摘要 |
An automatic closure mechanism (16), particularly adapted for use with a toilet seat (14) is described. The mechanism will automatically lower a toilet seat that has been rotated to a raised position after a time interval determined by the viscosity of a damper fluid in an automatic closure of the mechanism. The mechanism is simply constructed and preferably integral with a rear edge of the toilet seat so that it provides a clean, neat appearance which is aesthetically pleasing and does not interfere with cleaning or maintenance of the toilet fixture. The mechanism includes a dry coil spring section (36) and a hydraulic automatic closure section (30). The automatic closure includes a primary flap valve (46) and a relief flap valve (48) which permit the toilet seat to be raised with very little resistance and automatically returned to the lowered position after about 1-5 minutes, depending on the viscosity of the damper fluid in the automatic closure. The automatic closure may be overridden to forcibly return the seat to the lowered position in an emergency situation without damage to the seat or the closure mechanism. The advantages include a simple, economic construction, a neat appearance, and a robust closure mechanism which cannot be damaged by a manual override of the closure damper.
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