Toilet ventilation system and method
A toilet ventilation system includes a flush toilet having a toilet bowl portion including a perimeter wall enclosing an interior of the bowl. A bowl vent inlet extends through a side of the perimeter wall from the interior to the exterior of the bowl at a position above a static water level in the bowl. The bowl vent inlet has an exterior end configured to connect to a vent conduit for drawing odors out of the toilet bowl.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for ventilating toilet odors.
2. Related Art
Toilet odors can be a great bother and nuisance. A home or other building that is kept to very high standards of cleanliness can still smell foul due to toilet odors. Unfortunately, typical bathroom exhaust fans are only minimally effective at removing these odors. This may be because such fans pump a relatively small volume of air, and are typically located in a bathroom ceiling, substantially removed from the source of the odors. The long distance and small flow rate of air through the fan mean that a relatively long time is needed for bathroom exhaust fans to have a significant effect. During this time, the odors can easily drift into other parts of the building. Moreover, some bathroom fans are not actually connected to an external exhaust outlet. Such fans merely stir the air in the room, and have very little effect in eliminating odors.
To provide better ventilation, a number of toilet ventilation systems have been developed. Unfortunately, many prior systems have a number of drawbacks. Many of them are quite complicated, with complex piping schemes, pumps, filters, drains, etc. Some of these systems draw odors through conduits in the toilet tank, while others require a specially designed toilet seat with vent inlets. Other systems attempt to mask odors with deodorants, filters, and the like. These and other systems include components that must be replaced on a regular basis, creating a maintenance headache.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a toilet ventilation system that is simple and inexpensive, and does not require significant maintenance, and that effectively draws odors away from a bathroom toilet.
In one aspect, the invention provides a flush toilet, including a toilet bowl portion including a perimeter wall enclosing an interior of the bowl. A bowl vent inlet extends through a side of the perimeter wall from the interior to the exterior of the bowl at a position above a static water level in the bowl. The bowl vent inlet has an exterior end configured to connect to a vent conduit.
In accordance with another aspect thereof, the invention provides a toilet ventilation system for a toilet in a building. The system includes an air vent pipe, and a fan. The air vent pipe extends through a wall of a toilet bowl of the toilet and connects to a vent pipe outlet extending outside the building. The fan is configured to draw air from the toilet bowl through the air vent pipe, and to discharge the air through the vent pipe outlet.
In accordance with yet another aspect thereof, the invention provides method for ventilating a flush toilet having a toilet bowl. The method includes the steps of providing a toilet bowl inlet in an interior of the toilet bowl, connecting the toilet bowl inlet to a vent conduit, and drawing air from the interior of the toilet bowl through the vent conduit to a discharge location outside of a building where the toilet is located.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
The present invention provides a toilet ventilation system configured for use with a specially configured flush toilet 10, shown in
The bowl vent inlet 20 is connected to an air vent pipe, indicated generally at 22, which extends into a wall 24 of the building 26 that houses the toilet, and extends to an outlet 28 outside the building. An electric fan 30 is provided to draw air from the interior 18 of the toilet bowl through the air vent pipe, and to discharge the air through the vent pipe outlet 28. A variety of types of fans could be used, such as axial flow fans, centrifugal fans, etc. A conventional bathroom ceiling fan could also be configured for use in the invention, with the appropriate conduit and fittings. The inventor has found that a fan having a flow rate of 50 cfm (cubic feet per minute) is suitable for this invention.
The system can be configured in a number of ways, as depicted in
In the embodiment of
In another embodiment, shown in
Cross-sectional views of two alternative configurations of the toilet bowl wall 16 and the bowl vent inlet 20 are shown in
The embodiment of
The alternative configurations shown in
The bowl vent inlet 20 also includes an exterior end 54 that is configured to connect to the vent pipe 22 (
The end of the vent inlet 20 within the interior 18 of the toilet bowl includes a turned-down end 60, which helps to resist the entrance of water into the bowl vent inlet. As shown in
Viewing
The invention thus presents a specially-configured toilet and a toilet ventilation system for removing odors from the bowl of the toilet. The system includes a vent pipe that extends through the wall of the toilet bowl and has an inlet therein, and a fan in the line of the vent pipe to draw air therethrough to discharge toilet odors through an outlet outside the building where the toilet is located. The vent fan may be a separate fan solely for the toilet ventilation system, or it may be associated with a system that also ventilates the bathroom as a whole.
It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are illustrative of the application for the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and described above in connection with the exemplary embodiments(s) of the invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.
Claims
1. A flush toilet, comprising:
- a) a toilet bowl, having a perimeter wall enclosing an interior of the bowl, and a static water level; and
- b) a bowl vent inlet, extending through a side of the perimeter wall from the interior of the bowl to an exterior of the bowl at a position above the static water level, the bowl vent inlet having an exterior end configured to connect to a vent conduit.
2. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a turned-down end on the bowl vent inlet, so as to resist the entrance of water into the bowl vent inlet.
3. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the toilet bowl portion further comprises a flush high water level, and the bowl vent inlet is disposed above the flush high water level.
4. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flush toilet is of ceramic material, and the bowl vent inlet is integrally formed of the ceramic material.
5. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flush toilet is of ceramic material, and the bowl vent inlet is disposed in an aperture in the ceramic material.
6. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 5, wherein the bowl vent inlet comprises an insert configured to insert through and be anchored in the aperture.
7. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a vent conduit, configured to be connected to the exterior end of the bowl vent inlet, and to extend to an exterior of a building housing the toilet.
8. A flush toilet in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a fan, configured to draw air from the toilet bowl through the vent conduit.
9. A toilet ventilation system, comprising:
- a) an air vent pipe, extending through a wall of a toilet bowl of a toilet in a building;
- b) a vent pipe outlet, in fluid communication with the air vent pipe, and extending outside the building; and
- c) a fan, configured to draw air from the toilet bowl through the air vent pipe, and to discharge the air through the vent pipe outlet.
10. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a vent pipe inlet, disposed on the air vent pipe inside the toilet bowl.
11. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the vent pipe inlet is turned down, so as to resist the entrance of water into the vent pipe.
12. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the fan is an electric fan.
13. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the fan is an axial flow fan disposed in the air vent pipe.
14. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 12, further comprising an electric switch for activating the fan.
15. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a room vent fan, disposed in the building near the toilet, having a fan vent outlet connected to the vent pipe outlet, and configured such that air drawn from the room may be discharged in concert with the air drawn from the toilet bowl.
16. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 15, for comprising an electric switch configured to simultaneously activate both the fan and the room vent fan.
17. A toilet ventilation system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a sewer vent associated with the toilet and extending outside the building, the vent pipe outlet being connected to the sewer vent, and configured such that the air drawn from the toilet bowl is discharged into the sewer vent.
18. A method for providing a ventilation system for a flush toilet having a toilet bowl, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a toilet bowl inlet in an interior of the toilet bowl;
- b) connecting the toilet bowl inlet to a vent conduit;
- c) drawing air from the interior of the toilet bowl through the vent conduit to a discharge location outside of a building where the toilet is located.
19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the step of providing a toilet bowl inlet comprises providing a turned-down end on the inlet in the interior of the toilet bowl, so as to resist water entering the inlet.
20. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the step of providing a toilet bowl inlet comprises the steps of:
- d) forming an aperture in a wall of an existing toilet bowl; and
- e) disposing an insert conduit through the aperture so as to extend from the interior of the toilet bowl to an exterior thereof.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 8, 2003
Publication Date: Mar 10, 2005
Inventor: Kirk Thomas (Ketchikan, AK)
Application Number: 10/658,790