Motorized Toilet Auxiliary Standing Device with Dual Branched Chains

The problem

Standard toilets sit low to the floor, requiring significant leg strength to rise from a seated position. For older adults or individuals recovering from injury, this daily movement presents a fall risk and physical strain. Fixed grab bars help but require the user to pull their own weight, while bulky powered lift chairs often replace the toilet entirely, taking up space and altering the bathroom layout. A solution that fits over an existing bowl and assists the standing motion mechanically is needed.

The solution

This device places a motorized cushion assembly above the toilet bowl. It solves the lifting problem through several coordinated mechanical and electronic steps:

1. A base supports the entire structure around or above the toilet bowl.
2. A cushion rests on the base in a closed, horizontal position for normal sitting.
3. A motor body provides the driving force, controlled by an electrical control device.
4. A first transmission rod rotates when driven by the motor body.
5. Two parallel, symmetrically distributed branched chains transfer this rotation into a lifting motion. Each chain contains a second transmission rod, a third transmission rod, a cross shaft, a threaded transmission shaft, a lower connecting rod, a threaded sleeve and an upper connecting rod.
6. Bevel gear connections link the first transmission rod to the second, and the second to the third, redirecting the rotational force.
7. The third transmission rod connects to the threaded transmission shaft via a cross shaft forming a universal joint.
8. The threaded transmission shaft screws into the threaded sleeve, converting rotation into vertical travel.
9. The lower connecting rod pivots between the threaded sleeve and the base, while the upper connecting rod pivots between the threaded sleeve and the cushion.
10. A weight sensor on the cushion reads the applied load continuously, allowing the control device to switch between idle, use and assist-in-standing states, and to select a motor speed based on the user’s average sitting weight.

Who it is for

• Medical equipment distributors supplying aging-in-place products to home care networks who need a mechanical alternative to full toilet replacement.
• Accessible bathroom fixture brands looking to add a powered standing aid to their catalog without redesigning standard plumbing.
• Senior living facility operators seeking retrofittable devices that reduce caregiver strain during bathroom transfers.
• E-commerce sellers in the home health category offering functional bathroom aids where the weight-sensor automation serves as a distinct feature.

How it works

The main parts

Operating steps

1. Idle state: The cushion is horizontal. The weight sensor reads below a first weight threshold for longer than a first time threshold, keeping the system off.
2. Use state: A person sits down. The sensor reading meets or exceeds the first weight threshold. The control device records the sitting weight over a sampling period to calculate an average sitting posture weight.
3. Assist in standing up: The user shifts forward to stand. The control device detects that the absolute difference between the current weight and the average sitting weight exceeds a first difference weight. The state changes to assist-in-standing.
4. Lifting: The control device queries an internal correspondence table using the average sitting weight to find a matching motor working speed. The motor body rotates forward. The bevel gears turn the transmission rods, spinning the threaded shafts inside the sleeves. The upper and lower connecting rods push the cushion upward into an open state. Both branched chains move simultaneously, keeping the cushion level and clear of the toilet bowl.
5. Reset: Once the weight drops below the first threshold (or a touch sensor detects skin separation), the standing assist is complete. The motor reverses, lowering the cushion back to the horizontal reset position, and the system returns to idle.

Applications

Home bathrooms for older adults

Older adults living independently often struggle to rise from a standard-height toilet. According to the patent, the device sits over the existing bowl and a weight sensor on the cushion triggers the lift when the user shifts forward, rather than relying on a hand-operated switch.

Assisted living facilities

Caregivers in residential facilities help residents with many bathroom transfers each day. According to the patent, the two branched chains raise the cushion together, so the seat lifts evenly instead of tipping; facility buyers would evaluate on prototypes how much this changes the hands-on help a resident needs.

Post-surgery recovery

People coming home after a hospital stay may find rising from the toilet harder than before, and families often look for equipment that reduces the effort of each transfer. The patent describes a lift speed chosen from a stored table according to the user’s average sitting weight, so the cushion rises at a set pace rather than a single fixed speed. Any use in a recovery setting should follow the advice of the user’s own clinician; this page is not medical advice.

Accessible public restrooms

Commercial buildings upgrading restrooms for accessibility usually install grab bars, which still demand upper-body strength. Integrating a powered standing aid offers a mechanical option for users who cannot support their own weight, expanding the facility’s usability.

Where it is less suitable

• Wet-room environments without waterproofing - the motor body, control device and weight sensor require protection from direct water exposure not detailed in the patent.
• Pediatric use - the weight thresholds and correspondence tables described are oriented toward adult weights and standing mechanics.
• Non-standard or wall-hung toilets - the base mounting geometry must align with the specific bowl shape to avoid the interference the dual chains are designed to prevent.