EP0939851A1

EP0939851A1 - Suction device for drawing off the air stagnating in a toilet bowl

Info

Publication number: EP0939851A1
Application number: EP97946046A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Franco Donati; Primo Voltolini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-20
Filing date: 1997-11-19
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Also published as: ITRM960794A1; ITRM960794A0; WO1998022667A1

Abstract

A suction device for drawing off the air stagnating in a toilet bowl comprising in combination: a low-tension powered electric motor (27) placed within a pipe-shaped passage provided with an inlet and an outlet; a vane impeller (26) keyed to the shaft of the electric motor (27) in order to create, when rotated, an air flow directed from said inlet to said outlet of said passage; a plurality of sucking slots (13) opening on the inner cavity of said bowl and connected to said pipe-shaped passage through a number of air passages; and an automatical means for controlling power supply to said motor (27) in order to power said motor (27) whenever said bowl is used by a user and to stop said power supply after a predetermined time.

Description

SUCTION DEVICE FOR DRAWING OFF THE AIR STAGNATING IN A TOILET BOWL

This invention refers to a suction device for drawing off the air stagnating in a toilet bowl, in order to eliminate any sources of unpleasant smells at the origin. Toilet bowls used at present have a drawbac in that unpleasantly smelling air and gases stagnate therein on use thereof and immediately afterwards.

Applicants have devised a system for automatically drawing off unpleasant gases through a sucking action exerted by a simple vane fan means.

In a first embodiment of the invention the suction device connected to suitable filters is installed within the cover of the toilet seat, the base and the cover of the seat being modified, as it will be more particularly described. In a second embodiment of the invention the suction device is installed within the rear portion of the toilet bowl, which is slightly modified, and it is connected to a suitable air pipe usually placed within the wall standing at the back of the toilet. The suction device operates through suitable openings provided in the upper rim of the toilet bowl.

The invention will be now described in more details with reference to the annexed drawings , wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention in a first embodiment thereof, the invention being placed within a toilet seat which is not externally modi^¬ fied;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the toi^¬ let of Figure 1 provided with a seat in the closed position, the base and the cover of the seat being modified;

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view of the seat in the open position;

Figure 4 is a top view of the seat of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the base of the seat shown in Figure 4 ;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the toilet with the seat removed according to a second embodiment of the invention, wherein the toilet structure is odi- fied;

Figure 7 is a further embodiment of the toilet of Figure 6; and,

Figure 8 is a top view of the toilet of Figure 6.

Reference in now made to Figures 1-5 that show the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the suction device is completely received within the base and the cover of the toilet seat . Looking at Figure 1 it will be observed that in the closed position the above-mentioned seat has the same outer aspect as a usual toilet seat.

The toilet seat itself, referred to by reference number 10 (Figures 2-3) is actually greatly modified in that within both the base referred to by 11 and the cover referred to by 12 a plurality of inner passages are provided for sucking and drawing off the air and gases stagnating in the toilet bowl. More precisely, in the rear portion of base 11 on the inner rim thereof a number of slots 13 are provided, which slots 13 are connected to a tapering passage 14 provided with an upwardly opened outlet 15 (Figure 4) . With reference to Figures 3 and 5 cover 12 is also provided with a cavity 16 in its lower portion, which cavity 16 comprises an inlet 18, provided on rim 19 corresponding to rim 20 of seat 10 where outlet 15 is provided, and an outlet 21 opening on inner face 22 of cover 12.

On inner face 22 of cover 12 a lid 23 is mounted, which lid 23 is opened at the side facing inner face 22 so that outlet 21 opens therein. Thus, a cavity 24 provided with a number of peripheral openings 25 is formed between lid 23 and inner face 22 of cover 12.

A vane impeller or fan 26 is received within cavity 24 and is operated by a low tension electric motor 27. As it will be more particularly described, motor 27 is powered by a suitable supplier (not shown) through a spring- loaded pressure switch 30 placed between base 12 of seat 10 and upper rim BΞ of toilet WC, so that the contact is closed whenever a load rests on base 11 of seat 10.

Cavity 24 receives, together with motor 27 and the corresponding fan 26, a plurality of filters 31 through which, owing to opposite deflecting baffles 32, the air passes and, as better described in what follows, is sucked by fan 26 through the various openings and passages provided in base 11 and cover 12 of seat 10. Filters 31 are preferably of the activated-carbon type. As it can be easily understood from the foregoing and the figure showing the first embodiment of the invention, on use of toilet WC the pressure exerted by base 11 of seat 10 on switch 30 operates motor 27 that is now vertically placed due to the raised posi- tion of cover 12 of seat 10 (Figure 3) . Thus, fan 26, that is keyed to the shaft of motor 27, exerts a sucking action on the air present within toilet WC through slots 13 provided on the inner rim of base 11. This air is then conveyed into tapering passage

14 and passes from base 11 to cover 12 through corresponding openings 15 and 18 that now face each other, as shown in che Figure. The air passes from inner cavity 16 of cover 12 through outlet 21 into cavity 24 formed by lid 23 that rests on inner face 22 of cover 12 and then it is forced to circulate in a sunburst manner (Figure 5) owing to the presence of deflecting baffles 32, thus passing through activated-carbon filters 31, as mentioned above. It will be evident that purified and completely scentless air will be let out through peripheral openings 33 of lid 23. As it is evident from Figure 1, in this embodiment, when cover 12 is closed, lid 23 and what is contained therein are received within the annular opening of base 11 of the seat and the bowl of toilet WC.

Reference is now made to Figures 6-8 showing a second embodiment of the invention, in which figures the elements or parts identical with or similar to those of Figures 1-5 are referred to by the same reference numbers increased by 100.

It will be immediately evident that the bowl of toilet WC, shown without the seat, is externally completely identical with the bowls normally used at present. On the contrary, if the same bowl is obser- ved from the inside (Figures 7 and 8) it will be evident that the structure of the upper portion thereof is modified in that a plurality of slots 113 are provided below upper rim BS of bowl WC , which slots 113 are placed close to the usual drain water outlets AU, drain water reaching these outlets through pipe TU and the usual inner piping intended to pipe the drain water thereto for cleaning the inner walls of bowl WC.

Slots 113 are connected to further symmetrical pipes 114A, 114B (Figure 8) arranged as the arms of a fork, which pipes merge into a substantially cylindrical cavity 124 formed within an enlarged portion ING suitably created in rear wall PPS of bowl WC . A low tension electric motor 127 is received within cylindrical cavity 124, motor 127 being completely identical with motor 27 of the first embodiment. In a similar way as in the first embodiment a fan 126 is keyed to the motor shaft, fan 126 being placed in such a position as to create an air flow moving from slots 113 to cavity 124 through pipes 114A and 114B.

A suction pipe 135 connects cavity 124 to a pipe CDT placed within the wall PRT standing at the back of bowl WC. Thus, the air stagnating within the toilet bowl is sucked by fan 126 through slots 113 and drawn off through pipe CDT.

With reference to the operation of motor 127, power supply thereto by a traditional low- tension power supplier (not shown) can be controlled by a cell CLL of a type normally used in toilets to detect the presence of a user, thus causing a discharge of a timed water flow. The above-mentioned cell will operate motor 127 for a predetermined time, as it happens also in the first embodiment by means of a usual delayed turning off device available on the market.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A suction device for drawing off the air stagnating in a toilet bowl comprising in combination: a low-tension powered electric motor received within a pipe-shaped passage provided with an inlet and an outlet; a vane fan keyed to the shaft of said electric motor in order to create, when rotated, an air flow directed from said inlet to said outlet of said passage; a plurality of sucking slots opening on the inner cavity of said bowl and connected to said pipe- shaped passage through a number of air passages; and, an automatical means for controlling power supply to said motor in order to power said motor whenever said bowl is used by a user and to stop said power supply after a predetermined time.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said bowl is provided with a seat comprising a base and a cover and said sucking slots are provided on the inner rim of the annular opening of said base; the first of said air passages is formed within the rear portion of said base and is provided with a first outlet provided on the upper rim of said rear portion; the second of said air passages is formed within the rear portion of said cover and starts from a second inlet provided on the outer rim of said cover and ends with an outlet opening on the inner face of said cover, said first and said second opening facing each other when said cover is in the raised position.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said pipe-shaped passage is formed by a protruding lid placed against the inner face of said cover and in correspondence with said outlet of said second air passage.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein in the cavity formed by said lid a plurality of deflecting baffles are placed which convey the air flow created by said fan against a plurality of activated-carbon filters which purify said air.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said lid and said corresponding motor are received within the cavity of said bowl when said cover is closed.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein between said base of said seat and the upper rim of said bowl a pressure switch is placed which supplies a low-ten^¬ sion power from a supplier to said motor for a prede^¬ termined time when said switch is pressed by a load resting on said base of said seat.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sucking slots are symmetrically provided in the rear portion of the upper rim of said bowl and connect said inner cavity thereof to said pipe-shaped passage formed within a rear enlarged portion of said bowl, through said air passages symmetrically arranged as the arms of a fork within said rim.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said pipe-shaped passage formed within said enlarged por^¬ tion and receiving said motor and said correspondin^g vane fan is connected through a suitable pipe to the usual air pipe that is normally placed within the wall standing at the back of said bowl.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the low- tension power supply to said motor is controlled for a predetermined time by a photoelectric cell sensor detecting the presence of a user on said seat.