Toilet bowl homogenizing and cooling system

Abstract

A motor-fan system immediately combines small warm odorous clouds of molecules emitted by the human body and associated excrements with enormous volumes of cool non-odorous molecules drawn from outside of the toil bowl. The gross mixture is funneled into the homogenizing unit rotating 3000 rpm, which in turn forces the air through a large dense filter of activated charcoal. The size and density of this filter is designed to; 1) to absorb sparsely dispersed odorous molecules and, 2) to act as a barrier to allow cooling of the warm odorous molecules. The homogenized air passes into a lower-most compartment where large scented granules are placed to; 1) bury the odorous molecule that may escape the process and, 2) to pass a pleasant aroma into the adjacent space at floor level. Misc. specification: power source is 120 v, molded unit and parts except motor, fan and filter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Utilizing Patent Office Advanced Search software, “Homogenizing and Cooling toilet bowl air” did not exist in Patent Office data base files.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] No federal funds were utilized for this project.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The invention involves a unique approach to controlling and eliminating the disgusting and embarrassing odors emitted by the human body and associated excrements when using the common toilet. Many attempts have been made, as discovered by means of the Patent Office Advanced Search software, to solve this age-old dilemma. Every public or private restroom has a burden of odorous gases infiltrating or spreading into adjacent spaces. Ceiling fans are required within most building codes, however, ceiling fans exacerbate the problem because they simply draw the odor from the source and then distribute it throughout the room as it is drawn up to the ceiling. This invention's primary functions are to disperse the cloud of odorous molecules, absorb the sparsely located odorous molecules into highly dense filter, cool odorous molecules to room temperature, and to return homogenized and cooled air to floor level.

[0005] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0006] Prior inventions have failed or have not been accepted for many reasons. Poor design, too costly to manufacture and/or to install, and perhaps most importantly, not effective in solving the toilet bowl odor problem. Nearly all prior inventions have a common vacuum system to removing odor from the toilet bowl, however, numerous techniques are used to disposed of the odor. Several funnel it to adjacent wall, others return the odor to the water tank, several others vaguely describe passing it through a filter (assuming such filter exists), another invention details piping odor into the wall up to the ceiling fan vent. Several inventions used a water spray through which the toilet bowl air was passed in an attempt to modify the composition of the odorous cloud, and another simply returned the odor to the toilet bowl water. None of the dozens of patents reviewed mentioned: A large volume of outside air being drawn across the toilet bowl from front to rear, grossly mixing this large volume with a small volume of gaseous cloud of molecules from the human body and associated excrement, passing this gross mixture into a powerful high speed impellor that homogenizes this gross mixture, forces the homogenized air into a large filter of activated charcoal for the purposes of absorbing and cooling sparsely located molecules of gaseous odor, and finally, forcing it to floor level where it is may pass over, under, and around granules of scented material before it is expelled out of unit at floor level. None of the prior inventions suggest or imply returning homogenized air to the surrounding space where it is unlikely to rise from floor level and even more unlikely discernable with a ratio of approximately of one unit of gaseous odor to approximately 8,000 units of fresh air. Few, if any, human olfactory systems are sensitive at this ratio.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 1. The primary function of this invention is to siphon large quantities of air into a homogenizing cooling, and filtering unit. The incoming air has two components in its composition: 1.) Fresh air from outside of the toilet bowl and, 2.) dense gaseous molecules expelled from the human body and the related excrements. The large volume of air from outside of the toilet bowl is drawn in from a rectangular opening beneath the front portion of the toilet seat at a rate of approximately 17,280 cubic inches per 10 second interval. Manufacturer's rating is 300 cubic feet per minute at 3000 rpm without restrictions. Design features introduced restrictions of the latter specifications, however, a noticeable gentle flow of air can be sensed on the human posterior during the operation of the invention. Analysis of the gaseous clouds of odorous molecules associated with the human body and the related excrements provide an approximate measurement of two (2) cubic inches during any ten (10) second interval. These odorous and gaseous clouds of molecules are released only during random intervals during which time a constant flow of fresh air is being drawn across the toilet bowl into the homogenizing, cooling, and filtering unit.

[0008] 2. Noteworthy is the fact that a gross mixture flows into the unit as described in the above paragraph. The blades of the fan are moving at a constant rate of 3000 rpm, creating an homogenizing event that absolutely destroys the consistency of the odorous gaseous molecules, distributing those molecules in a random matter among the thousands of molecules of fresh air. The approximate ratio of 2 units to 17,280 is such that the human olfactory sensory system is most likely unable to discern odorous molecules.

[0009] 3. The invention includes another important concept that other inventions fail to incorporate into their design. A large filter of high density activated charcoal that serves two functions. The first is to absorb the sparsely dispersed odorous molecules in the homogenized air passing from the fan. It must be noted that all available air filters on the current market have very limited capacities of absorption. All filters that were analyzed had absorption widths of one-half inch or less. This invention has an absorption width of four (4) inches, a capacity that is approximately 800 percent greater than any other air filter. The unique cylindrical filter has a diameter of six (6) inches and an absorption depth of four (4) inches. The characteristics of the homogenized air and the absorption capacity provide substance to estimate a lifetime factor of at least one (1) year and as many as five (5) years.

[0010] 4. The second factor mentioned in the previous paragraph (3) is the important factor of cooling the incoming warm odorous gaseous clouds of molecules. Review of available abstracts found no reference to the specific problem of warm gaseous clouds of molecules rising up around the toilet seat into the room. This unique filter serves as a barrier to the fast moving homogenized air. Although warm odorous gaseous molecules have been dispersed, a short time interval is necessary for the cooling process to be absolutely completed. Attention should be directed to the final results: Homogenized, filtered, and cooled air is now forced to the lower-most level to be vented into the surrounding space at floor level. Scented granules should be placed in a wire or nylon net basket so that air can pass over, under, and around these granules to provide a pleasant scent in the surrounding space. In this manner those rare odorous molecules that survive the inventive process would be completely neutralized or overcome by the pleasant scent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The magnitude of perception of individual parts, functional inter-relationships, and proportional sizes will be enhanced by FIG. 1-FIG. 5.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a black and white photograph of the off-side frontal view of an installed proto-type of the homogenizing, filtering, and cooling unit.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a sectional profile of the side view showing relative parts, locations of parts, proportional dimensions, and arrows indicating path of air drawn in from outside of the towel bowl.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a sectional profile of the frontal view showing relative parts, location of parts, and directional components of air flow from the toil bowl into the rectangular inlet, through the molded funnel, down into the homogenizing chamber, forced into the activated charcoal filter, and finally, into the lower most compartment, passing through scented granules and vented at floor level.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a sectional profile of the top view showing relative parts, especially the longitudinal spacers that are attached to the underside of the toilet seat. Theses spacers serve to raise the seat above the toilet bowl to form an adequate rectangular inlet opening and a rectangular outlet opening at the rear of the toilet seat. These longitudinal spacers also channel the fresh outside air to the outlet opening.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a diagram of two figures, the first is the large high density cylindrical filter of activated charcoal and the second figure is the lower most level of the unit. Homogenized and cooled air is forced into this compartment, under, around, and over large granules of pleasantly scented materials. Homogenized, cooled, and pleasantly scented air is vented into the surrounding space at floor level.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] 1. With reference to the FIGS. 1-5, the invention is a new and unique method of instantly collecting the odorous and gaseous molecules from the toilet bowl, homogenizing those with large volumes of outside air, filtering and cooling by means of a high density activated charcoal filter, and finally, venting the homogenized and cooled air through a compartment of scented granules. No other patent, using the Advanced Search Software, was found that cited a reference relative to the process of homogenizing, filtering, and cooling process as define herein.

[0018] 2. FIG. 1, a black and white photograph, provides an exact illustration how the invention can accommodate the majority of past and current models of toilet bowl fixtures or designs. Molded materials, excepting motor, fan, and filter, provide cost effective methods of production and, at the same time, permit many years of maintenance free operation. FIG. 1 clearly shows the location of the off-on switch to the electric motor when it is necessary to operate. Many of the reviewed patents relative to the toilet bowl odor problem cite the use of an automatic switch, activated each and every time the toilet bowl seat is pressured by use. Objective analysis demands this to be an ineffective use of energy. The greatest usage of the toilet bowl, urinating, does not involve odorous gas and/or excrements and, therefore, an off-on switch is the better solution to providing power to the unit.

[0019] 3. FIG. 2 provides a side view of the total construct. A indicates a toilet seat and the toilet cover. The rails or spacers B can be attached to seats that are circular, elliptical, and those open at the front. The rails or spacers B hold the seat A at a proper distance above the toilet bowl to form an inlet opening at the front. Note the arrows indicating the air flow into the above mentioned inlet. C is the molded top to the major component of this invention. The incoming air, flowing into the funnel F is not homogenized. The air is simply a gross mixture of odorous gas and air from the exterior. D is motor of particular choice. D must be powerful, {fraction (1/70)}th hp., have a adequate energy to move large masses of air, operating at 3000 rpm the unit will move 300 cubic feet per minute (manufacturer's specifications). Design restriction, however, reduce the capacity to an estimated 17,280 cubic inches per 10 second interval. The power required is taken from an ordinary outlet of 120 volts AC current. DC power from batteries powering small motors have been proven to be totally inadequate. These antiquated systems do not have the power to siphon measurable volumes of air from the toilet bowl and to force said air through an effective filter. E is an especially designed filter to enhance the function of this invention. No other filter available on the current market could satisfy the specifications required in this design. The filter E is composed of high density active charcoal with an absorption depth of four (4) inches and an absorption surface area of more than 28 square inches. No other filter, in related applications, could be located that had air filtering and/or absorbing volumes as large as 113 cubic inches designed in E. Consequently, only in the most rare and unusual circumstance will odorous gaseous molecules flow into the lower-most G compartment. Compartment G is designed to hold large scented granules contained in a nylon or wire container such as a basket or net. Removable containers will allow the homogenized, cooled, and pleasantly scented air to pass under, over, and around the granules before being vented out of the unit, at floor level where the room's cool air is located and concurrently, allow refilling with more scented granules.

[0020] 4. FIG. 3 is basically the same elements of the invention except being viewed from the front. The arrows that indicate direction of air flow from the toilet bowl into the rectangular opening at the rear of the toilet seat A. Other arrows show the path of air flow via the funnel F, down into the top C of the homogenizing, filtering, and cooling unit. Air flow is directed into the filter E and lower compartment G where the air is passed over and around the scented granules before it is expelled from the unit at floor level.

[0021] 5. FIG. 4 emphasizes the design of the top view of the toilet seat A and the attached spacers or rails B to the underside of the toilet seat A. Furthermore, information is provided by citing the relative location and position of the spacers or rails B relative to the toilet bowl and the rectangular opening on the funnel F at the rear of the toilet bowl. Funnel F is anchored by the same bolts that anchor the toilet seat A

[0022] 6. FIG. 5 is a view of the specially designed activated charcoal filter E that filters and cools the sparsely dispersed odorous gaseous molecules. The absorption capacity is slightly more than 113 cubic inches, a capacity estimated to serve effectively for as many as five (5) years. The lower portion of FIG. 5 is a view of the lower compartment G of the invention. The above filter E is positioned such that a space of approximately 1.5 inches remain on the bottom for the purpose of allowing the unit's processed air to circulate around large scented granules. Scented granules, contained in nylon or wire containers, have been incorporated into this invention for two reasons; the first is to bury odorous molecules that unlikely survive the unit's process and, secondly, an opportunity to introduce a pleasant aroma into the restroom space. Note should be made that the above nylon or wire containers are of the removable design and subject to child safety standards. Arrows indicate direction of air flow from associated vents.

Claims

1. A method, utilizing a small powerful electric motor and impellor, to draw vast quantities of cool odor-free air from the exterior of the toil bowl, simultaneously drawing small clouds of odorous gaseous molecules from the human body and associated excrements into a homogenizing unit.

2. A method, utilizing the motor-fan referenced in claim 1, operating at 3000 rpm to homogenize and/or disperse small clouds of warm odorous gaseous molecules among many thousands of cool non-odorous exterior air molecules.

3. A method, utilizing dense material of activated charcoal, to filter by absorption and to cool widely dispersed warm odorous gaseous molecules.

4. A method of venting cooled homogenized and odor free air around scented granules into the surrounding toilet space at floor level.

5. A method, utilizing rails or spacers attached to the underside of the toilet seat, to create inlet and outlet for warm odorous and cool non-odorous molecules of air and to control the direction of air flow of these moving air masses to the homogenizing unit.