GB2140052A

GB2140052A - Ventilating apparatus for a toilet pan

Info

Publication number: GB2140052A
Application number: GB08412575A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Celestine Roche
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-05-19
Filing date: 1984-05-17
Publication date: 1984-11-21
Also published as: GB8412575D0; GB2140052B; IE831178L; IE54192B1

Abstract

A W.C. seat 11 hinged to a housing 6 has on its underside the two nets 23 of a pair of air extraction ducts 21 which lead to the rear edge of the seat and are aligned across the hinge 10 with the inlets 25 of ducts 22 in the housing 6, the ducts 22 leading to an exhaust fan 5. When the seat is raised the ducts 21, 22 separate at the hinge 10 to allow access for cleaning. Sealing means comprising a lip 30 projecting rearwardly from the seat 11 below the hinge 10 engageable in a complementary recess 31 in the housing 6 is provided. In the raised position the lip 30 also defines a drip-bar means to direct liquid which may run down the underside of the seat away from the inlet opening to the housing section 22 of the passageways 20. The fan may be associated with a filter and a one- way valve. The seat may be heated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilating apparatus for a toilet The present invention relates to the ventilation of the bowls of water closets (W.C.'s) and other toilets such as chemical toilets or the like. Generally speaking, these toilets comprise a bowl connected to a waste pipe and to a water cistern, the bowl having a hinged seat around its upper perimeter.

One of the major problems in the use of such toilets particularly in confined spaces is that, unfortunately, after use there are waste gases which in addition to having an unpleasant odour are also unhygienic.

Conventionally these gases are often removed by incorporating an extraction fan in the room itself however, this is not entirely satisfactory and in any case requires that the person using the toilet either start the fan or alternatively that the fan be kept running all the time. Often it is not that easy to site such a fan in a room.

It is known to incorporate into the seat or the bowl of a toilet a duct through which air can be extracted from the bowl in order to prevent this foul air from entering the room in which the toilet is installed.

One such ventilation apparatus is described in British Patent Specification No. 1,182,567.

In this case the ventilation apparatus comprises an extractor fan mounted in a fan housing which is integral with a hollow seat having a plurality of air inlet holes above the toilet bowl for extraction of noxious gases.

One problem with this ventilation apparatus is that it is very difficult to gain access to the extraction duct for cleaning. This is of particular importance in relation to the ducting through the seat which is easily soiled.

British Patent Specification No. 8,459,992 describes another ventilation apparatus for a toilet in which the air is extracted through a collector attachment which is fitted to the hinge of a toilet seat and bolted to the toilet bowl. The collector attachment includes an inlet opening in the front of the collector which communicates with the interior of the toilet bowl by way of a recess in the seat. One of the problems with this ventilation apparatus is that it is relatively inefficient in use.

Many other constructions of ventilation apparatus have been proposed however, these suffer from the general problem of being unhygienic because of the difficulties in cleaning. They are also generally relatively inefficient in use, noisy or of extremely complex construction.

The present invention is directed towards providing an improved construction of such a ventilation apparatus.

According to the invention there is provided a ventilation apparatus for a toilet comprising an exhaust fan, a housing for the fan, a toilet seat connected to the housing and being movable about a hinge axis from a raised position to a lowered position, and an exhaust gas duct having a seat section and a housing section, the seat and housing sections being aligned to define a duct extending from an exhaust gas inlet in the seat to a discharge outlet in the housing when the seat is in the lowered position and the seat and housing sections of the duct being separated at or adjacent the hinge axis to allow access for cleaning when the seat is in the raised position.

In one embodiment of the invention sealing means are provided between the seat and housing.

Preferably the sealing comprises a lip on one of the seat or housing engagable in the complementary recess in the other of the seat or housing when the seat is in the lowered position.

Usually the lip projects rearwardly from the seat below the hinge.

In another embodiment of the invention drip-bar means are provided for directing liquid away from the inlet opening in the housing section of the duct when the seat is in the raised position.

In the case where the sealing means comprises a lip engagable in a complementary recess the splash back means may be defined by the lip.

In another embodiment of the invention the exhaust gas duct comprises two passageways, each having a seat portion and a housing portion, the housing and seat portions of the passageways being aligned when the seat is in the lowered position.

In a further embodiment of the invention the exhaust gas inlet is provided on the underside of the seat adjacent the hinge axis.

Preferably the inlet and outlet openings of the seat portion of the passageways are defined by substantially rectangular slots.

Usually each housing section passageway comprises a plurality of substantially parallel tubes.

In a further embodiment of the invention the fan is operated by a pressure switch mounted on the underside of the seat.

In a still further embodiment of the invention the fan is sized to extract from 30 to 45 and preferably approximately 37 m3 of air per hour.

In another embodiment of the invention a filter box is provided downstream of the fan.

Preferably a spring loaded non-return valve is also provided on the exhaust side of the fan.

In another embodiment of the invention the seat includes a heating means.

Preferably at least the seat section of the ventilation apparatus is of a wooden material.

The housing section may also be of a wooden material.

In a further embodiment of the invention splashback means are provided for shielding the inlet opening in the housing section of the duct when the seat is in the raised position.

Preferably the lip is extended to define the splashback means.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the fan is adapted for mounting in a wall behind the toilet.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toilet incorporating a ventilating apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the toilet, Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the toilet, Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the toilet seat and ventilating apparatus, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows V-V of Fig. 4, Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows Vl-Vi of Fig. 4, Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows VII-VII of Fig.

4, Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows VIII-VIII of Fig.

4, Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectionai view in the direction of the arrows IX-IX of Fig. 4, Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows X-X of Fig.

4 with the seat in a lowered position.

Figure ii is a perspective view of the ventilation apparatus with the seat in a raised position, Figure 12 is an enlarged elevation of a hinge according to the invention, Figure 13 is a side elevation of a toilet incorporating another ventilation apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 14 is a plan view of the toilet of Fig.

13, and Figure 15 is a front view in the direction of the arrow XV of Fig. 14.

Referring to the drawings there is provided a toilet incorporating a conventional bowl 1, waste pipe 2 and water cistern 3. A ventilating apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 4 is provided. The ventilating apparatus 4 comprises an exhaust fan 5 mounted within a housing 6 which in turn communicates to the exterior of the building by a pipe 7 having a spring loaded non-return valve 8 through an exterior wall 9 of the room in which the toilet is sited. To facilitate fan maintenance an access cover 1 7 is provided.

The housing has mounted on it by means of a hinge 10 toilet seat 11. An exhaust gas duct is in this case provided by two exhaust passageways 20, each having a seat section 21 and a housing section 22. An inlet for exhaust gases for each passageway 20 is defined by a substantially rectangular slot 23 on the underside of the seat 11 adjacent to but forward of the hinge 10. On the other hand each housing section passageway com prises three substantially parallel tubes 25 extending through the housing 6.

Sealing means, in this case provided by a lip 30 extending rearwardly from the seat 11 below the hinge 10 engagable in a complementary recess 31 on the underside of the housing 6. When the seat is in the raised position illustrated in Fig. lithe lip 30 also defines a drip-bar means to direct liquid which may run down the underside of seat into the bowl and hence assist in preventing the tubes 25 in the housing sections 22 of the passageways 20 becoming soiled.

Rubber buffers 15, one of which includes a contact switch 16 for operation of the fan 5 are provided on the lower surface of the toilet seat 11.

It will be noted that the hinge 10 is formed with two substantially rectangular slots 35 which are aligned with the corresponding openings in the seat section 21 and housing section 22 of each passageway 20 to allow air to be extracted through the hinge when the seat is in the lowered position.

The fan is of an axial flow-through type and is sized to extract approximately 37 m3 of air per hour, which, while being quiet in operation still provides an adequate extract capacity.

Although not illustrated in the drawings, a filter box possibly of the catalytic type may be provided in any convenient location, usually downstream of the fan.

To increase the users comfort a heating means may also be provided in the seat. This may be operated in a similar manner to the fan by a pressure contact switch.

In operation malodourous gases are drawn through the exhaust gas inlets 23 in the underside of the seat through the duct 20 in the rear of the seat 11, the hinge 10 and the housing 6 to exhaust out through the exterior wall 9. Because the exhaust gas duct is divided by the hinge, access to the passageways of the duct is possible for cleaning, particularly the passageways through the seat section 21 which can easily become soiled.

It will be appreciated that in sone constructions it may not be essential to provide a sealing means between the seat and housing of the ventilation apparatus. In the case where a sealing means is provided this may be of any convenient construction, for example, a rubber ring or the like.

Generally, at least the seat section and preferably also the housing section of the ventilation apparatus is of a wooden material however, it may be of any suitable material including plastics.

It will also be appreciated that the housing and seat sections of the exhaust gas duct may be separated in any convenient manner and not necessarily along the hinge axis. It may, for example, be separated in a step-like manner or have any suitable curve to facilitate sealing. It is envisaged that the duct may be separated in any suitable location at or adjacent to the hinge axis.

It will also be appreciated that the housing may be of any suitable construction, for example, instead of including a 90 elbow for bending the gases prior to extraction the duct may be straight for ease of installation and maintenance. One such arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 13 to 1 5. The ventilating apparatus illustrated in these drawings is similar to that described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 1 2 and like parts are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case the fan 5 is mounted in a hole 40 in the wall 9 and the housing section 22 of the extraction duct is extended straight back, partially through the hole 40 in the wall 9. An access cover 41 is provided to facilitate fan maintenance.

It will also be appreciated that while it has been found that with the present construction of duct that the cross flow of exhaust gases is such as to ensure that the vast majority of gases are removed efficiently in some cases it may be possible to arrange the inlet openings to the seat section of the duct in other locations around the seat, for example, mid-way or towards the front of the seat. It has however, been found preferable to have the inlets at the back of the seat for efficient extraction.

It will further be appreciated that the lip may be extended to provide not only a dripbar for directing liquid away from the inlets to the housing section of the extraction passageways but also a splash back means to further shield the openings against ingress of liquid when the seat is in the raised position.

Claims

1. A ventilation apparatus for a toilet comprising an exhaust fan, a housing for the fan, a toilet seat connected to the housing and being movable about a hinge axis from a raised position to a lowered position, and an exhaust gas duct having a seat section and a housing section, the seat and housing sections being aligned to define a duct extending from an exhaust gas inlet in the seat to a discharge outlet in the housing when the seat is in the lowered position, and the seat and housing sections of the duct separated at or adjacent the hinge axis to allow access for cleaning when the seat is in the raised position.

2. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which sealing means are provided between the seat and housing.

3. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 in which the sealing means comprises a lip on one of the seat or housing engagable in the complementary recess in the other of the seat or housing when the seat is in the lowered position.

4. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 in which the lip projects rearwardly from the seat below the hinge.

.

5. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 in which drip-bar means are provided for directing liquid away from the inlet opening in the housing section of the duct when the seat is in the raised position.

6. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 whenever dependent on Claim 3 or 4 in which the drip-bar means is defined by the lip.

7. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 in which the exhaust gas duct comprises two passageways, each having a seat portion and a housing portion, the housing and seat portions of the passageways being aligned when the seat is in the lowered position.

8. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7 in which the exhaust gas inlet is provided on the underside of the seat adjacent the hinge axis.

9. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claims 7 or 8 in which the inlet and outlet openings of the seat portion of the passageways are defined by substantially rectangular slots.

10. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 9 in which each housing section passageway comprises a plurality of substantially parallel tubes.

11. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10 in which the fan is operated by a pressure switch mounted on the underside of the seat.

12. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 11 in which the fan is sized to extract from 30 to 45 m3 of air per hour.

1 3. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 2 in which the fan is sized to extract approximately 37 m3 of air per hour.

14. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 1 3 in which a filter box is provided downstream of the fan.

1 5. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 14 in which a spring loaded non-return valve is provided on the exhaust side of the fan.

1 6. A ventilation as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 1 5 in which the seat includes a heating means.

1 7. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 1 6 in which at least the seat section of the ventilation apparatus is of a wooden material.

18. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 1 7 in which the housing section of the apparatus is of a wooden material.

1 9. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which splashback means are provided for shielding the inlet opening in the housing section of the duct when the seat is in the raised position.

20. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 9 whenever dependent on Claim 3 or 4 in which the lip is extended to define the splashback means.

21. A ventilation apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the fan is adapted for mounting in a wall behind the toilet.

22. A ventilation apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.