Toilet Screen With Opening and Cleaning Parts

Abstract

A toilet screen having an opening in the center which allows solids to pass through the opening, but having cleaning and deodorizing properties. The screen can include a fin which causes the screen to rotate when the water in the toilet rotates.

Description

BACKGROUND

Screens have been used in urinals in order to protect the urinals against flushing extraneous items and materials that could clog the toilet. These The urinal screens can be used for deodorizing, disinfectant, protecting backsplash, protecting blockages protecting against stains, and generally improving the tidiness of the urinal.

A urinal screen has conventionally not allowed solids to pass through the screen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventor recognized that many advantages can be obtained by use of a screen in a conventional, non-urinal, toilet. However, conventional urinal screens cannot be used with a regular toilet which often receives solid waste.

The present application describes a toilet screen for use in a conventional toilet that has a central hole. The screen includes a hole in the center to allow passage of solid waste. The screen also includes toilet cleaning features, including tabs at the bottom for cleaning the toilet, and other features that enable the screen to carry out functions including deodorization, cleaning of the toilet bowl, and anti-splash.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a screen in a sinking embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a deodorizing embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the screen, showing fins that catch a motion of the water in the toilet;

FIG. 4 shows a screen in a floating embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application describes a screen for use in a toilet. In an embodiment, the screen is made of vinyl plastic. A deodorizing additive can be included in the screen, which may be impregnated with or encapsulated with the deodorant or may be container areas for the deodorant material.

The embodiments are shown in the figures. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a toilet filled with water 105 having a top water line 106. The bottom of the toilet includes, as conventional, an opening 110 through which the liquid and solid waste passes. Different toilets have different opening sizes, typically between 2½ and 3 inches in diameter.

The screen 150 is shown in this embodiment at the bottom of the toilet. The screen can be formed of plastic. In other embodiments, the screen can be formed of other materials, including biodegradable materials, and as described herein, of materials that dissolve. In one embodiment, the screen can be formed of a paperlike material or other biodegradable material.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the screen 150. The screen includes screened locations 300 that are formed of screening or mesh systems. There can also be support sections 310 in between each two screens section. In one embodiment, these support sections 310 can include fins 311 which are aerodynamically shaped to catch a movement of the water in a way that causes the screen to be rotated by water flow whenever the toilet is flushed. The screen has a central opening 320 which is slightly larger than the toilet opening 110. For example, the central opening in the screen may be ½ to 1 inch larger in diameter than the toilet opening.

In a first embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, the screen normally sinks in the toilet. In order to carry this out, the vinyl material of the screen is formed of a material and in the way that makes it slightly heavier than the water. This brings the bottom surface 150 of the screen to rest against the bottom surface 101 of the toilet. The bottom surface 150 of the screen may include pegs 154, 156 that extend as bumps from the bottom surface 150 of the screen. These bumps press against the bottom surface 101 of the toilet. When the screen 99 is caused to rotate by the rotating of the water, the bumps press against the bottom surface of the toilet which assists in the cleaning of the bottom surface of the toilet as the pegs rotate. The pegs will rotate when the toilet flushes, thus causing a cleaning action each time the toilet is flushed.

According to another embodiment, the screen 400, is made of a dissolvable material, for example a material that dissolves after it is submerged between 4 and 96 hours in water, although the dissolving time can be any amount of time. This material can stick to the edges of the bowl, for example it can stick to the bottom of the bowl once it reaches the bottom of the bowl by sinking in the bowl. At that point, the material sticks to the bottom of the bowl, but dissolves in due course, leaving no residue on the bowl. This embodiment addresses the concern that otherwise the screen could be flushed down the toilet, because it sticks to the edges of the bowl and is dissolvable so even if it flushes down the toilet it will dissolve. However, by sticking to the edges of the bowl, this embodiment can put a covering over the bowl surfaces that keeps those surfaces clean, and eventually dissolves.

The dissolvable material, in an embodiment, can have an impregnated cleaning material or impregnated scent reducing material.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the screen includes deodorant and/or other cleaning chemicals such as toilet cleaner or bleach. The chemicals are held in screened chemical holder parts 200, 205 that is located on the top surface of the screen. The chemicals are as conventional water-soluble, and release naturally into the water as they are held under the water. Also, as the screen rotates when the toilet flushes, this may cause more water flow across the chemical areas, thus causing more of the chemical material to be reduced or to be excreted thus further cleaning the toilet.

In an embodiment, the chemical holder such as 202 is radially symmetrical. There can be multiple chemical holders such as 202, 205, or the chemical holder and/or its material can be formed in a doughnut shape around a diameter of the screen.

FIG. 4 shows an additional floating screen embodiment in which the screen is slightly more buoyant than the water. In this embodiment, the plastic, and or additives to the screen such as floats, make the screen sufficiently buoyant that the screen is held on the surface of the water during times that flushing is not occurring, but is pulled down to the bottom of the water when the flush does occur. This has the effect of causing an anti-splash mechanism by virtue of the screen sitting on the top surface of the water and causing the water surface to be less turbulent.

The screen 400 sits on the top surface 405 of the water normally, that is when the toilet is not flushing. In an embodiment, the screen 400 also includes tabs like 402 similar to those in the embodiment of FIG. 1. When the toilet flushes, the screen is pulled down in the direction 410 by the motion of the water. This holds the screen on the bottom surface of the toilet so that the tabs 402 can clean the bottom surface of the toilet. Thereafter, after flushing, the screen eventually floats back to the top where it forms its anti-splash function.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A toilet screen, comprising:

a screen portion, having an outer edge and an inner edge, the inner edge forming an opening, the opening being larger than an opening in a toilet,

and the screen having a screened portion between the inner edge and the outer edge,

the screened portion formed of a screen forming openings that allow water to pass therethrough but stops a passage of solids from passing through the area of the screen.

2. The screen as in claim 1, wherein the screen portion is formed of plastic.

3. The screen as in claim 2, wherein the plastic is more buoyant than water and normally floats in the water.

4. The screen as in claim 2, wherein the plastic is less buoyant than the water and normally sinks in the water.

5. The screen as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pegs on a bottom surface of the screen portion, the pegs extending from the bottom surface of the screen portion to touch a bottom surface of the toilet, and where the screen portion has structures that causes the screen portion to rotate by toilet flushing, the pegs moving while touching the bottom surface of the toilet when the screen portions is rotated.

6. A toilet screen, comprising:

a screen portion, having an outer edge and an inner edge, the inner edge forming an opening, the opening adapted to be larger than an opening in a toilet, and the screen and having a screened portion between the inner edge and the outer edge, the screened portion formed of a screen forming openings that allow water to pass therethrough but stops a passage of solids from passing therethrough the area of the screen,

further comprising a deodorizing material attached in a holder on the screen, the deodorizing material and the holder being radially symmetric relative to the screen.

7. A toilet screen, comprising:

a screen portion, having an outer edge and an inner edge, the inner edge forming an opening, the opening adapted to be larger than an opening in a toilet, and the screen and having a screened portion between the inner edge and the outer edge, the screened portion formed of a screen forming openings that allow water to pass therethrough but stops a passage of solids from passing therethrough the area of the screen,

further comprising an aerodynamic fin on a surface of the screen, which causes the screen to rotate when water around the screen is rotated.

8. The screen as in claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of a material that dissolves in water after a specified time.

9. The screen as in claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of a material that sticks to a bowl of the toilet, wherein the screen is formed of a material that dissolves in water after a specified time in the bowl, and where the screen includes an impregnated cleaning material.

10. The screen as in claim 1, wherein the inner edge and the outer edge are both round.

11. The screen as in claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of a material that sticks to a bowl of the toilet, wherein the screen is formed of a material that dissolves in water after a specified time in the bowl, and where the screen includes an impregnated scent reducing material.