Automated hygienic toilet seat with guide shield

Abstract

Sanitary toilet seat assemblies including automated cover material dispensers and a guide shield secured to a base member of the toilet seat assembly. The guide shield can have a top portion extending into a region lying between a first tangential plane and a second tangential plane, extending parallel to the base member and tangentially from opposing points along the outer circumference of the counter shaft projections.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sanitary toilet seat assembly for advancing tubular plastic around a toilet seat, said assembly comprising:
 a toilet seat having a first end and a second end;   a base member to which the toilet seat is operatively connected;   a top cover covering at least a portion of the base member, thereby forming a housing;   a dispenser shaft proximate said first end; a take-up shaft proximate said second end; tubular plastic forming a roll around said dispenser shaft, extending around said toilet seat, and forming a roll around said take-up shaft;   a counter shaft having a plurality of projections about its periphery for engaging the tubular plastic, distal ends of the projections defining an outer circumference;   a motor within said housing for operatively driving said take-up shaft to advance said tubular plastic in a travel direction;   a unitary pressure member for forcing the tubular plastic against said counter shaft, said pressure member extending continuously in a unitary construction downward from an upper internal surface of said top cover to a stationary pressure edge, said pressure edge having a long axis and a short axis defining a contact area with the tubular plastic, said long axis substantially transverse to said travel direction, whereby contact between said tubular plastic and said counter shaft is improved; and   a guide shield secured to the base member,   wherein the guide shield has a top portion extending into a region lying between a first tangential plane and a second tangential plane, extending parallel to the base member and tangentially from opposing points along the outer circumference of the counter shaft projections.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said guide shield is integrally permanently and unitarily formed with the base member. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said guide shield engages said tubular plastic to produce a deflection of said tubular plastic having a component substantially transverse to said travel direction. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said counter shaft is attachable to at least one magnet and positioned within said housing proximate to said take-up shaft and a control system for controlling advancement of said tubular plastic through said take-up shaft responsive to rotation of said counter shaft, and
 wherein said pressure member extends substantially downwardly from said top cover and engages said tubular plastic for deflecting said tubular plastic under tension in a substantially downward direction, said tubular plastic contacting and rotating said counter shaft as it advances to said take-up shaft, said pressure plate increasing contact of said tubular plastic with said counter shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said control system includes electronic circuitry on a printed circuit board to detect resistance in the advancement of said tubular sheet by monitoring counter shaft rotation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said electronic circuitry halts operation of said motor upon detecting a specified resistance limit in the advancement of said tubular sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the guide shield is contoured. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the guide shield comprises at least one lateral foot member for securing the guide shield to the base member. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the guide shield is positioned relative to the counter shaft to hinder the tubular plastic from passing beneath the counter shaft. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the guide shield is positioned to ensure contact between the counter shaft and the tubular plastic even if the tubular plastic passes beneath the counter shaft. 
     
     
         11 . A sanitary toilet seat assembly for advancing tubular plastic around a toilet seat, said assembly comprising:
 a toilet seat having a first end and a second end;   a base member to which the toilet seat is operatively connected;   a top cover covering at least a portion of the base member, thereby forming a housing;   a dispenser shaft proximate said first end; a take-up shaft proximate said second end; tubular plastic forming a roll around said dispenser shaft, extending around said toilet seat, and forming a roll around said take-up shaft;   a counter shaft having a plurality of projections about its periphery for engaging the tubular plastic, distal ends of the projections defining an outer circumference;   a motor within said housing for operatively driving said take-up shaft to advance said tubular plastic in a travel direction; and   a guide shield secured to the base member,   wherein the guide shield has a top portion extending into a region lying between a first tangential plane and a second tangential plane, extending parallel to the base member and tangentially from opposing points along the outer circumference of the counter shaft projections.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said guide shield is integrally permanently and unitarily formed with the base member. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said guide shield engages said tubular plastic to produce a deflection of said tubular plastic having a component substantially transverse to said travel direction. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said counter shaft is attachable to at least one magnet and positioned within said housing proximate to said take-up shaft and a control system for controlling advancement of said tubular plastic through said take-up shaft responsive to rotation of said counter shaft, and
 wherein said pressure member extends substantially downwardly from said top cover and engages said tubular plastic for deflecting said tubular plastic under tension in a substantially downward direction, said tubular plastic contacting and rotating said counter shaft as it advances to said take-up shaft, said pressure plate increasing contact of said tubular plastic with said counter shaft.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said control system includes electronic circuitry on a printed circuit board to detect resistance in the advancement of said tubular sheet by monitoring counter shaft rotation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said electronic circuitry halts operation of said motor upon detecting a specified resistance limit in the advancement of said tubular sheet. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the top portion of the guide shield is contoured. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the guide shield comprises at least one lateral foot member for securing the guide shield to the base member. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the guide shield is positioned relative to the counter shaft to hinder the tubular plastic from passing beneath the counter shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the guide shield is positioned to ensure contact between the counter shaft and the tubular plastic even if the tubular plastic passes beneath the counter shaft.