System for the elimination of odors

Abstract

An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases for closed compartments. The sink includes a collector of gases connected to an air withdrawing pipe. The air withdrawing pipe collects gas or odor laden air through the action of an air pump which diverts the pumped air into a sewage pipe. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the odor sink is portable.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to environmental amelioration products. The invention provides a device and method for removing undesirable odors from closed compartments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Foul odors evolve by a release of volatile gasses from sources by undergoing passive or reactive, chemical or biochemical processes. To eliminate such foul odors and gasses that evolve inside buildings, a management procedure of the room in which the foul odor is produced is implemented. This may be as simple as keeping a window open in such a odor-susceptible room, or an employment of timed air pumping mechanism that sucks the odor-laden air to the outside. Air filters are used also for the purpose of eliminating odors and gasses from enclosures by pumping the air and passing it through appropriate filters to subsequently return the cleaned air into the enclosure.

[0003] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,359 a system for the elimination of odors from a toilet bowl is disclosed which includes a fan built inside the toilet bowl. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,018 is disclosed a system for the elimination of odors which employs an electrically operated suction mechanism and a valve, both installed within the toilet bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 is a schematic description of a setup in which an odor sink of the invention is implemented;

[0005] FIG. 2 is schematic description of a cross section in an installed odor sink of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0006] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an odor sink is provided, for eliminating unpleasant odors from kitchens, toilette rooms, basements, smoking rooms, laboratories, hospital rooms, and storage rooms. The odor sink in accordance with the present invention includes a collector which is disposed in close proximity to a source of such odors. An exemplary framework within which the present invention is implemented is described with reference to FIG. 1. Within a kitchen, a cooking pot 20 releases fumes and gases into the air, which are thereafter dispersed such that intense odors spread in the ambient space. Air collector 22 of the odor sink sucks in air from the surroundings of the odor source, as shown by arrow 24. Air withdrawing pipe 26 further pumps the odor-laden air from the collector 22 in the direction of arrow 28. Sewage pipe 30 is loaded with the odor laden air.

[0007] A cross section in an odor sink of the present invention is described schematically in FIG. 2 to which reference is now made. Collector of gasses 60 leans against wall 62. Air pump 64, typically an electrically actuated air pump powered by the mains supply, sucks in air from the collector, through a valve 65 into the air withdrawing pipe 66. The air pumped from the collector is then pushed into a sewage pipe 68 to which the air-withdrawing pipe is connected. At the orifice of collector 60 is disposed a directional shutter 70 which can be used to provide preferential directionality to the pumping action of the collector 60.

[0008] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the orifice of the collector is positioned in the proximity of a toilet bowl or another source of odors such that a constant flow of air keeps drawing odor-laden air into the sewage pipe. For the efficient implementation of the invention, the system is placed as close as possible to the source of odor. Thus the odor-laden air is eliminated before it distributes in a large volume of air. The system of the invention may be installed in a fixed position, such as nearby a toilet bowl, or it may be treated as a portable or semi-portable device. A portable device is a device that can be moved from one connection in the sewage pipe to another connection. A semi-portable device is a device in which only the air collector is moved about, while the connection to the sewage pipe is not changed. To facilitate moving the air collector about, the air withdrawing pipe must be made flexible. If the sewage pipes possesses a designated service opening, the air withdrawing pipe of the invention can be connected through such opening. The maintenance opening which is typically capped by a screw cap that can be removed, is in such a case a convenient port for connecting a an air withdrawing pipe by screwing it on the thread of the screw cap.

[0009] An excellent use for an odor sink of the invention is in clearing odors in a toilet room. To that end, the orifice of the odor sink is set typically in essentially the level the toilet bowl. The air pump takes in air from the toilet bowl and its surroundings and pushes it into the sewage pipe. In accordance with the present invention, the elimination of the odor-laden air is achieved before it has the chance to spread in such volume as to reach, in effective amounts, potentially susceptible people and to subsequently affect their breathing system.

[0010] A prominent advantage of the odor sink of the invention is in the facilitation of the exploitation of indoor compartment such a small rooms such as rest rooms, such as toilets and bath rooms, secluded smoking compartments, small storage compartments, workshops and laboratories. In order to use a room for a toilet, a window to the exterior or an air duct are typically used for the elimination odors. Implementing the present invention, a toilet room can be set up in any indoors room providing that a sewage pipe runs in its vicinity. The system of the invention provides a solution for rooms having no air ducts or windows facing the outdoors. An adjustable orifice may be provided for adjusting the directionality of the air flow by means other than the directional shutter described above. For example, a flexible hose may be attached to the orifice of the odor sink, its opening directed to a localized odor source such as a pet's litter box.

[0011] The system of the invention may be used to rid closed places such as rest rooms and rooms in which unpleasant odor and potentially harmful gasses are produced. As in the case of toilet rooms, the benefit of the system of the invention is also in making possible the use of unventilated enclosures, typically internal rooms for a variety of tasks associated with the production of foul odors. Thus, implementing the invention by architects may influence the way in which buildings such as small homes, offices, hospitals and small factories are planned.

Claims

1. An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases from closed compartments, comprising at least:

a collector of gasses;

an air withdrawing pipe connectable at one end to said collector of gasses and at the other end to a sewage pipe, and

an air pump.

2. An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases as in claim 1 and wherein said collector of gasses comprises a means for directional air flow adjustment.

3. An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases as in claim 1 and wherein valve for directing air flow in said system is installed beneath said collector of gasses.

4. An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases as in claim 1 and wherein said odor sink is portable.

5. An odor sink for the elimination of odors and gases as in claim 1 and wherein said air withdrawing pipe is connectable to maintenance opening of said sewage pipe.

6. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments, comprising the steps of:

pumping odor laden air of said compartment;

pushing said pumped air into an air withdrawing pipe, and

pushing said air into a sewage pipe.

7. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 6 and wherein said compartment is a toilette room.

8. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 6 and wherein said compartment is a hospital room.

9. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 6 and wherein said compartment is a basement.

10. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 6 and wherein said compartment is a smoking room.

11. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 6 and wherein said compartment is a laboratory.

12. A method for eliminating odors and gasses from closed compartments as in claim 5 and wherein said compartment is a kitchen.