Combined toilet and seat apparatus

Abstract

A combined toilet and seat apparatus, capable of being transformed from a flat-pack configuration for storage and/or transportation to a box-like configuration for use. The apparatus comprises front and rear panels connected by respective side panels, which side panels are capable of forming inwardly-angled side panels to thereby provide support to a top panel connected to either of the front and/or rear panel, the top panel forming a seating platform and a base panel connected to either of the front or rear panel. The top panel and/or the base panel comprises one or more interlocking portions for interlocking the top panel and/or the base panel with one or both side panels to thereby maintain the apparatus in the box-like configuration.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A combined toilet and seat apparatus, capable of being transformed from a flat-pack configuration to a box-like configuration for use, the apparatus comprising:
 a front panel and a rear panel connected by a pair of side panels, the side panels are capable of forming inwardly-angled side panels to thereby provide support to a first top panel connected to at least one of the front and rear panel, the top panel forming a seating platform; and   a base panel connected to at least one of the front panel and the rear panel;   wherein at least one of the top panel and the base panel are comprised of at least one interlocking portions for interlocking with at least one of the side panels to thereby maintain the apparatus in the box-like configuration.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , each side panel further comprising a corresponding interlocking portion. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said top panel further comprising two interlocking portions. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said base panel further comprising two interlocking portions. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein said interlocking portions are provided between the base panel and the respective side panels. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said corresponding interlocking portions further comprising an arrangement selected from the group consisting of a tab and slot arrangement, a single slot arrangement and a dual slot arrangement. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said base panel further comprising a protrusion for interacting with at least one of the side panels. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 49 , said protrusion further comprising an interlocking portion in the form of a slot for interlocking with a side panel. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 50 , said protrusion further comprising two slots for interlocking with respective side panels. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said base panel further comprising is a partial-length panel arranged to position the interlocking portions in a centre-region of the side panels. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said base panel further comprising a partial length panel arranged to position the interlocking portions at respective apexes of the inwardly-angled side panels. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , at least one of said side panels further comprising an interlocking portion in the form of a slot. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the top panel, and at least one of the opposed front and rear panels each comprise corresponding interlocking portions which are capable of providing an interlock therebetween for maintaining separation of the front and rear panels. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 55 , wherein the interlocking portions are provided at a junction of the respective panel and a second top panel. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 55 , said interlocking portions on the top panel are at least one tab extending from the top panel towards the panel selected from the group consisting of the front rear panel. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 57 , said interlocking portions further comprising at least one slot, for receiving respective tabs. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , further comprising the first top panel connected to the rear panel. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , further comprising the base panel connected to the rear panel. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , further comprising the second top panel connected to the front panel for providing a two-layer seating platform. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 61 , further comprising a third top panel, which is capable of being folded back for providing a three-layered seating platform. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , said first top panel further comprising a hole for access to the inside of the apparatus, the hole being suitable for use as a toilet. 
     
     
         64 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , said second top panel further comprising a hole for access to the inside of the apparatus. 
     
     
         65 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , said hole further comprising an additional cut-outable portion located at an edge of the hole facing the front panel, specifically provided for ease of use for male anatomy. 
     
     
         66 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 62 , further comprising the third top panel arranged to substantially cover the hole of the second top panel. 
     
     
         67 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 66 , further comprising the third top panel arranged to substantially cover the first and second top panels. 
     
     
         68 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , at least one of said top panels further comprising at least one slit for receiving and securing portions of a fluid-tight container, for use within an inside of the combined toilet and seat. 
     
     
         69 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 68 , said fluid-tight container comprising at least one item from the group consisting of a tray and a plastic bag. 
     
     
         70 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 68 , further comprising two slots provided on two opposed sides of the first top panels for receiving handles of a plastic bag. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 43 , further comprising the combined toilet and seat are manufactured from a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard, paperboard, and plastics. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , said material further comprising a score to aid folding thereof. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , said material further comprising a perforation to aid folding thereof. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , further comprising a corner between a side panel and an adjacent panel having two sets of scoring spaced appropriately apart for providing dual hinges to allow flat-pack folding of the apparatus. 
     
     
         75 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , further comprising a corner between a side panel and an adjacent panel having two sets of perforations spaced appropriately apart for providing dual hinges to allow flat-pack folding of the apparatus. 
     
     
         76 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , further comprising the apparatus is arranged to be foldable to a flat-pack configuration. 
     
     
         77 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 76 , further comprising the apparatus is foldable into a square-shaped, flat configuration. 
     
     
         78 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 71 , said material comprising a biodegradable material. 
     
     
         79 . A blank for forming a combined toilet and seat apparatus, said blank comprising:
 a first, second, third and fourth consecutive panel and connection means therebetween, for forming a front panel, a first side panel, a rear panel and a second side panel, respectively;   a fifth and sixth panel, for forming a seating platform and a base, respectively, of the apparatus;   the fifth panel and the sixth panel extend from opposite ends of a panel selected from the group of the first and third panel; and   an interlock between a panel selected from the group consisting of the fifth and sixth panel, and a panel selected from the group consisting of the second and fourth panels.   
     
     
         80 . The blank as claimed in  claim 79 , further comprising two blanks combined to form a unitary blank. 
     
     
         81 . The blank as claimed in  claim 79 , said interlock comprising at least one slot. 
     
     
         82 . An assembled combined toilet and seat apparatus having a box-like configuration, the apparatus comprising:
 A spaced-apart front panel and a rear panel connected by at least one inwardly angled side panel;   a top panel connected to at least one of the panels selected from the group consisting of the front and the rear panel and supported by the inwardly-angled side panel to form a seating platform;   a base panel connected to at least one of the panels selected from the group consisting of the front panel and the rear panel;   wherein an interlock is provided by corresponding interlocking portions between at least one of the inwardly-angled side panels, and at least one panel selected from the group consisting of the top panel and the base panel.