Patent Publication Number: US-5253371-A

Title: Device for exhausting foul air from a toilet

Description:
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Numerous toilets have been provided in prior art that are adapted to include a mechanism built into the toilets for evacuating odors from the bowls. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for exhausting foul air from a toilet that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
     Another object is to provide a device for exhausting foul air from a toilet in which a blower for removing the foul air from the bowl of the toilet will be turned on by a pressure switch when a person sits upon the toilet seat. 
     An additional object is to provide a device for exhausting foul air from a toilet in which the blower for removing the foul air can be electrically disconnected from the pressure switch by a manually operated on/off switch on a wall next to the toilet. 
     A further object is to provide a device for exhausting foul air from a toilet that is simple and easy to use. 
     A still further object is to provide a device for exhausting foul air from a toilet that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
     Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet with parts broken away showing the instant invention installed therein. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view taken in direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1 of a portion of the wall with parts broken away showing an option removable access panel. 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuitry for operating the blower. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view taken in direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 1 with parts broken away and in section. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the rim of the toilet bowl showing the pressure switch installed therein. 
     FIG. 6A is a diagrammatic cross sectional view through the pressure switch on its off relaxed position. 
     FIG. 6B is a view similar to FIG. 6A showing the pressure switch in its on actuated position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the Figures illustrate a device 10 for exhausting foul air 12 from a toilet 14 of the type having a bowl 16 with a rim 18, bolt caps 20 for mounting the bowl 16 to a floor 22, a seat 24 with a hinged cover 26 and a tank 28 with a flush handle 30 and tank lid 32 placed adjacent a wall 34. The device 10 consists of an intake hose 36 extending from the rear portion of the rim 18 of the bowl 16 below the seat 24 and hinged cover 26, bottom of the tank 28 and through the wall 34. An exhaust hose 38 extends upwardly within the wall 34. A mechanism 40 is coupled between the intake hose 36 and the exhaust hose 38 within the wall 34, for driving a current of air therethrough, so that the foul air 12 within the bowl 16 will be exhausted into the wall 34. 
     The air driving mechanism 40 is a blower 42 which includes a casing 44 having an inlet port 46 and an outlet port 48. The inlet port 46 is coupled to one end of the intake hose 36 within the wall 34 while the outlet port 48 is coupled to one end of the exhaust hose 38 within the wall 34. A fan 50 within the casing 44 has an electric motor 52 to rotate a plurality of thin rigid vanes 54 in order to drive the current of air therethrough, to carry the foul air 12 in from the inlet port 46 and out from the outlet port 48. The device 10 further includes a mechanism 56 for opening and closing an electrical circuit between a power supply 58 and the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42. 
     As best seen in FIG. 1, the electrical circuit opening and closing mechanism 56 is an on/off switch 60 mounted into the wall 34 and is electrically connected between the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42 and the power supply 58 so that a person can manually operate the on/off switch 60 to remove the foul air 12 from the bowl 16 of the toilet 14. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 4 to 6B, the electrical circuit opening and closing mechanism 56 is a pressure switch 62 mounted into the rim 18 of the bowl 16 below the seat 24. The pressure switch 62 is for connecting an electric current from a power supply 58 to the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42 to begin operation of the fan 50 when a person sits upon the seat 24 and for disconnecting the electric current to the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42 to cease operation of the fan 50 when the person gets off the seat 24. 
     The pressure switch 62 includes a flexible housing 64 extending upwardly between the rim 18 the seat 24. A first stationary electric contact 66 within the flexible housing 64 is electrically connected to the power supply 58 within the wall 34. A second movable electric contact 68 within the flexible housing 64 is electrically connected to the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42 and is normally spaced away from the first stationary electric contact 66. When the flexible housing 64 is compressed by the weight of the person sitting on the seat 24, the second movable electric contact 68 will engage the first stationary electric contact 66 for connecting the electric current from the power supply 58 to the electric motor 52 of the fan 50 in the blower 42. The flexible housing 64 is fabricated out of a soft compressible rubber material 70 to encompass the first stationary electric contact 66 and the second movable electric contact 68. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the device 10 can further include an access panel 72 removably affixed to the wall 34 that has an aperture 74 therethrough adjacent the blower 42 so that the access panel 72 can cover the aperture 74 and when removed from the wall 34 the blower 42 can be repaired/replaced when needed. A plurality of mounting screws 76 extends through the access panel 72 and into the wall 34 for removably affixing the access panel 72 to the wall 34. 
     To use the device 10 with the on/off switch 60, a person simply turns on the on/off switch 60 while using the toilet 14. The blower 42 will go on to exhaust the foul air 12 that is within the bowl 16 into the wall 34 away from the person. The on/off switch 60 is then turned off by the person so that the person can leave the area of the toilet 14. 
     To use the device 10 with the pressure switch 62, a person simply sits upon the seat 24 in which the weight of the person will compress the flexible housing allowing the second movable electric contact 68 to engage with the first stationary electric contact 66. The blower 42 will go on to exhaust the foul air 12 that is within the bowl 16 into the wall 34 away from the person. When the person gets off the seat 24 the second movable electric contact 66 will move away from the first stationary electric contact 66. This will cause the blower 42 to go off so that the person can leave the area of the toilet 14. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     10 device 
     12 foul air 
     14 toilet 
     16 bowl 
     18 rim on 16 
     20 bolt cap 
     22 floor 
     24 seat 
     26 hinged cover 
     28 tank 
     30 flush handle 
     32 tank lid 
     34 wall 
     36 intake hose 
     38 exhaust hose 
     40 air driving mechanism 
     42 blower 
     44 casing 
     46 inlet port 
     48 outlet port 
     50 fan 
     52 electric motor 
     54 thin rigid vane 
     56 electrical circuit opening and closing mechanism 
     58 power supply 
     60 on/off switch for 56 
     62 pressure switch for 56 
     64 flexible housing 
     66 first stationary electric contact in 64 
     68 second movable electric contact in 64 
     70 soft rubber material of 64 
     72 access panel 
     74 aperture in 34 
     76 mounting screw 
     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 methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention 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 essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.