Flatus filtering system with forced air circulation for seats and beds and as wearables

Abstract

This invention is a portable air filtering system with forced air circulation. It is built into a seat or a bed, as a pad on seats or beds, or as a wearable pad against buttocks. It consists of an air pervious element such as mesh or cloth for buttocks to rest on or against, an odor filtering element such as active carbon, and an air sucking element such as a fan. The suction by the fan draws air around buttocks through both the air pervious element and the odor filtering element. To increase efficiency of suction and to prevent flatulence gas from escaping, an air impervious element is used so that only the air around buttocks is drawn into the odor filtering element. This portable, nonintrusive, and convenient odor filtering system reliably removes flatulence odor and can give people the freedom of farting without causing offensive malodor for others and themselves. Additionally, the rotation of the fan can be reversed to blow air to, instead of sucking air from, the buttock area for cooling purpose, with a valve allowing air to bypass the odor filtering element for efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a portable air filtering system with forced air circulation for seats and beds and as wearables for efficiently and reliably removing flatus odor.

BACKGROUND ART

Many articles have been invented to address flatulence odor. Most of the articles provide no means to force flatulence gas to flow downward into their intended elements, as flatulence gas normally spreads, predominantly in the upward direction. A few of the articles provide means to force the flow of flatulence gas but they are either too clumsy to be practical or too awkward and too inconvenient to be useful.

Representative articles to address flatulence odor are described below. They can be grouped into four groups: wearables, pads, containers, and articles with forced air circulation.

Many protective devices against flatulence odor were wearables, such as: anal napkin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,042 issued to Flanders on Apr. 17, 1956; anal filter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,335 issued to Matrullo on Jan. 8, 1980; deodorizing and sound muffling anal pad, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,417 issued to Yabrov, et al. on Nov. 14, 1989; protective underwear with malodorous flatus filter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,398 issued to Weimer on Jan. 14, 1997; odor absorbing anal pad, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,081 issued to Grosse on Sep. 9, 1997; flatulence deodorizer anal pad, U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,371 issued to Conant, et al. on Nov. 6, 2001; anal hygienic pad, U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,277 issued to Fleming on Nov. 22, 2011; protective garment, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20040010841 by Gilmartin on Jan. 22, 2004; wearable and regenerative flatus and genitalia odor removal apparatus, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20050182372 by Huza on Aug. 18, 2005. There is no forced air circulation in the above devices; therefore there is no guarantee that flatus gas would go through the protective devices to be filtered.

Some protective devices against flatulence odor were pads on seats or beds, such as: flatulence filter seat cushion for absorbing odor and providing sound attenuation from an anal discharge of a seated individual, U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,223 issued to Huza on Jul. 11, 2006; flatulence odor eliminating bedding/bedclothes, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20100175189 by Bibbo on Jul. 15, 2010. There is no forced air circulation in the above devices; therefore there is no guarantee that flatus gas would go through the protective devices to be filtered.

Some protective devices against flatulence odor were collection containers, such as: flatus bag and catheter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,824 issued to Gandy on Mar. 14, 1967; sound-insulated gas-diverting colostomy container, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,983 issued to Moore, et al. on Apr. 18, 2000; venting/filter assembly bag, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20030100870 by Villefrance on May 29, 2003; Deodorizing gas filter assembly for a body waste collection pouch, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20100010460 by Butler on Jan. 14, 2010; flatus transporter, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20140155846 by Choularton on Jun. 5, 2014; fart-free-embarrassment device, Canadian Pat. No. 2487984 issued to Drentsios on May 25, 2006. There is no forced air circulation in the above devices; therefore there is no guarantee that flatus gas would go through the protective devices to be filtered.

A few protective devices against flatulence odor have forced air circulation. Device for extraction of flatulence odors, Germany Pat. Application No. DE 3147686 A1 by Heinz, et al. on Dec. 2, 1981, is similar to a vacuum cleaner with pipes connected to hospital beds to suck in flatulence gas. Malodor air exhaust system, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20110319004 by Kim on Dec. 29, 2011, has pipes connected to seats with a fan to draw flatulence malodor into the pipes to outdoor atmosphere. Fart bag, Chinese Pat. No. CN 2219688 Y issued to Zhang on Feb. 14, 1996, is a bag with a miniature blower fan inside. At time of farting, a person needs to put the bag against his or her anus and turn on the miniature fan to draw flatulence gas into the bag. Remove the bag after farting and discharge the flatulence gas collected inside the bag properly. Fart filter, Chinese Pat. No. CN 2691690 Y issued to Su on Apr. 13, 2005, is a filter pot with a miniature blower fan inside. At time of farting, a person needs to put the filter pot against his or her anus and turn on the miniature fan to draw flatulence gas into the filter pot. Remove the filter pot after finishing farting. The above protective devices against flatulence odor are either too cumbersome such as fixed pipes connected to beds/seats, or too embarrassing and inconvenient to use such as putting obtrusive collection bags or filtering pot against one's anus when farting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention intends to help people to achieve farting freedom by efficiently filtering flatulence odor using forced air circulation. The portable air filtering system of this invention, built into a seat or a bed, as a pad on a seat or a bed, or as a wearable, consists of an air pervious element such as mesh or cloth for buttocks to rest on, an odor filtering element such as active carbon, and an air sucking element such as fans. The suction by the fans draws the air around the buttocks through both the air pervious element and the odor filtering element. To increase the efficiency of suction and to prevent flatulence gas from escaping, an air impervious element can be added so that only the air around buttocks is drawn into the odor filtering element. This portable, nonintrusive, and convenient odor filtering system reliably removes flatulence odor and gives people the freedom of farting without causing offensive malodor for others and themselves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of this invention as a seat pad consisting of an air pervious or mesh layer for buttocks to rest on, an air impervious layer attached below the mesh layer, a fan powered by batteries and controlled by a switch, and an odor filtering element installed at the intake side of the fan. The arrows indicate the directions of air movement forced by the fan.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention as a bed pad consisting of similar elements as those shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the invention as an integral part of a seat consisting of similar elements as those shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention at the center of a seat consisting of an odor filtering pad on top, a perforated or mesh supporting layer in middle, and a fan at bottom.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention as a wearable, a buttock pad inside pants, consisting of an air pervious layer against a buttock, an air impervious layer attached to the air pervious layer on the opposite side of the buttock, a fan powered by batteries and controlled by a switch, and an odor filtering element installed at the intake side of the fan.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

There are two key elements in an embodiment of this invention. The first is a flatus odor filtering element 18 consisting of active carbon or other effective material, so that if flatus air moves through filtering element 18, flatus odor is removed. The second key element is a fan 12 to draw or force flatus air to move through the filtering element 18. Without the fan 12, there would be no guarantee that flatus gas would go through the filtering element 18 as flatulence gas normally spreads, predominantly in the upward direction. Multiple filtering elements and multiple fans can be used in one embodiment of this invention.

To efficiently control air movement from buttock area through the filtering element 18, two more elements are usually needed: an air pervious element 10 against buttocks and an air impervious element 14 attached to the pervious element 10 on the opposite side from the buttock to prevent air from areas other than the buttock area being drawn into the filtering element 18.

The fan 12 is powered by electricity, preferably by batteries, and is controlled by a switch 16. Turn on the switch when a person is about to fart and turn off the switch shortly after farting after flatus gas has been drawn through the filtering element 18. Other methods of controlling the switch are possible, such as sound, movement, light, or odor activation of the switch.

The filtering element 18 can be placed in any location in an embodiment of this invention as long as forced air circulation does not bypass the filtering element 18. The recommended location is at the intake side of the fan 12. As an alternative, the filtering element 18 can be placed at the exhaust side of the fan 12 so that flatus air is blown into, instead of being drawn through, the filtering element 18.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the invention as a seat pad, with the arrows indicating directions of forced air movement. The air pervious layer 10 for buttocks to rest on is attached to the air impervious layer 14 below. To keep the air passage ways between the two layers open and efficient, small and isolated protrusions 20 can be fixed on one or both layers. The odor filtering element 18 is installed at the intake side of the fan 12. The odor filtering element 18 can be replaced by opening its holder. The fan 12 is powered by battery and controlled by the switch 16 manually. Many variations can be made to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. For example, the pad consisting of 10, 14 and 20 can be extended to the back and sides in support of or in contact with lower backs, thighs, and hands. The pad can also be shrunk to just a small area under the anus location of a seated person.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention as a bed pad, with the arrows indicating directions of forced air movement. This bed pad consists of the same elements as the seat pad shown in FIG. 1. Therefore the discussion for FIG. 1 in the above paragraph also applies to FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the invention as an integral part of a seat, with the arrows indicating directions of forced air movement. The air pervious layer 10 is the seating surface of the seat. An optional air pervious cushion layer 22 can be added below the air pervious layer 10 for comfort or sound attenuation, or both. An optional structural support layer 24, as mesh or perforated material, can be added below the optional cushion layer 22 to support seating weight. For seats without the optional cushion layer 22, the optional structural support layer 24 is no longer needed as the air pervious layer 10 can be made strong enough to serve as structural support for seating weight by using strong mesh or perforated material such as wood, plastic, metal, etc. The air impervious layer 14 is attached to the optional structural support layer 24 or directly to the air pervious layer 10. The fan 12 is attached to the air impervious layer 14 and blows out air through an opening in 14. The odor filtering element 18 is at the intake side of the fan 12 and can be replaced by opening its holder. The fan 12 is powered by battery and controlled by the switch 16 manually. Many variations can be made to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. For example, there are many variations in the placement of the odor filtering element 18: on top of the air pervious layer 10 as a separate and detached pad that can be freely removed from the seat, as part of or interlayered with the cushion layer 22, attached to the underside of either the structural support layer 24 or the air pervious layer 10 in case the structural support layer 24 is not needed, or installed at the blowout or exhaust side of the fan 12. The air pervious layer 10 and the air impervious layer 14 can be extended to the back and sides in support of lower backs, thighs, and hands, or can be shrunk to just a small area under the anus location of a seated person.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention as an integral part of a seat, with the arrows indicating directions of forced air movement. The air pervious layer 10 does not cover the whole seating surface but only a small area under the anus location of a seated person. The fan 12 is about the same size as the small area of layer 10 and can draw air through this small area efficiently without the help of the impervious layer 14. Other than the small area and the lack of the impervious layer 14, this embodiment is similar to that shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention as a wearable pad against a buttock. This wearable pad consists of the same elements as the seat pad shown in FIG. 1. Therefore the discussion for FIG. 1 also applies here.

In most embodiments of this invention, the fan 12 can rotate in two opposite directions: one to draw air from the buttock area to filter flatus as described above, and the reverse direction to blow air to the buttock area to cool the buttock and other body members. An air valve allows air to bypass the filter element 18 for cooling purpose.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Farting, like urinating and defecating, is a most basic biological human need that must be satisfied. A hallmark of modern civilization is the invention and perfection of elaborate indoor and outdoor sewer collection and treatment systems devoted to the needs of urinating and defecating. As to farting, however, very little has been done. To make matters worse, most civilized cultures severely discourage farting in public due to the offensive odor of flatus, especially in indoor spaces. Since a majority of people in modern civilization work or study indoor for long hours, they have to hold uncomfortably or even painfully their flatulence inside their alimentary canal, to the detriment of their health. Real and great is the need for the freedom of farting without causing malodor. The need is even greater for those that produce abundant flatus due to medical conditions or eating certain kinds of foods such as beans, garlic, onion, and many others.

To achieve the freedom of farting without causing malodor will be a significant milestone for modern civilization. We have achieved the freedom of urinating and defecating by building extensive sewer collection and treatment systems at great costs; now it is time to do something to achieve the freedom of farting at a tiny fraction of the costs. The articles of this invention are portable, unobtrusive, easy to use, and above all reliable, and can be placed on or built into any public seats and beds, from president seats, to boardroom seats, to ordinary office seats, to bus driver and rider seats, to student seats, to restaurant seats, and to hospital beds and seats, just to name a few.

CITATION LIST

• U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,042, Apr. 17, 1956, Flanders J. D., 604/364
• U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,824, Mar. 14, 1967, Gandy C. M., 604/540
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,335, Jan. 8, 1980, Matrullo, 604/365
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,417, Nov. 14, 1989, Yabrov et al., 604/355
• U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,398, Jan. 14, 1997, Weimer, 604/359
• U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,081, Sep. 9, 1997, Grosse, 604/359
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,983, Apr. 18, 2000, Moore et al., 604/333
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,371, Nov. 6, 2001, Conant, et al., 604/359
• U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,223, Jul. 11, 2006, Huza, 5/653
• U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,277, Nov. 22, 2011, Fleming, 604/385.17
• US 20030100870 A1, May 29, 2003, Villefrance T., 604/333
• US 20040010841 A1, Jan. 22, 2004, Gilmartin S. P., 2/400
• US 20050182372 A1, Aug. 18, 2005, Huza J. P., 604/359
• US 20100010460 A1, Jan. 14, 2010, Butler D. R., 604/333
• US 20100175189 A1, Jul. 15, 2010, Bibbo F. L., 5/502
• US 20110319004 A1, Dec. 29, 2011, Kim H. M., 454/75
• US 20140155846 A1, Jun. 5, 2014, Choularton S. J., 604/317
• CA 2487984, May 25, 2006, Drentsios A., G10K 11/16
• CN 2219688 Y, Feb. 14, 1996, Zhang W. D., A61F5/44
• CN 2691690 Y, Apr. 13, 2005, Su J. X., B01 D53/74
• DE 3147686 A1, Dec. 2, 1981, Heinz et al., A61G7/05

Claims

1. A seat, a pad to be used on seating surfaces, or a wearable pad against buttocks, comprising 1) air pervious elements for buttocks to rest on or against; 2) odor filtering elements; and 3) air sucking elements such as fans for drawing air around buttocks through both said pervious elements and said odor filtering elements.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein air impervious elements are attached to said pervious elements with openings in said impervious elements for said sucking elements to discharge or blow out air.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said sucking elements are powered by batteries.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said odor filtering elements are installed at the air intake sides of said sucking elements.