Toilet seat

It can be closed to prevent small items from falling in, reduce odors, or provide a chair in the toilet room for aesthetic purposes.

Some studies show that closing the lid prevents the spread of aerosols on flushing ("toilet plume"), which might be a source of disease transmission.

Similarly, lids do not rest directly in uniform contact with the seat but are elevated while above it by the hinges and tabs/spacers affixed at a few spots.

Some toilet seats are fitted with slow-closing hinges to reduce noise by preventing them from slamming against the bowl.

Other designs are made of transparent plastic, encapsulating small decorative items such as seashells or coins.

Advocates claim that they allow the toilet to be used as a more comfortable seat and provide another way of decorating a bathroom.

It also omits an area of the seat that could be contaminated with urine and avoids contact for easier wiping.

The first electrically heated toilet seat was manufactured by Cyril Reginald Clayton at St Leonard's on Sea in Sussex.

Subsequent improvements were made and another UK patent applied for, this time for a deodorizing model with integral fan on 20 May 1970.

With the permission of Reginald Clayton, the electrically heated seat was further developed by the Japanese firm Matsushita.

In 1993, Matt DiRoberto of Worcester, Massachusetts invented the padded toilet seat, an early 1990s fad.

[7] The first known patented model of the toilet seat cover dispenser dates back to 1942 and was invented by J.C.

In the television show Dead Like Me, George Lass, the main character, is killed when a zero-G toilet seat from space station Mir re-enters the atmosphere.

These on-board toilets required a uniquely shaped, molded fiberglass shroud that had to satisfy specifications for vibration resistance, weight, and durability.