Folding bathroom stool

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of bathroom accessories, in particular to a folding bathroom stool which comprises a fixed seat and a folding part which are rotatably connected, the folding part comprises a seat part and a supporting part which are rotatably connected, and the folding bathroom stool further comprises a plurality of hinge structures so as to realize the rotary connection of the folding part or the folding part and the fixed seat. The folding part is selectively switched to a folding state or an opening state by means of a hinge structure; at least one hinge structure is provided with a damping mechanism so as to slow down the speed of the folding part in the process of switching from the folding state to the opening state. According to the utility model, the damping mechanism is arranged to reduce the overturning and falling speed of the folding part of the bathroom stool in the opening process, reduce the impact force at the joint of the seat part and the fixed seat and each joint in the folding part, and prevent each joint of the bathroom stool from being damaged, so that the service life of the bathroom stool is prolonged; the speed of impacting the ground by the folding part can be reduced, so that the noise of opening the bathroom stool is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bathroom technology, specifically to a folding bathroom stool. Background Technology

[0002] Bathroom stools are typically installed in bathrooms for people to sit on while taking a bath or soaking their feet. Most existing bathroom stools are folding designs; when not in use, the seat folds up against the wall, and the legs hang down, minimizing the space occupied. To mount a folding bathroom stool on the wall, a mounting bracket is usually fixed to the wall, and the seat is hinged to the bracket. Most bathroom stools on the market have a relatively simple connection structure between the seat and the bracket. When the stool is opened, the seat quickly flips downwards under gravity, subjecting the connection between the seat and the bracket to significant impact, making the stool prone to damage. Furthermore, the rapid downward flip of the seat also causes the legs to strike the ground quickly, resulting in considerable noise when opening the folding bathroom stool. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a folding bathroom stool that reduces the speed at which the seat flips and falls during the opening process, and reduces the impact force at the connection between the seat and the fixed seat, so as to solve the problem of easy damage of existing bathroom stools.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: a folding bathroom stool, comprising a fixed base and a folding part rotatably connected, the folding part comprising a seat part and a support part rotatably connected, the folding bathroom stool further comprising multiple hinge structures to realize the rotatable connection between the folding part itself or between the folding part and the fixed base, the folding part selectively switching to a folded state or an open state by means of the hinge structures; at least one of the hinge structures is provided with a damping mechanism to slow down the speed of the folding part during the process of switching from the folded state to the open state.

[0005] In one embodiment, the direction of the support relative to the seat is defined as downward, the folding part further includes a connector disposed below the seat, and the hinge structure includes four, namely a first hinge structure connecting the seat and the fixed seat, a second hinge structure connecting the seat and the support, a third hinge structure connecting the connector and the fixed seat, and a fourth hinge structure connecting the connector and the support, and the damping mechanism is disposed on any of the hinge structures.

[0006] In one embodiment, the damping mechanism is disposed in the fourth hinge structure.

[0007] In one embodiment, the end of the connector is provided with a first connecting cylinder portion, and the side of the support portion facing the connector is provided with a second connecting cylinder portion. The damping mechanism includes a damping element, which includes a fixed portion and a rotating portion that are damped and rotatably connected. The fixed portion of the damping element is synchronously rotatably connected to the first connecting cylinder portion, and the rotating portion of the damping element is synchronously rotatably connected to the second connecting cylinder portion, thereby forming the fourth hinge structure with the damping mechanism at the connection between the connector and the support portion.

[0008] In one embodiment, there are two damping elements, which are installed at both ends of the first connecting cylinder in opposite directions along the axial direction of the first connecting cylinder.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first connecting cylinder portion is provided with a first limiting surface, and the fixing portion of the damping member abuts against the first limiting surface to form an axial limiting, so that the rotating portion of the damping member can extend out of the first connecting cylinder portion and form a connection with the second connecting cylinder portion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first connecting cylindrical portion is an integrally formed cylindrical structure of the connector, and a locking member is detachably connected to the side of the support portion facing the connector, and the space between the locking member and the support portion forms the second connecting cylindrical portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the locking member and the support portion are detachably connected by a threaded connector.

[0012] In one embodiment, the lower end of the support portion is provided with a buffer structure, the lower end of the support portion is used to support a fixed object, and the buffer structure is used to form a buffer between the support portion and the fixed object.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0014] This invention utilizes a damping mechanism to slow down the speed at which the folding section of the bathroom stool flips and falls during opening, reducing the impact force at the connection between the seat and the fixed seat, as well as at various connections within the folding section. This prevents damage to these connections and extends the lifespan of the bathroom stool. Secondly, the reduced speed at which the folding section flips and falls decreases its impact speed with the ground, thereby reducing noise when the bathroom stool is opened. Thirdly, by placing the damping mechanism at the fourth hinge structure connecting the connector and the support, the connection allows the damping mechanism to be positioned further from the fixed seat. This results in a longer lever arm for the damping action, maximizing its damping effect and improving the bathroom stool's cushioning performance. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a side view of the open state of an embodiment of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 AA sectional view.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a side view of the folded state of an embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] The components are: 1. Fixed base, 2. Seat part, 21. Seat plate, 22. Mounting plate, 3. Support part, 31. Second connecting cylinder part, 4. Connecting piece, 41. First connecting cylinder part, 42. First limiting surface, 5. Damping mechanism, 50. Damping component, 51. Fixed part, 52. Rotating part, 60. Hinge structure, 61. First hinge structure, 62. Second hinge structure, 63. Third hinge structure, 64. Fourth hinge structure, 7. Locking component, 8. Buffer structure, 81. Spring, 82. Foot pad. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To further illustrate the various embodiments, the present invention provides accompanying drawings. These drawings are part of the disclosure of the present invention and are mainly used to illustrate the embodiments, and can be used in conjunction with the relevant descriptions in the specification to explain the operating principles of the embodiments. With reference to these drawings, those skilled in the art should be able to understand other possible implementations and the advantages of the present invention. Components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and similar component symbols are generally used to represent similar components.

[0022] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this utility model discloses a folding bathroom stool, including a fixed base 1 and a folding part that are rotatably connected. The folding part includes a seat part 2 and a support part 3 that are rotatably connected. The folding bathroom stool also includes multiple hinge structures to realize the rotatable connection between the folding part itself or between the folding part and the fixed base 1. The folding part can selectively switch to a folded state or an open state by means of the multiple hinge structures. At least one hinge structure is provided with a damping mechanism 5 to slow down the speed of the folding part during the process of switching from the folded state to the open state.

[0023] This invention uses a damping mechanism 5 to slow down the speed at which the folding part of the bathroom stool flips and falls during the opening process, thereby reducing the impact force at the connection between the seat and the fixed seat, as well as at the various connections within the folding part, preventing damage to the various connections of the bathroom stool, and thus improving the service life of the bathroom stool.

[0024] The direction in which the support part 3 is located relative to the seat part 2 is defined as downward. The folding part also includes a connector 4 disposed below the seat part 2. The hinge structure 60 includes four hinges, namely a first hinge structure 61 connecting the seat part 2 and the fixed seat 1, a second hinge structure 62 connecting the seat part 2 and the support part 3, a third hinge structure 63 connecting the connector 4 and the fixed seat 1, and a fourth hinge structure 64 connecting the connector 4 and the support part 3. The damping mechanism 5 is disposed in the fourth hinge structure 64.

[0025] The seat 2 includes a seat plate 21 and a mounting plate 22. A first hinge structure 61 and a second hinge structure 62 connecting the seat 2 are formed at both ends of the mounting plate 22. Specifically, the first hinge structure 61 is connected to the mounting plate 22 and the fixed seat 1, and the second hinge structure 62 is connected to the mounting plate 22 and the support part 3.

[0026] In this embodiment, the fixed base 1, the seat 2, the support 3, and the connector 4 are sequentially hinged to form a four-bar linkage mechanism for the bathroom stool. (See reference...) Figure 2 The diagram shows a four-bar linkage model of a bathroom stool (dashed box in the figure). The links are connected by hinges. A damping mechanism at the pivot point of any hinge reduces the speed of the four-bar linkage, thereby decreasing the speed of the folding section during opening. This reduces the impact force on the stool's joints due to its weight, preventing damage and extending the stool's lifespan. The folding section moves relative to the fixed base 1. The fourth hinge 64 is relatively far from the fixed base 1, resulting in a longer lever arm for the damping mechanism 5 located at the fourth hinge 64, increasing the damping torque and improving the damping effect. In other embodiments, the damping mechanism 5 can also be located in other hinge structures, namely any one or more of the first hinge structure 61, the second hinge structure 62, the third hinge structure 63, and the fourth hinge structure 64.

[0027] The connector 4 has a first connecting cylinder portion 41 at its end, and the support portion 3 has a second connecting cylinder portion 31 on the side facing the connector 4. The damping mechanism 5 includes a damping element 50, which includes a fixed portion 51 and a rotating portion 52 for damping rotational connection. The fixed portion 51 of the damping element 50 is synchronously rotatably connected to the first connecting cylinder portion 41, and the rotating portion 52 of the damping element 50 is synchronously rotatably connected to the second connecting cylinder portion 31. Thus, a fourth hinge structure 64 with the damping mechanism 5 is formed at the connection between the connector 4 and the support portion 3. There are two damping elements 50. In the axial direction of the first connecting cylinder portion 41, the two damping elements 50 are installed at both ends of the first connecting cylinder portion 41 in opposite directions. The connection between the two damping elements 50 and the connector 4 and the support portion 3 is symmetrical. The structure of the damping component 50 is prior art, that is, the damping rotation connection between the fixed part 51 and the rotating part 52 is prior art, and damping oil is filled between the two, so that the relative rotation of the fixed part 51 and the rotating part 52 has a certain damping.

[0028] The first connecting cylinder portion 41 is provided with a first limiting surface 42. The damping member 50 abuts against the first limiting surface 42 to form an axial limit, preventing the damping member 50 from moving away from the rotating portion 52 along the axial direction of the first connecting cylinder portion 41. This ensures that the rotating portion 52 of the damping member 50 can extend outside the first connecting cylinder portion 41, so that the rotating portion 52 can form a reliable connection with the second connecting cylinder portion 31, further ensuring that the folded portion forms a reliable damping effect.

[0029] Since the first connecting cylindrical portion 41 is integrally formed into the cylindrical structure of the connector 4, for ease of installation, in this embodiment, a locking member 7 is detachably connected to the side of the support portion 3 facing the connector 4, and the space between the locking member 7 and the support portion 3 forms the second connecting cylindrical portion 31. The locking member 7 and the support portion 33 are detachably connected by a threaded connector. Specifically, the threaded connector is a screw or bolt-nut assembly.

[0030] In other embodiments, an elastic element such as a spring can be used between the first limiting surface 42 and the fixing part 51 of the damping element 50 to press the damping element 50 into the first connecting cylinder part 41 during installation, and then the rotating part 52 of the damping element 50 can be inserted into the second connecting cylinder part 31 by means of the elastic force of the spring.

[0031] The damping mechanism 5 is not limited to two symmetrically arranged damping elements 50. Setting only one damping element 50 can also slow down the movement speed of the folding part. The specific damping mechanism 50 is determined by those skilled in the art based on the damping force of the damping element 50 and the required damping size of the folding bathroom stool.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the damping mechanism is located at the fourth hinge structure 64. Besides generating a larger resistance torque to improve the damping effect of the bathroom stool, it also protects the damping component 50. The reason is that the bathroom stool forms a four-bar linkage mechanism, with the fixed seat 1, seat 2, and support 3 bearing the force from the user (mainly the user's weight, and the impact force acting on the seat 2 at the moment the user sits down). The connecting component 4 only needs to bear its own weight. Therefore, the damping mechanism 5 located at the fourth hinge structure 64 naturally does not need to bear the force from the user, thus reducing the shear force on the damping component 50 and protecting it.

[0033] In addition, the damping mechanism 5 can also provide resistance during the process of switching the folding part from the open state to the folding state. However, the folding part does work against gravity when switching from the open state to the folding state. Therefore, the possibility of impact force on the connection points of the folding bathroom stool is relatively small. However, the damping mechanism 5 also has a certain resistance effect to prevent the folding part from moving too fast.

[0034] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the support part 3 forms the legs of the folding bathroom stool, and its lower end is used to support a fixed object, which is generally the ground, but not limited to this, and can also be other objects that can support the support part 3. A buffer structure 8 is provided at the lower end of the support part 3. The buffer structure 8 at the lower end of the support part 3 is used to create a buffer between the support part 3 and the fixed object, further reducing the impact force on the various connection points of the folding bathroom stool and improving the service life of the bathroom stool. The damping mechanism 5 reduces the opening and closing speed of the seat part 2 and the support part 3, thereby reducing the speed at which they impact the ground and thus reducing the noise when the bathroom stool is opened. The buffer structure 8 and the damping mechanism 5 work together to further absorb the impact force of the support part 3 hitting the ground, further reducing the noise generated as a result.

[0035] The buffer structure 8 includes a spring 81 and a foot pad 82. The foot pad 82 is disposed in the mounting hole 33 at the lower end of the support part 3, and the spring 81 is disposed between the foot pad 82 and the bottom of the mounting hole 33 to absorb the impact force during the process of the support part 3 descending to the ground.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the folding part includes a seat 2, a support 3, and a connector 4, and the fixed seat 1, seat 2, support 3, and connector 4 are hinged to form a four-bar linkage, but this is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the connector is not necessary. If the connector is not provided, then there are two hinge structures, one between the fixed seat and the seat, and the other between the seat and the support. In this case, a damping mechanism can be set at any one of the two hinge structures to achieve the aforementioned reduction in the speed of the folding part's flipping and falling when it is opened. The specific structure of the hinge structure is as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0037] Although the present invention has been specifically shown and described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the remaining undescribed parts are prior art, and that all changes in form and detail made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding bathroom stool, characterized in that: The folding bathroom stool includes a fixed base and a folding portion that are rotatably connected. The folding portion includes a seat portion and a support portion that are rotatably connected. The folding bathroom stool also includes multiple hinge structures to realize the rotatable connection between the folding portion itself or between the folding portion and the fixed base. The folding portion can selectively switch to a folded state or an open state by means of the hinge structures. At least one of the hinge structures is provided with a damping mechanism to slow down the speed of the folding portion during the process of switching from the folded state to the open state.

2. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The direction of the support relative to the seat is defined as downward. The folding part further includes a connector disposed below the seat. The hinge structure includes four hinge structures, namely a first hinge structure connecting the seat and the fixed seat, a second hinge structure connecting the seat and the support, a third hinge structure connecting the connector and the fixed seat, and a fourth hinge structure connecting the connector and the support. The damping mechanism is disposed on any of the hinge structures.

3. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The damping mechanism is disposed in the fourth hinge structure.

4. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connector has a first connecting cylinder portion at its end, and the support portion has a second connecting cylinder portion on the side facing the connector. The damping mechanism includes a damping element, which includes a fixed portion and a rotating portion that are rotatably connected. The fixed portion of the damping element is rotatably connected to the first connecting cylinder portion, and the rotating portion of the damping element is rotatably connected to the second connecting cylinder portion. Thus, the connection between the connector and the support portion forms the fourth hinge structure with the damping mechanism.

5. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are two damping elements, which are installed at both ends of the first connecting cylinder in opposite directions along the axial direction of the first connecting cylinder.

6. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first connecting cylinder portion is provided with a first limiting surface, and the fixed portion of the damping member abuts against the first limiting surface to form an axial limit, so that the rotating portion of the damping member can extend out of the first connecting cylinder portion and form a connection with the second connecting cylinder portion.

7. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first connecting cylindrical part is an integrally formed cylindrical structure of the connector. The side of the support part facing the connector is detachably connected to a locking member, and the space between the locking member and the support part forms the second connecting cylindrical part.

8. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 7, characterized in that: The locking member and the support part are detachably connected by a threaded connector.

9. A folding bathroom stool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the support is provided with a buffer structure, which is used to support the lower end of the support on a fixed object, and the buffer structure is used to form a buffer between the support and the fixed object.

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