The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 09, 1997
Filed:
Aug. 15, 1995
Akira Sorimachi, Kanagawa, JP;
Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
A hinge mechanism has a damping mechanism and is capable of removing or reducing to the least extent the damping action of the damping mechanism when opening the seat or the seat lid of a toilet bowl, of securely holding the seat or the seat lid at the open position, of making the damping action effective so that the seat or the seat lid can turn gradually to its closed position and of avoiding the breakage of the damping mechanism due to jerky loading when the seat or the seat lid is turned with a jerk. The hinge mechanism comprises a case, a hinge shaft supporting the seat or the seat lid and supported in the case for rotation and axial movement, a fluidic damping mechanism formed between the case and the hinge shaft, and a resilient means biasing the hinge shaft in one direction.