Odour extraction system for a toilet, urinal, bidet, and the like

Abstract

The invention provides a toilet bowl odor extraction system 50 for extracting bad odor laden air from a toilet bowl 9. The odor extraction system 50 includes a conduit 1 connected to the toilet bowl 9 rim area 23 and an extraction fan 3 configured to direct the odor laden air along the odor extraction route 8 from out of the toilet bowl 9 along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location 4 through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe 15 from where it enters the toilet bowl 9 and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the field of toilets and toilet accessories.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] It is a well known fact that toilet smells are unpleasant. Furthermore, some toilet urinal configurations do not permit the rapid dissipation of the bad odours and thus persons entering a toilet cubicle some time after the previous person has already left are confronted with the bad odours.

[0003] The above problem also exists for urinals, bidets, and the like.

[0004] One solution to the above problem has been to employ an extraction fan mounted in a wall or ceiling of the toilet cubicle and to extract the bad odours therethrough. However, by its very nature, this type of configuration requires a big extraction fan and results in the bad odours being drawn from out of the toilet bowl towards the extraction fan which could in fact worsen the situation.

[0005] Another proposed solution has been to extract the odour out of the toilet bowl directly by means of an extraction fan fitted to the outlet pipe from the toilet bowl and connecting the toilet bowl thereto and expelling the bad odour into the drainage system. This has been found to be unsatisfactory due to back pressures and for other reasons. A solution to this secondary problem has been to fit a larger extraction fan.

[0006] The applicant is not aware of any proposals to alleviate the problem for urinals, bidets, and the like. The usual solution for urinals is to place a disinfectant and/or a deoderising substance in the urinal thereby to mask the problem.

[0007] Thus, a need exists for an odour extraction system which will be effective, economical to operate and reduce the inconvenience of bad odours to toilet users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a toilet bowl odour extraction system for extracting bad odour laden air from a toilet bowl, said odour extraction system including a conduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden air from out of the toilet bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe from where it enters the toilet bowl and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

[0009] The odour laden air may pass from the toilet bowl along the flush water supply pipe to be extracted to the remote location before a flush water actuation valve so that the flush water does not push the odour laden air back into the toilet bowl.

[0010] The system may include an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent the flush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion of the extraction system.

[0011] The anti-siphon arrangement may be in the form of a conduit having an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to a higher water pressure than the water pressure in the flush water supply of the toilet at the point where the flush water supply and the odour extraction system are open to each other.

[0012] The conduit of the anti-siphon arrangement may be a pipe extending from the flush water supply pipe, past a cistern flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the cistern to be open to atmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern water level, the extraction fan being in air flow communication with the headroom above the water level in the cistern thereby to extract the odour laden air directed into the headroom by the conduit.

[0013] The conduit may pass out of the flush water supply pipe and bypass the cistern for direct connection to the extraction fan.

[0014] Likewise, where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphon arrangement may be the flush water supply pipe and an upwardly extending extension therefrom extending from out of the flush water supply pipe downstream of the flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the inlet of the extraction fan.

[0015] The extraction fan may be a radial extraction fan. Due to the unimpeded flowpath of the odour laden air the extraction fan may be small in comparison to existing systems.

[0016] Several toilet bowls can be connected to a single extraction fan i.e. multiplexing several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.

[0017] The flush valve assembly by-pass system also permits leakage of the flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise being heard at the odour outlet.

[0018] The above solution also applies to urinals having a urinal bowl having an inner lip of the rim through which flush water is routed from a flush pipe having an arrangement as described above for the toilet unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will now be described, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

[0020] In the drawings,

[0021] FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the odour extraction system of the invention on a conventional cistern type toilet;

[0022] FIGS. 5 and 6 show different embodiments of the odour extraction system for cistern type toilets;

[0023] FIG. 7 shows an odour extraction system of the invention applied to a cisternless toilet; and

[0024] FIG. 8 shows substantially in side view, a urinal for use by one user at a time, which includes a urinal odour extractor in accordance with the invention.

[0025] In the Figures, reference numeral 100 indicates a toilet including an odour extraction system 50 according to the invention.

[0026] The toilet bowl odour extraction system 50 for extracting bad odour laden air from a toilet bowl 9. The odour extraction system 50 includes a conduit 1 connected to the toilet bowl 9 rim area 23 and an extraction fan 3 configured to direct the odour laden air along the odour extraction route 8 from out of the toilet bowl 9 along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location 4 through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe 15 from where it enters the toilet bowl 9 and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

[0027] The extraction fan 3 may be an AC or DC or pelton wheel type fan. Typically the extraction fan 3 is a radial or drum fan.

[0028] The remote location 4 can be outside the building in which the toilet is located or can be in the sewage outlet pipe 25.

[0029] The odour laden air passes from the toilet bowl 9 along the flush water supply pipe 15 to be extracted to the remote location 4 before a flush water actuation valve 11 or pressure flush valve 18 (FIG. 7) so that the flush water 6 does not push the odour laden air back into the toilet bowl 9.

[0030] The system include an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent the flush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion 3 of the extraction system.

[0031] In FIGS. 1 to 4, the anti-siphon arrangement is in the form of a conduit 1 having an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to a higher water pressure than the water pressure in the flush water supply of the toilet at the point where the flush water supply and the odour extraction system are open to each other i.e. at the water level 6.

[0032] In FIGS. 1 to 6, the conduit 1 of the anti-siphon arrangement may be a pipe extending from the flush water supply pipe 15, past a cistern flush valve seat and closure member assembly 11 and into the cistern 10 to be open to atmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern water level 6, the extraction fan 3 being in air flow communication with the headroom above the water level 6 in the cistern 10 thereby to extract the odour laden air directed into the headroom by the conduit through extraction conduit 2 and extraction fan 3.

[0033] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 7 seals onto the cistern to prevent ingress of air thereby to ensure effective removal of the odour laden air.

[0034] In FIGS. 3 and 4, an overlapping nozzle 12 is placed over the conduit 1 to facilitate extraction of the odour laden air.

[0035] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the conduit 2 passes out of the flush water supply pipe 15 and bypasses the cistern 10 for direct connection to the extraction fan 3.

[0036] Likewise, where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphon arrangement may be the flush water supply pipe 15 and an upwardly extending extension therefrom 2 extending from out of the flush water supply pipe 15 downstream of the flush valve seat and closure member assembly 18 and into the inlet of the extraction fan 3 for venting to a remote location 4.

[0037] The extraction fan may be a radial extraction fan. Due to the unimpeded flowpath of the odour laden air the extraction fan 3 may be small in comparison to existing systems.

[0038] Several toilet bowls can be connected to a single extraction fan i.e. multiplexing several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.

[0039] The flush valve assembly by-pass system also permits leakage of the flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise being heard at the odour outlet.

[0040] In an arrangement such as that shown in FIG. 1 the cistern 10 should be substantially air tight to prevent the odour laden air from escaping as well as to maximise fan 3 efficiency.

[0041] In all the Figures, the remote outlet must be at more or less atmospheric pressure to ensure easy venting, for example, by connecting a pressure equalising vent 22 (see FIG. 7).

[0042] The toilet bowl incorporating the odour extraction system may be mounted in a cubicle with the odour extraction outlet venting outside the cubicle outside a building in which the cubicle is located.

[0043] It is also possible to extract the odour laden air into the sewage outlet system 25 above the water level 17 thereby to achieve an acceptable result, albeit at a slightly higher pressure.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 8, reference numeral 10 shows a urinal, for use by one user at a time, which includes a urinal odour extractor 20 according to the invention. In use, urine collects in a catchment portion 12 of a receptical 13 of the urinal 10. The urine is flushed away by means of a water flush 14 which discharges water into the catchment portion 12. The water and urine is then flushed away through a flushing pipe 16 in fluid communication with the catchment portion 12.

[0045] However, a residue of water and urine is trapped in a trap 18 of the flushing pipe 16. It is to be appreciated that when urine is present in the catchment portion 12 and/or the trap 18 it emits an offensive odour which permeates the air proximate the urinal 10 and, in particular, proximate the nose of a user which is proximate the receptical 13 of the urinal 10.

[0046] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes odour extraction means 22 for extracting the odour from the urinal 10. The urinal odour extractor 20 includes an inlet conduit 24 connected to an inlet 34 of the odour extraction means 22. The inlet conduit 24 has a remote aperture 26 connected to the water flush 14 thereby facilitating extraction of the odour through at least a part of the water flush 14.

[0047] The catchment portion 12 is bowl shaped and an outlet aperture 15 of the water flush 14 may be located under an inner lip of an upper inlet rim 17 of the catchment portion 12 of the urinal 10. The rim 17 is not parallel to the ground when the urinal 10 is in an installed position but is tilted downwards on a side proximate the user when in use. The outlet aperture 15 is located proximate the highest part of the rim 17 allowing water which is discharged by the flush 14 through the outlet aperture 15 to flow towards the lowest part of the rim 17 under the influence of gravity and an initial discharge speed. While water flows towards the lowest part of the rim 17, some of it flows downwards into the body of the catchment portion 12 thereby cleaning the catchment portion 12 By connecting the inlet conduit 24 to the flush 14 the odour proximate the rim 17 is extracted along a flow path similar to that of water being discharged by the flush 14 into the catchment portion 12 but in the reverse direction.

[0048] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes a sensor (not shown) for sensing a presence of at least one user. In use the odour extraction means 22 is activated for an appropriate period of time, typically 10 seconds, after the sensor senses the presence of at least one user, thereby extracting the odour from the urinal 10 and, in particular, from proximate the rim 17 of the urinal 10.

[0049] The urinal odour extractor 20 includes a venting conduit 32 connected to an outlet 36 of the odour extraction means 22 for venting the odour to a location remote from the urinal 10.

[0050] The invention is not limited to the exact constructional details of the invention as exemplified in the drawings and all variants falling within the spirit of the invention are included herein as if specifically described.

Claims

1. A toilet bowl odour extraction system for extracting bad odour laden air from a toilet bowl, said odour extraction system including a conduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden air from out of the toilet bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe from where it enters the toilet bowl and supplies the toilet bowl with flush water.

2. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the odour laden air passes from the toilet bowl along the flush water supply pipe to be extracted to the remote location before a flush water actuation valve so that the flush water does not push the odour laden air back into the toilet bowl.

3. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system includes an anti-siphon arrangement to prevent the flush water from flowing into and through an extraction portion of the extraction system.

4. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the anti-siphon arrangement is in the form of a conduit having an atmospheric opening at a height equivalent to a higher water pressure than the water pressure in the flush water supply of the toilet at the point where the flush water supply and the odour extraction system are open to each other.

5. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conduit of the anti-siphon arrangement is a pipe extending from the flush water supply pipe, past a cistern flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the cistern to be open to atmospheric pressure at a level above the cistern water level, the extraction fan being in air flow communication with the headroom above the water level in the cistern thereby to extract the odour laden air directed into the headroom by the conduit.

6. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conduit passes out of the flush water supply pipe and bypasses the cistern for direct connection to the extraction fan.

7. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 3, wherein where the toilet has no cistern, the anti-siphon arrangement may be the flush water supply pipe and an upwardly extending extension therefrom extending from out of the flush water supply pipe downstream of the flush valve seat and closure member assembly and into the inlet of the extraction fan.

8. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction fan is a radial extraction fan.

9. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein several toilet bowls are connected to a single extraction fan for the multiplexing of several toilet bowls to one or more extraction fans.

10. A toilet bowl odour extraction system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flush valve assembly by-pass system permits leakage of the flush valve assembly to be detected due to a gurgling noise being heard at the odour outlet.

11. A urinal odour extraction system said odour extraction system, including a conduit and an extraction fan configured to direct the odour laden air from out of the urinal bowl along a substantially unimpeded flow path to a remote location through at least a portion of a flush water supply pipe from where it enters the urinal bowl and supplies the urinal bowl with flush water.