Toilet device

Vater device

The present invention relates to a vater device.

Documents DE 29804697 U1 and US 5,974,598 describe examples of a portable vater device comprising a vat seat with legs that can be folded to a descending position, when the device is vertical, free, out. so that the respective vater devices can be used on a conventional vat cup, or inwards for convenience when the vater device is transported or stored.

U.S. Pat. 5,161,263 describes a chamber or urinal receptacle that can again be supported by its legs in a vertical, free position, but in which the legs can be folded flat against the low side of the chamber of the receptacle or urinal for storage. or when it should be placed on a conventional vater cup.

European Patent No. 0427731 describes a portable chamber receptacle or urinal for a child or baby. The potty comprises a seat portion of a size suitable to accommodate the back of a child or baby and a pair of articulated legs to support the seat portion that is above the ground. The legs can be folded inwards to obtain compact storage. A disposable container in the form of a plastic bag with a pair of handles can be used to cover the seat portion and shaped to form a receptacle below the seat portion with the handles hooked on the legs to keep the receptacle in place .

This portable camera receptacle does not lend itself for use in combination with a conventional vat cup.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vater device.

According to the present invention, a vater device is provided comprising a seat portion, a pair of side walls rotatably secured to sides as opposed to the seat portion so that the side walls can be displaced from a first configuration folded in which these extend inwardly one h hcia another, pass through a second erect configuration in which these generally extend at right angles to the seat portion, to a third configuration of the vater seat adapter in which they extend generally away from each other, fixing means for fix the side walls to the seat portion in the second configuration and securing means to prevent the side walls from turning beyond the third configuration, wherein said seat portion comprises an annular body having inner and outer skirts depending downwards and in which each of said side walls is supported by a rod, the vater device includes in each side wall a pair of flanges of separate support that extend between the inner and outer skirts, wherein said support flanges rotatably support respective stems and in which each support flange includes a profiled groove, which extends substantially at right angles to the seat portion and has a first and second enlarged surfaces, separated, with a size to accommodate the stem, the rod is movable from an enlarged surface to the other through a space normally narrower than the diameter of the rod thanks to the elasticity of the flange.

By way of example, a vater device incorporating the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in its free vertical urinal configuration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device in its folded configuration;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device in its vater seat adapter configuration;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 3 from below;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 2 from below;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the device in the vertical urinal configuration, free, but from below;

Figures 8 and 9 are elevational views from the front of a detail of the device when folded and in free vertical configurations;

Figure 10 is a detail of the mechanism of articulation of the device; and Figures 11 and 12 are raised from the front of a detail of the articulation mechanism and one of the legs of the device.

As shown in Figures 1 through 5, the device comprises a generally annular body or seat 2 having a profiled seating surface surrounding a central opening 4. The annular body has inner and outer skirts depending downward 6 and 8 ; the outer skirt 8 has a greater fall than the inner skirt 6. The perpendicular seating area of ​​the annular body 2 has protrusions on evades 10 and 1 2, diametrically in opposition to defining the front and rear as in conventional chamber urinals for children.

The seat 2 is supported on opposite sides by a pair of similar side walls 14 and 16.

the side walls 14 and 16 are coupled to the annular body 2 between the inner and outer skirts 6 and 8 and can occupy one of three defined configurations. These three configurations are substantially an erect configuration (see Figure 1) in which the annular body 12 is supported separated from the ground on which the side walls 14 and 16 rest; a folded configuration in which the side walls 14 and 16 are folded into an area surrounded by the outer skirt 8 and which extends through the opening 4; and a vater seat adapter configuration in which the side walls 14 and 16 extend outwardly from the outer skirt 8 and are generally in the same plane as the seat 2.

The seat is arranged to be used as a camera receptacle for children when it is in the upright position together with the container in the form of a plastic bag with handles. In use, the plastic bag (not shown) is located in the opening 4 and the handles are carried over the upper part of the seat and made to be applied to a pair of separate recesses 14a, 14b and 16a, 16b in the distal ends of the respective side walls 14 and 16.

Each side wall 14 and 16 has an integral rod 20 extending from opposing ends and which is supported by a pair of separate support flanges 22 and 24 extending between the inner skirt 6 and the outer skirt 8. The description qu The following is followed by the side to the side 14 but it is also applied to the side wall 16. As can be seen more clearly in Figure 10, the support flange 22 has a profiled groove 26 arranged on the rod 20. The groove 26 has two separate neck portions 28 and 30 each defining a slightly smaller space that the diameter of the rod 20 and two circular regions separated each with the appropriate size to accommodate the rod 20. Because the inner skirt 6 has less extension than the outer skirt 8 the groove 26 defines a finger 32 on the support flange 22 said finger 32 can flex more easily than the rest of the support flange 22. By driving the rod 20 to along the groove 26 from one circular region to the other, the rod 20 can be moved between two stable positions, namely an upper position (as shown in Figure 10) and a lower position. In its upper stable position the side wall 14 can be passed from the folded configuration to the configuration of the seat adapter for the vater.

Between the two separate support flanges 22, 24 there are arranged a series of fixing flanges 34. Each fixing flange 34 extends between the inner and outer skirts 6 and 8 (see Figures 8 and 9). Each fixing flange 34 has a groove 38 that is aligned with a rear portion 14c of the side wall 14 when in the erect configuration.

These fixing tabs 34 prevent the rod 20 from being displaced along the groove 26 except when the side wall is in the erect configuration. However, when the side wall is in the erect configuration, pressure can be applied to the side wall 14 to move the rod from the upper stable position to the lower stable position against the elasticity of the finger 32. When this occurs, the rear portion 14c is applied to the grooves 38 of the fixing tabs 34 and this fixes the side wall 14 in the upright position and prevents the rod 20 from rotating around its axis.

Pushing out the side wall 14 from the seat portion 2 moves the rod 20 from the lower stable position to the upper stable position against the elasticity of the finger 32.

The fixing flanges 34 also act as a stop mechanism to arrange the side wall 14 in either the erect or folded configuration. As shown in Figure 9, the profile of the fixing flange 34 on opposite sides of the groove 38 meets the position of the distal end of the end portion 14c of the side wall 14. There are two positions where there is no interference when the side wall 14 is either in the folded configuration (see Figure 9) or in the erect configuration (see Figure 8). To move from the folded configuration to the erect, the application surfaces of the rear portion 14c and the fixing flanges 34 move the rod 20 against the elasticity of the support flange 22.

A stop mechanism is provided to build the side wall 14 in the configuration of the vat seat adapter by means of a series of separate ribs 42 (see Figure 5) of the side wall 14 which are applied to an edge 40 that extends towards outside from a lowered portion of the outer skirt 8. When the side wall 14 is passed from the erect position to the configuration of the vater seat adapter, the ribs 42 are applied to the edge 40 and as the edge 40 is disposed below the axis of the stem 20 when it is in the stable position This causes the rod 20 to move up into the groove 26 against the elasticity of the finger 32.

Continuous application on edge 40 occurs until the ends of the ribs 42 exceed the edge 40 (see Figure 12) and the edge 40 falls into a groove formed between the ends of the ribs 42 and a side wall surface 14. At this point, the finger 32 of the support flange 22 retracts and the side wall 14 is effectively fixed in the vater seat adapter configuration.

As can be seen in Figure 7, a sure mechanism is provided to increase the stop mechanism. The locking mechanism takes the form of an arcuate projection 44 extending radially from one end of the rod 20, said projection 44 is applied to a fastener 46 extending from the support flange 22. A similar locking mechanism is provided at the end. in opposition to the stem 20.

Each atheral parental 14 and 16 has a fault that is generally semicircular and that has a generally semicircular exterior face. A mesh of intersecting eyelashes 54 extends across the wall 50 to provide reinforcement (see Figure 4), and make the side walls rigid.

The free ends of the flanges 54 and the skirt 50 may be covered with a non-slip layer of rubber

or silicone rubber to prevent the device from sliding when placed on a vater seat in the vater seat adapter configuration. The floor application surfaces of the side walls can also be covered in this way. The cover can be glued, molded or otherwise secured to the device, which is preferably made of polypropylene.

Since the elasticity of the finger 32 plays an important part in the device, its preferred dimensions are: thickness within the range of 1 to 3 mm and width within the range of 4 to 8 mm.

It should be noted that when the device is made of a plastic such as polypropylene, some flexion may occur in the seat portion when the device is in the configuration of the vater's seat adapter. This ensures a more uniform contact with the eyelashes that intersect the toilet seat thus ensuring a better attachment of the device to the seat.

It should also be noted that using the same device to teach children to use a non-regular vater and then using the device as an adapter for a conventional vat seat, the baby or the child can transition with a degree of comfort and greater security, not only physically, but emotionally.