# US 5,703,567 A · Toilet seat alarm

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- Number: US 5,703,567 A
- Document ID: US5703567A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/717,883
- Filed: 1996-09-23
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1996-09-23
- Inventors: Michael Allen Cleveland
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703567A

## CPC

- G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
- A47K 13/24: Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES

## Abstract

A toilet seat alarm comprising a housing unit having pegs for insertion into a toilet seat, resembling a standard bumper placed on the underside of a toilet seat. A timing device-alarm, power source, speaker and position sensor are located within said housing unit. When the toilet seat is placed in the raised position, the position sensor activates the timing device-alarm which in turn causes the speaker to emit a series of beeps at predetermined intervals to alert the user to the position of the toilet seat.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A toilet seat alarm, for detecting and signaling when a toilet seat is left in a raised position, comprising:
a housing unit having opposite ends and a peg located at each of said ends, said pegs inserted into predefined holes located upon an underside surface of a toilet seat to secure the toilet seat alarm thereto;
a power source, contained within said housing unit;
a speaker in circuit with said power source;
a timing device-alarm, in circuit with the power source, speaker, and a position sensor, which, upon actuation by the position sensor in response to the toilet seat being left in the open position, causes the speaker to emit an audible signal for a predetermined period; and
a position sensor contained within said housing unit and in circuit with said power source and speaker, for detecting when the toilet seat is left in the raised position, comprising outer leads and a center lead, and a hinged tube connected to each of said leads by a connector, said leads located along the circuit between the power source and the timing device-alarm and speaker, with a weighted pendulum attached to the center lead and a corresponding hinged tube and a wire traveling from the power source to one of the outer leads and then from the opposite outer lead to the timing device-alarm and speaker such that when the toilet seat is placed in the raised position, gravity causes the pendulum to shift thereby causing the center lead attached thereto to shift into line with the outer leads and complete the circuit between the power supply and the timing device-alarm, thus activating said timing device-alarm and causing the speaker to emit an audible signal for a predetermined period, alerting someone that the toilet seat is open.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The toilet seat alarm as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing unit comprises the same shape as a toilet seat bumper, so that said toilet seat alarm may simply and inconspicuously replace one of a plurality of the existing toilet seat bumpers affixed to the toilet seat.

### Claim 3

A toilet seat alarm, for detecting and signaling when a toilet seat is left in a raised position, comprising:
a housing unit, comprising the same shape as a toilet seat bumper, so that said toilet seat alarm may simply and inconspicuously replace one of a plurality of the existing toilet seat bumpers affixed to the toilet seat, having opposite ends and a peg located at each of said ends, said pegs inserted into predefined holes located upon an underside surface of a toilet seat to secure the toilet seat alarm thereto;
a position sensor contained within said housing unit for detecting and signaling when the toilet seat is left in the raised position; and
a speaker, in circuit with said position sensor, for emitting an audible alert in response to an indication by the position sensor that the toilet seat has been left in the raised position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The toilet seat alarm as recited in claim 3, further comprising:
a power source, contained within said housing unit; and
a timing device-alarm, in circuit with the power source, speaker, and position sensor, which, upon actuation by the position sensor in response to the toilet seat being left in the open position, causes the speaker to emit an audible signal for a predetermined period.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The toilet seat alarm as recited in claim 4, wherein the position sensor further comprises outer leads and a center lead, and a hinged tube connected to each of said leads by a connector, a weighted pendulum is attached to the center lead and corresponding hinged tube, and a wire travels from the power source to the one of the outer leads and then from the opposite outer lead to the timing device-alarm and speaker such that when the toilet seat is placed in the raised position, gravity causes the pendulum to shift thereby causing the center lead attached thereto to shift into line with the outer leads and complete the circuit between the power supply and the timing device-alarm, thus activating said timing device-alarm and causing the speaker to emit an audible signal for a predetermined period, alerting someone that the toilet seat is open.