INTERCHANGEABLE TOP COVER FOR TOILET SEATS

Abstract

 A toilet seat (1), comprising a seating board (4) and a lid (5), characterized in that the toilet seat comprises: a removeable top cover (52), releasably attached to a top surface of the seating board (4) or to a top surface of the lid (4) of the toilet seat, wherein the removable top cover (52) is formed of at least one rigid material. The removeable top cover (52) may be releasably attached to a main body (51) of the lid (5). The lid (5) may comprise an attachment means (53) for releasably attaching the removeable top cover (52) to the top surface of the lid main body (51) of the toilet seat (1), and the attachment means (53) may comprise magnetic attachment means, sliding rails, latching mechanisms, mechanisms comprised of one or several removable screws or snap-fit mechanisms. The top cover (52) may comprise a top transparent surface (521) and a decorative object (522).

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to toilet seats, more precisely to a toilet seat comprising a removable top cover, a removable top cover for a toilet seat as well as a toilet seat that is configured to accommodate the removable top cover.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Nowadays, toilet bowls are often equipped with toilets seats. Toilet seats have existed in various forms for many decades. Usually, they comprise a seating board having a circumferential seating surface around a hole that is substantially positioned in the middle and matches the aperture of the toilet bowl. The seating board provides a surface on which the occupant can seat comfortably. In addition, such toilet seats often comprise a lid, which may cover the seating board and thus provide a protective cover for both the seating board and the toilet bowl aperture.

[0003] Most toilet seats, both seating board and lid parts, have plain, non-adorned surfaces which do not include any type of embellishment such as painting, photographs or engraving.

[0004] Only a small proportion of toilet seats available on the market, have adorned or decorated surfaces. For instance, toilet seat lids can be adorned with silk-screen printing, hand painting, water-transfer printing, heat transfer printing, and the like. As an illustrative example, document WO 2012/138425 A2 discloses toilet seats with such a decorative graphic on the top surface of the toilet lid. This decorative object is formed of paper or thin plastic or film on which an image is printed or painted and is then glued to the core structural layer of the toilet seat using an adhesive or heat bonding. Other documents, such as US 2004/0226082 A1 disclose inserting graphics into glass or plastics, without expressing in more detail how this graphic is made. Document DE 198 22 966 A1 discloses that toilet lids are known which are painted on the top surface.

[0005] In each of the aforementioned cases, the embellishment is a part of the initial production process, performed by the toilet seats producers and the seats are sold to potential consumers directly adorned. The consumer can then only choose among existing models offered by the producers, with no possibility for him/her to personalize/customize the embellishment of his/her toilet seat lid.

[0006] Hence, if a consumer wishes a personalized design on his toilet seat, he/she may order a printout of one of his/her personal photographs, printed or cut to the dimensions of the toilet seat lid, and then paste it directly onto the lid. In another example, the consumer could purchase commercially available stickers, or print own stickers, which he/she can then paste on the surface of the toilet seat lid. However, such customization solutions neither offer necessary durability over the time of use of the toilet seat nor a desired aesthetic unity with the rest of the produced toilet seat. For example, the stickers or printouts pasted onto the surface of the toilet lid can chip or become unstuck, or the design or engravement on their surface can spoil over time, resulting in a poor design effect of the toilet seat. In addition, the use of detergents or other cleaning agents may damage quite rapidly these added embellishments placed directly on the outer top surface of the toilet lid.

[0007] Furthermore, for all of the simple embellishment solutions and the customized embellishment solutions of the prior art presented above, changing the existing embellishment to a new one during the lifespan of the toilet seat can prove complicated if not impossible. This may either leave the user with the frustration of not being able to adapt easily the decoration of his toilet seat lid, or incite him/her to more frequently replace his toilet seat with a new model, thus creating unnecessarily amounts of waste.

[0008] The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a solution to easily customize, adapt or change the embellishment of a toilet seat lid, whilst demonstrating durability over time and aesthetic unity with the rest of the seat.

SUMMARY

[0009] Embodiments provide a solution to easily customize, adapt or change the embellishment of a toilet seat. A basic idea of the present invention is that the lid (or the seating board) may be formed of two parts, namely a regular, non-customized part that constitutes the receptacle for a second part, wherein the second part is removable in order to allow easy customization and replacement in case of design changes, changes of mood, etc. The second part is formed of rigid material to ensure durability and design quality, wherein the connection between the two parts is preferable such that a tight fit is achieved.

[0010] In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a toilet seat, comprising a seating board and a lid, wherein the toilet seat comprises a removeable top cover, releasably attached to a top surface of the seating board or to a top surface of the lid of the toilet seat, wherein the removable top cover is formed of at least one rigid material.

[0011] The toilet seat of the afore-mentioned embodiment may further be improved in that the removeable top cover is releasably attached to a main body of the lid. Attaching the customizable part to the lid may be preferable, e.g. as this enhances visibility when the toilet lid is in a closed state.

[0012] The toilet seat of the afore-mentioned embodiment may further be improved in that the lid comprises an attachment means for releasably attaching the removeable top cover to the top surface of the lid main body of the toilet seat, and wherein the attachment means comprises magnetic attachment means, sliding rails, latching mechanisms, mechanisms comprised of one or several removable screws or snap-fit mechanisms. These mechanisms ensure a tight fit while at the same time allowing efficient manufacturing.

[0013] The toilet seat according to the afore-mentioned embodiment may further be improved in that the attaching means is a magnetic attachment means comprising one or more magnetic fixations, wherein the magnetic attachment means has two magnetic parts, one being installed on the lid main body of the toilet seat and the other on the removeable top cover, wherein an attachment force is created when the two magnetic parts are put in the vicinity of one another.

[0014] In a further embodiment, one or each magnetic part is comprised of several sub-parts, and the positioning of the sub-parts on the surface on which it is attached, or into which it is placed, forms a pattern, wherein the pattern can be a triangle with each sub-part being a vertex, a continuous or non-continuous circle or any substantially round or oval continuous or non-continuous shape including arcs, or a grid. By means of these arrangements, it is possible to allow a rigid structure, while allowing to adopt it to different e.g. materials of the core of the seat, the weight and thickness of the seat, etc.

[0015] The toilet seat according to the afore-mentioned embodiment may further be improved in that one part of the magnetic attachment means is at least a sheet of ferromagnetic material being placed into or onto the structure of its support element or being itself this support element, wherein the support element is the lid main body or the removable top cover.

[0016] The toilet seat according to any of the preceding embodiments may further be improved in that the top cover comprises a top transparent surface and a decorative object.

[0017] The toilet seat according to afore-mentioned embodiment may further be improved in that the removable top cover further comprises a body structure below the decorative object.

[0018] The toilet seat according to any of the last two embodiments may further be improved in that the decorative object is any kind of support having on at least one of its surfaces, one or a plurality or a combination of an image, a color or a relief.

[0019] The toilet seat according to any of the preceding embodiments may further comprise a grip recess on a side.

[0020] In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a removeable top cover for a toilet seat, configured to be releasably attached to a top surface of a seating board or of a lid of the toilet seat, wherein the removable top cover is formed of at least one rigid material. Typically, such top covers may be customized, e.g. according to a consumer's wish by means of individual photos, text, etc. The top covers may allow for easy replacement by the consumer, while at the same time ensuring high durability due to the material's rigidity and the tightness of the fit with the seating board or the toilet lid.

[0021] In yet a further aspect, a toilet seat is provided which is configured to accommodate on a top surface of its seating board or of its lid a removeable top cover, wherein the removeable top cover can be releasably attached to the top surface of the seating board or of the lid of the toilet seat (1).

[0022] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] 

Fig. 1 shows two views of an illustrative toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of a toilet seat with a seating board, a lid and a hinge connecting the seating board and the lid together and fixing the toilet seat to the toilet bowl.

Figs. 2A-D show several illustrations of a toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of potential designs for the removeable top cover comprising a decorative object.

Figs. 3A-B show several illustrations of a toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of potential designs for the removeable top cover, where the top cover comprises a top surface in relief.

Figs. 4A-B show an embodiment of the present invention, where the attachment means is a latching/delatching mechanism.

Figs. 5A-B show an embodiment of the present invention, where the attachment means is a snap-fit mechanism.

Figs. 6A-D show an embodiment of the present invention, where the attachment means is a sliding rail mechanism.

Figs. 7A-D show cut views of embodiments of the present invention, where the attachment means is a magnetic mechanism.

Figs. 8A-G show several patterns formed by the magnetic parts of embodiments of the present invention, where the attachment means is a magnetic mechanism.

Figs. 9A-B shows two views of an embodiment of the toilet lid according to the present invention, with an attachment means comprised of a magnetic rubber.

Fig. 10 shows an isometric view of the toilet lid according to the present invention, comprising a magnetic attachment means to releasably attach the removable top cover to the main body of the lid, when the removable top cover and the main body of the lid are separated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure cannot be limited to the embodiment in which the idea of the disclosure is presented, and another embodiment included within range of idea of another backward disclosure or the present disclosure may be easily proposed by addition, change, deletion and the like of another element.

[0025] The terms used in this specification were selected to include current, widely-used general terms. In certain cases, a term may be one that was arbitrarily established by the applicant. In such cases, the meaning of the term will be defined in the relevant portion of the detailed description. As such, the terms used in the specification are not to be defined simply by the name of the terms but are to be defined based on the meanings of the terms as well as the overall description of the present disclosure.

[0026] For instance, the terms "customizable", "customize" or "customized" refers to the possibility for the user to choose a material and/or a graphical representation which will be used in the decoration of the toilet seat. This customization may be performed by the user directly, for instance by placing into the removeable top cover a decoration of his choice and production, or for instance by ordering a new fully equipped and customized top cover which comprises a decorative object according to his choice.

[0027] The terms "rigidity" or "rigid" refer to a property of one element of the toilet seat. It is to be understood that this element exhibits a certain degree of rigidity, meaning a certain capacity to maintain its form during use. For instance, if the element on which these terms apply is a sheet of material with a certain thickness, it may not fold in case of torsion applied on it. However, this feature should not be interpreted as an absolute rigidity, meaning that the element in question may still retain a capacity to be deformed for instance: marginal capacity to be deformed when used with a snap-fit attachment means, or a capacity to be initially deformed at the time of production, for instance when deformed using a forming part such as the one shown in Fig. 3B.

[0028] Herein, the second part - also "top cover" - of the toilet lid (or the seating board) is described as "removable". It could also be described as "interchangeable". In this way, it is expressed that a particular top cover can be replaced or changed with a further top cover that is suited for connection with the respective model of the toilet lid (or seating board), without any need to completely change the whole toilet lid (or seating board).

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar elements throughout the drawings.

[0030] It is to be noted that the embodiments described hereafter are provided so that the person skilled in the art will better understand the teaching of the present invention. In this regards, the embodiments provided may be used as alternatives but also as illustrative examples of individual features of which combinations can be used for the realization of a toilet seat with a removeable top cover according to the present invention.

[0031] Fig. 1 shows two views of an illustrative toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of a toilet seat with a seating board, a lid and a hinge, to connect the seating board and the lid together and to connect them to a toilet bowl.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 1, in an embodiment the toilet seat 1 is attached to a toilet bowl 2, which can be of any kind including commonly used ceramic toilet bowls. The toilet bowl 2 may have a substantially horizontal top surface 21 with an aperture substantially placed in the middle of the top surface, which can be substantially of round or oval shape. This aperture on the horizontal top surface 21 of the toilet bowl is preferably configured to receive corporal waste and evacuate them due to water drainage into a sewage system. The toilet bowl 2 may be configured to be connected to a fixing means to fix the toilet seat 1 onto it. For instance, the rear portion of the horizontal top surface 21 of the toilet bowl 2 may have one or several through holes for placing one or several screws from a toilet seat hinge 3.

[0033] The toilet seat 1 may have a size and shape substantially matching the size and shape of the toilet bowl 2, and covering the horizontal top surface 21 and the aperture of the toilet bowl 2.

[0034] The toilet seat 1 may comprise a seating board 4, configured to be adapted to the horizontal surface 21 of the toilet bowl 2. The seating board 4 may cover at least the entirety of the part of the horizontal top surface 21 surrounding the aperture of the toilet bowl 2. The seating board 4 may preferably be provided with a through hole adapted to match the aperture of the toilet bowl 2, when the seating board of toilet seat 1 is placed in a horizontal position on the toilet bowl 2 at the level of the horizontal top surface 21.

[0035] The toilet seat 1 may comprise a toilet lid 5 configured to be adapted to the horizontal surface 21 of the toilet bowl 2 or/and to the seating board 4. The toilet lid 5 may cover at least the entirety of the part of the horizontal top surface 21 surrounding the aperture of the toilet bowl 2 and/or at least the entirety of the seating board 4, when the seating board of toilet seat 1 is placed in a horizontal position on the toilet bowl 2 at the level of the horizontal top surface 21. The toilet lid 5 may be comprised of two parts: a main body 51 and a removeable top cover 52, which can be separated from the main body 51. The main body 51 may be the part of the toilet lid 5 which is attached to the other elements of the toilet seat 1 and/or to the toilet bowl 2, through the hinge 3 for instance. The main body 51 and the removeable top cover 52, may be removably attached through an attachment means 53 (not shown in Fig. 1).

[0036] The toilet seat 1 may comprise a hinge 3, which may comprise a fixing means to fix the toilet seat 1 to the toilet bowl 2. The hinge 3 may attach together the seating board 4 with the toilet lid 5, and maintain them in a hinged relation.

[0037] The toilet seat 1 may be made of any material usually used for toilet seats, or of a combination thereof. For instance, the toilet seat 1 may be made of any thermosetting or thermoplastic material such as but not limited to duroplast (UF), polypropylene or ABS. These materials offer the advantage of allowing molding the hinge 3 directly into the elements of the toilet seat 1. With a limited number of elements, this design can provide a simple and easy to assemble embodiment, thanks to which the production costs can also be limited. In addition, toilet seats made of these materials enjoy a high degree of stability and durability and it is convenient to clean their surfaces. The toilet seat may also be made of laminar composites. The advantage of these material being that the seat is more durable and retain its original appearance for a longer period than conventional toilet seats. The toilet may also be made of medium density fiberboard (MDF), which is formed of wood fibers that are held together with one or more waxes or resins such as epoxies, phenolic or formaldehyde resins. The toilet seat may also be made of another composite wood such as hardwood plywood (HWPW), particle board (PB), high density fiber board (HDF), molded wood, molded straw or compressed bamboo.

[0038] In the following paragraphs, several embodiments of the top cover 52 will be described in more details.

[0039] Figs. 2A-D show several illustrations of a toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of potential designs for the removeable top cover 52 of the toilet seat lid 5, where the top cover 52 comprises a transparent surface on the top of a decorative object with an image on its surface. In some embodiments, two or all of these elements may be merged, e.g. the top cover and the decorative objected can be formed as a single layer.

[0040] Referring to Fig. 2A, the removeable top cover 52 may comprise a top transparent surface 521, a decorative object 522 and a body structure 523. As shown in the Figure, each of the top transparent surface 521, the decorative object 522 and the body structure 523 are formed as a separate layer. In such a layered approach, the top transparent surface 521 may be above the decorative object 522, which is in turn above the body structure 523. These various elements may be glued together.

[0041] The top transparent surface 521 may be, at least partially, of any transparent material, which allows, even partially, to see the decorative object 522 through it. The top transparent surface 521 may be colorless, colored, tinted and/or mirrored. As an example, the transparent surface may be made of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), also known by its trade names Plexiglas and Lucite, which is a transparent, thermoplastic material. The PMMA is durable and has good optical properties. It is scratch resistant and easy to produce and machined. By placing such a top transparent surface 521 above the decorative object 522, a better protection of the decorative object 522 is achieved.

[0042] The decorative object 522 may be any kind of supports with an image on one or both of its surfaces, preferably on its top surface so that it can be seen when the toilet lid 5 is placed on the seating board 4 or on the horizontal surface 21 of the toilet bowl 2. The image on the decorative object 522 may represent any kind of pictures, graphics, texts, designs, colors or any other graphical representation types, including graphical representations in relief or 3D. The image of the decorative object 522 can also be a plain colored paper or film. The decorative object 522 may be made of any suitable material such as paper, thin plastic material, or film onto which the image can be represented with methods such as but not limited to printing or painting or engraving. The decorative object 522 can be opaque, or partially or completely transparent, exposing in certain embodiment the underlying horizontal surface and aperture of the toilet bowl 2. The material or graphical representation of the decorative object 522 may be customizable by the user.

[0043] The body structure 523 may be of any material or a combination of any materials mentioned above for the toilet seat 1. In most cases, the body structure 523 is the elements providing the most part of the rigidity of the removeable top cover 52. The body structure 523 may be opaque or transparent. In the latter case, it may give the possibility to see through it when the lid is positioned on the seating board 4 or the horizontal top surface 21, or/and to see the decorative object 522 when the lid is in an opened position.

[0044] Referring to Fig. 2B, the top transparent surface 521 and the body structure 523 may be formed of a single transparent element (521&523). In that case, a cavity or a slot 521A me be configured in this single transparent element (521&523), so that the decorative object 522 can be inserted in it.

[0045] Referring to Fig. 2C, the removeable top cover 52 may be designed without a body structure 523. In such case, the top transparent surface 521 and/or the decorative object 522 are preferably configured to provide the rigidity which is provided by the body structure 523 in the previous embodiments. In this embodiment, the decorative object 522 is preferably glued onto the top transparent surface 521. Also, the decorative object may be directly printed onto the lower surface of the top transparent surface, e.g. onto the lower surface of the PMMA. This approach could lead to a simple and efficient of mass-producing customized top covers, without the need of separating gluing steps.

[0046] Referring to Fig. 2D, the body structure 523 or the top transparent surface 521 may be configured to form a cavity 521B between the top surface of the body structure 523 and the bottom structure of the top transparent surface 521. In such case, the decorative object accommodated into the cavity may be thicker than a simple film a paper sheet.

[0047] Figs. 3A-B shows several illustrations of a toilet seat according to the present invention, in the form of potential designs for the removeable top cover 52 of the toilet seat lid 5, where the top cover 52 comprises a top surface in relief.

[0048] Referring to Fig. 3A, the removeable top cover 52 may comprise only a decorative object 522 and a body structure 523. The decorative object 522 according to this embodiment may be similar to the one presented above and/or be a material exhibiting a surface in relief R. This relief R may be obtained by engraving, embossing, imprinting, or any kind of known technics suitable to obtain a relief R on the surface of the chosen material for the decorative object 522. The material of the decorative object 522 may also be one of the materials cited above for the elements of the toilet seat 1 or even the same materials as those proposed for the top transparent surface 521 of the previous embodiments. If the material used and the configuration of the decoration object 522 allow it, the removeable top cover 52 may also not have a body structure 523.

[0049] Referring to Fig. 3B, the relief R or a part of it may also be obtained by using a forming object 522A, which form will deform the decorative object 522 and appear on its surface, once the decorative object is pressed on this forming object 522A.

[0050] The relief R may be a graphical representation, including the imitation of a material, for instance wood, marble, steel. In such case, the color of the decorative object 522 can be adapted to reinforce this imitation.

[0051] In the following paragraphs, several embodiments of the attachment means 53 of the lid 5 will be described in more details.

[0052] The attachment means 53 allows to attach and detach the removeable top cover 52 and the body structure 51 of the toilet lid 5. The attachment means 53 may be of any form which allow a relatively easy and reproducible attachment/detachment of the removeable top cover 52 from the body structure 51. Such attachment means may include magnetic attachment means, snap-fit attachment means, latching attachment means or sliding rail attachment means.

[0053] Referring to Figs. 4A-B, the attachment means 53 may be a latching/delatching mechanism. For instance, the latching mechanism can be comprised of a female part 531 and a male part 532. Each part can be installed on/in one element of the lid 5, for instance the male part 532 may be installed on the main body 51 and the female part on the removeable top cover 52. The latching mechanism may then be engaged by bringing the two parts together and pressing them together. The mechanism may be disengaged (i.e. delatched) by pressing the female part 531 in order to deform it and pulling up one side.

[0054] Referring to Figs. 5A-B, the attachment means 53 may be a snap-fit mechanism, where the two sides of the mechanism can connect to attach the two parts, and where at least one side, can be partially deformed to detach the snap-fit mechanism.

[0055] Referring to Figs. 6A-B, showing different views of a toilet lid 5 according to the present invention. The attachment mechanism may be a sliding rail 533. For instance, the sliding rail 533 may be configured on the main body 51, so that the removeable top cover 52 can be inserted and maintained into it.

[0056] Referring to Figs. 7A-D and 8A-G, the attachment means 53 may be a magnetic attachment means.

[0057] In Fig. 7A, the attachment means 53 comprises two magnetic parts 534 and 535, with one being a magnet and the other one being a metallic part which is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet when the two magnetic parts are positioned in vicinity to each other. One part is placed on the removeable top cover 51 and the other one is placed on the main body 51, so that they are opposite to each other. The dimensions of the two magnetic parts 534 and 535 may be chosen so that the magnetic force between the two magnetic parts is sufficient to ensure that the removeable top cover 52 is maintained attached to the main body 51, whilst still allowing the user to detach them without too much effort. In addition, each magnetic parts 534 or 535 may be comprised of several magnetic sub-parts of the same kind. In Fig. 7B, the two magnetic parts are placed in two depressions or grooves, so that the surface of the removeable top cover 52 and the surface of the main body 51 are closer, if not in contact, resulting in a nicer appearance of the lid 5, when assembled. An alternative is presented in Fig. 7C, where on one side there is a deeper cavity or groove 535A, so that only one side of the attachment means 53 needs a cavity or groove. The two magnetic parts 534 and 535 does not need to be placed flush to their respective lid parts, and may also be placed inside of them, as shown in Fig. 7D. In that case, their dimension may be adapted to provide the magnetic force, preferably with the features mentioned above. In all the embodiments with the magnetic attachment means, each of the two magnetic parts 534 and 535 may be merged with their respective parts of the lid 5. For instance, the removeable top cover 52 may comprise one or more magnets, whilst the main body 51 may be comprised of a sheet of ferromagnetic material.

[0058] Referring to Figs. 8A-G, which show several top or bottom views of embodiments of the magnetic attachment means, the magnetic parts 534 and 535 may be positioned on their respective part of the lid 5 with various possible patterns. For instance, in a simple embodiment shown in Fig. 8A, only three magnets are positioned on the removeable top cover 52, two substantially on the rear side and one substantially on the front side, allowing minimizing the cost whilst having a magnetic attachment force well distributed on the entire surface of the lid. Fig. 8B shows an embodiment where the magnet 535 are positioned around the surface of the removeable top cover, and Fig. 8C shows an embodiment where the magnets define a grid pattern. These two embodiments achieve an even better distribution of the magnetic attachment force over the surface of the lid 5. In Fig. 8D a larger magnet is placed in the middle of the surface of the removeable top cover 52, and in Fig. 8E the larger magnet occupies almost all the surface of the removeable top cover 52. These two embodiments achieve a strong attachment force, which is also substantially constant or equivalent at any point of the sides of the lid, where the user will exercise an effort to separate the two parts of the toilet lid 5. Figs. 8F and 8G describe two other embodiments where the magnet pattern corresponds substantially to a continuous or non-continuous arc, achieving similar advantages as in the previous embodiment but with limited size of the magnets, i.e. with reduced costs.

[0059] In all the embodiments described above with a magnetic attachment means, the surfaces of the magnetic parts are not necessarily flat. The contact surface between the two magnetic parts (or the equivalent surface of contact in cases where the magnetic parts are positioned within their support structures) may exhibit a slope or any kind of three dimensional shapes, such as but not limited to pyramids or sphere or cylinder for example.

[0060] In embodiments, where the attachment means is a magnetic attachment means, it may be comprised of magnetic rubber as shown in Figs. 9A-B. Referring to Fig. 9A, the lid 5 may comprise an attachment means 53 in the form of a magnetic rubber attachment means, comprising a part 535 fixed on/in the main structure 51, and a part 534 fixed on/on the removable top cover 52. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic rubber goes around the surface of its support, i.e. the removable top cover 52 and/or the main body 51, however, not necessarily around the entirety of the surface, as shown in Fig. 9B.

[0061] In all the embodiments presented, the removable top cover 52 may be provided with an exterior finish or coating, applied to the externally visible surfaces of the removable top cover 52 (and any other part of the toilet seat 1). Such an exterior finish or coating provides a protective layer bringing additional resistance to wear and damages. The exterior finish or coating may also be configured to smooth the angles/edges of the toilet seat 1, providing more comfort during use for the user and improving the resistance to wear and damages of the toilet seat 1.

[0062] The above-mentioned exterior finish or coating may also be an alternative to the use of the transparent surface, as long as it exhibits optical and durability features equivalent to the features of the transparent surface it replaces, and provided the decorative object is positioned on a body structure which provides the necessary rigidity to the removeable to cover.

[0063] Fig. 10 shows an illustrative embodiment according to the present invention where the toilet lid 5 comprises a removable top cover 52 releasably attached to the main body 51 of the lid due to a magnetic attachment means 53, in the form of three magnetic parts 534 fixed on the removeable top cover 52, and three corresponding parts 535 fixed on the lid main body 51. A decorative object 522 in the form of a picture may be placed on the top surface (not visible on Fig. 10) of the removable top cover 52. The exterior surfaces of the toilet lid 5 may be further coated as described above.

[0064] In some embodiment, the seating board 4 may be equipped with a removeable top cover equivalent to the one presented for the toilet seat lid 5, in combination with the removable top cover of the toilet lid described above or as an alternative to the solution where the removeable top cover is for the lid 5. In both cases, this removeable top cover for the seating board 4 is configured to match the form and shape of a seating board main body, equivalent to the toilet lid main body 51. The person skilled in the art would adapt in an obvious way the disclosure of the above-described embodiments to such an alternative. As an illustration, the attaching means used for attaching the main body of the seating board and the removable top cover of the seating board could be one of the magnetic attachment means disclosed above for the lid removable top cover and in Figs. 7A-D and 8A-G. The same for the top cover of the seating board, which could be one of the embodiments disclosed in Figs. 2A-D, provided a through hole is designed substantially in its middle to match the aperture of the toilet bowl 2. In all the embodiments presented, one or both of the removable top cover and the main body (for the lid and/or the seating board embodiments) may be provided with a recess, preferably on a side, more preferably on the back side (the back side being the side opposite to the user when he uses the toilet), most preferably on the back side of the removable to cover. This recess is intended to ease the grip of the user, and as a consequence to ease the action of removing the removable top cover.

[0065] While some embodiments have been described herein, it is to be understood that the subject-matter of the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments disclosed, and that the scope of protection sought is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A toilet seat (1), comprising a seating board (4) and a lid (5), characterized in that the toilet seat comprises:

- a removeable top cover (52), releasably attached to a top surface of the seating board (4) or to a top surface of the lid (4) of the toilet seat,

- wherein the removable top cover (52) is formed of at least one rigid material.

2. The toilet seat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the removeable top cover (52) is releasably attached to a main body (51) of the lid (5).

3. The toilet seat according to claim 2,
wherein the lid (5) comprises an attachment means (53) for releasably attaching the removeable top cover (52) to the top surface of the lid main body (51) of the toilet seat (1), and
wherein the attachment means (53) comprises magnetic attachment means, sliding rails, latching mechanisms, mechanisms comprised of one or several removable screws or snap-fit mechanisms.

4. The toilet seat according to claim 3,
wherein the attaching means (53) is a magnetic attachment means comprising one or more magnetic fixations,
wherein the magnetic attachment means has two magnetic parts, one being installed on the lid main body (51) of the toilet seat (1) and the other on the removeable top cover (52),
wherein an attachment force is created when the two magnetic parts are put in the vicinity of one another.

5. The toilet seat according to claim 4,
wherein one or each magnetic part is comprised of several sub-parts, and
wherein the positioning of the sub-parts on the surface on which it is attached, or into which it is placed, forms a pattern,
wherein the pattern can be a triangle with each sub-part being a vertex, a continuous or non-continuous circle or any substantially round or oval continuous or non-continuous shape including arcs, or a grid.

6. The toilet seat (1), according to claim 5, wherein one part of the magnetic attachment means is at least a sheet of ferromagnetic material being placed into or onto the structure of its support element or being itself this support element, wherein the support element is the lid main body (51) or the removable top cover (52).

7. The toilet seat (1), according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top cover (52) comprises:

- a top transparent surface (521)

- a decorative object (522).

8. The toilet seat (1), according to claim 7, wherein the removable top cover (52) further comprises:

- a body structure (523) below the decorative object (522).

9. The toilet seat (1), according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the decorative object (522) is any kind of support having on at least one of its surfaces, one or a plurality or a combination of an image, a color or a relief.

10. The toilet seat (1), according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a grip recess on a side.

11. A removeable top cover (52) for a toilet seat (1), configured to be releasably attached to a top surface of a seating board (4) or of a lid (4) of the toilet seat (1), wherein the removable top cover (52) is formed of at least one rigid material.

12. A toilet seat (1), which is configured to accommodate on a top surface of its seating board (4) or of its lid (5) a removeable top cover (52), wherein the removeable top cover (52) can be releasably attached to the top surface of the seating board (4) or of the lid (5) of the toilet seat (1).

Drawing