TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet seat sheet to be used by attaching to (placing
on) a toilet seat surface of a Western-style toilet stool, and more specifically to
a toilet seat sheet foldably structured for portable use.
BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE
[0002] When using a Western-style toilet stool in a public toilet, it is most requested
that the toilet seat surface with which a user's skin comes into direct contact be
maintained to be clean and hygienic.
[0003] In a Western-style toilet stool installed in a public toilet, however, there rarely
exists a toilet stool provided with countermeasures for keeping the toilet seat surface
clean and hygienic. In order to prevent one's skin from coming into direct contact
with the toilet seat surface, users generally place tissue papers or toilet papers
cut into desired lengths on the toilet seat surface.
[0004] With such a solution means, since the size of the cutout toilet paper does not meet
the standard of the toilet seat surface, it is difficult to stably arrange the toilet
paper on the toilet seat surface, and therefore there is a problem that users often
feel uneasy about, e.g., moving of the toilet paper on the toilet seat when using
the toilet. In the case of such method, there is another problem that it is extremely
uneconomical because more than necessary amounts of toilet papers are cut to relieve
the concern that the user's skin may come into direct contact with the toilet seat
surface.
[0005] Especially, a latest toilet seat is different from a conventionally structured toilet
seat in which the entire toilet seat surface is relatively flat. That is, for the
purpose of fitting to the users' body shapes (specifically, the shape of the gluteal
region when seated) to make the seated feeling better, many toilet seats have a structure
in which the toilet seat surface is slightly and downwardly inclined toward the inner
peripheral edge portion (excretion hole side) from the outer peripheral edge portion.
Therefore, when a tissue paper or a toilet paper is placed on the toilet seat surface,
there likely causes a force to move the placed sheet or other paper from the outer
peripheral edge portion of the toilet seat surface to the inner peripheral edge portion
thereof (the outlet hole side of the toilet bowl) along the inclination of the toilet
seat surface to slip down into the excretion hole, creating another problem that a
paper cannot be stably set and maintained.
[0006] To solve the problems, a toilet seat sheet is proposed, in which a circular or elliptical
open hole is perforated or an excised portion (cutoff portion) for forming such open
hole is formed in a center (a position corresponding to the excretion hole of the
toilet seat) of a rectangular sheet covering the entire toilet seat surface or an
elliptical or similarly shaped sheet covering the entire toilet seat surface (See
Fig. 12).
[0007] Such publically known toilet seat sheets are generally simple, that is, a plurality
of sheets are each folded in half in the lengthwise direction and accommodated in
a packaging bag. It is considered that those sheets are solely aimed to be used by
being provided in a toilet. Therefore, they are not appropriate for portable use due
to the large size.
[0008] On the other hand, as a toilet seat sheet available for portable use, a disposable
toilet seat sheet is proposed in which it is configured such that a plurality of rectangular
sheets each having the aforementioned structure and each folded into a small size
are accommodated in a case (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication
No.
H8-7). In this case, since the proposed toilet seat sheet does not have a special consideration
for the folding structure of the sheet, especially a structure for extracting the
sheet from the case and a structure for opening up the extracted sheet, it is inconvenient
that the sheet cannot be used promptly because the operation to take the accommodated
toilet seat sheet out of the case is troublesome.
[0009] When a conventional toilet seat sheet is placed on a new model toilet seat surface
in which the entire circumference of the toilet seat surface is downwardly inclined
toward the inner peripheral edge portion of the toilet seat surface from the outer
peripheral edge portion thereof, since the entire sheet is likely to move toward the
inner peripheral edge portion along the inclined surface and slips to the excretion
hole portion. Otherwise, since a wrinkling force from the outer peripheral edge portion
to the inner peripheral edge portion acts on the entire set toilet seat, a number
of small folds are likely formed on the sheet surface, which may cause a feeling of
strangeness to the user.
[0010] To cope with these problems, a toilet seat sheet meeting the following requirements
is desired to be developed, but currently, such a convenient toilet seat sheet has
not been proposed. That is, a desired toilet seat sheet has a structure in which a
toilet seat sheet is folded into an appropriate size to be portable, the folded toilet
seat sheet is capable of being extracted promptly from a packaging bag in a similar
manner as tissue paper, the extracted toilet seat sheet is capable of being opened
easily with one hand and can be fitted on and used with a toilet seat hygienically
in a stable manner.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENT
PATENT DOCUMENT
[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No.
H8-7
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention aims to solve various structural problems of a toilet seat
sheet for portable use in which a plurality of toilet seat sheets are accommodated
in a packaging bag. The structural problems include inability of a toilet seat sheet
to be easily extracted from a portable case (packaging bag), inability of the extracted
toilet seat sheet to be promptly opened, and deficiencies in the fitting mechanism
and/or fitting effects of the toilet seat sheet onto a toilet seat surface.
MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
[0013] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention as recited in claim 1
provides a toilet seat sheet configured so that a plurality of the toilet seat sheets
are accommodated in a packaging bag so as to be taken out therefrom, the toilet seat
sheet comprising:
a rectangular shaped sheet having a size capable of covering a toilet seat surface
and an open hole or an open hole forming portion to be served as an excretion hole
formed in a central portion of the sheet, wherein:
folding lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the sheet are provided at both
side portions of the sheet sandwiching a center line provided at a central portion
of the sheet in a widthwise direction of the sheet, the holding lines being arranged
at positions each bisecting or nearly bisecting a width between the center line and
a right or left side edge of the sheet,
both the side portions are initially folded inward in half along the folding lines
to form an initially folded sheet having a vertically long rectangular shape,
a lower half portion of the initially folded sheet divided by a first folding line
extending in the widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting
the vertically long rectangular shape up and down is secondary folded in half so as
to overlap an upper surface of an upper half portion of the initially folded sheet,
a lower half portion of the secondary folded sheet divided by a second folding line
extending in the widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting
a rectangular shape formed by the secondary folding up and down is folded in half
so as to overlap a rear surface of an upper half portion of the secondary folded sheet,
and
certain length portions of both end portions that constitute upper and lower edge
portions when the sheet originally takes a vertically long rectangular shape are folded
along oblique folding lines so that central portions of the certain length portions
in the widthwise direction form an apex of a triangle.
[0014] Also, the present invention as recited in claim 2 provides a toilet seat sheet configured
so that a plurality of the toilet seat sheets are accommodated in a packaging bag
so as to be taken out therefrom, the toilet seat sheet comprising:
a rectangular shaped sheet having a size capable of covering a toilet seat and an
open hole or an open hole forming portion serving as an excretion hole formed in a
central portion of the sheet, wherein:
folding lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the sheet are provided at both
side portions of the sheet sandwiching a center line provided at a central portion
of the sheet in a widthwise direction of the sheet, the holding lines are arranged
at positions each bisecting or nearly bisecting a width between the center line and
a right or left side edge,
both the side portions are initially folded inward in half along the folding lines
to form an initially folded sheet having a vertically long rectangular shape,
a lower half portion of the initially folded sheet divided by a first folding line
extending in a widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting
the vertically long rectangular shape up and down is secondary folded in half so as
to overlap an upper surface of an upper half portion of the initially folded sheet,
a lower half portion of the secondary folded sheet divided by a second folding line
extending in a widthwise direction provided at a position bisecting or nearly bisecting
a rectangular shape formed by the secondary folding up and down is folded in half
so as to overlap a rear surface of an upper half portion of the secondary folded sheet,
and
certain length portions of an end portion that constitutes a lower edge portion when
the sheet originally takes a vertically long rectangular shape are folded along oblique
folding lines so that a central portion in the widthwise direction forms an apex of
a triangle.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0015] According to the present invention, since the toilet seat sheet is configured such
that the entire rectangular toilet seat sheet is sequentially folded in the widthwise
and lengthwise directions, it can be formed into an extremely compact size. Therefore,
in a manner similar to pocket tissues, the toilet seat sheet can be easily carried
in a handbag or a pocket of clothing by accommodating a plurality of toilet seat sheets
in a packaging bag having an opening portion as an extraction opening on one side.
[0016] Further, when using the sheet, the objects of the invention can be achieved only
by an extremely simple operation of placing an opened toilet seat sheet on a toilet
seat surface, and excellent effects can be exerted to accurately and hygienically
maintain a toilet seat surface without requiring special techniques.
[0017] In the present invention, specifically, a finally folded toilet seat sheet is formed
to have a triangular extraction finger grip portion on a surface layer of a folded
overlapping portion folded in four formed by alternately folding in half in different
directions in the lengthwise direction, or the surface layer and the overlapping second
layer thereof. Therefore, when extracting the sheet from a packaging bag, each sheet
can be easily and accurately extracted by merely gripping the extraction finger grip
portion and pulling out through the extraction opening of the packaging bag.
[0018] Further, the toilet seat sheet extracted with the triangular extraction finger grip
portion gripped can exert excellent effects that the sheet main portion can be easily
and accurately opened into a vertically long rectangular shape merely by lightly shaking
in the up and down direction while holding the extraction finger grip portion.
[0019] Furthermore, in the toilet seat sheet of the present invention, the sheet is folded
in half so that both outer side portions of the sheet in a widthwise direction thereof
are brought closer so as to face each other at the center line position thereof to
thereby form a vertically long rectangular shape as a whole. Then, the vertically
long rectangular sheet is folded in half at an intermediate portion or near the intermediate
portion in the lengthwise direction. Thereafter, it is again folded in half in an
opposite direction at an intermediate portion in the lengthwise direction so that
the sheet folded into four layers. Further, the end portions of the uppermost surface
layer of the folded and overlapped sheet and the next layer contacting the uppermost
layer, or the end portions of the uppermost layer (the uppermost layer when overlapped,
among both the upper and lower end portions of the vertically long rectangle) are
folded into a triangular shaped extraction finger grip portion with a central portion
of the sheet in the widthwise direction after forming an apex of a triangle. Therefore,
the toilet seat sheet opened to be used is placed on a toilet seat in a state in which
the folding lines extending in the lengthwise direction for forming the sheet in a
vertically long rectangle are mountain folded and the center line portion is valley
folded (See Fig. 10).
[0020] The toilet seat sheet set on a toilet seat surface and starting to unfold causes,
at the lengthwise folding line and the valley folded center line thereof, a slight
force to push out the sheet right and left (a force to push out both sides of the
mountain folded lengthwise folding line and the valley folded center line right and
left, respectively) against the folding force. This promptly causes unfolding of the
sheet into an entirely flat sheet, resulting in smooth contact with the toilet seat
surface.
[0021] Also, the sheet can be placed on the toilet seat surface accurately without requiring
special techniques for unfolding the sheet, which exerts excellent fitting effects
with less slippage.
[0022] Specifically, even when being applied to a recent new-model toilet seat in which
the toilet seat surface is gradually and downwardly inclined from the outer peripheral
edge portion to the inner peripheral edge portion (to the open hole side), both outer
side portions of the two right and left lengthwise folding lines formed on the toilet
seat sheet so as to extend in the lengthwise direction unfolds while exerting a force
toward the outer direction (toward the upper direction of the inclination) opposing
the downward inclining surface formed on the toilet seat surface. Therefore, unlike
conventional products, the toilet seat sheet set on the toilet seat less likely moves
toward the inner peripheral edge portion (toward the open hole) of the toilet stool
along the downward inclination of the toilet seat surface or slips into the open hole,
thereby exerting excellent effects to stably set on the toilet seat surface.
[0023] Since the toilet seat sheet itself can be produced at extremely low cost, the toilet
seat sheet is excellent in economic efficiency, and can be used as a promotional item
similar to pocket tissue.
[0024] Since the triangular shaped extraction finger grip portion is formed at the end portion
of the surface layer of the overlapping portion folded into four layers by folding
the sheet in half twice in the lengthwise direction, the sheet can be easily extracted
by merely pulling out the extraction finger grip portion by matching the extraction
opening of the packaging bag to the position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025]
[Fig. 1] Fig. 1A is a plan view showing an unfolded toilet seat sheet according to
Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown
in Fig. 1 is folded along lengthwise folding lines.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown
in Fig. 2 is folded in half along a first folding line extending in a widthwise direction.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet shown
in Fig. 3 is further folded in half along a second folding line extending in the widthwise
direction.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which upper and lower sides of Fig.
4 is reversed.
[Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which only an outermost layer is
folded into a triangular shape along diagonal folding lines.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which an outermost layer and a lower
layer contacting the outermost layer are simultaneously folded in half into a triangular
shape.
[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a schematic view separately showing the toilet seat sheet of Embodiment
1 and a packaging bag thereof.
[Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toilet seat sheet
of Embodiment 1 is accommodated in a packaging bag.
[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a developing schematic view showing opening steps of the toilet
seat sheet of Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a developed plan view showing a toilet seat sheet of Embodiment
2.
[Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a conventional toilet seat sheet.
EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0026] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the
attached drawings.
Embodiment 1
[0027] Figs. 1 to 10 show a first embodiment of the present invention. A toilet seat sheet
shown by a reference symbol A includes a sheet main portion 1 formed into a rectangular
shape by a thin paper having a size capable of covering a toilet seat surface and
an appropriate strength. The sheet main portion 1 includes an open hole forming portion
2 to be served as an excretion hole formed at the center portion of the sheet main
portion. The sheet main portion 1 is folded in the widthwise and lengthwise directions.
The upper end portion of the sheet main portion folded in the lengthwise direction
constitutes an extraction finger grip portion 3.
[0028] The position of forming the open hole forming portion 2 to be served as an excretion
hole corresponds to the excretion hole of the toilet stool. Specifically, the open
hole forming portion is formed into a circular shape or an over shape having a partially
discontinued portion between folding lines 11 and 11 formed on the sheet main portion
1 so as to extend in the vertical direction and between second folding lines 12b and
12b formed so as to extend in the widthwise direction (See Fig. 1).
[0029] In this Embodiment 1, the open hole forming portion 2 is exemplified as having a
structure in which, at the time of use, the portion surrounded by a cutout groove
21 or a cutout line (not illustrated) is cut out to form a hole for excretion, but
not limited to the exemplified structure. An open hole for excretion can be formed
in advance by cutting out the inner portion surrounded by the cutout groove 21 or
cutout line (not illustrated).
[0030] The lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 are each provided so as to extend lengthwise
at an intermediate portion between a center line 12 provided at a central portion
of the sheet main portion 1 in a widthwise direction and a right or left outer peripheral
edge of the center line 12 so as to bisect or nearly bisect the width between the
center line 12 and the right or left peripheral edge. By inwardly folding the outer
portions 11a and 11a partitioned by the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 in half
along the folding lines 11 and 11, a vertically long rectangular shape in which both
outer peripheral edge portions of the outer portions 11a and 11a are got close to
each other at the center line 12 of the sheet main portion 1 (See Fig. 2).
[0031] The reference numeral "13a" denotes a first folding line provided so as to extend
in the widthwise direction at a position located near the central portion in the lengthwise
direction to bisect or nearly bisect the lengthwise long rectangular shape up and
down in order to fold in half in the lengthwise direction the sheet main portion 1
folded into a vertically long rectangular shape along the lengthwise folding lines
11 and 11. The first folding line 13a is provided at a position in which, among the
upper and lower portions partitioned by the first folding line 13a extending in the
widthwise direction, the length of one of the upper and lower half portions is slightly
longer than that of the other. (In Fig. 1, the first folding line is provided at a
position where the length of the lower half portion partitioned by the first folding
line 13a extending in the widthwise direction is slightly longer than the length of
the upper half portion.)
[0032] In the first embodiment, the lengths of the upper and lower half portions partitioned
by the first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction are differentiated,
but not limited to that. The upper and lower half portions partitioned by the first
folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction can be formed to have the same
length (i.e., can be bisected). However, as in the first embodiment, when providing
a length difference between the upper and lower half portions sandwiching the first
folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction, it is preferable that the lower
half portion is formed to be slightly longer than the central portion in the lengthwise
direction. Specifically, the lower half portion is longer by a size so that the upper
end portion of the folded toilet seat sheet can be gripped with fingertips. In this
case, it is effective to make the uppermost surface layer of the toilet seat sheet
folded into four in the lengthwise direction longer for opening up the toilet seat
sheet. It is not preferable to make the lower layer contacting the layer positioned
on the outermost surface longer.
[0033] The second folding lines 13b and 13b extending in the widthwise direction are folding
lines for bisecting the entire length of the rectangular sheet main portion 1 folded
in half in the lengthwise direction so that the lower half portion below the first
folding line 13a overlaps the upper surface of the upper half portion to further fold
the sheet in half, and are reference lines for folding so that the lower half portion
overlaps the rear surface of the upper half portion of the sheet main portion 1 folded
in half in the state exemplified and shown in Fig. 3 (See Figs. 4 and 5).
[0034] The reference numbers "3a and 3a," and "3b and 3b" are folding lines extending in
diagonal directions for forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 at the end portion
of the four-folded sheet main portion 1. The first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a
are formed near the upper end portions of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11,
and second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b are formed near the lower end portions
of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11. These diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a,
and 3b and 3b are each formed diagonally so that a portion adjacent to the second
folding line 13b extending in the widthwise direction forms an apex (See Fig. 1).
[0035] The first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a and the second diagonal folding lines
3b and 3b forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 are, as exemplified in Figs.
1 to 5, positioned so as to overlap at the same positions when folded in half at the
first folding line 13a extending in the widthwise direction and provided at the central
portion in the lengthwise direction of the sheet main portion 1.
[0036] Furthermore, the extraction finger grip portions 3 and 3 folded into triangular shapes
along the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a and the second diagonal folding lines
3b and 3b are folded so that both upper and lower ends of the center line 12 in the
widthwise direction of the sheet main portion 1 forms an apex of a triangular shape
(See Figs. 6 and 7).
[0037] In the first embodiment, the positions as folding references of the first diagonal
folding lines 3a and 3a formed at the upper end portions of the sheet main portion
1 and the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b formed at the lower end portion
are formed are slightly different (in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper end portions of the
first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a formed at the upper end portions are positioned
so as to be slightly separated from the position of the center line 12 of the sheet
main portion 1). This is a result of forming the extraction finger grip portion 3
by folding at the second diagonal folding lines 3b and 3b formed on the outermost
layer and the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a formed on the layer below it
at the same position when forming the extraction finger grip portion 3 and 3 after
folding the sheet in four since the position of the first folding line 13a extending
in the widthwise direction is positioned upper than the central portion of the lengthwise
direction of the vertically long sheet.
[0038] In Fig. 10, the arrows C show the direction of the force exerted when opening the
folded sheet main portion 1 for use.
[0039] The bag B for packaging is made using, e.g., a synthetic resin film, and formed to
have a size capable of accommodating an arbitrary number of folded toilet seat sheets
A in an overlapped manner, and is provided with an opening line for forming an extraction
opening 4 for the toilet seat sheet A on the upper surface. The position where the
extraction opening 4 is formed is not specifically limited, but when it is formed
on the top surface of the portion where the triangularly formed extraction finger
grip portion 3 is positioned, it is most effective because the extraction finger grip
portion 3 can be contacted easily when extracting the toilet seat sheet.
Embodiment 2
[0040] Fig. 11 shows the second embodiment having exactly the same structure as the first
embodiment, except that one of the first diagonal folding lines 3a among the first
diagonal folding line 3a and the second diagonal folding line 3b formed on both the
upper and lower end portions of the lengthwise folding lines 11 and 11 is not formed
and the second diagonal folding line 3b is only formed at the lower portion.
[0041] A method for folding the toilet seat sheet A of Embodiment 1 constituted as described
above will be explained.
[0042] To fold the portable toilet seat sheet A, using the two folding lines 11 and 11 formed
in the longitudinal direction at the central portion on both left and right sides
sandwiching the center line 12 of the rectangular sheet main portion 1 (a position
quadrisecting or nearly quadrisecting the sheet main portion A in the widthwise direction)
as folding reference lines, the sheet main portion 1 is folded inward in half so that
both left and right outer peripheral edge portions thereof are got adjacent to the
center line 12 to thereby form a vertically long rectangular shape (See Figs. 1 and
2).
[0043] Next, the sheet is folded in half at the first folding line 13a extending in a widthwise
direction and sandwiched by the lower half portion and the upper half portion so as
to overlap the lower half portion to the upper surface of the upper half portion (see
Fig. 3). Then, after the sheet main portion 1, folded in half and overlapped as in
the state exemplified in Fig. 3, is again folded in half so that the lower half portion
lower than the second folding line 13b extending in the widthwise direction overlaps
the rear surface of the upper half portion (see Figs. 4 and 5), the folded sheet is
folded along the folding lines 3a, 3a, 3b, and 3b to form a triangular extraction
finger grip portion 3 (see Figs. 6 and 7).
[0044] To form the toilet seat sheet A of Embodiment 2, the triangular shaped extraction
finger grip portion using the first diagonal folding lines 3a and 3a of the lower
side layer contacting the outermost layer is not formed as in Embodiment 1, and the
other structures are exactly the same as Embodiment 1. (See Fig. 6)
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0045]
A: toilet seat sheet
B: packaging bag
C: direction of the force for opening operation
1: sheet main portion
2: open hole forming portion
3: extraction finger grip portion
3a: first folding line in a diagonal direction
3b: second folding line in a diagonal direction
4: opening portion to be served as an extracting hole
11: folding line in a vertical direction
12: center line
13a: first folding line in the widthwise direction
13b: second folding line in the widthwise direction
21: cutout groove