Apparatus to prevent a toilet from being flushed when the lid is up
AssigneeSquawk On, LLC
InventorsCooper C. Woodring, Perry J. Saidman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toilet having a first-magnet secured to the terminal end of the toilet's flush-arm and a second-magnet secured to the toilet's lid such that when the lid is in its open or up position, the two magnets align preventing the flush-arm from rotating upward to cause the toilet to flush. Conversely, when the lid is down and the two magnets are separated, the flush-arm can be rotated upward causing the toilet to flush. In another example, a magnet-attracting component, such as iron, cobalt or nickel, can be substituted for one of the magnets. A kit for retrofitting an existing toilet is also disclosed.
Claims24
Apparatus for preventing the flushing of a toilet, wherein the toilet includes a toilet bowl, a water tank, a flush-arm located inside said water tank and having a first end, said first end of said flush-arm being in a static position when said toilet is not being flushed and a raised position when said toilet is being flushed, a flush-handle connected to said flush-arm for manually moving said flush-arm from said static position to said raised position, and a lid movable between a first position adjacent said tank, and a second position covering said bowl, said lid having an outside surface and an inside surface, comprising:
- a first magnetic portion located at said first end of said flush-arm;
- a second magnetic portion secured to said lid;
- said first and second magnetic portions being in proximity with one another when said lid is in said first position to prevent said flush-arm from moving from said static position;
- said first and second magnetic portions becoming misaligned only when said lid is moving towards said second position only after which said flush-arm can move from said static position to said raised position by manually moving said flush-handle causing said toilet to flush;
- said toilet being manually flushed only after said second magnetic portion becomes misaligned with said first magnetic portion.
A kit for preventing a toilet having a water tank from being flushed by preventing a flush-arm of said toilet located inside said water tank from being moved when a lid of said toilet is in proximity to said water tank, said lid having an inside surface and an outside surface, comprising:
- a first magnetic portion located inside said water tank and adapted to be secured near an end of said flush-arm;
- and
- a second magnetic portion adapted to be secured to said lid such that when said first and second magnetic portions are aligned said flush-arm cannot be moved;
- said first and second magnetic portions adapted to become misaligned when said lid is being closed only after which said flush-arm may be moved.
Apparatus for controlling the flushing of a toilet, wherein the toilet includes a toilet bowl, a water tank, a flush-arm located inside said water tank and having a first end, said first end of said flush-arm being in a static position when said toilet is not being flushed and a raised position when said toilet is being flushed, a flush-handle connected to said flush-arm for manually moving said flush arm to said raised position, and a lid movable between a first position adjacent said tank, and a second position covering said bowl, comprising:
- first and second components, one of said components comprising a magnetic portion and the other of said components comprising a magnet-attraction portion;
- said first component located at said first end of said flush-arm;
- said second component secured to said lid;
- said first and second components being in proximity with one another when said lid is in said first position to prevent said flush-arm from moving from said static position;
- said first and second components becoming misaligned only when said lid is moving towards said second position only after which said flush-arm can move to said raised position by manually moving said flush-handle causing said toilet to flush;
- said toilet can be manually flushed only after said first and second components become misaligned.
A kit for preventing a toilet having a water tank from being flushed by preventing a flush-arm of said toilet located inside said water tank from being moved when a lid of said toilet is in proximity to said water tank, comprising:
- a magnetic component and a magnetic-attracting component;
- one of said components located inside said water tank and adapted to be secured near an end of said flush-arm;
- and
- the other of said components adapted to be secured to said lid such that when said components are aligned said flush-arm cannot be moved
- said first and second components adapted to become misaligned when said lid is being closed only after which said flush-arm may be moved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.