Toilet Exhaust Means

Abstract

Apparatus for withdrawing fetid air from a toilet includes a manifold mounted for easy disengagement at the rear of the seat and which has associated therewith a separable inlet conduit that also functions cooperatively with a base plate to secure the manifold in mounted position on the toilet bowl. Suction producing means connect with the manifold to withdraw air through the inlet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is particularly directed to withdrawing fetid air from a toilet bowl.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Numerous devices and apparatus for ventilating toilet bowls and their environs have been observed. In general they are known to employ headers or manifold means mounted on a toilet bowl and include an inlet orifice or orifices adjacent to the rim of a bowl with suction-producing means associated with the header, either remote relative the bowl as in Munden's U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,309, or close to the bowl and tank as in Cox's U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,651, or Kirkland U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,665. A principal difficulty encountered with the known prior devices is that they are so permanently and fixedly associated with the toilet bowl as to practically preclude their easy removal for cleaning as an incident of normal toilet bowl santitation operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is for use with a toilet bowl having a horizontal surface at the rear in which there is a pair of spaced-apart upstanding studs which serve in the hinged attachment of the usual toilet seat. In such an assembly the hinge axis of the seat, as well as the seat underside, is spaced above the horizontal surface. The hinge means above and the studs at the sides define a broad shallow void below and behind the toilet seat. A manifold is disengageably secured to said studs and extends transversely across said surface behind and somewhat above said studs. One end of the manifold is open to receive a conduit extending to suction-producing means. The manifold has a nipple that projects through and occupies said void between the studs. An inlet conduit telescopically joins said nipple and includes a downwardly open entrant orifice which is located at the inner rear of the bowl rim. Joinder of the inlet conduit to the nipple engages with base structure mounted on the bowl. This engagement serves to lock the manifold in place. Separation of the inlet conduit from the nipple permits the disengagement of the manifold from the toilet bowl.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide simple, inexpensive, easily attached air withdrawal means for toilets with may very simply be manually disassembled and disengaged for routine and rapid cleansing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet equipped with the apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the main components of this apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view in the plane 3--3 indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view in the plane 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electric switching and activation system by which suction-producing means is energized.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a toilet bowl 10 having an encircling rim 12 and a horizontal surface 14 at the rear of the bowl. The usual flush tank 16 is mounted on wall 18 at the rear of the bowl 10.

Studs 20,20 upstand in spaced apart relation, at the rear of rim 12, from surface 14. Bosses 22 (See FIG. 4) attach to studs 20 and provide an elevated pivot axis 24 for the hinge members 26 attached to the rear of seat 28 which normally during use overlies in spaced relation bowl rim 12. Tubular member 30 extending between paired bosses 22, 22 defines, with said bosses at the sides and with the horizontal surface 14, a void or passage extending longitudinally from behind the Studs 20,20 to close proximity to the rear of seat 28. It is in this void or passage that the separable parts of the exhaust apparatus are assembled and confined when the apparatus is mounted on the toilet bowl 10.

Tubular manifold 30 surmounts surface 14 and is disposed behind and parallel to studs 20,20. Manifold 30 is closed at one end 32 and has open-end 34. A tubular nipple 36, extending forward from its connection with manifold 30 projects toward rim 12. Nipple 36 is preferably rectangular in cross-section as shown. When mounted on the bowl 10, nipple 36 occupies in part the described void or passage between studs 20,20.

Tubular conduit 38 has a rearwardly directed exhaust portion 40 which also extends into said void and couples preferably telescopically, with nipple 36. Conduit 38 has a 90.degree. adit portion 42 provided with an inlet opening 44. Said portion normally depends within the bowl 10 in close juxtaposition to rim 12 at the rear. Thus opening 44 is shielded. The telescopic association of inlet nipple 36 and conduit 38 permits accomodation of varying spacings that may be encountered between a desired or required location of manifold 30 and the inside rear of a rim 12.

In addition to manifold 30 being separably coupled to tubular conduit 38 as described, manifold 30 is also separably coupled to bowl 10. In the preferred embodiment of the invention base plate 50 is substantially permanently secured on surface 14 by end lugs 52, 52 each having a notch 54 which embraces a stud 20. Bosses 22 on studs 20 bear on the lugs 52 in securing plate 50 to the bowl structures. Plate 50 has a broad and shallow groove 56 disposed longitudinally between lugs 52,52. The assembled nipple 36 and conduit 38 nest in groove 56 between its side walls as may best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Manifold 30 is detachably secured to plate 50 by means of upstanding lugs 58, 58 on plate 50, and forward extending lugs 60, 60 on manifold 30. Lugs 60, 60 are disposed on like sides of lugs 58, 58. Interfitting pins 62 and sockets 64, comprising interfitted male/female joinder elements permit transverse engagement but prevent longitudinal separation of manifold 30 from plate 50. Joinder elements 62, 64 are engaged or disengaged by movement of the manifold 30 in a transverse direction. Transverse movement of manifold 30 when joined to plate 50 is precluded by the exhaust portion of conduit 38. When telescopically assembled with nipple 36, with the manifold extending into said void and nested in groove 56, and interlock is provided.

When it is desired to disassemble the apparatus for the cleaning of the air passage parts, conduit 38 is withdrawn from groove 56 and disengaged from nipple 36. Manifold 30 may then be moved transversely to disengage pins 62 from sockets 64. Normally nipple 36 is maintained in a plane slightly above groove 56 as shown in FIG. 4, aided in this respect by knob or rib 70 on the underside of manifold 30 which bears on surface 14.

Suction-producing means is associated with the venting apparatus at the open end 34 of manifold 30. A tube 80 having end fitting 82 coupled to the manifold extends to housing 84. Tube 80 is coupled to fan housing 86. The fan 87 therein is driven by motor 85. The fan discharge passes through filter 88. Electrical power may be derived from electric outlet 88 in wall 18. Alternatively the suction-producing means may be remotely installed within or beyond wall 18 and connected to the venting apparatus on the bowl 10 by the tube 90.

It will be apparent that motor 95 may be activated by numerous types of manual or pressure switches. However, in the interest of regular and automatic operation it is preferred to provide switching means controlled by the presence of a user of the bowl. One such typical system is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5.

A body-capacitance-sensitive proximity sensor 92, located within or close to manifold 30, is connected to the illustrative solid-state electronic circuit in which:

94 is the power inlet

C-1 is a 220 mfd. mica applicator

C-2 is a 1-10 mfd. variable capacitor

C-3 is a 4.7 mfd. 25v. electrolytic capacitor.

R-1 is a 15,000.OMEGA., 1w. resistor

R-2 is a 3,300.OMEGA.1/2w. resistor

2-D is a 10v. Zener diode

Q is an NPN transistor

Scr is a silicon controlled rectifier

K is a 24v. DC relay.

In phantom in FIG. 4 is shown an alternate form of manifold 31 in which there is a descending passage 35 that curves and merges with a generally horizontal nipple 36. This form is useful when the bowl to tank arrangement is close or tight tending to limit the rearward extension of the manifold structure.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of this novel toilet exhaust apparatus is disclosed, it is to be understood that changes in construction may be made to accommodate varying conditions. All such as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention are intended to be covered by this patent.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a toilet apparatus comprised of a toilet bowl having an upper rear horizontal surface in which there is a pair of upstanding spaced-apart studs disposed transversely across said surface to receive means providing for the pivotal attachment of a seat to swing about an axis spaced above said horizontal surface sufficiently to establish a broad relatively shallow void above said horizontal surface and beneath said seat extending fore-and-aft between said studs; the improvement comprising:

a tubular, manifold rearward of said void extending parallel to said studs;

separable coupling means between said manifold and said studs disengageable upon movement of said manifold along its longitudinal axis;

a tubular conduit having an inlet orifice located in the rear of said toilet bowl and including a rearwardly directed exhaust portion extending into said void;

a tubular nipple extending forward from said manifold and telescopically associated with said exhaust portion of said tubular conduit;

retainer means associated with said bowl and embracing said telescopically assembled conduit and nipple to preclude movement of said manifold along its longitudinal axis while said tubular conduit and said tubular nipple are telescopically assembled; and

suction-producing means operatively coupled to said manifold for withdrawing air from said bowl through said inlet-orifice.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said separable coupling means comprises juxtaposed pairs of lugs disposed between said manifold and said studs, said lugs being joined by male/female interfitted elements.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the retainer means precluding longitudinal movement of said manifold comprises upstanding abutment walls at the sides of the exhaust portion of said telescopically assembled conduit and nipple.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the tubular conduit has a depending portion in the rear of said toilet bowl and said inlet orifice is located in the lower extremity of said depending portion.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which the suction-producing means includes an electric motor driven fan which is energized by relay-operated switch means controlled by a body-capacitance-sensitive switch located in the proximity of said void.

6. In a toilet apparatus comprised of a toilet bowl having an upper rear horizontal surface in which there is a pair of upstanding spaced-apart studs disposed transversely across said surface to receive means providing for the pivotal attachment of a seat to swing about an axis spaced above said horizontal surface sufficiently to establish a broad relatively shallow void above said horizontal surface, and beneath said seat extending fore-and-aft between said studs; the improvement, comprising:

a base plate on said horizontal surface attached to and extending between said studs;

said base plate having a broad shallow groove extending fore-and-aft between said studs in the bottom of said void;

a tubular manifold at the rear of said void extending normal to said groove;

separable coupling means between said manifold and said base plate disengageable upon lateral movement of said manifold relative said base plate groove;

a tubular conduit having an inlet orifice located in the rear of said toilet bowl and including a rearwardly directed exhaust portion extending through said void and nested in said base plate groove;

a tubular nipple extending forward from said manifold and telescopically associated with said exhaust portion of said tubular conduit; and

suction-producing means operatively coupled to said manifold for withdrawing air from said bowl through said inlet orifice.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which the means preclucing longitudinal movement of said manifold comprises juxtaposed pairs of lugs between said manifold and said base plate joined by male/female interfitted elements.