TOILET FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS

W.-C. ADAPTE AUX BESOINS DES PERSONNES EN FAUTEUIL ROULANT

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The toilet disclosed makes it possible for a person
confined to a wheelchair independently to move from the
wheelchair to the toilet, without the assistance of a third
party. The configuration of the toilet bowl, including a unitary
seat makes it possible for a person, using adjacent grab bars, to
move from the wheelchair (adjacent and facing the toilet), to a
position on the toilet facing in the direction opposite from that
normally assumed by a person using the toilet.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a toilet for use by those confined to
wheelchairs, a bowl having an elongated opening and a uniform
depth along the major portion thereof, and a unitary seat on said
bowl having a relatively flat upper surface, said bowl having a
front and rear, whereby a person may use the toilet while seated
on the bowl facing toward either the front or rear thereof.
2. In a toilet according to claim 1, said unitary
seat being 18 inches above the floor.
3. In a toilet according to claim 1, said opening in
said bowl having a width of nine inches and a length of 11
inches.
4. A toilet for use by those confined to wheelchairs,
comprising a rear water tank and a bowl projecting forwardly
therefrom having standard rough drainage means; said bowl having
a central upper opening of greater length than width and a
unitary seat, the bowl having a uniform depth along a major
central portion thereof, whereby a person may use the toilet
while seated on the bowl facing toward either the front or rear
thereof.
5. A toilet according to claim 4, said seat being
approximately 18 inches from the floor on which the toilet rests,
and the opening in said bowl being approximately nine inches in
width and 11 inches in length.
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Description

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One of the indignities imposed on wheelchair users is
the absence of privacy in the bathroom.
The invention relates to a specially designed toilet,
to permit independent use by a wheelchair user.
Conventional toilets do not permit use by one confined
to a wheelchair, as the transfer from the wheelchair to the
toilet involves a complex maneuver which requires the assistance
of at least one other person. Conventional toilets make it
necessary for the occupant of a wheelchair to approach a toilet
in the wheelchair, then to stand, and rotate 180, before being
able to sit on the toilet.
The subject invention provides a toilet which permits
much easier access by a wheelchair-dependent person, and in many
cases will permit the wheelchair occupant to transfer
herself/himself from the wheelchair to the toilet, without the
assistance of another person.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
toilet which may be used by the occupant of a wheelchair, and
which facilitates the occupant ~ransferring herself/himself from
the wheelchair to the toilet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a
toilet which may be used in the conventional manner, with the
user being seated with his/her back to the water tank, or which
may be used by the occupant of a wheelchair while seated on the
improved toilet according to the invention r facing the water
tank.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a
modified toilet basin which is hygienic, and of relatively low
cost to manufacture.
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A further object of the invention is to provide a
toilet which is designed to facilitate use thereof by a
wheelchair occupant, but which may be installed to replace a
standard toilet, without any changes to the water and waste
connections used in a standard toilet. In other words, the
toilet according to the invention will be provided with a waste
connection the same distance from the wall (10 inches or 12
inches rough), as is required for a standard toilet. Thus, it is
an object of the invention to provide a toilet for use by
wheelchair occupants which can be easily substituted for a
standard toilet, and which may just as easily be r~moved, and
replaced by a standard toilet, should the wheelchair occupant
change residences.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a
toilet for use by those confined to wheelchairs, the toilet bowl
having an elongated opening and a uniorm depth along the major
portion thereof, and a unitary seat on said bowl having a
relatively flat upper surface.
The invention will now be described with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a toilet according to
the invention, and of a bathroom in which the toilet is situated;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the toilet according to
the invention; and
Figure 3 is a front elevation.
Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings in
which like reference numerals will identify like parts.
With reference to Figure 1 the toilet according to the
invention is indicated generally at 10 and includes a standard
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water tank 12. Opening 14 to the bowl 16 of toilet 10 is of a
more elongate configuration, having a semi-circular portion at
the inner and outer ends thereof, as opposed to the generally
oval or sometimes circular standard opening to toilet bowls.
It will also be observed that the bowl is slightly
narrower, as compared to the width of a standard toilet bowl.
This narrower width makes it more comfortable to accommodate the
user, particularly while the user is facing the water tank, and
thus straddling the seat.
In order to comfortably accommodate a wheelchair user,
seated upon the toilet facing the water tank, the interior width
of opening 14 will be approximately nine inches. The interior
length of the bowl (from the interior of the front thereof to the
interior of the rear of opening 14) will be approximately 11
inches. The length of the bowl from the fron-t face of water tank
12 to the outer lip thereof will be approximately 30 inches.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, further, it will be seen
that toilet bowl 16 is provided a greater depth at the outer end
thereof, to facilitate use by a person seated thereon, facing the
water tank 12. This important change to the toilet according to
the invention increases the depth at the outer end of the toilet
bowl, as compared to the shallow, sloped outer end on a
conventional toilet. It will be observed that the bottom 18 of
toilet bowl 16 (see Figure 2) is horizontal and flat in its
center portion, again, as contrasted to the downwardly and
inwardly sloped floor of a conventional toilet bowl.
Further, bowl 16 is provided with a unitary, flat upper
lip 16a, which also serves as the toilet seat. Unitary seat 16a
facilitates cleaning, and provides a sanitary comfortable seat
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for users oE the toilet, both in the conventional and in the"wheelchair" position. While the temperature of a ceramic toilet
bowl will cause momentary discomfort, under certain conditions,
the seat 16a will warm to body temperature in a matter o-f
seconds. This ~omentary discomfort more than offsets the
discomfort that has been endured in the past, as a result of the
absence of privacy imposed on those confined to wheelchairs.
The height of a standard toilet bowl, from floor to the
top of a seat is approximately 14 inches. This relatively low
height makes it more difficult for a wheelchair occupant to
transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet seat, as it is
necessary to drop or squat a considerable distance to a standard
toilet seat. One solution that has been provided, in the prior
art, is the provision of a built-up seat, so that the wheelchair
user will not be required to lower the body to the full extent
required by a standard toilet. The toilet according to the
invention provides a toilet bowl 16 with unitary seat 16a having
its top surface approximately 18 inches from the floor. This
provision reduces the exertion required when a wheelchair user
transfers from wheelchair to toilet.
Grab bars 20 and 22 are conveniently provided adjacent
toilet 10, to facilitate transfer from wheelchair to toilet~ As
seen in Figure 1, a wheelchair-width door 24 is also provided.
The foregoing is by way of example and the invention
described should be limited only by the scope of the appended
claims.
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Representative Drawing