Disposable Stick-On Toilet Seat Adapter

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/739,495, filed Dec. 28, 2024, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein for all purposes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002]The present invention relates generally to child toileting aids, and more particularly to disposable devices for reducing the toilet seat opening size of a toilet seat to accommodate toddlers and young children. The present invention is directed to sanitary, single-use toilet seat adapters that adhere to the seat surface, thereby providing a smaller opening suitable for toddlers or young children, during toilet use including, routine use, potty training or use in public restrooms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003]Adult toilet seats are designed with openings sized for full-grown users, which presents difficulties for toddlers or young children who are learning to use the toilet due to the physical size differences between an adult's body and a toddler's or child's body. Conventional solutions include reusable toilet seat reducers, portable potty seats, and disposable covers. While these devices address certain aspects of hygiene or aperture reduction, they suffer from limitations in convenience, portability, sanitation, and compatibility with public toilets. Additionally, many prior art devices are mechanically complex presenting challenges in manufacturing with attendant higher production expense.

[0004]One of the earliest attempts to address this problem is U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,560 A (“Disposable Toilet Seat Cover”), which discloses a compact, foldable cover that installs over a toilet seat to make the seat smaller and more comfortable for children. This design lacks adhesive bonding, does not include a hygienic pull tab for removal, and does not ensure secure placement when a child moves or wiggles. In addition, the dual sheet design will allow bodily fluids to collect between the layers. And, as depicted, the 560 device is mechanically complex having many components requiring expensive complex manufacturing processes.

[0005]Another approach is U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0070921 A1 (“Disposable Toilet Seat Cover for Use in Potty Training”), which describes a collapsible, portable disposable potty-training device designed to fit on a conventional toilet seat. While single-use and child-sized, it relies on a mechanical fit rather than adhesive bonding, is structurally complex, and does not provide compact portability or hygienic removal. And, as previously noted, the 921 device is mechanically complex having many components requiring expensive complex manufacturing processes.

[0006]Commercial products marketed as disposable toilet seat covers, sold on Amazon and in many retail outlets, are marketed for toddlers and young children and employ adhesives to attach material to the toilet seat while reducing the aperture size. However, such products present several limitations. The adhesive on such products must be picked off the toilet seat after use, which is inconvenient and requires users to touch the toilet surface, which after all effectively negates the use of the toilet seat cover. The covers do not hold securely when a child wiggles, leading to instability during use. They are incompatible with non-standard toilet surfaces such as portable toilets (Porta Potties), and their bulk prevents easy storage in a small purse.

[0007]Accordingly, there remains a need for a mechanically simple, disposable, hygienic, compact, and portable toilet seat reducer that can be applied quickly, securely, and removed without direct contact with the toilet seat surface. The present invention addresses these deficiencies by providing a disposable adhesive equipped toilet seat adapter sheet with a hygienic pull tab and optional integrated handles formed from the adapter sheet material itself. The adhesive equipped toilet seat adapter sheet ensures secure placement, easy removal, and compatibility across a wide range of toilet types, including public and portable toilets, while maintaining a compact form suitable for on-the-go use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008]The present invention provides a disposable waterproof toilet seat adapter with adhesive on one side, configured to removably adhere to the upper surface of a toilet seat. The toilet seat adapter reduces the effective opening size of the seat, enabling toddlers or young children to sit securely. The toilet seat adapter may be formed as a full-cover annular overlay or as a transverse strip spanning the seat opening. A sanitary pull tab is integrated to allow removal without direct contact with toilet seat surfaces. Optional gripping handles may be incorporated into the toilet seat adapter to provide stability for the child. Additionally, the toilet seat adapter may be manufactured from a hypoallergenic material and may further possess antimicrobial properties. The present invention offers a disposable, sanitary, portable, and cost-effective solution for toddlers or young children toileting in both home and public environments, while overcoming the adhesive residue, instability, and limited compatibility issues found in existing disposable covers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0009]FIG. 1, is a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter in relationship to a toilet.

[0010]FIG. 1a is a perspective bottom view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter.

[0011]FIG. 1b is an expanded side view of a disposable toilet seat adapter showing the waterproof sheet, the adhesive layer, and the release liner.

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter placed upon a toilet.

[0013]FIG. 3a, is a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter in relationship to a toilet with the release liner partially released in preparation for placement upon a toilet.

[0014]FIG. 3b, is a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter placed upon a toilet showing the pull tab partially pulled up in the act of removing the disposable toilet seat adapter.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective top view showing a second preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter featuring gripping handles.

[0016]FIG. 5, is a perspective top view showing a third preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter placed upon a toilet seat.

[0017]FIG. 5a is a perspective bottom view showing a third preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter.

[0018]FIG. 5b is an expanded side view of the third preferred embodiment of the toilet seat adapter of a disposable toilet seat adapter showing the waterproof sheet, the adhesive layers, and the release liners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0019]Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments of a disposable toilet seat adapter are illustrated and described. With reference to FIG. 1, a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter (10) in relationship to a toilet (21) and a toilet seat (20) is shown. Also depicted is a pull tab 22 used for the removal of the disposable toilet seat adapter (10) from a toilet seat 20. The pull tab (22) may or may not feature the pressure-sensitive layer (14) affixed to it.

[0020]With reference to FIG. 1a, a perspective bottom view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter 10 is shown. The disposable toilet seat adapter (10) comprises a flexible, waterproof sheet (12) having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (14) affixed upon its bottom surface. Also shown is the pull tab (22) protruding from what would preferably be a top side edge to facilitate the removal of the disposable toilet seat adapter (10) from the toilet seat (21) (FIG. 1).

[0021]With reference to FIG. 1b, an expanded side view of the disposable toilet seat adapter (10) showing the waterproof sheet (12), the adhesive layer (14), and the release liner (16). The waterproof sheet (12) and/or the release liner (16) may feature antimicrobial properties to prevent disease and virus propagation. Additionally, the waterproof sheet (12) may be comprised of hypoallergenic material. The waterproof sheet (12) may be formed of waterproof polymer films such as polyethylene or polypropylene, rubberized materials, or coated substrates. Thickness may vary to provide flexibility while maintaining structural integrity. Additionally, the adhesive layer (14) is formulated to allow a clean removal of the waterproof sheet (12) from the toilet seat (20). The adhesive layer (14) comprises a non-permanent removable adhesive such as is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0022]With reference to FIG. 2, a perspective top view showing a first preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter (10) placed upon a toilet seat (20) of a toilet (21) is shown. In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the sheet forms an annular overlay (20) with an inner boundary (13) less than the central opening (15) of the toilet seat (20). This reduction in the effective opening size of a toilet seat (20) provides a more stable seating support for a toddler or young child than the full size toilet seat (20) while additionally providing a hygienic barrier between the toddler or child and the toilet seat (20).

[0023]Referring in combination to FIGS. 1a, 2, 3a and 3b, the use of the disposable toilet seat adapter (10) is illustrated. With reference to FIG. 3a, the waterproof sheet (12) is shown positioned near the toilet seat (20). Before placing the waterproof sheet (12) upon the toilet seat (20), the release liner (16) is removed and discarded thus exposing the adhesive layer (14) (See FIG. 1a). With the release liner (16) completely removed, the waterproof sheet (12) is now placed upon the toilet seat (20) with the adhesive layer (14) (See FIG. 1a) facing down and applied to the toilet seat (20). The final placement is depicted in FIG. 2 with the waterproof sheet (12) adhering to the toilet seat (20). In a preferred emplacement, the pull tab (22) is positioned toward the rear during the placement process, thus keeping the pull tab (22) clean and accessible.

[0024]Referring to FIG. 3b, to remove the waterproof sheet (12) from the toilet seat (20), the pull tab (22) is gripped and pulled upward and away from the toilet seat (20). Following removal, the waterproof sheet (12) is disposed of in a trash can. The waterproof sheet (12) is not designed to be flushable due to the adhesive layer (14).

[0025]With reference to FIG. 4, a second preferred embodiment of a disposable toilet seat adapter (30) is shown. Prior details as shown in FIGS. 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3a, and 3b regarding the construction and use of the disposable toilet seat adapter (10) are applicable to this preferred embodiment disposable toilet seat adapter (30). Additionally, in this preferred embodiment, the waterproof sheet (12) comprises a plurality of handles (32) situated on opposite sides of the waterproof sheet (12), opposite the end of the pull tab (22). The handles (32) are manufactured as part of the waterproof sheet (12) in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The handles (32), extending outward from the seat surface of the waterproof sheet (12) provide a gripping means for a toddler or young child to stabilize themselves while seated upon the waterproof sheet (12) when the waterproof sheet (12) is affixed upon a toilet seat (20) in the manner previously described.

[0026]With reference to FIGS. 5, 5a, and 5b, another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this preferred embodiment, a disposable toilet seat adapter (40) comprises a transverse strip (42) designed to span the seat opening of the toilet seat (20). The transverse strip (42) also comprises a pull tab (44) for sanitary removal of the transverse strip (42) following application and use upon a toilet seat (20). The pull tab 44 is clear of the adhesive end pads (46) and may be reinforced for gripping, allowing the user to peel the adapter away from the seat without contacting contaminated surfaces. After removal, the transverse strip (42) may be folded onto itself to encapsulate the adhesive layers (48) and discarded in a trash receptacle. With reference to FIG. 5a, the underside of the transverse strip (42) is shown. The underside of the transverse strip (42) comprises a plurality of adhesive end pads (46) (see FIG. 5b for an expanded side view) positioned at opposite ends of the transverse strip (42). With reference to FIG. 5b, an expanded side view of the disposable toilet seat adapter (40) of one end of the transverse strip (42) is shown. Each end of the transverse strip (42) comprises an adhesive layer (48), and a release liner (46). The transverse strip (42), and/or the release liners (46) may feature antimicrobial properties to prevent disease and virus propagation. Additionally, the transverse strip (42) may comprise hypoallergenic material. Additionally, the adhesive layers (48) are formulated to allow a clean removal of the transverse strip (42) from the toilet seat (20). The adhesive layers (48) comprise a non-permanent removable adhesive such as is well known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the transverse strip (42) comprises a pull tab (44) situated at an end of the transverse strip (42). This preferred embodiment of the present invention, a disposable toilet seat adapter (40), differs from the prior embodiments in that the transverse strip (42) may be positioned and affixed in many different locations on the toilet seat (20) in order to customize the effective opening of the toilet seat (20) to a desired size that is smaller than the inner edge (45) of the toilet seat (20). This transverse strip (42) embodiment of the disposable toilet seat adapter (40) offers a compact alternative for portability and quick installation. The transverse strip (42) may be formed of waterproof polymer films such as polyethylene or polypropylene, rubberized materials, or coated substrates. Thickness may vary to provide flexibility while maintaining structural integrity.

[0027]The disposable toilet seat adapter (10)(30)(40) may be foldable or rollable for compact storage in a purse, diaper bag, or pocketed with, and may be manufactured from biodegradable or recyclable materials to reduce environmental impact. Variations in size, shape, adhesive formulation, printed design, and packaging are contemplated within the scope of the present invention, allowing adaptation to different toilet configurations and user preferences.

[0028]The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow. It will doubtless be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that there are other embodiments employing these principles that are not described in detail herein.