Toilet with an inclined seating surface

Abstract

In some examples there is provided a toilet comprising a pan and a seating surface. In some examples there is provided a toilet seat providing the seating surface. The seating surface is configured to at least partially circumscribe an opening into the pan. The seating surface is configured to incline downwards towards a front of the toilet with a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees with respect to at least one of: a floor-abutment surface of the toilet; and a normal to a wall-abutment surface of the toilet.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . A toilet comprising:
 a pan; and   a seating surface configured to:
 at least partially circumscribe an opening into the pan; and 
 incline downwards towards a front of the toilet with a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees with respect to at least one of: a floor-abutment surface of the toilet; and a normal to a wall-abutment surface of the toilet. 
   
     
     
         2 . The toilet of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially constant gradient is in the range of 5 to 35 arc degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The toilet of  claim 2 , wherein the substantially constant gradient is in the range of 11 to 35 arc degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The toilet of  claim 1 , wherein the pan is formed with an upper rim inclined downwards towards the front of the toilet with a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees with respect to at least one of: the floor-abutment surface of the toilet; and the normal to the wall-abutment surface of the toilet. 
     
     
         5 . The toilet of  claim 1 , wherein the seating surface is provided by an upper surface of a toilet seat, the toilet seat being coupled to the pan and configured to be moved between raised positions and a stable, lowered position, and
 wherein in the stable, lowered position the toilet seat is configured to elevate the seating surface at a proximal end relative to the seating surface at a distal end.   
     
     
         6 . The toilet of  claim 5  wherein elevating the seating surface at the proximal end relative to the seating surface at the distal end provides a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The toilet of  claim 5 , wherein in the stable, lowered position the toilet seat abuts against the pan. 
     
     
         8 . The toilet of  claim 5 , wherein the toilet seat has a thicker profile at the proximal end than at the distal end. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet of  claim 1  wherein the floor-abutment surface of the toilet and/or the wall-abutment surface of the toilet comprises at least one shim, the at least one shim configured to incline the seating surface with a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees. 
     
     
         10 . A toilet seat comprising:
 a seating surface provided by an upper surface of the toilet seat;   means for coupling the toilet seat to a pan of a toilet,   wherein a profile of the toilet seat is thicker at a proximal end than at a distal end, the profile providing the seating surface with a substantially constant gradient of at least 5 arc degrees with respect to a base of the toilet seat.