Patent ID: 8060952
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: E03D,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A vent system, for removing odorous air proximate to one or more toilets while in use, and for simultaneously being able to prevent water overflowing from said one or more toilets by accommodating draining of ascending water, in a backed up one of said one or more toilets, through a portion of said system, said vent system comprising: one or more toilets, each of said one or more toilets comprising a rim, said rim comprising a generally circumferential surface that conforms to the shape of a top surface of a bowl portion of each of said one or more toilets, said rim being selectively connected to receive water from a water tank and to transport odorous air away; said water being deliverable to said bowl portion from said tank by flowing out from a first plurality of orifices of said rim and into said bowl portion, said first plurality of orifices being on at least a lower portion of said rim; said rim comprising a second plurality of orifices on at least an upper portion of said rim, said second plurality of orifices selectively permitting inward flow of air from said toilet into said rim, with said rim air exiting through a rim outlet; each of said second plurality of apertures comprising apertures being formed to be substantially larger than each of said first plurality of apertures, and said second plurality of apertures being equally spaced about said upper portion of said rim; a vent pipe, said vent pipe generally being vertically disposed, said rim outlet being coupled to said vent pipe using a P-trap, said vent pipe having an upper portion inclining upward from said P-trap for venting and a lower portion declining downward from said P-trap to a sewage line, at least a portion of said P-trap being fillable with water to prevent said odorous air from returning through said vent pipe back to said toilet; said system comprising a self-regulating water fill means for maintaining said water in said rim-outlet-to-vent-pipe P-trap after said ventilation ceases; a fan box, said vent pipe upper portion for each of said one or more toilets being coupled to said fan box, said fan box comprising a respective isolation valve for each of said one or more toilets; and a respective sensor at each of said one or more toilets, each of said respective sensors being capable of activating said fan box when triggered by a user, said activated fan box causing said respective isolation valve to close for each of said one or more toilets except for said used toilet, each of said closed respective isolation valves closing off said air flow therein, and permitting suction created by said fan box to extract said odorous air from said used toilet through at least said second plurality of rim orifices of said used toilet, and through said rim to said vent pipe upper portion; said odorous air being expelled out of a fan box outlet pipe; and wherein when a water level in said toilet ascends in said bowl portion due to said toilet being backed up, said first plurality of rim orifices and said second plurality of rim orifices receive said ascending water to permit said ascending water to drain through said P-trap and down said lower portion of said vent pipe to prevent overflowing of said rim by said rising water; said larger second plurality of orifices being capable of receiving waste water of said backed-up toilet; and wherein when said sensor triggers said fan box to deactivate, said sensor causes said closed respective isolation valves to open.