VENTILATION DEVICE

Abstract

A ventilation system for a restroom includes a mounting device to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl to ventilation tubing. The ventilation tubing may fluidly connect to an area outside of the restroom, typically to the outdoors. A fan, such as a conventional ceiling mounted fan, may be used to transport gas from inside the toilet bowl to outside of the restroom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to ventilation devices and, more particularly, to a ventilation device that may attach to inside a toilet bowl to directly remove odors.

Conventional restroom ventilation systems often involve a ceiling mounted fan for exhausting air from the room to an exterior. However, such ventilation systems allow odors to be present in the entire room, often taking time prior to ventilating the room completely. Often, a person will need to leave the room (and turn off the ventilation fan) prior to complete removal of the odor.

Other restroom air fresheners may include sprays to mask odors. However, sprays often leave behind residual smells that may be unappealing to other users of the restroom.

As can be seen, there is a need for a ventilation system for removing odors from a restroom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a ventilation system comprises a toilet bowl mount adapted to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl with an exhaust tubing; and a fan urging gas to flow from the inside of the toilet bowl through the exhaust tubing.

In another aspect of the present invention, a ventilation system comprises a toilet bowl mount adapted to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl with an exhaust tubing, the toilet bowl mount adapted to attach between the toilet bowl and a toilet seat; a fan urging gas to flow from the inside of the toilet bowl through the exhaust tubing; and an exhaust outlet for moving gas from the fan to outdoors.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ventilation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a is a detailed perspective view of a toilet bowl attachment mechanism used in the ventilation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a fan attachment mechanism used in the ventilation system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a ventilation system for a restroom. The ventilation system includes a mounting device to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl to ventilation tubing. The ventilation tubing may fluidly connect to an area outside of the restroom, typically to the outdoors. A fan, such as a conventional ceiling mounted fan, may be used to transport gas from inside the toilet bowl to outside of the restroom.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4, a ventilation system 10 may include a toilet mount 24 that may attach to a toilet bowl 12, typically under a toilet seat 13. An exhaust fitting 14 on the toilet mount 24 may be fluidly connected to an exhaust tubing 16 for carrying gases out of the toilet bowl 12. The toilet mount 24 may include a mesh intake port and a cover 28. The cover 28 may be made of a clear (transparent) material to help ease installation of the toilet mount 24 onto the toilet bowl 12.

The exhaust tubing 16 may be telescoping tubing and/or flexible tubing. The exhaust tubing 16 may extend from the toilet mount 24 to an exhaust fan unit 20. In some embodiments, the exhaust tubing 16 may extend through an exhaust fan grate 18. This may be especially useful for retrofit applications, where the device 10 is installed in an existing restroom. In other embodiments, the exhaust tubing 16 may enter the exhaust fan 20 through a side thereof. This may be the case in a new construction, where the exhaust tubing 16 may run inside a wall (not shown) and enter the exhaust fan 20 outside of the view of an occupant of the restroom. An exhaust outlet 22 may remove gas from inside the toilet bowl 12 to the outdoors. A fan 32 of the exhaust fan unit 20 may be driven by a fan motor 30 to help drive gas from inside the toilet bowl 12 into the exhaust tubing 16.

In some embodiments, the exhaust fan unit 20 may be controlled by an electrical switch (not shown) mounted on a wall of the restroom. In other embodiments, a trigger mechanism (not shown) may be disposed in the toilet mount 24 so that when a user sits on the toilet seat 13, the trigger mechanism may activate the fan motor 30.

The device 10 of the present invention may help not only remove foul smelling and potentially embarrassing odors, but may save water by not requiring a restroom user to flush to remove odors by flushing. The device 10 may be installed in multiple stalls of a restroom. For example, multiple toilet mounts 24 may be installed on multiple toilet bowls. The exhaust tubing 16 of the multiple toilet mounts 24 may each be controlled by a fan, or, in some embodiments, the exhaust tubing 16 may combine to be driven by a single exhaust fan.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A ventilation system comprising:

a toilet bowl mount adapted to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl with an exhaust tubing; and

a fan urging gas to flow from the inside of the toilet bowl through the exhaust tubing.

2. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the toilet bowl mount attaches to the toilet bowl between the toilet bowl and a toilet seat.

3. The ventilation system of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust outlet for moving gas from the fan to outdoors.

4. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust tubing is telescoping exhaust tubing.

5. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the fan is a ceiling mounted exhaust fan.

6. The ventilation system of claim 5, wherein the exhaust tubing enters through an opening in an exhaust grate of the ceiling mounted exhaust fan.

7. The ventilation system of claim 1, further comprising a clear cover on the toilet mount.

8. The ventilation system of claim 1, further comprising a mesh intake port fitting on a gas intake side of the toilet mount.

9. A ventilation system comprising:

a toilet bowl mount adapted to fluidly connect an inside of a toilet bowl with an exhaust tubing, the toilet bowl mount adapted to attach between the toilet bowl and a toilet seat;

a fan urging gas to flow from the inside of the toilet bowl through the exhaust tubing; and

an exhaust outlet for moving gas from the fan to outdoors.

10. The ventilation system of claim 9, wherein the exhaust tubing enters through an opening in an exhaust grate of the ceiling mounted exhaust fan.