Hinge assembly

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ₂₀Field of invention

This invention relates to a hinge assembly, and more particularly to a cover member for toilet seat and seat cover hinge assembly.

Description of the prior art

Toilet seat hinger have been employed for many years and many structures have been proposed which provide for the toilet seat and/or seat cover to be removed from the portion of the hinge which is relatively permanently ³⁰fixed to the toilet bowl.

One problem encountered with the prior art structures is that special tools or dexterity is required in order to disassembly a unit. Another problem which is encountered is that the units come apart too easily, and either come ³ⁱ’ apart accidentally or are so loose as to permit excessive wobbling of the unit.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,774, to Wilham, discloses a hinge assembly which can be secured to a toilet bowl by means of a screw driver and which eliminates the need to employ any other tool, and overcomes the forenoted problems.

It is essential, however, that such hinge assembly be free of crevices, grooves, or the like which can harbor dirt and prevent the thorough cleaning of the toilet and related devices. The use of cover member for the hinge assembly presents a difficulty, in that it must be capable of being firmly and securely locked in place, but at the same time must be readily removable. _r

OU

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that through the use of integrally formed resilient projections on. the hinge coller, and cooperating regions on the hinge body, a toilet seat hinge 55 can be provided with a cover which is easy to remove when so desired, while at the same time being firmly locked in place.

The toilet seat hinge includes a main body portion which is provided with a hinge pin means and means for at- θθ taching the body portion to a toilet bowl. The toilet seat hinge includes a cover which is provided with a plurality of projection receiving regions which correspond with a plurality of resilient projections which extend from the hinge cover member. The toilet seat hinge, main body por- gg tion has a relatively flat lower surface which, in use, is in contact with the toilet bowl. A first recess extends at substantially a right angle in front of said flat lower surface and a second recess extends from the surface of said main body portion which is opposite said flat lower surface, γθ The two recesses are substantially parallel but not coaxial and have a region in which they intersect to form a passage between the two recesses. One of said toilet seat hinge cover projection has a flange portion designed to mate with said passage between the two recesses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood as the description of the invention proceeds, particularly when read together with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a complete assembly;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a toilet seat hinge cover, taken along lines 2—2, of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the hinge cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the hinge body portion of the assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the hinge body portion of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The assembly of FIG. 1 shows a hinge assembly 10 which includes a main body portion 12, a cover or cap member 14, and a fastening assembly or screw member 16.

As shown in FIG. 1 the hinge member can be provided with a fastening assembly of the type disclosed in copending patent application, Ser. No. 613,354, filed Feb. 1, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,774, issued on June 17, 1969, in the name of Larry Wilham.

The screw head 18 receiving region or recess 19 of the hinge body 12 is shown covered by means of the cover cap 14. The cover cap 14 has a first downwardly extending projection of pin 22 positioned a short distance from the front end 23 of the cover cap 14. As second projection 24 is substantially rectangular in configuration as viewed in side elevation in FIGS. 1 and 2 and as seen in the bottom view of FIG. 3.

The rear end 25 of the cover cap is provided with a downwardly extending flange 26 which extends outwardly at its lower end, to form a slanted projection 28.

The body hinge 10 is provided with a first inner-wall 44 which cooperates with the projection 24 and a secondopposite-inner-wall 46 which cooperates with the flange 26. When the projections 24 and 26 of the cover cap 14 are forced into the recess region 19, a compression force is developed because the distance between the walls 44 and 46 is less than the distance between the outer surfaces 34 and 36 of the flanges 24 and 26 respectively.

Of even greater significance is the fact that the projection 28 locks into the passage 58, between the screw head receiving region 19 and the elongated passage or recess 59, as best seen in FIG. 5.

Unique locking characteristics are also achieved as a result of the combination of the pin-like projection 22 and the projection 24. The pin-like projection mates with a receiving hole or elongated passage 42. The front edge 23 of the cover member 14 is thus firmly held in place as a result of the forces exerted between the projections 22 and 24.

The hinge body portion 12 is provided with a pair of indentations or grooves 41 and 43, as seen in FIG. 4, in order to provide a spacing between the cover 14 and the hinge body 12. The purpose of the spacing is to expose a portion of the undersurface of the cover member 14, so that an upward force can be exerted on the cover 14* in order to separate the cover 14 from the main body portion 12 when desired.

It should be noted that it is critical that the cover member be made of a resilient material. Thermoplastic

3,568,221 materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene acetal polymers and the like as best suited for this application.

It should also be noted that the main body portion 12 is designed in such a manner that it can readily be molded by conventional plastic molding techniques.

For example, the narrow passage 42 which is designed to receive the pin-like projection 22, is axially aligned with a wider passage 52, so that the pin-like portion of the male mold which forms the passage 42 is not excessively long and fragile.

The recesses 19 and 59 intersect to form the passage 58, therefore eliminating the need for an extra machining operation or a complex mold.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosures is of preferred forms and is made only by way of example, and that various changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.