Abstract:
The present disclosure further provides a toilet for exhausting odorous air therefrom, comprising a bowl, a trap, a housing, a self-contained ventilation system, a water tank, and a water supply line. The bowl has a rim therearound wherein the bowl communicates with the rim. The main trap is contained in the bowl wherein the trap is for communicating the contents in the bowl with a drain conduit so as to provide a passageway from the bowl to a drain stack. The ventilation system includes an exhaust blower having a blower inlet and a blower outlet. The blower inlet is in communication with air space between the contents in the bowl and the rim. The blower outlet is in communication with the drain conduit downstream from the trap. The exhaust blower including a cut-off switch for deactivating the exhaust blower during a flush.

Description:
The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/500,200 filed Jun. 23, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a toilet. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a toilet including a ventilation system for exhausting odorous air therefrom. 
     It is apparent that numerous innovations for toilets have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as heretofore described. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a method for exhausting odorous air from a toilet that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and is simple to use. 
     The present disclosure provides a toilet for exhausting odorous air therefrom, comprising a bowl, a trap, a self-contained ventilation system, a water tank, and a water supply line. The bowl has a rim therearound wherein the bowl communicates with the rim. The bowl is for receiving human waste that produces the odorous air. The main trap is contained in the bowl, wherein the trap is for communicating the contents in the bowl with a drain conduit so as to provide a passageway from the bowl to a drain stack. The ventilation system includes an exhaust blower having a blower inlet and a blower outlet. The blower inlet is in communication with air space between the contents in the bowl and the rim. The blower outlet is in communication with the drain conduit downstream from the trap. The exhaust blower further including a check valve between the blower outlet and the drain conduit for preventing the odorous air from flowing upstream from the drain stack into the blower outlet. The check valve is spring biased to a closed position and when closed blocks the odorous air from the drain conduit to the blower outlet. The check valve is selectively biased to an open position when the exhaust blower is activated at a pressure at the blower outlet thereby opening the check valve to allow odorous air to flow from the blower outlet to the drain conduit; and, wherein the exhaust blower includes a cutoff switch for deactivating the exhaust blower during a flush of the toilet 
     The present disclosure further provides a toilet for exhausting odorous air therefrom, comprising a bowl, a trap, a self-contained ventilation system, a water tank, and a water supply line. The bowl has a rim therearound wherein the bowl communicates with the rim. The bowl is for receiving human waste that produces the odorous air. The main trap is contained in the bowl wherein the trap is for communicating the contents in the bowl with a drain conduit so as to provide a passageway from the bowl to a drain stack. The ventilation system includes an exhaust blower having a blower inlet and a blower outlet. The blower inlet is in communication with air space between the contents in the bowl and the rim. The blower outlet is in communication with the drain conduit downstream from the trap. The exhaust blower including a cut-off switch for deactivating the exhaust blower during a flush. The shut-off switch comprising a float switch operably deactivated when a float drops during a flush and operably activates when the float rises when a level of the water in the tank moves down and up, respectively. The cut-off switch interrupts power temporarily to the exhaust blower during a flush while the float drops and rises, and resumes power to the exhaust blower when the float reaches a select water level in the tank. 
     The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is an enlarged diagrammatic cross sectional view of a toilet assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of a toilet bowl and rim; 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the toilet bowl and rim; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional side view of a toilet tank; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional front view of the toilet tank; and, 
         FIG. 5  is an electrical circuit schematic according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , which is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the present disclosure, the toilet assembly of the present disclosure is shown generally at  10  for exhausting odorous air (not shown) therefrom. 
     The configuration of the toilet assembly  10  can best be seen in  FIG. 1 , which is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the toilet  10 , and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
     While the disclosure has been illustrated and described as embodied in a toilet for exhausting odorous air therefrom, however, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present disclosure. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present disclosure that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this disclosure. 
     The present development relates to a self-contained ventilated toilet assembly  10  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  2 A, and  3 - 5 . The toilet  10  includes a bowl  14  defined as part of a pedestal base  18 . The pedestal base  18  defines a drain conduit  22 . The drain conduit  22  begins at a waste outlet  26  that communicates with the bowl  14  and extends to a stack outlet  30  that is adapted to communicate with a conventional drain stack of a house or other structure (not shown) in which the toilet is installed. The drain conduit  22  comprises a trap  34  that collects a volume of water to block flow of sewage gases from the drain stack into the bowl  14  by way of the drain conduit  22 . A ring or U-shaped toilet seat  38  is pivotally connected to the pedestal base  18  by a hinge  42  and generally conforms to the dimensions of a rim  46  of the bowl so as to provide a seating location for a user of the toilet  10 . 
     The pedestal base  18  defines a neck  50  that extends horizontally outward from the rim  46  of the bowl  14  at the rear of the rim/bowl. A tank  54  is supported on/above the neck  50  and is adapted to contain a volume of water  58  that is selectively communicated to the bowl  14  for supplying water and flushing waste from the bowl through waste outlet  26 , into the drain conduit  22 , and out of the drain conduit  22  via stack outlet  30  into the drain stack. More particularly, the rim  46  of the bowl defines an internal rim conduit  62  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A lower region of the rim conduit  62  includes a plurality of apertures  66  that communicate with the bowl. During a flush of the toilet  10 , water  58  from the tank  54  flows into a neck conduit  52  of the neck  50  which communicates with the rim conduit  62  such that the water  58  flows from the neck conduit  52  into the rim conduit  62 . Water flowing in the rim conduit  62  flows out of the apertures  66  into the bowl  14  such that the contents of the bowl  14  are flushed into the drain conduit  22  via waste outlet  26 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tank  54  comprises a flush opening  70  that is in fluid communication with the neck conduit  52  (which is in fluid communication with the rim conduit  62 ). A flush valve  74  is located in the tank and normally seats over the flush opening  70  to block same. The flush valve  74  (e.g., a flapper or other type of valve) is selectively unseated by user manipulation of a flush handle  70 , which is connected to the flush valve  74  by a linkage such as a chain  82  or other member(s). When the flush valve  74  is unseated, water  58  in the tank  54  flows by gravity into the flush opening  70 , neck conduit  52 , rim conduit  62  and rim apertures  66  for flushing the bowl  14  as described above. When the user releases the handle  78 , the flapper or other flush valve  74  is normally re-seated over the flush opening  70  to block same. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the tank  54  is connected to a water supply line  86 , and a float valve  90  is located in the tank  54  and controls the flow of water  58  into the tank  54  to refill same after a flush. In particular, the float valve  90  comprises a float  94  that moves up and down with the level of water  58  in the tank  54 . When the level of water  58  in the tank drops during a flush, the float  94  drops and opens the float valve  90  to allow flow of water into the tank  54  from the supply line  86 . When the flush valve  74  closes and the level of the water  58  in the tank  54  rises to a select level, the float  94  is elevated sufficiently to close the float valve  90  to stop the flow of water into the tank via supply line  86 . 
     Unlike a conventional toilet, the toilet  10  comprises a self-contained ventilation system to evacuate noxious gases from the bowl  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the self-contained ventilation system can be automatically activated when a user of the toilet  10  is seated on the toilet seat  38 , but alternative activation systems are contemplated, such as a manual on/off switch connected to the toilet  10 . The toilet  10  comprises an exhaust blower  98  housed in the pedestal base  18  (or alternatively mounted outside the pedestal base). The exhaust blower  98  is electrically connected to a low-voltage source of electrical power. In one example, the low-voltage source of electrical power comprises a rechargeable battery  102  (e.g., 12 volts) that can be also housed in the pedestal base  18 . The battery  102  can be removable for recharging and/or can be adapted to be recharged by selectively connecting the pedestal base  18  to a source of electrical power. In another example, the toilet  10  comprises a DC power supply  106  (alone or in combination with the battery) that is connected to a conventional wall outlet for input of AC electrical power and output of DC electrical power, e.g., 9 to 12 volts DC to the exhaust blower  98 . In either case, when the exhaust blower  98  is activated, it draws air and other gases into its blower inlet  110  and exhausts same through its blower outlet  114 . 
     According to the present development, the blower inlet  110  is in communication with the interior of the bowl  14  (i.e., generally the space in the bowl  14  between the top of the rim  46  (above) and any water or other contents of the bowl (below), and the blower outlet  114  is in communication with the drain conduit  22  downstream from the trap  34  (i.e., at a location in the drain conduit  22  preferably between the trap  34  and stack outlet  30  where gases flowing into the drain conduit  22  from the blower outlet  114  will not be able to flow back to the bowl  14  via the drain conduit  22 ). In one embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2A , a nozzle  122  is connected to the rim  46  and is located in the bowl  14  between the top of the rim  46  and the contents of the bowl  14 . The nozzle  122  is in communication with the blower inlet  110  through a hose or other conduit/path  126  such that noxious fumes and odors F are drawn from the bowl  14  into the nozzle  122  and flow to the blower inlet  110  and then to the blower outlet  114  when the exhaust blower  98  is active. In another embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 , the blower inlet  110  is in communication with the rim conduit  62  (directly or via the neck conduit  52 ). In such case, the blower inlet  110  is in communication with the interior of the bowl  14  through a rim conduit hose  127  and the rim conduit apertures  66  such that noxious fumes and odors F are drawn from the bowl  14  into the apertures  66  and rim conduit  62  (and optionally also the neck conduit  52  depending upon the location where the blower inlet  110  is connected to the rim conduit  62  and/or neck conduit  52 ) and flow to the blower inlet  110  and then to the blower outlet  114  when the exhaust blower  98  is active. 
     During periods when the exhaust blower  98  is inactive, to prevent noxious sewer gases from flowing upstream from the drain stack and drain conduit  22  into the blower outlet  114 , through the exhaust blower  98  and into the bowl  14  by way of the blower inlet  110 , the toilet  10  further comprises a check valve  130  located between the blower outlet  114  and the drain conduit  22 . The check valve  130  is spring biased to its closed position and, when closed, blocks flow of sewer gases from the drain conduit  22  to the blower outlet  114 . When the exhaust blower  98  is activated, pressure at the blower outlet  114  opens the check valve  130  such that air and odors can flow from the blower outlet  114  into the drain conduit  22 . In one example, the check valve  130  opens in response to a predeterminable pounds per square inch (PSI) of air pressure. When the blower  98  is deactivated, the check valve  130  automatically returns to its normally closed condition. 
     The exhaust blower  98  can be connected to a toggle switch or other manually activated switch  138  located on the toilet or elsewhere. It is preferred, however, that the exhaust blower  98  be automatically activated when a user is seated on the toilet seat  38 . As such, the toilet comprises at least one and preferably first and second seat switches  134 ,  136  (see also  FIG. 5 ) that are connected to the rim  46  and that are located between the rim  46  and toilet seat  38 . If multiple switches are used, they are preferably located on opposite lateral sides of the bowl  14  or are otherwise distributed about the rim  46 . The switches  134 ,  136  are adapted to be activated (closed) by pressure upon a user being seated on the toilet seat  38 . The seat switches  134 ,  136  are preferably spring-loaded and are deactivated (opened) when the user is unseated from the toilet seat  38 . The exhaust blower  98  is activated when at least one of the seat switches  134 ,  136  is closed, and is deactivated when both seat switches  134 ,  136  are opened. Alternatively, the toilet  10  can comprise one or more contact or non-contact sensors that are activated by the presence of a user near the toilet and/or seated on the toilet seat  38 , such that the exhaust blower  98  is activated only when the sensors are activated. 
     The exhaust blower  98  is preferably water-compatible and/or submersible such that it is capable of drawing water into the blower inlet  110  and exhausting same via blower outlet  114 . Nonetheless, for the embodiment of  FIG. 2  (where the blower inlet  110  is in communication with the neck conduit  52  and rim conduit  62 ), it has been deemed desirable to deactivate the exhaust blower  98  during a flush of the toilet  10 , to minimize noise and the possibility of drawing water from the rim conduit  62  into the blower inlet  110 . In such embodiment, the toilet  10  comprises a cut-off switch for deactivating the exhaust blower  98  during a flush. For example, as shown, the toilet  10  comprises a float switch  140  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) that is deactivated (opened) when the float  94  drops during a flush and that is activated (closed) when the float  94  is elevated when the level of water  58  in the tank  54  rises (which indicates that the flush valve  74  is closed and the flush has ended). When the float switch  140  is opened during a flush, electrical power to the exhaust blower  98  is interrupted and the exhaust blower  98  is temporarily deactivated, until the float switch  140  closes when the tank  54  is sufficiently re-filled. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the blower inlet  110  can be directly connected to the rim conduit and/or neck conduit  52  through a hose or other path, e.g., through a conduit defined in the porcelain or other material from which the pedestal  18  and/or bowl  14  are defined/fabricated. Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the blower inlet  110  is connected through a hose or other conduit  144  to an open upper portion of an overflow tube  148  that is located in the tank  54 . Unlike a conventional overflow tube, the overflow tube  148  includes first and second openings  150 ,  152 , one of which  150  functions as a conventional overflow tube opening (to drain excess water  58  from the tank  54  around the flush valve  74  to the neck conduit  52 ) and the other of which  152  is connected to the blower inlet  110  through the hose or other conduit  144  (shown in broken lines). Because the overflow tube  148  is in communication with the neck conduit  52 , the blower inlet  110  will also be in communication with the neck conduit  52  and rim conduit  62  and rim conduit apertures  66 . 
     As noted above, any hose or other conduit or path or part thereof referred to herein can be defined as an integral and/or one-piece construction with the bowl  14  and/or pedestal  18  and/or tank  54  of the toilet, i.e., the conduit or path can be defined entirely or partly by an opening defined in the toilet  10 , itself, and need not be a separate hose, pipe, etc. 
       FIG. 5  shows one example of a suitable electrical circuit for the toilet  10 . The battery and/or power supply  102 ,  106  is connected to a relay  156  that is connected to the exhaust blower  98  and that selectively supplies electrical power to the exhaust blower  98 . In particular, the relay  156  supplies electrical power to the exhaust blower  98  only when the float switch (if present) is closed and when at least one of the seat switches  134 ,  136  (or the single seat switch if only one is used) is closed. The switches  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  140  can be in a low voltage/amperage path (e.g., at or below a predeterminable limit (volts, amps, etc.) to maximize their life and prevent burn-out of same as could would occur without the relay.