Toilet seat assist system and method of making and using same

A method to assist a user in lowering themselves onto, and raising themselves off of, a toilet, the method comprising:

• providing an apparatus including a seat having a forward end portion, an aft end portion, a base mounted to the toilet, at least one forward pivot mechanism connecting the seat to the base and enabling the seat to rotate relative to the base, at least one non-electric biasing energy storage mechanism configured to move the aft end portion of the seat between a lowered position and a raised position, first and second arm rests mounted to the base, first and second support handles that are upwardly and outwardly extending from the first and second arm rests relative to the seat, and first and second lifting handles formed on upper ends of the first and second support handles and extending orthogonally outwardly therefrom,
• wherein the user operates the apparatus through:
• upwardly rotating the aft end portion of the seat through operation of the at least one non-electric biasing energy storage mechanism such that the seat is in an angled position relative to a horizontal plane,
• assisting the user in sitting down on the seat, the weight of the user causing the seat to rotate from the angled position to a horizontal position in a controlled manner,
• locking the seat into the horizontal position using a lock coupled to the seat, the lock including a lever coupled to a latch by way of an elongated member, the lever being positioned above the latch,
• actuating the latch using the lever and elongated member,
• assisting the user in raising themselves off of the seat with a portion of their weight supported by the first and second support handles and the first and second lifting handles, the aft end portion of the seat rotating upwardly through operation of the at least one non-electric biasing energy storage mechanism as the user moves from a seated position to a standing position, and
• wherein the apparatus includes first and second gripping handles on the first and second arm rests respectively, and the user holds the first and second gripping handles while sitting down on the seat as the seat moves between the angled position and the horizontal position.