overall length of the leg 128 is achieved by selective rotation of the second section 40 into and out of the first section, via the thread arrangement 42.

Adjustment enables various heights to be achieved on the seating assembly 10, and also for the seating assembly to be positioned in a level condition on unlevel or uneven surfaces.

Fig. 5 shows a leg arrangement 214 according to a third embodiment of the invention. Again, the leg arrangement 214 is of generally similar construction to the leg arrangement 14, but comprises rotatably mounted wheels 48 on the ends of the legs 228. This provides for selective rolling movement of the seating assembly 10. In a further embodiment, not shown in the figures, a wheel may be provided on only one of the legs, of each, or one or more of the leg arrangements 14.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 9, a seating assembly 310 according to a further embodiment of the invention, is shown. In general, the seating assembly 310 is similar to the seating assembly 10.

In this embodiment, a removably attachable holder 52 is provided. The holder 52 comprises a generally hollow body 55 having a generally upright back portion 56 and a ledge portion 58 extending generally perpendicular therefrom. The back portion 56 is shaped to locate around and close the locating recess 26, over the leg arrangement 314 located in the recess. The holder 52 shown in Fig. 6a has a recess 53 around its external edge, which in use locates over the tubular legs of the upper portion of the leg arrangement, and location is achieved by pushing the holder 52 upward, over the upper portion. The tight frictional fit of the recess 53 over the upper portion secures the holder in place. Fig. 6b shows an alternative holder 152 wherein on the in-use rear surface 160 of the back portion 156 is a resilient clip 62 which locates onto the cross-section of a leg arrangement to secure the holder 152 in place. A locating projection 61 is provided on the upper edge to locate in a corresponding recess in the upper surface of the locating recess 326. Location of the holder 52, 152 in this way also provides some added security to the location of the leg arrangement 314 within the recess 26.

The holder 52 provides a handy place to locate items that may be required during use of the seat, such as toilet paper when the seating assembly 10 is used as a toilet seat or commode, and shampoo and the like when used as a shower seat.

Fig. 10 shows a further embodiment of the present invention, wherein the seat 412 does not comprise a rear back support. In this embodiment, a pivotally mounted lid 63 may be provided attached to the in-use rear side of the seat to provide for selected closure of the opening 437 in the base of the seat 412. In a further embodiment such a lid 63 may not be provided.

The embodiment of Fig. 10 also provides for a toilet roll holder 65 fixedly attached to the leg arrangements 414. Such a toilet roll holder 65 may be provided on one side of a chair 412, with a holder 52, 152 provided on the other side.

With reference to Fig. 8, provision may be made in the seat assembly to support a receptacle R, such as a potty, chamber pot, bowl or the like, beneath the opening 37 to receive and hold waste material. Suitable support formations (not shown) may be provided to slidingly receive and retain the receptacle R for location in position.

Covers (not shown) may also be provided to locate generally in similar position and in similar manner to the holders 52, 152, to conceal the locating recess to provide a more aesthetic finish, and also to provide further support and strength to the assembly 10, when holder 52, 152 are not present.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Various features have been described above in relation to certain embodiments, and any of the features and embodiments can be interchanged in accordance with the present invention.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.