Toilet Shield System

Abstract

A toilet shield system for covering a toilet and preventing release of microbes and small waste particles after flushing. In one embodiment, the toilet system comprises two separate detachably attached sections made of tissue-type, non-porous, disposable and biodegradable material, impregnated with an antimicrobial agent, and the bottom section includes a central cutout flap portion having a perforated tear line. The top and bottom sections are coupled together by a perforated section that allows for easy separation. The toilet system also contains a pouch section holding one or more disposable paper wipes, one or more sanitary hand wipes, and a set of paper gloves. The packaging of the toilet system is in the design of an origami that allows all components of the system to be flushable and biodegradable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to a contactless toilet shield system for an existing toilet, and more particularly a biodegradable, microbiologically impregnated and disposable toilet shield system that is comprised of thin tissue-type, non-porous paper that acts as a shield against the “plume-effect” when the toilet is flushed.

BACKGROUND ART

Most public and office complex restroom toilets are designed without single use self-contained spaces and toilet seat cover lids. As spaces continue to gradually open up in a post Covid-19 world, one area of concern for the safety of restroom users is the potential of the plume-effect, meaning when a toilet contains water and a flush occurs, the flush generates a vortex that displaces air in the bowl. These vortices move upward and the centrifugal force pushes out at least 6,000 tiny droplets and even tinier aerosol particles. One way to reduce the plume-effect is to install lids on public toilets, however this is not always possible in public bathrooms. Contaminated toilets have been documented prior to the covid-19 pandemic and have clearly shown to produce large droplet nuclei bioaerosols during flushing. Therefore, when a toilet is flushed, a toilet plume is released into the air that carries a whole host of microbes and small waste particles with it, meaning there is a risk that the plume-effect easily transmits in a wide range of air space when a toilet is flushed and can be an important role in the transmission of infectious diseases. As it relates to Covid-19, droplets of ARS-COV-2 which causes the Covid-19, can be spread and live in the air for up to three hours and be disseminated to hard surface areas where they can live for 3-4 days. Covid-19 has also been found in human poop, up to 33 days after infected people have recovered and tested negative for the virus.”

To address a serious health concern during and post Covid-19 within public restrooms, a contactless toilet shield system this is disposable, biodegradable and microbially impregnated is needed that will act as a virtual toilet seat lid cover that contains the toilet plume in a single flush for the single toilet user as well as the subsequent toilet user, without the expense and regulatory building codes of retrofitting public shared restroom facilities.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a toilet shield system for covering a toilet and preventing release of microbes and small waste particles after flushing. The system is contactless, microbiologically impregnated, and disposable. In addition, all active ingredients comprising the toilet shield system are biodegradable and designed to not clog the toilet system. The lower section of the system is attached to the toilet seat with tabs on the lower side and the top section is attached to the back of the toilet with tabs on the upper side. The bottom section has a cutout that is treated on both sides with the microbial agent. The top section also has a pouch section that has disposable paper wipes, sanitary hand wipes, and gloves. The only section that is not microbiologically impregnated is the parts that adhere to the toilet seat itself. The system will be in the design of the origami inspired packaging that allows all components of the system to be flushable and biodegradable. The exterior of the top section will include a pair of paper detachable gloves for use prior to entrance and post use egress from toilet stall making the entire operation contactless.

After toilet use, the bottom section is manually deployed into the toilet bowl by lifting the attached tabs. Finally, the top section is manually peeled off the back of the toilet and deployed into the toilet bowl. Once the system is in the toilet bowl, it will also alleviate multi flush episodes, therefore, conserving water use. The microbiologically impregnated treated paper will also contain the plume effect physically and chemically in the toilet bowl. This combination will be disposed of because the vortex created by flush will dispose of the biodegradable paper and the content. The system contains the potential plume existing from prior toilet user and protects subsequent users from the plume effect once deployed as designed.

In one embodiment, the system is comprised of two separate attached biodegradable sheets of thin tissue-type paper with non-porous properties with both sides impregnated with an antimicrobial agent. The top and bottom sections are attached with a perforated section that allows for easy separation in sequence of lower section.

Other aspects, embodiments and features of the system and method will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The accompanying figures are for schematic purposes and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or substantially similar component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a single numeral or notation. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Nor is every component of each embodiment of the device and method shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the device and method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preceding summary, as well as the following detailed description of the disclosed device and method, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the attached drawings. It should be understood, however, that neither the device nor the method is limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary placement of the toilet shield system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top-down view of the toilet shield system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top-down interior view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration with a pouch for paper wipes and sanitary hand wipes according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top-down interior view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration showing a pouch for paper gloves attached to the exterior of the top section of the toilet shield system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the toilet shield system in a closed configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A is a top view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration for an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8B is a top view of the toilet shield system in an open configuration for another alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate an origami-style folding of the system in accordance with a method of present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the devices and methods disclosed herein can be implemented using any toilet. The present invention covers a toilet and prevents release of microbes and small waste particles after flushing. The system is made of tissue-type, non-porous, disposable, and biodegradable material, and is impregnated with an antimicrobial agent. In a preferred embodiment, the system is comprised of a top section and a bottom section that are attached through a perforated section that allows for easy separation. The lower section of the system is attached to the toilet seat with tabs on the lower side and the top section is attached to the back of the toilet with tabs on the upper side.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a top view of the toilet shield system 34 in an open configuration that is made of tissue-type, non-porous paper. The system comprises of a top section (virtual lid) 10 and a bottom section 12. Both sections are comprised of biodegradable sheet that is impregnated with an antimicrobial agent. Please note that the bottom section adhered to the toilet seat is not impregnated with the antimicrobial agent. Both sections are attached by a perforated section 32 that allows for easy separation. In this embodiment, there are two semi-circular handles 16 that allow a user to pull the bottom section off the toilet seat. The bottom section includes a central cutout flap portion 14 having a perforated tear line 15 that is adapted to be torn along the tear line and pushed down into a bowl of the toilet. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary placement of the toilet shield system fitting perfectly on a toilet 22. FIG. 4 further illustrates how the top section of the system will fit on the top portion of a toilet 24. In some instances, instead of the tear down flap, the system can include an opening in the center of the bottom section.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the toilet shield system. The top section attaches to the back of a toilet by an adhesive tab 20 located on the top of the system. The bottom section attaches to the toilet seat by two adhesive tabs 16 located near the handles.

In some embodiments of the present invention, a first disposable tear pouch 26 is detachably coupled to the interior of the top section of the system. The first pouch may include one or more disposable paper wipes and/or one or more sanitary hand wipes as illustrated in FIG. 5. In some instances, the first pouch can include a pair of paper gloves. In some instances, the gloves can be made of latex or any other suitable rubber material. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first pouch can also be permanently attached to the interior of the top section of the system. The first pouch can also include a disposable protective safety mask.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the system can include the second pouch 28 attached to the exterior of the top section of the system having a pair of paper gloves 30 as shown in FIG. 6. The pouch can be permanently attached to the exterior of the top section or can be a tear pouch detachably coupled to the exterior of the top section. In some instances, instead or in addition to a pair of paper gloves, the second pouch can include one or more disposable paper wipes and/or one or more sanitary hand wipes. In some instances, the gloves can be made of latex or any other suitable rubber material. The second pouch can also include a disposable protective safety mask.

In some instances of the present invention, the first and second pouches can be located on the same plane, either on the exterior or interior of the top section. According to some embodiments, the first pouch can be located on the bottom section and the second pouch on the top section of the shield system, or vice versa, either on the exterior or interior of the bottom section.

In some instances, the top and bottom sections of the toilet shield system are shaped to match the shape of the toilet bowl 38 and the top section of the toilet 36 as seen in FIG. 7. FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8B demonstrate alternative shapes of the invention in open configurations. The top section can be partially oval or semi-circular and the bottom section can be rectangular (or square) in shape as illustrated in FIG. 8A. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the top and bottom sections can be partially oval or semi-circular in shape as shown in FIG. 8B. In some instances, the top section can be rectangular (or square) in shape and the bottom section can be partially oval or semi-circular.

The toiled shield system of the present invention is designed to be used with any kind of toilet, home or public such as toilets installed in airplanes, trains, buses, or other forms of public transportation. The top portion of the shield system is configured to be attached directly to the tank (if the toiled does not include a seat and/or a lid) or to a lifted lid or a seat, depending on the configuration of a particular toilet. The bottom portion of the system is configured to attach to the rim of the toilet bowl (if there is no seat or the seat is lifted) or to the seat if the seat is not lifted).

The system of the present invention can be folded before use in a user-friendly packaging. In some instances, it can be an origami-style packaging, a compact, single use package that is self-contained with foldout design exposing the first and/or the second pouches initially and then the toilet seat cover thereafter (i.e., folded such that the first pouch and/or the second pouch are exposed and thereby easily accessible by a user; for example, the shield system can be folded such that both pouches are on the same plane. It can be achieved, for example, by placing the system the interior side up so the first pouch is visible as shown in FIG. 9A, folding the shield system in half along the center line (perforated line) while the first pouch still remains visible as shown in FIG. 9B, and then folding the left corner down thereby exposing the second pouch and placing it on the same plane with the first pouch as illustrated in FIG. 9C, making them both visible and easily accessible by a user. The resulted package can be folded once more along the vertical line, such that both pouches are not anymore on the same plane while still visible and accessible by a user as shown in FIG. 9D and FIG. 9E. It will be appreciate by a person skilled in the art, that it can be achieved using various folding technics and will depend on the respective positioning of the first and second pouches as long as the pouches are located in different quadrants of the top section, or on different sections of the shield system (for example, the first pouch on the top section and the second pouch on the bottom section, or vice versa). In some instances, the origami folding can be resulted in only one pouch being exposed (visible and easily accessible by a user). For example, only the first pouch is being exposed as a result of the origami-style folding, or alternatively, only the second pouch is being exposed.

The method of using the system for preventing microbes and small waste particles from releasing into the air when toilet seat cover is in use, includes the steps of unfolding the toilet shield system from a folded form (i.e., packaging), placing the top and bottom sections on the toilet, securing the system with adhesive tabs located on the top and bottom sections of the system, removing paper gloves from the second pouch located on the exterior of the top section, removing paper from the first pouch located on the interior top section, removing sanitary hand wipes from the first pouch, after use, manually peeling the bottom section by lifting adhesion tabs on both sides and placing into the toilet bowl, manually peeling the top section and placing into the toilet bowl, and flushing the toilet shield system with the content of the toilet bowl, thereby causing the plume effect to be contained and flushed away. If the system is folded in the origami style packaging such that both pouches are exposed (and easily accessible by a user) as described above, then the steps of removing sanitary items and gloves from the first and second pouch can be performed prior to unfolding the pouch.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Although the invention is described herein with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that are described herein with regard to specific embodiments are not intended to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.

Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements.

The foregoing detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary, or the following detailed description.

Claims

1. A toilet shield system comprising:

a top section adapted to substantially cover the back of a toilet and a bottom section adapted to substantially cover a toilet seat and to prevent release of microbes and small waste particles after flushing; wherein the bottom section includes a central cutout flap portion having a perforated tear line that is adapted to be torn along the tear line and pushed down into a bowl of the toilet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom sections are disposable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the material of the system comprising tissue-type, non-porous paper.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom sections are each comprised of biodegradable sheet impregnated with an antimicrobial agent.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the top and the bottom sections are detachably attached by a perforated section that allows for easy separation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the top section attaches to the back of a toilet by one or more adhesive tabs disposed on the exterior of the top section.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the bottom section attaches to the toilet seat by one or more adhesive tabs disposed on the exterior of the bottom section.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the bottom section further comprises one or more handles for pulling the bottom section off the toilet seat.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the top section further comprising a first disposable pouch coupled to the interior of the top section.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first pouch further comprising one or more disposable paper wipes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first pouch further comprising one or more disposable sanitary hand wipes.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the top section further comprising a second pouch attached to the exterior of the top section having a pair of disposable paper gloves placed inside the pouch.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the bottom section adhered to the toilet seat is not impregnated with an antimicrobial agent.

14. The toilet system of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom sections are folded together in an origami style prior to use.

15. The toilet system of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom sections are shaped to match the shape of the bowl and a toilet cover.

16. The toilet system of claim 15, wherein the top and bottom sections are oval or rectangular or square in shape.

17. A method of preventing microbes and small waste particles from releasing into the air when toilet seat cover is in use, the method comprising the steps of:

unfolding the toilet shield system from a folded form;

placing the top and bottom sections on the toilet;

securing the system with adhesive tabs located on the top and bottom sections of the system;

removing paper gloves from the second pouch located on the exterior of the top section;

removing one or more sanitary items from the first pouch located on the interior of the top section;

after use, peeling the bottom section by lifting adhesion tabs on both sides and placing into the toilet bowl;

peeling the top section and placing into the toilet bowl; and

flushing the toilet shield system with content of toilet bowl; thereby causing the plume effect to be contained and flushed away.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the folded form is an origami style folding.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the system is folded such that the at least one of the first pouch and the second pouch is exposed and thereby easily accessible by a user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of removing the gloves from the second pouch and the step of removing one or more sanitary items from the first pouch are performed before unfolding the toilet shield system from a folded form.