Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7386895 | Opening/closing device for toilet seat or toilet lid, and transmission unit for the device A lifting and lowering device (31) for a toilet seat or a toilet cover has a swing shaft (17) provided on a swing center line (C) of a toilet seat (3) or a toilet cover (4) that swings around base end portions (3l, 4 | 06/17/2008 |
| 7369414 | Rotatable hinge mechanism with enclosure for housing flexible printed circuit An electric device having a first body unit and a second body unit connected through a hinge unit is provided. A Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) having coil portions wrappable around the shafts of the hinge unit is also provided so that when the second body unit pivo... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7337564 | Loader coupler or other attachment with adjustable stops A loader coupler or other attachment includes first and second roll-back stops located on opposite lateral sides. The stops include a mounting location such as a boss, a bumper or stop member releasably secured to the mounting location, and optionally one or more sh... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7334292 | Hinge device A connecting cylindrical part of a second hinge member is inserted between first and second support arm parts of a first hinge member such that an axis of the second hinge member is aligned with that of a rotation axis. A hinge cylinder is passed through the connect... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7257862 | Decelerating device for insertion between two relatively rotating members, in particular a drum and an oscillating door for loading the drum in a top-loaded washing machine A decelerating device includes a bushing and a pin carried coaxially by the bushing. A first end of the pin is housed inside the bushing and a second end of the pin, opposite to the first end, projects axially in cantilever fashion from the bushing. Inside the bushi... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7246857 | Seat folding device of vehicle The seat folding device of a vehicle includes a seat frame that linearly slides along an anteroposterior direction of the vehicle on a guide rail fixed to a floor panel of the vehicle. Two folding brackets are pivotally coupled at a front middle portion of the seat ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7243894 | Mount for vibratory elements The invention is a mounting system for a vibrational element. The vibrational element has a longitudinal axis, an outer surface and an axial displacement node. The mounting system includes an isolation member which has an isolation surface, an isolating body, and an... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7168106 | Cam-actuated toilet seat lifting device A toilet seat lifter means is described, using a minimally simple lever and cam means with a counterweight balanced action arm. The device is adaptable to all standard toilets available today, an improved version of these inventor's prior invention. The new lifter o... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7150049 | Automatic toilet seat closer An apparatus for closing a member against a substantially horizontal surface of an object, wherein the member comprises a first end and a second end thereby defining a longitudinal axis of the member, and wherein the first end of the member is hingably attached by a... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7134150 | Foot-operated toilet seat A mechanism for raising a toilet seat includes two geared shafts that are cooperatively engaged while mounted on a toilet. A foot-operated lever attached to a first of the geared shafts provides torque thereto, causing a rotation of the first geared shaft upon depre... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7051618 | Ultrasonic welded hinge damper A damper includes a housing, a cover, a rotor and a valve relatively rotatable with respect to the rotor. When rotated in one direction, a space between the valve and the rotor is opened to increase damper fluid flow and reduce damper resistance. When rotated in an ... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7048247 | Support leg device for equipment case A support leg for an equipment case is made of a support leg main body and a stand base. The main body defines a concave (recessed) portion in the bottom thereof. A spire head portion that defines a spike is disposed in the concave portion so the spike does not exte... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7027294 | Hinge for electronic equipment and electronic equipment using the same A hinge connects two members and has a rotation arrester in one of the members. A shaft connected to the body has a slide key at its opposite end. The key constrains rotation but is axially slidable and has an arrester. An outer cam with an arrester is in the other ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6934974 | Force adjustable toilet seat lifting and lowering mechanism A toilet seat lifter means is described, using a minimally simple lever and gear means with a counterweight balanced action arm. The device is adaptable to all standard toilets available today and offers a minimum number of moving parts and no springs or pulleys. | 08/30/2005 |
| 6913252 | Damper device A damper device includes a shaft 2 inserted relatively rotatably into an axial hole 1a provided in a bearing portion 1. A high flexible resin portion 3 is provided between an outer circumferential surface of the shaft 2 and ... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6775854 | Toilet cover opening/closing device A closing device for a toilet unit includes a slave member connected to a toilet cover, a motor, and a switching mechanism that mechanically connects or disconnects the motor from the slave member during closing of the cover. When the motor rotates to move the toile... | 08/17/2004 |
| 6687921 | Toilet seat damper Damping apparatus for a toilet seat and toilet cover generally includes a hinged frame and a pair of mirror image dampers disposed in the frame for coupling with the toilet seat and toilet cover and providing independent damped closure thereof. Each dampe... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6634033 | Rotating damper A cam member 5 is disposed within a first chamber R1 such that the cam member 5 is rotatable but non-movable in the axial direction. The cam member 5 is non-rotatably connected to a rotor 3 through a connection shaft portion 52 piercing into a piston 4. A... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6550073 | Articulation for a toilet seat An articulation for a toilet seat for securing a seat assembly to a ceramic body, wherein the lowering movement of the seat assembly may be braked with the aid of a damping means. The damping means is connected via an adapter member with the fastening mea... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6523185 | Self-lowering toilet seat A device is described for automatically lowering a toilet seat. The device includes a fluid chamber with a sidewall; a replaceable insert with an arcuate inner face and parallel seat-raised and seat-lowered edges against the sidewall. A vane with a seat-a... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6393624 | Damping device for a toilet seat and lid unit in western-style toilet A damping device for damping the relative rotation of a rotating member. The damping device includes a casing, a rotor disposed in an interior space of the casing, and a damping mechanism including a viscous liquid disposed in an annular chamber formed be... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6389611 | Hinge device for supporting seat and seat lid of toilet bowl openably and closably A hinge device for use to support a seat and seat lid of a toilet bowl openably and closably is provided which can also be implemented even without any rubber ring and provide a delicately controlled feeling with the sea and seat lid when being opened or ... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6385782 | Transportable and foldable toilet seat attachment device A transportable and foldable toilet seat attachment device for use with a conventional toilet, the toilet including a bowl with an upwardly facing rim onto which is pivotably engaged a conventional toilet seat cover. The attachment device includes a first... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6321394 | Toilet seat closing system A toilet seat closing system for automatically lowering a seat over the bowl portion of a toilet after use. The toilet seat closing system includes a toilet with a bowl portion, a seat assembly pivotally coupled to the bowl assembly, and a seat lowering a... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6275999 | Hinge device for supporting seat and seat lid of toilet bowl openably and closably A hinge device for use to support a seat and seat lid of a toilet bowl openably and closably is provided which can also be implemented even without any rubber ring and provide a delicately controlled feeling with the sea and seat lid when being opened or ... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6182301 | Apparatus and method for automatically pivoting a first member relative to a second member An apparatus for automatically pivoting a first member relative to a second member comprises a housing connectable to the second member; a shaft connectable to the first member and juxtaposed to rotate about its axis within the housing between a rest posi... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6175968 | Transportable and foldable toilet seat attachment device A transportable and foldable toilet seat attachment device for use with a conventional toilet, the toilet including a bowl with an upwardly facing rim onto which is pivotably engaged a conventional toilet seat cover. The attachment device includes a first... | 01/23/2001 |
| 6138289 | Automatic toilet seat lowering device A toilet seat lowering system, for use with a toilet seat having a seat bottom and a seat rear which is mounted upon a toilet bowl, comprising a top plate and a bottom plate. The top plate and bottom plate are mounted between the toilet seat and toilet bo... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6112335 | Foot actuated, anti-slamming, toilet seat raising and lowering device An improved foot actuated, anti-slamming, toilet seat raising and lowering device providing smooth operation during both phases. A foot-receiving lever is pivotally attached to a fulcrum which is floor mounted on preferred side of toilet. A lift lever and... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6067667 | Semi-automatic closing device for seat lid of toilet bowl A semi-automatic toilet bowl seat and seat lid operator, comprising a hinge case to be installed to a toilet bowl body; a rotating shaft to support a seat and seat lid of the toilet bowl openably and closably; an output gear mounted on the rotating shaft;... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6052869 | Operating hinge for seat and seat lid of toilet bowl An operating hinge for a seat and seat lid of a toilet bowl, simply constructed and capable of controlling the angular moment of the seat and lid to softly stop them in place at their respective predetermined ends of pivoting stroke, provided. The operati... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6026520 | Toilet cover assembly A toilet cover assembly comprises a seat (1) and a cover (2) each being pivotally connected with a bracket (3) adapted to be fastened to a toilet bowl by means of two interspaced hinges (6,7). The seat (1) and the cover (2) are pivotally interconnected by... | 02/22/2000 |
| 6009568 | Opening-closing device of western style toilet seat and seat cover An opening-closing device for a Western style toilet seat and seat cover is disclosed, in which a pair of hinge cases are mounted at a predetermined spacing at the rear upper end of a Western style toilet bowl; in either of the pair of hinge cases a rotat... | 01/04/2000 |
| 6000069 | Compound torque hinge A compound torque hinge comprising a first rotating shaft to be mounted on the toilet bowl is rotatably mounted in the case body; the first rotation control mechanism comprising a cam mechanism with a compression spring on one side portion housed in the c... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5996132 | Compound torque hinge A compound torque hinge comprising a first rotating shaft rotatably mounted through a partition wall within a hinge case having the partition wall; a first rotation control working on the first rotating shaft and mounted on one side of the partition wall ... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5991936 | Opening and closing device of Western style toilet seat and seat cover A Western style toilet seat and seat cover opening-closing device is disclosed, in which a rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the axial direction of a case body designed to be mounted on the toilet bowl, and a first rotation control of the rotating sh... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5974595 | Toilet A device for automatically closing an open toilet seat after an adjustable low-speed phase to permit the user to finish using the toilet. The seat then closes at a speed which is adjustable by the user separately from the initial low speed. A biasing memb... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5918322 | Support structure for a toilet cover unit A toilet seat 40 and a toilet lid 50 are pivotably attached to an attachment base 20 of a western-style toilet bowl 10 with a hinge mechanism 30. The hinge mechanism 30 includes first and second rotational resistance mechanisms 60R and 60L which are respe... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5906010 | Operating hinge for seat and seat lid of toilet bowl An operating hinge for a seat and seat lid of a toilet bowl, simply constructed and capable of controlling the angular moment of the seat and lid to softly stop them in place at their respective predetermined ends of pivoting stroke, provided. The operati... | 05/25/1999 |
| 5901383 | Support structure for a toilet cover unit The slide support base 62 protrudes from the supporting wall 56 of the support recess 52 in the casing main body 14 and the tube-shaped support part 122 on the side of the toilet lid 100 is supported by and capable of sliding over its cylindrical surface ... | 05/11/1999 |
