Seat opening and closing device for western style toilet

Abstract

It is difficult for the elderly or an individual with a bad back to raise and lower the toilet seat and lid of a Western style toilet. Depression of a pedal with the foot causes an operating arm to rotate and an actuator arm to push upward, whereupon the toilet seat is pushed upward by the pushing motion; and release of the pedal causes the operating arm to rotate in the return direction and the actuator arm to descend, whereupon the toilet seat is drawn downward. The operating arm is rotatably supported by a support member with the linking end thereof rotatably attachable to the bottom of the actuator arm, so that depression of the pedal with the foot causes the operating arm to rotate and the actuator arm to push upward, whereupon the toilet seat is pushed upward by the pushing motion; and release of the pedal causes the operating arm to rotate in the return direction and the actuator arm to descend, whereupon the toilet seat is drawn downward by this descent. The actuator arm is extendable and retractable.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A seat opening and closing device for Western style toilets, comprising: 
 an actuator arm attached to the toilet seat of a Western style toilet; an operating arm attached to the bottom of the actuator arm; and    a pedal attached to the operating end of the operating arm;    wherein said actuator arm, operating arm, and pedal are arranged such that depression of the pedal with the foot causes the operating arm to rotate pushing the actuator arm upward, whereupon the seat is pushed upward by the pushing motion; and    release of the pedal causes the operating arm to rotate in the return direction and the actuator arm to descend, whereupon the toilet seat is drawn downward by the descending motion.    
     
     
         2 . The seat opening and closing device for Western style toilets according to  claim 1  wherein the operating arm is rotatably supported by a support member in such a way that the pedal attachment end thereof faces upward and the opposite linking end thereof faces downward; 
 the linking end is rotatably attachable to the bottom of the actuator arm;  
 depression with the foot of the pedal attached to the pedal attachment end causes the operating arm to rotate pushing the actuator arm upward, whereupon the toilet seat is pushed upward by the pushing motion; and  
 release of the pedal causes the operating arm to rotate in the return direction and the actuator arm to descend, whereupon the toilet seat is drawn downward by the descending motion.  
 
     
     
         3 . The seat opening and closing device for Western style toilets according to  claim 1  wherein the actuator arm extends and retracts.  
     
     
         4 . The seat opening and closing device for Western style toilets according to  claim 2  wherein the actuator arm extends and retracts.