Toilet seat mounting apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for a toilet seat hinge assembly has a shroud, a base plate, a pin or pins, two bolts, and two threaded nuts. The shroud has a contoured surface and molded bolt tracks. The base plate has a bolt entry opening and a bolt guide. The pin, or pins, are configured to interconnect the shroud to a toilet seat and optionally a toilet seat cover. The two bolts each have a threaded shaft and a head where the heads are either over-molded or configured to engage the bolt entry opening and the bolt tracks of the shroud. The two threaded nuts are configured to engage the threaded shafts of the two bolts. The apparatus provides a smoothly contoured, relatively joint-free surface for easy cleansing and maintenance of the hinge area of a toilet.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a toilet seat hinge assembly comprising:
 a shroud comprising:
 a contoured surface; and 
 molded bolt tracks; 
 
 a base plate comprising:
 a bolt entry opening; and 
 a bolt guide; 
 
 a pin configured to interconnect the shroud to a toilet seat; 
 two bolts, each bolt comprising:
 a threaded shaft; and 
 a head; 
 wherein the heads are configured to engage the bolt entry opening and the molded bolt tracks; and 
 
 two threaded nuts configured to engage the threaded shafts of the two bolts. 
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the molded bolt tracks are configured to receive the heads of the bolts such that when a turning force is applied to the nuts engaged on the threaded shafts of the bolts, the bolt tracks prevent the bolts from turning. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the bolts is variable via movement of the bolts in the bolt tracks and bolt guides. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured surface of the shroud is wipable surface. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising two bushings configured to receive the bolts and to be received by the seat mounting holes of a toilet. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising two washers configured to receive the bolts. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pin comprises two pins. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a toilet seat cover, wherein the pin interconnects the shroud, the toilet seat, and the toilet seat cover. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the threaded nuts are elongated threaded nuts. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the elongated threaded nuts further comprise set screws. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the elongated threaded nuts further comprise intentional cross-threaded or deformed threads. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus comprising:
 a toilet seat hinge assembly comprising;
 a shroud comprising:
 a contoured surface; 
 
 a pin configured to interconnect the shroud to a toilet seat: 
 two over-molded bolts each comprising a threaded shaft; and 
 two elongated threaded nuts configured to engage the threaded shafts of the two bolts. 
   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the bolts each comprise a head and the shroud comprises solid end sections to accommodate over-molding of the bolt heads, such that when a turning force is applied to the elongated nuts engaged on the threaded shafts of the bolts, the over-molding prevents the bolts from turning. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the bolts each comprise a head and the heads are over-molded into the shroud such that the shroud and the bolts form a single item. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the contoured surface is a wipable surface. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising two bushings configured to receive the bolts and to be received by the seat mounting holes of a toilet. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the bushings are flexible bushings. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising two washers configured to receive the bolts. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the pin comprises two pins. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a toilet seat cover, wherein the pin interconnects the shroud, the toilet seat, and the toilet seat cover. 
   
   
       21 . A molded tree comprising:
 a stem;   one or more branches; and   multiple-sized compressible bushings; wherein,   the stem and branches, and the bushings form a single item; and   the bushings are removable from the tree.