Abstract:
A toilet bowl, the toilet bowl including a body in which feces are contained and a seat plate on which bottoms of a user directly touch, wherein the apparatus comprises: a plurality of suction inlets formed underneath the seat plate for sucking in air within the body; a suction passage formed along a margin of the seat plate for collecting the air sucked in through the plurality of suction inlets to discharge same thereafter; a blower mounted in communication with the suction passage; and a drain passage communicating with a discharge outlet of the blower, such that stench generated while a user relieves himself or herself is eliminated to be discharged through a drain pipe such that displeasure in and out of the toilet room can be removed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Toilet bowls are widely used in toilet rooms these days in preference to the old uncomfortable squatting style.  
           [0005]    A known toilet bowl is disposed thereon with a seat plate where bottoms of a user directly touch and the seat plate is covered thereon with a lid. Body of the known toilet bowl is placed with a water tank at a rear side thereof. The lid and the seat plate are hinged therebetween at a portion near to the water tank.  
           [0006]    In known toilet bowl is disposed thereon with a seat plate where bottoms of a user directly touch and the seat plate is covered thereon with a lid. Body of the known toilet bowl is placed with a water tank at a rear side thereof. The lid and the seat plate are hinged therebetween at a portion near to the water tank.  
           [0007]    In the toilet bowl thus described, a user flips open the lid, sits on the seat plate and relieves nature, after which the user presses a handle (not shown) to flush the water in the water tank for cleaning the toilet bowl.  
           [0008]    However, there is a problem in the know toilet bowl thus described in that, although feces are flushed with water, there still remains and lingers stench thereof inside a rest room and its vicinity, causing in convenience to other persons.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problem and it is an object of the present invention to provide a stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl by which stench out of feces can be removed, thereby eliminating unpleasantness.  
           [0010]    In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl, the toilet bowl including a body in which feces are contained and a seat plate on which bottoms of a user directly touch, wherein the apparatus comprises:  
           [0011]    a plurality of suction inlets formed underneath the seat plate for sucking in air within the body;  
           [0012]    a suction passage formed along a margin of the seat plate for collecting the air sucked in through the plurality of suction inlets to discharge same thereafter;  
           [0013]    a blower mounted in communication with the suction passage; and  
           [0014]    a drain passage communicating with a discharge outlet of the blower.  
           [0015]    An exhaust duct is disposed between the discharge outlet of the blower and the drain passage while the exhaust duct is coupled to air blocking means for opening and closing the exhaust duct in response to operation of the blower.  
           [0016]    The exhaust duct may communicate with the drain passage of the toilet bowl or drain passage of washbasin.  
           [0017]    The suction passage is a pipe coupled along a bottom margin of the seat plate while the suction inlet may be formed at the pipe.  
           [0018]    The body is formed thereon with an inlet communicating with the blower and bottom surface of the seat plate may communicate with the suction passage to be accommodated into the body, forming an outlet which fits into the inlet.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a duct coupled to air blocking means in the stench eliminating apparatus in the toilet bowl according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a perspective view for illustrating how the air blocking means is operated in FIG. 4;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a duct when an air passage is blocked in FIG. 4;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a duct when the air passage is opened in FIG. 4;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a front view of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a third embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 9;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a rear part where a toilet seat is placed and covered by a lid in FIG. 11;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 13;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a body of FIG. 13 as seen from thereunder; and  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 16 is a perspective view for illustrating how a toilet seat is received by the body of FIG. 13. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    [0036]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a stench eliminating apparatus in a toilet bowl according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a toilet bowl body  10  is installed on a floor of a toilet room and the body  10  is mounted thereon with a toilet seat plate  12  where bottoms of a user directly touch.  
         [0037]    The seat plate  12  is mounted thereon with a lid  14  for covering the upper side of the body  10  when toilet bowl is not used. The body  10  is coupled near to a wall (W) and at an upper rear side thereof to a water tank  16  for storing water to be supplied to an interior of the body  10 . Between the seat plate  12  and the water tank  16  there is installed a blowing unit  18  for sucking in inner air of the body  10  to send same to a drain passage.  
         [0038]    A drain outlet  20  in the body  10  communicates with a rising passage  22  so that water can be collected at a predetermined height after water from the water tank  16  is drained out with feces. The passage  22  where water rises is curved to communicate with a drain passage  24 .  
         [0039]    The drain passage  24  includes one part formed inside the body  10  and another part formed by a separate drain pipe  26 , where the drain pipe  26  is connected to a still another drain pipe  28  installed inside the wall (W). The drain pipe  28  is connected to a septic tank (not shown)  
         [0040]    The seat plate  12 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, is hinged to an upper part of body in the vicinity of the blowing unit  18 , the shape of which being of a ring opened at a front side thereof. FIG. 2 is not illustrated with the lid  14 .  
         [0041]    Furthermore, the seat plate  12  is inwardly protruded at an upper inner side thereof as illustrated in FIG. 3 and the protruded portion is formed along the margin of the seat plate  12  with a plurality of air inlets  30  for allowing the air in the inner space of the body  10  to be inducted while the air introduced through the air inlets  30  enters the interior of the blowing unit  18  through the suction passage  32  formed at an inner area of the seat plate  12 . The suction passage  32  is formed along the margin of the seat plate  12 .  
         [0042]    The lid  14  is hinged to an upper side of the body  10  with the seat plate  12 , which is a known art. The water tank  16  is also a known art. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the blowing unit  18  is a blower which includes a case  33 , a fan  34  mounted inside the case  33  for allowing the air to be tangentially introduced and to be axially discharged, a motor  36  for driving the fan  34  and a battery  38  for supplying a power to the motor  36 . The blowing unit  18  is mounted with an exhaust duct  40  at an air discharge side.  
         [0043]    The exhaust duct  40  is formed thereunder with a discharge outlet  42  at a predetermined distanced place from the blowing unit  18  and is coupled therein to air blocking means  44  for opening and closing the discharge outlet  42  in response to operation of the blowing unit  18 . The discharge outlet  42  is connected to an exhaust pipe  46  communicating with the drain passage  24 .  
         [0044]    The case  33  of the blowing unit  18  is connected to a suction duct  48  communicating with the suction passage  32 . The battery  38  is replaceable with an alternating current power source. The blowing unit  18  is coupled to an operation switch (not shown). The operation switch is preferred to be an automatic switch which is operated to detect a man.  
         [0045]    As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the air blocking means  44  includes a first opening and closing member  50  for opening and closing an upper portion of the exhaust pipe  46  which is the discharge outlet  42 , a blocking member  42  dividing the interior of the exhaust duct  40  into an upper part and a lower part and blocking the lower part, and a second opening and closing member  54  hinged and rotated at one end of the blocking member  52  to open and close a water passage.  
         [0046]    The first opening and closing member  50  has an approximately round plate shape and a midsection thereof is hinged at a lop-sided point to the discharge outlet  42 . A right part  50   a  (smaller part) of the first opening and closing member  50  has a radius of curvature, the size of which is appropriate enough to enter into the exhaust pipe  46  about a first hinge line (H 1 ) while a left part  50   b  (larger part) has a radius of curvature, the size of which is appropriate enough to be hitched at an upper end surface of the exhaust pipe  46 . A left tip end of the left part  50   b  is formed with a hole  50   c  through which a band  56  is inserted and tied.  
         [0047]    The blocking member  52  includes a horizontal plate part  52   a  and a vertical plate part  52   b,  each having a cross-sectional shape of “┐” where the vertical plate part  52   b  is half in height thereof compared with an inner height of the exhaust duct  40  while a left tip end of the horizontal plate part  52   a  is secured with a bridge  53  for supporting the horizontal plate part. Furthermore, a mid left side of the horizontal plate part  52   a  is formed with a slit  52   c  toward the water passage. Breadth of the blocking member  52  is the same as an inner breadth of the exhaust duct  40 .  
         [0048]    The second opening and closing member  54  includes an opening and closing plate part  54   a  hinged to a left end of the horizontal plate part  52   a  of the blocking member  52  along a second hinge line (H 2 ) for opening and closing an upper water passage of the blocking member  52 , and a quarter disc part  54   b  vertically erected from a midsection of the opening and closing plate part  54   a  relative to the opening and closing plate part  54   a  while protruded from a hinge part of the opening and closing plate part  54   a  to be connected to the first opening and closing member  50  via the band  56 .  
         [0049]    The quarter disc plate part  54   b  passes the slit  52   c  and is guided to be rotated about the second hinge line (H 2 ). The opening and closing plate part  54   a  is rotated in response to rotation of the quarter disc part  54   b  to thereby block the water passage. The quarter disc part  54   b  is integrally made with a reinforcement piece  54   c  which is in turn fixed to a midsection of the opening and closing plate part  54   a.    
         [0050]    The air blocking means  44  may be a damper controlled by control means (not shown) or may be an opening and closing valve operated by a solenoid.  
         [0051]    In the stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl according to the first embodiment of the preset invention thus constructed, when a user sits on the seat plate  12  to switch on a switch (not shown), or when a user just sits on the seat plate  12 , a switch is turned on by control means which receives a signal from a detection sensor (not shown) to rotate the fan  34  is response to operation of the motor  36   
         [0052]    The air remaining in a space of the body  10  is sucked into the fan  34  through the air suction inlet  30  along the suction passage  32  and the suction pipe  48  in response to the rotation of the fan  34  to thereby be discharged into the exhaust duct  40 .  
         [0053]    The air discharged into the exhaust duct  40  flows toward arrow B in FIG. 6 to push the opening and closing plate part  54   a  of the second opening and closing member  54 , by which the opening and closing plate part  54   a  is horizontalized to open the water passage as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the opening and closing plate part  54   a  is rotated counterclockwise about the second hinge line (H 2 ) to simultaneously raise the quarter disc plate  54   b  along the slit  52   c,  where the first opening and closing member  50  connected by the band  56  is rotated clockwise about the first hinge line (H 1 ) to allow a water passage to be opened to the exhaust pipe  46 .  
         [0054]    The air discharged to the exhaust pipe  46  sequentially passes the drain passage  24  formed in the body, drain pipe  26  and another drain pipe  28  to the septic tank.  
         [0055]    According, stench generated by a user who relieves nature is continuously discharged to the septic tank, thereby preventing the stench from being dispersed out of the rest room.  
         [0056]    When a user finishes relieving nature to turn off a switch (not shown), or when the user stands up from the seat plate  12 , the switch receives a signal from a detection sensor to be turned off by control means, thereby stopping the operation of the motor  36 .  
         [0057]    As a result, the opening and closing plate part  54   a  of the second opening and closing member  54  loses the pushing power to make the left side  50   b  of the first opening and closing member  50  heavier, such that the first opening and closing member  50  is rotated counterclockwise about the first hinge line (H 1 ). At the same time, the second opening and closing member  54  is rotated clockwise about the second hinge line (H 2 ) to thereby close the water passage as illustrated in FIG. 6.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing of a stench eliminating apparatus at a toilet bowl according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where a discharge outlet  42 ′ formed at a exhaust duct  40  is connected to an exhaust pipe  60  communicating with a drain pipe  26  connected to outside of a toilet bowl. The discharge outlet  42 ′ is preferred to be formed at a side surface of the exhaust duct  40 .  
         [0059]    [0059]FIGS. 9 and 10 are respectively front view and plan view of a stench eliminating apparatus at a toilet bowl according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, a blowing unit  118  and an exhaust duct  140  are mounted to an outside of a toilet bowl, and a suction passage  32  of seat plate  12  is connected to a suction inlet of the blowing unit  118  via a suction pipe  148 . A discharge outlet of the exhaust duct  140  communicates with a drain pipe  164  of a washbasin  162  through an exhaust pipe  126 . At this location, the exhaust pipe  126  is preferred to be connected to a bottom area of U-shape portion of the exhaust pipe  126 .  
         [0060]    [0060]FIGS. 11 and 12 are perspective views of a stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl according a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0061]    As illustrated, a body  210  of the toilet bowl is disposed thereon with a seat plate  212  directly touching bottoms of a user.  
         [0062]    The seat plate  212  is disposed thereon with a lid  214  for covering an upper side of the seat plate when the toilet bowl is not used. The body  210  is coupled at an upper rear side thereof to a water tank  216  for storing water to be supplied into the body  210 .  
         [0063]    The seat plate  212  and the lid  214  hinged by hinge means  217  coupled to the body. The hinge means  217  is a known structure where a hinge axle for connecting two flanges is inserted by protruders of the seat plate and the lid. The hinge means is formed at a midsection thereof with an inlet  266  of suction pipe  248  which communicates with a blower (not shown) or a blowing unit.  
         [0064]    Furthermore, a hose-like pipe  232  is coupled along an inner bottom marginal area of the seat plate  212  to form a suction passage and the pipe  232  is formed with a plurality of holes  230  to constitute suction inlets.  
         [0065]    The pipe  232  is blocked at both ends  232   a  thereof and is formed at a midsection thereof with an outlet  268  for being fitted into the inlet  266  when the seat plate  212  is received at an upper surface of the body  210 . The outlet  268  is a holes through which air introduced via the hole  230  into the suction passage is discharged.  
         [0066]    The suction pipe  248  is mounted between the seat plate  212  and the water tank  216  by way of an elbow  270 . The suction pipe  248  may be installed with backflow prevention means for preventing the air discharging into exhaust passage from flowing backward when a blower is not working. The backflow prevention means a blower is not working. The backflow prevention means may be similar to air blocking means in the first embodiment or a damper controlled by control means or an opening and closing valve operated by a solenoid. The backflow prevention means serves to prevent stench from being backflowed in the exhaust passage.  
         [0067]    In the stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl thus constructed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, when the seat plate  212  is placed on an upper surface of the body  210 , the outlet  268  formed at the pipe  232  is fitted to inlet  266  of the suction pipe  248 . When a blower (not shown) is activated, the air in the body  210  is collected in the interior of the pipe  232  through the hole  230  to be discharged to a drain passage (not shown) through the section pipe  248 .  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 13 is a perspective view for illustrating a stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0069]    As shown in FIG. 13, a body  310  is disposed thereon with a seat plate  312  that directly touches bottoms of a user and the seat plate  312  is installed thereon with a lid  314  for covering an upper side of the seat plate when the toilet bowl is not used. The body  310  is coupled at an upper rear side thereof to a water tank  316  for storing water for being supplied to the interior of the body  310 .  
         [0070]    The body  310  is coupled at a side thereof to a blowing unit  372  which has a built-in blower (described later) and is formed thereon with an inlet  374  communicating with the blower. The lid  314  and the seat plate  312  are hinged by hinge means  317  coupled to the body. The hinge means  317  is a known structure where a hinge axle for connecting flanges of both sides is inserted by protruders of the seat plate and the lid.  
         [0071]    The seat plate  312  has a similar shape as that of the first embodiment of the present invention. In other words, the seat plate  312  has a ring shape with its front side opened while an inner portion of the seat plate  312  is protruded from an inner upper side of the body  310 . The protruded portion is formed along the margin of the seat plate  312  with a plurality of air inlets  330  to allow the air in the inner space of the body  310  to be introduced. The seat plate  312  is formed thereunder with an outlet  376  which is fitted into the inlet  374  as the body  310  is received. Furthermore, the seat plate  312  is formed therein with a suction passage (not shown) such that air introduced via the air inlets  330  is collected to pass through the outlet  376 .  
         [0072]    The blowing unit  372  communicates with the inlet  374  through a flexible tube  378 , and as illustrated in FIG. 14, a blower  406  is installed at one side of a space (S 1 ) in a case  404  having a space partitioned into two areas by a compartment  402 . The case is mounted at the other side of a space (S 2 ) in the case  404  with a battery  408  for supply power to the blower  406 .  
         [0073]    The case  404  and the body  310  are formed thereunder with holes through which pipes  412  can pass.  
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the body  310  seen from thereunder. As illustrated in FIG. 15, periphery of drain passage  424  formed at the body  310  is formed with a drain pipe  426  which in turn is closely secured to a floor surface of the body  310 . The drain pipe  426  is formed at an outside thereof with a compartment  428  for encompassing the pipe  412  to depict a closed curvature. The drain pipe  426  is formed with an opening  430  to allow the air from the pipe  412  to be discharged into the drain passage  424 .  
         [0075]    A marginal bottom surface  310   a  of the body  310  and an another bottom surface of the compartment  428  are on the same level where the drain passage  424  includes a flange  432  protruded from a central bottom surface of the body  310 . The flange  432  is protruded in the drain pipe  426  such that dirty water flowing through the drain passage  424  does not overflow through the opening  430 .  
         [0076]    The flexible pipe  378  or the pipe  412  may be coupled to backflow prevention means for preventing the air discharging into the drain passage from flowing backward when the blower is not operated. The backflow prevention means may be similar to the air blocking means of the first embodiment, a damper controlled by control means or an opening and closing valve activated by a solenoid.  
         [0077]    The backflow prevention means serves to prevent stench from flowing backward in the drain passage. The backflow prevention means may be installed at an area where the compartment  428  is slenderized. It is preferred that the backflow prevention means is a damper.  
         [0078]    In the stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention thus constructed, when the seat plate  312  is placed on the upper surface of the body  310 , the outlet  376  formed at the seat plate  312  is fitted into the inlet  374  formed at the body  312 . When the blower is activated, the air in the body  310  is collected along a suction passage (not shown) through the air inlet  330 , passes the flexible pipe  378  via the inlet  374 , passes again the blower  406  and pipe  412  and flows out into the drain pipe through the opening  430  at the drain pipe  426 .  
         [0079]    [0079]FIG. 16 is a schematic drawing for illustrating how the seat plate  312  is placed on the body  312 .  
         [0080]    It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0081]    As apparent from the foregoing, there is an advantage in the stench eliminating apparatus of a toilet bowl according to the present invention thus described in that stench generated while a user relieves himself or herself is eliminated to be discharged through a drain pipe such that displeasure in and out of the toilet room can be removed.