Bounties attract serious brainpower to the challenge.
For as long as indoor plumbing has been around, men have been reprimanded for their aim. This idea should go a long way towards keeping us out of trouble and keeping the toilet clean.
The idea is simply to design a toilet seat with a telescopic frame attached which expands into a guard when the seat is lifted. It would resemble the neck of a Frilled Lizard, creating an oval wall on either side of the seat to funnel any misdirected urine safely into the bowl and releasing a back guard to prevent hitting the bottom of the seat and lid. These walls could expand out, resembling a dish, to create a larger surface area. LED lights could even frame the edges of the shield to indicate the end of the catchment area.
These walls can be solid sections made of plastic or polypropylene that collapse into each other (these materials can also be treated to prevent stains) or simply a soft liquid-proof material attached to a skeletal frame that pulls it into place when opened and compacts it neatly when closed.
Research for this idea introduced me to the Splatter Shield which works on the same concept to help potty-train boys. There are other brands producing the same products, but none of them are built according to my suggested design and they are all, in my opinion, inferior.
Designs like the Splatter Shield has a smaller surface area and needs to be attached by hand, whereas mine would deploy the wall automatically by lifting the seat and could be a permanent fixture.
Cleaning this product would be no more difficult than cleaning a toilet, but there is even a possibility of adding a flushing system to the guard if it would be neccessary. A pipe could installed at the base of the seat, where the hinge is, spraying water up into the guard, or a pipe could simply run along the edge of the guard to the top, letting water flow down from there.
While this product might seem like a novelty more than something that could actually make money or be useful, the rising popularity of the bidet should be an indication that we are not under the impression that we have perfected the design of toilets and at the very least it could come in handy for a house with toddlers, although I am sure that everyone could benefit from such a product as it would undoubtedly improve the hygiene around the toilet.
If the gent's movement and/or sight is not impaired, the only problem I sense here is misuse, flowing from indiscipline - inability to 'organise one's own piss', so to say. The standard toilet rim size should be more than wide enough to accommodate any disciplined flow and use - lift seat, aim, clean after use, lower seat back in position, wash and dry hands.
However, for men with movement and/or visual impairment, a detachable mini handheld urinal, seems a neater solution to a real problem. The urinal head is connected to a retractable flexible hose and plumbed to discharge urine into the toilet bowl. It could be held in place by a toilet-side or wall-mounted holder, when not in use. It also allows for regular cleaning and better hygiene.
Spook Louw Aug 04, 2021