Adjustable, maintenance-free toilet bowl air vacuum system

Abstract

The invention is called Adaptable, Maintenance Free Toilet Bowl Air Vacuum System. It addresses the need of people for smell-free toilet experience and for conserving water by providing an effective way to remove contaminated air inside the toilet bowl without changing any parts of most current toilets before it can get a chance to irritate toilet users. The prior art in the field this invention pertains is either using an independent system, or redesigning of current toilet, or a toilet seat to suck away the air in the bowl and has made it too complicated and too expensive to be practical for every day use and maintenance. The Adaptable, Maintenance Free Toilet Bowl Air Vacuum System has solved the problem and the benefit of the this invention is not only the contaminated-air-free experience while using the toilet, but also saving water by eliminating the need for user to flush the toilet in the middle of using the toilet. The invention is to use an exhaust fan to vacuum air in the bowl out through the overflow pipe in a toilet tank or its equivalent The exhaust fan will be turned on and off by a buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch inside the tank as water level goes up and down, or it remains on while a float controlled stick pull open an air inlet in the cover as the water level goes down. The implementation of the invention can be done through three approaches as detailed in the Specification of the Invention.

Description

The invention is called Adaptable, Maintenance Free Toilet Bowl Air Vacuum System. It effectively addresses the need of people for smell-free toilet experience and economically provides an efficient way to remove contaminated air before it gets out of toilet bowl without changing any parts of most current toilets.

The prior art of the field this invention pertains is either too expensive or too complicated to be practical for mass production and every day use as well as maintenance. The Adaptable, Maintenance Free Toilet Bowl Air Vacuum System has solved the problem and the benefit of the this invention is not only the contaminated-air-free experience while using the toilet, but also saving water by eliminating the need for user to flush the toilet in the middle of using the toilet.

The invention is to use the overflow pipe or its equivalent in the water tank current in use to vacuum contaminated air in the bowl out through an exhaust fan turned on and off by a buoyant force weight controlled electric switch inside the tank as water level goes up and down. The implementation of the invention can be done through three approaches as detailed below.

The first approach is the best recommended approach which includes a water tank cover with underlining layer made of soft seal material or structure to insulate the water tank when it is used to cover the water tank, a buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch, a section of flexible pipe to connect exhaust fan and the inside of the tank as well as extended pipes to dispose the contaminated air from the bowl out of reach.

Drawing 1 shows that the water tank cover has an underlining around the fan housing area to form the contact seal when the cover is put on a tank. The fan housing area is a frame for the exhaust fan to be inserted with inlet open to the inside of the tank and the outlet connected to extended pipe. The switch is independently put inside the tank with wires connected to the fan.

Drawing 2 shows that the water tank cover can also be made with a section of pipe going through from one edge of the cover to the center to link both inside space of the tank and the exhaust fan installed outside. The seal part is the attached underlining. The switch is independently put inside the tank with wires connected to the fan.

Drawing 3 shows that the cover can also be made adjustable for water tanks of all sizes. The retractable sticks on each side have hooked ends to hold on to the four edges of a water tank. The elastic material installed on the top of the cover can be pulled outside enough to land tightly on outside upper edges of the tank to form seal. There can have a housing in the middle of the said cover for the exhaust fan or have a section of pipe going through the said cover to connect the fan installed outside with the inside space of the tank. There is an elastic circular part attached on the top surface around the four sides of the cover that can be stretched outside to land tightly on the outer sides of the water tank to form the seal necessary for the system implemented through this approach.

Drawing 4 shows the view of an independent switch.

Drawing 5 shows the components of the buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch without adjustable clip set. The switch consists of an insulated housing for the switch contacts, a spring for forcing positive and native current contacts to connect, and a small housing filled with grease to allow the driving stick driven by the buoyant force/weight float to go through a hole through the small housing freely without letting in air or water as well as a section of soft rope that links the driving stick to one of the two current contacts.

Drawing 6 shows a buoyant force/weight controlled switch with an adjustable clip set fixed on top of the weight control float. It has all the parts as the Drawing 5 shows except for the adjustable clip set installed on the buoyant force/weight float to provide capability of switching on the fan as soon as the water level starts to go up after flushing.

Drawing 7 shows a cover with a housing for an exhaust fan in the middle.

Drawing 8 shows a cover with a section of duct installed through the top to the bottom of the cover that serves to connect the outside installed exhaust fan and the inside space of a tank.

Drawing 9 shows that an alternative tank cover has a hole through it from one side to the center of the cover with a section of pipe fixed inside the hole to let air go through when the end opening of the pipe is connected to an exhaust fan hooked on one side of the tank. This is used in an embodiment where the exhaust fan is placed outside the tank.

Drawing 16 and 17 show the two variations of replacing the switch with an opening in the cover that can be opened and closes by a buoyant force/weight controlled mechanism as the water level changes in the tank.

The second approach is to add a contact seal pipe connector (Drawing 10) on top of the overflow pipe or its equivalent in the tank and the other end opening of the connector to an exhaust fan through the water tank cover by a section of flexible pipe. The buoyant force/weight float that controls the electric switch is formed in such a way that the float comes in two parts that can go up and down two stabilizing sticks held together by a base and the connector on the top of the overflow pipe or its equivalent.

Drawing 10 shows that the overflow contact seal connector has a grid contact surface in the shape of a bowl facing down to adapt itself to different size of overflow pipe. The connector has a circular shaped soft pad adhered to the grid face to form the contact seal when the connector is put on the overflow pipe. On another side it has a slot with a soft belt seal along it that allows a thin stick to slide inside to the center. The water supply tube can be inserted into an inside thin pipe to function as it should be. The other end of the connector is connected to a section of flexible duct that connects with the section of pipe in the cover when the fan is hooked outside or the air inlet of the fan inserted in the housing in the middle of the water tank cover.

Drawing 11 shows that the combination of buoyant force/weight controlled switch and the overflow float for pushing up the overflow contact seal connector in case water level is higher than normal. The switch is hooked on a fork on top of one of the two stabilizing sticks. When the float goes up before reaching the connector, it will push driving rod up and release the switch spring to bounce back to turn on the switch again. The stabilizing sticks and the stabilizing base together with the connector on top of the overflow pipe will hold the combination together. There are clipping hooks on the flexible duct to allow fixing the said duct out of way of other parts of the flushing system functioning normally. The cover can also comes in two types: one with inserted exhaust fan in its housing for the purpose; the other with section of duct go through itself to connect the inlet of an exhaust fan installed outside separately with the space inside the tank The water tank cover does not need seal underlining.

Drawing 12 shows this approach with a cover with housing for an exhaust fan in the middle.

Drawing 13 shows this approach with a cover with a pipe going through itself to connect an exhaust fan installed outside to the inside space of a tank.

Drawing 18, Drawing 19 and Drawing 20 show two variations of replacing the switch with an opening, covered by two half lids or a sliding ring, chosen relative to the shape and position of the opening, with seal edges, on the overflow contact seal connector, operated by the buoyant force/weight controlled mechanism as the water level changes in the tank.

The third approach applies to power pressure pipe flushing system used mostly for toilets in nonresidential buildings. It contains a three-way pipe connector with a valve inside to let water through and block the way for air the same time while the flushing water flushes down. The valve also carries a driving stick inside the pipe to turn off the switch installed on the other end of the pipe. The exhaust fan is connected to the same pipe near the switch. The outlet of the exhaust fan connects to an extended pipe to dispose the contaminated air out of reach. An alternative variation of approach is to do away with the electric switch by replacing it with just an opening in the pipe covered by a rubber seal lid that can be pushed open by the said valve driven stick.

Drawing 14 shows the inner working of this approach applied in an embodiment.

Drawing 15 shows a variation of the approach by replacing the electric switch by an opening in the pipe covered with a rubber seal lid that can be pushed open by the said valve driven stick.

The best embodiment consists of a tank cover that has retractable extending arms and elastic seal skirt around the edge of the said cover, an exhaust fan that can be inserted into a housing in the middle of the said tank cover or hooked on one side a water tank or elsewhere, sections of flexible pipe to connect the exhaust fan with the inside of the said water tank, a soft insulation layer on the back of the said cover extending from the sides of the said cover to the housing in the cover or relative position, a buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch that is connected with the fan or an opening in the cover that can be turned open by a stick driven by the floats without the above-said switch.

Claims

1. The Adjustable, Maintenance-free Toilet Air Vacuum System has an specially manufactured water tank cover with an exhaust fan inserted in the middle operated by a buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch, The said cover has an underlining made of soft insulation material to contact the edge of water tank, and the exhaust fan has its air inlet open into the inside of a water tank and its air outlet connected with outside pipe for the purpose of disposal of the contaminated air, an alternative of the approach is to do away with the electric switch by replacing it with just an opening and a lid on the said opening in the cover that can be pushed open by a similar buoyant force/weight driven mechanism; or

2. The Adjustable, Maintenance-free Toilet Air Vacuum System includes a buoyant weight force controlled exhaust pipe set on top of the overflow pipe opening with the other end of the pipe set connected to exhaust fan when the fan is inserted in a housing in the middle of a water tank cover, or connected to an opening in the water tank cover when a fan is hung outside the water tank, operated by a buoyant force weight controlled electric switch, an alternative of the approach is to do away with the electric switch by replacing it with a twin lids on the half side, which is open, of the said end connector to be put on the overflow pipe turned open and close by the floats with adjustable clips on each of the two floats as water level goes up and down; or

3. The Adjustable, Maintenance-free Toilet Air Vacuum System can be modified for use in power pressure flushing system. The said modified system has a valve blocking released flushing water from coming into the pipe that is connected on one end to the flushing pipe through a three way connector where the said valve is installed and the said valve will shut off the exhaust fan by pushing a stick it carries controlling an electric switch. A spring on the stick will spring back and carry the stick back to turn on the switch again. An alternative of the approach is to do away with the electric switch by replacing it with just an opening in the pipe covered by a rubber seal lid that can be pushed open by the said valve driven stick.

4. Based upon claim 1, an embodiment features: the underlining of the water tank cover is made of insulated sponge, rubber, air filled cushion, water filled cushion or anything else similar that can form insulation when in contact with the edges of a water tank, in the middle of which is an opening with rubber seal around its edge for housing an exhaust fan with its inlet opening facing down into the inside of a water tank when it is installed. Or there is just a section of pipe going through the said cover and the exhaust fan is installed outside instead.

5. Based on claim 1, the buoyant force weight controlled electric switch consists of an insulated housing for the switch contacts, a spring for securing the connection of positive and native current contacts, and a small housing filled with grease to allow the driving stick driven by the buoyant weight to go through a hole through the small housing freely without letting in air or water. A section of soft rope that links the driving stick to one of the two current contacts. An adjustable clip set fixed on top of the weight control float to provide capability of switching on the fan as soon as the water level starts to go up after flushing.

6. Based on claim 2, an embodiment contains a water tank cover that has in the middle an opening with rubber seal frame in which an exhaust fan can be inserted with one outlet opening connected with outside pipe for disposal, the other inlet opening facing down into a housing connected to one end of a flexible duct whose other end is a contact seal connector to be put on top of the overflow pipe in the water tank to let air sucked away from the bowl through the overflow pipe in the tank. An alternative cover design is to just have a pipe go through the said cover with one end connected to the overflow pipe contact seal connector inside the tank and the other end connected to the inlet of an exhaust fan installed outside the tank.

7. Based on claim 2, the exhaust fan is also connected in one electric circuit with buoyant force weight controlled electric switch hooked on two stabilizing sticks that go through holes on two sides of the overflow pipe contact seal connector on top and are held firmly at bottom by a base that comes in two parts each holding one end of a stick and can be clipped on each other to form the whole base. The buoyant force weight control for both the said connector and said switch is done by two floats that have holes to let the stabilizing sticks go through freely so that the float can go up and down freely to control both the switch and the overflow contact seal connector as water level changes when a flushing is activated. The said contact seal connector has a section of thin pipe go through the part on top of overflow pipe to receive the water supply to wash the overflow pipe as usual.

8. Based claim 1 and 2, the most preferred embodiment should include the following: a tank cover that has retractable extending arms and elastic seal skirt around the edge of the said cover, an exhaust fan that can be inserted into a housing in the middle of the said tank cover or hooked on one side of a water tank or elsewhere, sections of flexible pipe to connect the exhaust fan with the inside of the said water tank, a soft insulation layer on the back of the said cover extending from the sides of the said cover to the housing in the cover or relative position, a buoyant force/weight controlled electric switch is connected with the fan or an opening in the cover that can be turned open by a stick driven by the floats without the above-said switch.

9. Based on claim 7, the buoyant force weight controlled electric switch an embodiment has consists of two buoyant weight floats with a hole in the middle of each, each hole of which allows one end of a stick go through itself and through an small opening on each side of the contact seal connector for overflow pipe with one of the two sticks also has a hook on its upper part on which the said switch can be hooked and could be pushed up from bottom along the hook, because of which the hole in the weight float that let the same stick through should be big enough to allow the above mentioned movement, and the another end of each of the sticks connected to a base set that comes in two parts which can be clipped on each other to form a stabilizing base supporting the whole set of the said switch and weight floats and the overflow pipe contact seal connector.