TOILET BOWL HAVING INTEGRATED IMPLEMENT
The instant invention provides an improved toilet 10 that promotes ease and convenience of cleaning and promotes simplicity without clutter, by providing easy access to implements housed by the toilet. An example provides an access port 40 formed through a toilet wall, such as a cover 25 that allows passage of an implement, i.e., a toilet brush 55, stored within the toilet.
The present invention generally relates to toilet bowls. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved toilet that has an access port formed through it, to allow containment and passage of an implement.
B. Description of the Related ArtA toilet is a well-known piece of sanitary hardware used for collection and disposal of human waste. Toilets can be with or without flushing water and can be arranged in a sitting or squatting posture. Generally, a toilet that flushes comprises a bowl which receives waste; a tank that houses flushing components and holds water that transitions to the bowl when flushed; and a removeable cover for the tank which allows access to the tank interior. A toilet is typically located in a washroom and requires regular cleaning and maintenance to avoid growth of bacteria and mold and the promulgation of other harmful organisms and viruses that may cause illness to humans.
It is not uncommon for a toilet, particularly the bowl, to be cleaned using bleaching preparations and a cleaning implement such as a toilet brush or wand. Improvements in the industry have led to dissolvable bleaching tablets that can be put inside a tank. While the bleach generally aides in sanitation, a toilet brush is still required to remove dirt, including film formed inside the tank and on bowl surfaces. A brush is generally stored away along with chemicals conveniently nearby the toilet, either alone or by use of a stand. The brush or stand however may be considered unsightly in aesthetics, the cause of unwanted clutter, a source of odor or harmful illness if not fully cleaned and disinfected after each use. One such cleaning implement is a toilet scrubber sold by the 3M Home Care Division under the brand name Scotch-Brite®, and it includes a wand for holding a disposable foam scrubber and a caddy for storing the wand and scrubber refills.
In order to cure the unsightliness and clutter, it has been known to create a trap door in a wall nearby a toilet that houses and conceals a toilet brush. This approach however requires cutting a wall and assembling hardware and related components, and does not resolve the sanitation problem. Wherefore, there is a need in the industry to provide a toilet cleaning implement that is conveniently located, concealed and requires minimal sanitary maintenance, if any.
II. SUMMARYIn one embodiment, the instant invention is a toilet modified to store an implement, such as a toilet brush. In an embodiment, the brush may be stored inside a tank of the toilet and accessed through a port formed through a wall of the toilet, namely the tank or cover. A retainer may further be provided to releasably secure the implement inside the tank during when not in use. The brush may be exposed to water in the tank, and therefore is cleaned when the tank is flushed and refilled with new water. Another embodiment includes a housing that extends from the cover, for example, inside the tank and in direct communication with the access port formed on the cover. The housing can be waterproof or it may comprise openings or a mesh that act as a filter to dirt or waste and allows the housing to fill with water so as not to displace the volume of liquid in the tank. In another embodiment, a portion of the cover extends beyond the tank. The extended portion has an access port formed therethrough and may further provide a housing extending therefrom that is exterior to the tank.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, some embodiments of which will be described in the specification and illustrated in accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, wherein, like components are numbered consistently in various drawings. When referring to the drawings, the inventor identifies the following components thereto,
While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the invention herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A toilet assembly comprising, a bowl, a tank and a cleaning implement, wherein the tank and cleaning implement are cooperatively configured for storage of the cleaning implement within the tank.
2. The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the tank and cleaning implement are configured for storage of the cleaning implement with a handle end of the cleaning implement above a water level in the tank and with a distal end of the cleaning implement below the water level in the tank.
3. The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein an interior of the tank comprises a water storage region and a dry region, and the tank and cleaning implement are configured for storage of the cleaning implement in the dry region.
4. The toilet assembly of claim 3, wherein the dry region is defined by a housing disposed within the interior of the tank.
5. The toilet assembly of claim 1, wherein the cleaning implement comprises an arm with a replaceable scrubbing element removably affixed proximate an end of the arm, the toilet assembly further comprising a plurality of replacement scrubbing elements.
6. The toilet assembly of claim 5, wherein the tank comprises a water storage region and a dry region, and the tank and cleaning implement are configured for storage of the cleaning implement in the water storage region and for storage of the replacement scrubbing elements in the dry region.
7. The toilet assembly of claim 1, further comprising an access port formed in the tank for passage of the cleaning implement.
8. The toilet assembly of claim 7, wherein the access port is formed in a lid of the tank.
9. The toilet assembly of claim 8, further comprising a retainer disposed in the access port, the retainer configured to releasably engage the cleaning implement.
10. The toilet assembly of claim 9, further comprising a housing disposed within the tank and defining a dry region within the tank for the storage of the cleaning implement.
11. The toilet assembly of claim 7, further comprising a pop-up mechanism disposed in the tank for engaging the cleaning implement when passed into the tank through the access port.
12. A cleaning system for a toilet, the toilet including a bowl and a tank, the cleaning system comprising:
- a cleaning implement comprising an arm;
- a cleaning element removably attached to the arm;
- an access port allowing passage of the cleaning implement into an interior of the tank for storage therein.
13. The cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the cleaning implement is configured such that the cleaning element is disposed below a water level of the tank when the cleaning implement is stored in the tank.
14. The cleaning system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of replacement cleaning elements each removably attachable to the arm.
15. The cleaning system of claim 14, further comprising a housing defining a dry region within the tank for storage of the plurality of replacement cleaning elements.
16. The cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the cleaning element further comprises a treatment composition.
17. A method of cleaning a toilet, the method comprising:
- providing a cleaning implement;
- using the cleaning implement to clean a toilet; and
- storing the cleaning implement within a tank of the toilet when not in use.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cleaning implement comprises a replaceable cleaning element, the method further comprising:
- providing a plurality of replacement cleaning elements; and
- storing the replacement cleaning elements within the tank of the toilet until use.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
- storing the cleaning implement within a wet region of the tank; and
- storing the replacement cleaning elements within a dry region of the tank.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 25, 2021
Publication Date: Dec 30, 2021
Inventor: Jason DeFrancesco
Application Number: 17/358,560