US-12616344-B2 - Toilet seat hinge

Abstract

A hinge assembly is configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis. The hinge assembly includes a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl, and a post coupled to the base. The base includes a top portion, and a bottom portion opposite the top portion. The bottom portion having a skirt that is configured to abut against the toilet bowl when the base is fixed to the toilet bowl to inhibit liquid from entering between the base and the toilet bowl. The post is configured to support the toilet seat for rotation about the pivot axis.

Inventors

• Brian LeMahieu
• Jeffrey J. Weiss

Assignees

• BEMIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230105

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A hinge assembly configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis, the hinge assembly comprising: a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl, the base including a top portion, and a bottom portion opposite the top portion, the bottom portion having a flexible skirt that is configured to compress against the toilet bowl when the base is fixed to the toilet bowl to inhibit liquid from entering between the base and the toilet bowl; and a post coupled to the base, the post configured to support the toilet seat for rotation about the pivot axis.
2. 2 . The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the skirt tapers from the bottom portion toward the top portion, such that a footprint of the bottom portion increases in a direction from the top portion toward the toilet bowl.
3. 3 . The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the skirt forms a concave fillet.
4. 4 . The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the skirt is formed of a resiliently deformable material.
5. 5 . The hinge assembly of claim 4 , wherein the skirt is formed of a same material as a remainder of the base.
6. 6 . The hinge assembly of claim 4 , wherein, when the base is fixed to the toilet bowl, the skirt deforms to increase a footprint of the base.
7. 7 . The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the skirt extends around an entire periphery of the base.
8. 8 . A hinge assembly configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis, the hinge assembly comprising: a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl; a post coupled to the base; and a toilet seat leaf pivotably coupled to the post about the pivot axis and configured to be attached to the toilet seat, the toilet seat leaf having a skirt that is configured to engage the toilet seat to inhibit liquid from entering between the toilet seat leaf and the toilet seat, the skirt being compressed against the toilet seat when the toilet seat leaf is being attached to the toilet seat.
9. 9 . The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein the skirt forms a concave fillet.
10. 10 . The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein the skirt is formed of a resiliently deformable material.
11. 11 . The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein, when the toilet seat leaf is attached to the toilet seat, the skirt deforms to increase a footprint of the toilet seat leaf.
12. 12 . The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein the skirt extends around at least three sides of the toilet seat leaf.
13. 13 . The hinge assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a toilet cover leaf pivotably coupled to the post about the pivot axis and configured to be attached to a toilet cover, wherein the toilet cover leaf has a skirt hat is configured to engage the toilet cover to inhibit liquid from entering between the toilet cover leaf and the toilet cover.
14. 14 . A hinge assembly configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis, the hinge assembly comprising: a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl; a post coupled to the base and including a post ring; and a toilet seat leaf including a body configured to be coupled to the toilet seat and a knuckle coupled to the post for rotation about the pivot axis, wherein an axial overlap is formed between the post ring and the knuckle in a direction parallel to the pivot axis.
15. 15 . The hinge assembly of claim 14 , wherein a portion of the knuckle overlaps a portion of the post ring to form the axial overlap directly between the knuckle and the post ring.
16. 16 . The hinge assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a cap pivotably coupled to the base, wherein the cap includes a pivot ring positioned between the knuckle and the post ring, and wherein the pivot ring forms the axial overlap with the post ring, the knuckle, or both.
17. 17 . The hinge assembly of claim 14 , wherein the knuckle includes an axially extending protrusion that is received in an axial extending recess to at least partially form the axial overlap.
18. 18 . The hinge assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a slow close damper supported by the base and defining the pivot axis, wherein the knuckle and the post ring are coupled to the slow close damper.
19. 19 . The hinge assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a toilet cover leaf coupled to the base and configured to support a toilet cover for rotation about the pivot axis, the toilet cover leaf including a pivot sleeve adjacent the post ring.
20. 20 . The hinge assembly of claim 19 , wherein the pivot sleeve includes a shield extending axially from an end of the pivot sleeve, and wherein the shield is positioned radially outside of the post ring and over a gap between the post ring and the pivot sleeve.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/297,495, filed on Jan. 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a toilet seat hinge. SUMMARY In one aspect, a hinge assembly is configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis. The hinge assembly includes a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl, and a post coupled to the base. The base includes a top portion, and a bottom portion opposite the top portion. The bottom portion having a skirt that is configured to abut against the toilet bowl when the base is fixed to the toilet bowl to inhibit liquid from entering between the base and the toilet bowl. The post is configured to support the toilet seat for rotation about the pivot axis. In another aspect, a hinge assembly is configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis. The hinge assembly includes a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl, a post coupled to the base, and a toilet seat leaf pivotably coupled to the post about the pivot axis. The toilet seat leaf is configured to be attached to the toilet seat. The toilet seat leaf having a skirt that is configured to engage the toilet seat to inhibit liquid from entering between the toilet seat leaf and the toilet seat. In yet another aspect, a hinge assembly is configured to pivotably couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl about a pivot axis. The hinge assembly includes a base configured to be selectively fixed to the toilet bowl, a post coupled to the base and including a post ring, and a toilet seat leaf including a body configured to be coupled to the toilet seat and a knuckle coupled to the post for rotation about the pivot axis. An axial overlap is formed between the post ring and the knuckle in a direction parallel to the pivot axis. Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a toilet seat assembly including a toilet seat hinge embodying an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the toilet seat assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a base of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the base shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a post of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the post shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a cap of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a toilet seat leaf of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a toilet cover leaf of the toilet seat hinge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a side view of the toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating a toilet seat and a toilet seat cover disconnected from the base. FIG. 13 is a side view of the toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover connected to the base with the cap in an unlocked position. FIG. 14 is a side view of the toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover connected to the base with the cap in a locked position. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet seat hinge of FIG. 1 taken along section line 15-15 in FIG. 3. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the toilet seat assembly of FIG. 1, illustrating the toilet seat cover in a raised position and the toilet seat in a lowered position. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a toilet seat hinge embodying another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the toilet seat hinge of FIG. 17 coupled to a toilet seat and a toilet seat cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Terms of degree, such as “substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” etc. are understood by those of ordinary skill to refer to reasonable ranges outside of the given value, for example, general tolerances associated with manufacturing, assembly, and use of the described embodiments. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a toilet seat assembly 10 that is mountable to a toilet bowl