Deodorizing Toilet Bowl Attachment

Abstract

A deodorizing toilet bowl attachment is attachable to a toilet including a toilet seat and a toilet bowl. The attachment includes a ring, including outlet openings and inlet openings, securable between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. A blower unit is provided in airflow communication with the outlet openings and the inlet openings via suitable piping. The blower unit includes a fan and a deodorizer insert. The attachment is constructed such that in use, the blower unit draws foul air from the toilet bowl via the inlet openings in the plastic ring and through the deodorizer insert and delivers deodorized air to the toilet bowl via the outlet openings.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/830,607, filed Jul. 14, 2006, the entire content of which is herein incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

(NOT APPLICABLE)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a deodorizing toilet bowl attachment and, more particularly, to a toilet bowl attachment that simultaneously vacuums and deodorizes unwanted odor while outputting scented air flow.

Numerous devices have been devised for removing odors from toilets and from the space surrounding a toilet. Examples of such devices include ceiling exhaust fans, various types of deodorants, blowers, and the like. Although exhaust fans are effective to a degree, the odors are allowed to circulate throughout the air in the bathroom prior to being removed and exhausted. Additionally, exhaust fans are not capable of quickly removing all odors from a bathroom. Deodorants are effective to mask undesirable odors, but the odors are typically still detectable in the air even with strongly scented deodorants.

A more effective odor control system is an electrically powered suction blower mounted within the structure of the toilet. Odors are withdrawn from the bowl by the suction blower through an intake port or manifold and suitable exhaust conduit. Other electrical systems utilize external blowers, where odors are withdrawn from the toilet bowl by an external suction blower through an intake port or manifold and suitable exhaust conduit.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be desirable to provide a system that prevents odors from circulating into the bathroom air. It would additionally be desirable to provide a device that simultaneously vacuums and deodorizes unwanted odors while outputting scented air flow. It would further be desirable for such a device to be attachable to an existing toilet.

In an exemplary embodiment, a deodorizing toilet bowl attachment is attachable to a toilet including a toilet seat and a toilet bowl. The attachment includes a ring, including outlet openings and inlet openings, securable between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. A blower unit is provided in airflow communication with the outlet openings and the inlet openings via suitable piping. The blower unit includes a fan and a deodorizer insert. In use, the attachment is constructed such that the blower unit draws foul air from the toilet bowl via the inlet openings in the plastic ring and through the deodorizer insert and delivers deodorized air to the toilet bowl via the outlet openings. The ring may be horseshoe-shaped and may be formed of plastic. Preferably, the blower unit includes an AC or DC motor attached to the fan, which may include a fan disk. The deodorizer may be a crystallized deodorizer. The deodorizer insert is preferably disposed upstream of the fan in the blower unit such that the fan draws the foul air from the toilet bowl through the deodorizer.

In another exemplary embodiment, a deodorizing toilet bowl attachment attachable to a toilet is structured to vacuum foul air from a toilet bowl, deodorize the foul air in a deodorizing unit, and output deodorized air into the toilet bowl.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a toilet includes a toilet seat, a toilet bowl and the deodorizer described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the attachment secured to a toilet bowl;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a blower unit that forms part of the attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the attachment 10 includes a plastic ring (or other suitable material) 11 that is preferably secured between the bowl 12 and the seat 14. As shown, the plastic ring 11 is shaped generally like a horseshoe and is covered by the seat 14 when in its lowered position. The plastic ring 11 includes an inflow side 11A having inlet openings 15 and an outflow side 11B having outlet openings 17. The inlet and outlet openings 15, 17 are connected via suitable piping 16 to a blower unit 18.

The blower unit 18 includes a motor 20 that is coupled with a fan disk 22, which drives airflow from an air inlet 23 toward an air outlet 24 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 4. The blower unit 18 also includes a deodorizer insert 25 adjacent the air inlet 23. The deodorizer insert 25 serves to deodorize the air drawn via the inlet openings 15. Although any suitable construction could be used, an exemplary deodorizer insert includes crystallized deodorant tightly wrapped and rolled into a cheese cloth material in multiple layers. The crystallized deodorant can come in many different scents, including, for example, lemon, orange, pine, lavender, etc.

In use, the unit is activated by the weight of the user via a switch (not shown). Foul air in the toilet bowl is vacuumed through the inlet openings 15 and drawn by the blower unit 18 through the deodorizer insert 25 via the piping 16. The deodorized air is driven through the blower air outlet 24 via the piping 16 to the outlet openings 17 of the plastic ring 11. In this way, the foul air is constantly held down in the bowl by the flow of the deodorized air with a constant outflow of foul air and constant inflow of deodorized air into the bowl. As such, the foul air has no way to escape the bowl.

The size of the blower unit 18 is approximately 4″ by 12″ although other sizes could be used. The unit 10 can be installed in less than ten minutes and removed in five and can be fit for use with any toilet bowl. The motor 20 in the blower unit 18 is preferably an AC motor, although a DC motor may also be used and powered via a battery so that an electrical outlet is not required in the bathroom.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A deodorizing toilet bowl attachment attachable to a toilet including a toilet seat and a toilet bowl, the attachment comprising:

a ring securable between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl, the ring including outlet openings and inlet openings; and

a blower unit in airflow communication with the outlet openings and the inlet openings via suitable piping, the blower unit including a fan and a deodorizer insert,

wherein the blower unit draws foul air from the toilet bowl via the inlet openings in the plastic ring and through the deodorizer insert and delivers deodorized air to the toilet bowl via the outlet openings.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the ring is horseshoe-shaped.

3. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the ring is formed of plastic.

4. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the blower unit comprises a motor attached to the fan.

5. An attachment according to claim 4, wherein the motor is a DC motor.

6. An attachment according to claim 4, wherein the motor is an AC motor.

7. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the fan comprises a motor attached to a fan disk.

8. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizer comprises a crystallized deodorizer.

9. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizer insert is disposed upstream of the fan in the blower unit such that the fan draws the foul air from the toilet bowl through the deodorizer.

10. A deodorizing toilet bowl attachment attachable to a toilet, the attachment being structured to vacuum foul air from a toilet bowl, deodorize the foul air in a deodorizing unit, and output deodorized air into the toilet bowl.

11. A toilet comprising:

a toilet seat;

a toilet bowl; and

a deodorizer, the deodorizer including: a ring securable between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl, the ring including outlet openings and inlet openings, and a blower unit in airflow communication with the outlet openings and the inlet openings via suitable piping, the blower unit including a fan and a deodorizer insert,

wherein the blower unit draws foul air from the toilet bowl via the inlet openings in the plastic ring and through the deodorizer insert and delivers deodorized air to the toilet bowl via the outlet openings.