Toilet seat hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toilet seat hinges often lack efficient and secure mechanisms for coupling the toilet seat to the bowl, leading to potential instability and difficulty in cleaning, as they do not provide a robust and easy-to-assemble design.
Innovation Solution
A platform-style toilet seat hinge featuring a unitary base with through holes for fasteners, a post with a pivot axis for rotation, and a quick-disconnect cap that securely couples the toilet seat to the bowl, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly by sliding the post onto the base and locking with a cap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional toilet seat hinges are used, then the coupling mechanism is simple, but the stability and security of the toilet seat to the bowl is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is divided into distinct functional components: a base mounted to the bowl, a post that slides onto the base, and a cap that pivotally couples to the post. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall stability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge incorporates dynamic elements including a sliding post that moves along the base during installation and removal, and a cap that pivots about the pivot axis to secure the post. These dynamic mechanisms provide secure coupling while enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
2Ease of operation
If conventional toilet seat hinges are used, then the structure is compact, but the ease of assembly and disassembly is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding post mechanism allows the toilet seat assembly to be easily installed by simply sliding the post onto the base, and removed by reversing the action. The pivotal cap provides a straightforward locking and unlocking motion, making assembly and disassembly user-friendly without requiring complex tools or procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap acts as an intermediary element that simplifies the coupling process. By pivotally coupling to the post and securing it to the base, the cap provides an intuitive user interface for locking and unlocking the hinge, eliminating the need for complex fastening mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If conventional toilet seat hinges are used, then the design is simple, but the accessibility for cleaning and maintenance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented hinge design with separate base, post, and cap components creates distinct access points for cleaning. The gaps between components allow water and cleaning solutions to reach areas that would be inaccessible in a more integrated conventional hinge design, while the overall structure remains relatively simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a stable, secure, and easy-to-clean toilet seat assembly that prevents slamming and allows for straightforward removal for maintenance, enhancing user experience and maintenance accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
a post defining a pivot axis about which the toilet seat can pivot
Implementation Method 2
The cap being pivotable about the pivot axis to secure the post on the base
Implementation Method 3
a quick-disconnect cap that securely couples the toilet seat to the bowl
Implementation Method 4
the post being slidable onto the base in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the toilet bowl to couple the post to the base
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a toilet seat hinge configured to couple a toilet seat to a toilet bowl. The toilet seat hinge including a base configured to be coupled to an upper surface of the toilet bowl, a post defining a pivot axis about which the toilet seat can rotate, the post being slidable onto the base in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the toilet bowl to couple the post to the base, and a cap pivotally coupled to the post. The cap being pivotable about the pivot axis to secure the post on the base.