Abstract:
An improved system for ventilating air around a toilet where air is drawn through holes in a covered groove in the toilet seat and pulled by suction through a channel and hose to an output end of the fan housing. Alternatively, the air may be filtered and recycled or placed in a vent.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a ventilated toilet seat system. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Ventilated toilet seats are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,999 to Lindley discloses an apparatus for removing noxious fumes and gases from a commode bowl comprising a toilet seat with circumferentially arranged radially directed inward air passages and a suction pump. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,329 to Wix discloses a ventilated toilet seat having an internal channel that conveys air through the hinge mechanism of the seat to an exhaust fan. U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,481 to Meyer discloses a portable ventilation system comprising an air duct, a filter and a control unit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,172,506 to Gerger discloses a ventilating attachment to be placed between the bowl and the seat, a motor and a suction device. International Publication WO 90/06404 to Hunnicutt discloses a toilet bowl ventilating system housed within the lid of the seat. A need exists for an improved system that can be manufactured inexpensively, installed easily and maintained easily. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention meeting the needs identified above is a system where air is drawn through holes in a covered groove in the toilet seat and pulled by suction through a channel and hose to an output end of the fan housing. Alternatively, the air may be filtered and recycled or placed in a vent to the outside of the house. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers represent like parts of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the system. 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the seat, connector, hose and fan. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the seat along line  3 — 3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, Ventilation system  10  has seat  32 , sheet  44 , bumpers  50 , fan  56 , hose  72 , fitting  78 , filter  84  and vent  28 . Ventilation system  10  is designed for attachment to toilet  14 . Toilet  14  has support  16  with bottom  18  positioned on floor  20  and top  22 . Tank  24  is positioned in front of wall  26 . Vent  28  is located behind wall  26 . 
     Seat  32  has lid  33  having upper surface  34  and lower surface  36 . Seat  32  is pivotally connected to top surface  22  of toilet  14 . Lower surface  36  has groove  38  extending within seat  32 . Lower surface  36  has a recess (not shown) adjacent to groove  38  for receiving sheet  44  where the recess has a depth equal to the thickness of sheet  44  and a width equal to or slightly greater than the width of sheet  44 . Seat  32  may have groove  38  molded during manufacture. Alternatively, seat  32  may have groove  38  cut out as part of the manufacturing process. Also, existing manufactured toilet seats may be modified by cutting groove  38  in them to create seats  32 . Groove  38  runs continuously inside the generally oval shape of seat  32 . Channel  40  connects groove  38  with the outside of seat  32  and ends in an opening capable of receiving connector  80 . Sheet  44  fits above groove  38  and within lower surface  36  so that the sheet  44  does not protrude above the plane of lower surface  36 . Sheet  44  has a plurality of holes  46 . In the preferred embodiment, holes  46  have a diameter of approximately {fraction (1/16)}th inch and groove  38  is approximately ⅝ inch wide and½ inch deep. In the preferred embodiment, sheet  44  is made to of transparent plexiglass. However, persons skilled in the art will be aware of a variety of suitable materials for sheet  44 . Groove  38  and sheet  44  with holes  46  create a duct within seat  32 . Bumpers  50  are positioned so that the length of bumpers  50  span sheet  44  and bumpers  50  are affixed to lower surface  36 . Bumpers  50  are fixedly connected to lower surface  36  thereby retaining sheet  44  in position. In the preferred embodiment there are four bumpers  50 . However, persons skilled in the art will be aware that any number of bumpers  50  can be utilized and that there are alternate ways to hold sheet  44  in position adjacent to groove  38  and within lower surface  36 . Fan  56  is completely enclosed by housing  58 . Fan  56  is a standard 4″ fan powered by standard household alternating current (AC). Fan  56  is configured to provide suction when powered thereby drawing air from seat  32  into fan  56 . Fan  56  may be positioned between seat  32  and wall  26  for easy access. Fan  56  may be positioned in or behind wall  26 . As a further alternative, fan  56  could be positioned on wall  26 . Housing  58  has input end  60  and output end  62 . Housing  58  has casing  64  for access to fan  56 . Fan  56  has switch  66  positioned in the vicinity of toilet  14 . In the preferred embodiment, switch  66  would be positioned on the wall nearest a side of toilet  14 . Wires  68  connect to  56  and run through casing  64  to fan to switch  66  and to power supply  67 . 
     Hose  72  has first end  74  and second end  76 . In the preferred embodiment, hose  72  is a 0.75 inch flexible hose. Fitting  78  is removably and sealingly engaged to first end  74 . Connector  80  is removably and sealingly engaged to fitting  78  and to seat  32 . Alternatively, connector  80  may be fixedly and sealingly engaged to fitting  78  and to seat  32 . Persons skilled in the art will be familiar with a variety of available connectors capable of removable and sealable engagement and fixed and sealed engagement. Fitting  78  is removably and sealing engaged with channel  40 . Alternatively, fitting  78  may be fixedly and sealingly engaged with channel  40 . Persons skilled in the art will be familiar with a variety of available fittings capable of removable and sealable engagement and fixed and sealed engagement. Second end  76  is removably and sealingly connected to input end  60  of housing  58 . Filter  84  has connecting end  86  which is removably  15  and sealingly engaged to output end  62  of housing  58 . In the preferred embodiment, output end  62  is connected to vent  28  sending air outside of the house. Output end  62  and vent  28  may be connected by a vent connecting hose which would be a 0.75 inch flexible hose  63  like hose  72 . In an alternative embodiment, output end  62  of housing  58  is attached to filter  84  and the filtered air will recycle throughout the room housing toilet  14  or whatever space in which  20  filter  84  may be placed. In the preferred embodiment, filter  84  is a charcoal filter. However, persons skilled in the art will be aware of other alternate and suitable filters. 
     When switch  66  is activated, fan  56  draws air through holes  46  in sheet  44 . The air travels through channel  40 , connector  80 , fitting  78 , hose  72 , housing  58 , and vent  28 . Alternatively, air may travel through channel  40 , connector  80 , fitting  78 , hose  72 , housing  58  and filter  84 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.