A simple set of springs that keeps the seat up. The only way the seat would be down would be to hold it there with... say... YOUR ASS.
This would make it more challenging for boneheads to mess up public washrooms. It would also end the whole "Put the toilet seat up/down, you bastard!!!" debate because it would always be up, unless in use.-- BladeDanger, Aug 29 2001 Zippyanna: "what do they use to keep movie theater seats up when you're not sitting on them? that could probably work better.... "
...erm...springs.
Or counterweights, but I think springs are more common.-- StarChaser, Aug 30 2001 Gas spring / cam built into the hinge. When the weight is removed, the seat rises imperceptably for the first 60 seconds, then rises fully. To use, the seat is pressed down, and it stays there long enough for the user to turn around, drop pants, and sit. This is for public men's rooms, so the females need not worry.
Alternative: A box that mounts to the wall behind the toilet. It contains a laser rangefinder that aims at the edge of the seat and into the bowl if the seat is raised. It also contains a microphone and a powerful fan.
The microphone picks up the sound of tinkling water.. The rangefinder determies if the seat is up, down, or occupied. Wather sound AND seat down turns on fan, which keeps the seat clean by blowing the piss back onto the standee..-- FooToo, Aug 21 2002 Had this idea before... I guess I'm not the only one who gets annoyed by dribble on toilet seats. I think even the ladies would like it.-- ilyar, Apr 29 2003 [+], because I just had this idea myself, having just used the gents and finding puddles on the seat. I was thinking counterweights.-- Ned_Ludd, Nov 07 2007 Hmm, steel seat that electrifies with 480 when it detects wee?-- whatrock, Nov 24 2016 That might actually attract a certain category of user ...-- 8th of 7, Nov 24 2016 The springs should be just powerful enough to keep the seat exactly halfway between up and down, for the perfect compromise.-- Wrongfellow, Nov 24 2016 I'm waiting for very small poop robots that would enter my colon, encapsulate the poop, then leave to dispose of it so I never need to use the toilet. Same for urine.-- Voice, Nov 24 2016 [Voice] This is basically what dung beetles do (except not in your colon)-- hippo, Nov 24 2016 //encapsulate the poop, then leave to dispose of it so
Went to a barbecue and the cook later admitted that he might have forgotten to take the plastic wrap off the sausages after we had eaten them...-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 24 2016 random, halfbakery