GB2216151A - Ventilating a water closet - Google Patents

Abstract

A toilet seat (2) for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl (4), which toilet seat (2) comprises a hollow seat portion (6) which is provided with vent means through which foul air from the toilet bowl (4) can be sucked into the hollow seat portion (6), and the hollow seat portion (6) having outlet means (10) by which the hollow seat portion (6) is connectible to a source of suction (30). <IMAGE>

Description

A TOILET SEAT This invention relates to a toilet seat for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl. This invention also relates to a water closet having ventilation means for removing foul air from the toilet bowl.

Foul air is often generated when water closets are being used. This foul air is usually removed by opening a window in the water closet or by operating an extractor fan. The opening of windows and the operation of extraction fans do not always sufficiently quickly remove the foul air which tends to pervade the entire room in which the water closet is situated. Furthermore, open windows and powerful extractor fans can cause unpleasant draughts. Chemical air freshening agents are sometimes used to try and mask the smell of the foul air but these chemical air freshening agents are not always satisfactory and they merely tend to replace one smell with another smell which, although more pleasant, is often overpowering.The above mentioned problem has resulted in a number of known attempts to remove foul air from water closets by removing the foul air directly from the toilet bowl and before the foul air is able to pervade the entire room in which the water closet is situated. The known attempts to remove the foul air directly from the toilet bowl involve extracting the foul air through water inlet passages in the toilet bowl and then through the cistern and an outlet pipe of the water closet. These known arrangements tend to be complicated and expensive and thus they have not been put on the market and generally made available.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem by effecting the removal of the foul air via a toilet seat rather than a toilet bowl, the toilet seat being such that it can form a simple yet efficient ventilation means which is able to remove the foul air and which can be easily installed by persons, for example on a do-it-yourself basis.

Accordingly, this invention provides a toilet seat for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl, which toilet seat comprises a hollow seat portion which is provided with vent means through which foul air from the toilet bowl can be sucked into the hollow seat portion, and the hollow seat portion having outlet means by which the hollow seat portion is connectible to a source of suction.

A householder can easily remove an existing standard toilet seat and replace it with a toilet seat of the present invention. The toilet seat of the present invention can be provided with standard fixing means for fixing to the toilet bowl so that it is a simple replacement job to replace an existing standard toilet seat with a toilet seat in accordance with the present invention. ce the toilet seat pf the present invention has been provided on the toilet bowl, it is then only necessary to connect the outlet means to a source of suction.

Preferably, the vent means is provided in a part of the hollow seat portion which extends inwardly beyond a rim portion of the toilet bowl. Thus the rim portion of the toilet bowl will then not unduly obscure the vent means.

The vent means may be a plurality of vents. The plurality of vents preferably face into the toilet bowl.

With vents facing into the toilet bowl, an optimum amount of foul air may be sucked from the toilet bowl. The vents may be of any desired shape such for example as slots or round holes.

The outlet means is preferably a stub pipe. This facilitates a simple connection to the source of suction, as willie described in more detail hereinbelow.

The toilet seat may include sealing means for effecting a seal between the toilet seat and a rim portion of the toilet bowl.

The sealing means may comprise a ring which is secured to an under surface portion of the toilet seat that engages the rim portion of the toilet bowl.

The sealing means will usually be made of a resilient material. The resilient material may be rubber or a plastics material. Preferably, the resilient material has a smooth surface so that it can easily be wiped clean.

The present invention also provides a water closet having ventilation means for removing foul air from a toilet bowl, which ventilation- means comprises a toilet seat of the invention, a source of suction, and conduit means connected between the outlet means on the toilet seat and the source of suction.

The source of suction may be a ventilation shaft, the ventilation shaft being provided with extractor means.

Such ventilation shafts and extractor means are often provided in blocks of flats. The ventilation shaft often rises through the entire block of flats, with extractor means in the form of a large extractor fan being mounted on the roof of the block of flats.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the source of suction is an individual extraction means which is solely for the room in which the water closet is situated.

Such an individual extractor means will usually be an extractor fan which is situated in a wall or a window of the room in which the water closet is situated.

Preferably, the extractor fan is flash proof to minimise on fire risks.

The toilet seat may be made from any suitable and appropriate materials. Thus, for example, the toilet seat may be made from the plastics material that are currently used for making toilet seats. The toilet seat can be moulded such that it has the required hollow seat portion with the vent means and the outlet means.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a water closet having ventilation means including a toilet seat of the invention; and Figure 2 is a view from below of the toilet seat.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a toilet seat 2 for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl 4. The toilet seat 2 comprises a hollow seat portion 6 which is provided with vent means in the form of a plurality of vents 8 through which foul air from the toilet bowl 4 can be sucked into the hollow seat portion 6. The vents 8 open into the toilet bowl 4 in order to suck the maximum amount of air from the toilet bowl 4. For simplicity of illustration, the vents 8 have been shown in the drawings as opening in a side ways manner but this is just so that the vents 8 can easily be seen.

The hollow seat portion 6 is provided with outlet means in the form of a stub pipe 10.

The toilet seat 2 is also provided with sealing means in the form of a sealing ring 12 for effecting a seal between the toilet seat 2 and a rim portion 14 of the toilet bowl 4. The sealing ring 12 is secured to an under surface portion 16 of the toilet seat 2. Ntnen a person (not shown) is seated on the toilet seat 2, the person will effectively block the central aperture 18 in the toilet seat to thus stop much of the foul air from escaping from the toilet bowl 4 through the aperture 18.

The sealing ring 12 will stop the foul air in the toilet bowl 4 from escaping between the rim portion 14 and the under surface 16. The sealing ring 12 may be a flexible rubber or a flexible plastics sealing ring 12.

Figure 1 shows a water closet 20 which is such that the toilet bowl 4 is connected to a cistern 24 via a water down pipe 26. The water closet 20 is provided in a room 28 having a ventilation shaft 30. A good degree of suction is provided in the ventilation shaft 30 by extractor means in the form of a flash proof fan 32. The fan 32 has a turbine section 34 situated inside the ventilation shaft 30 and a flash proof motor 36 is situated outside the ventilation shaft 30 and is effective to drive the turbine section 54. The ventilation shaft 30 opens to atmosphere. The ventilation shaft 30 is of the type employed in blocks of flats and the ventilation shaft 30 thus rises through the entire block of flats and is formed as an integral part of the block of flats.In known ventilation shafts, the room 28 would merely have a grill (not shown) which can be opened and closed to permit foul air from all over the room 28 to be sucked into the ventilation shaft 30. Once the foul air has pervaded over the entire room 28, it will be apparent that a long time will be required before all the foul air has been sucked from the room 28 into the ventilation shaft 30. During this time, apart from unpleasant lingering smells, considerable draught may be created.

With the present invention, it is only necessary to replace a standard toilet seat with the toilet seat 2 of the present invention. The illustrated toilet seat 2 has been shown somewhat schematically and the rear part of the toilet seat 2 may be formed as in known toilet seats so that the toilet seat 2 will be hinged and will be provided with appropriate fixing means for enabling the toilet seat 2 to be secured to the toilet bowl 4. These fixing means can be finger operated screw bolts as in known toilet seats.

With the toilet seat 2 in position on the toilet bowl 4, it is then only necessary to connect the stub pipe 8 to the ventilation shaft 30 and this can be effected by conduit means in the form of flexible hose 38. The flexible hose 38 can, if desired, very conveniently be connected to the ventilation shaft 30 at a position 40 where a grill would normally be employed for generally sucking air into the ventilation shaft 30 from the entire room 28. With the flexible hose 38 in position, it will be seen that there is a direct path for foul air from inside the toilet bowl 4 directly to the ventilation shaft 30. During use, the aperture 18 will be substantially blocked by a person sitting on the toilet seat 2 and the sealing ring 12 will be squashed under the weight of the person sitting on the toilet seat 2 so that foul air cannot easily escape from the toilet bowl 4.This foul air can thus be sucked directly through the stub pipe 10 and the flexible hose 38 into the ventilation shaft 30 where it can be vented to atmosphere. Since the fan 32 is usually continuously operating, it operating, it will be apparent that the foul air can be sucked from the toilet bowl 4 substantially immediately that it is generated. Thus the room 28 will very speedily be cleared of foul air.

Furthermore, the toilet seat 2 and the flexible hose 38 can easily and cheaply be manufactured and they can also easily and cheaply be installed in position in an otherwise standard water closet 20 and room 28. Thus the toilet seat 2 lends itself to installation by householders wishing to do the installation themselves and thus minimise on costs.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the flexible hose 38 may be connected to an individual extractor fan which is solely for the room 28.

In this case, the extractor fan would usually be mounted in a wall or a window of the room 28. Also, Figure 1 shows the flexible hose 38 pushed inside the stub pipe 10 but, if desired, the flexible hose 38 can be pushed over the outside of the stub pipe 10.

The toilet bowl need not only be a ceramic toilet bowl 4 of the type used in bathrooms and as shown in Figure 1. The toilet bowl could be in the form of a hospital bed pan which would then be provided with the toilet seat of the invention. Conduit means such as the above mentioned flexible tube 38 would then extend from the toilet seat on the hospital bed pan to an appropriate ventilation outlet. Similarly, the toilet seat- could be connected to commodes or babies' potties, with outlet means being provided to vent foul air to atmosphere.

Public toilet systems and especially those public toilet systems that are situated under ground may especially benefit from the use of toilet seats in accordance with the present invention.

Claims (16)

1. A toilet seat for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl, which toilet seat comprises a hollow seat portion which is provided with vent means through which foul air from the toilet bowl can be sucked into the hollow seat portion, and the hollow seat portion having outlet means by which the hollow seat portion is connectible to a source of suction.

2. A toilet seat according to claim 1 in which the vent means is provided in a part of the hollow seat portion which extends inwardly beyond a rim portion of the toilet bowl.

3. A toilet seat according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the vent means is a plurality of vents.

4. A toilet seat according to claim 3 in which the plurality of vents face into the toilet bowl.

5. A toilet seat according to any one of the preceding claims in which the outlet means is a stub pipe.

6. A toilet seat according to any one of the -preceding claims and including sealing means for effecting a seal between the toilet seat and a rim portion of the toilet bowl.

7. A toilet seat according to claim 6 in which the sealing means comprises a ring which is secured to an under surface portion of the toilet seat that engages the rim portion of the toilet bowl.

8. A toilet seat according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the sealing means is made of a resilient material.

9. A toilet seat according to claim 8 in which the resilient material is rubber or a plastics material.

10. A toilet seat according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the resilient material has a smooth surface so that it can easily be wiped clean.

11. A toilet seat for use in the removal of foul air from a toilet bowl, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A water closet having ventilation means for removing foul air from a toilet bowl, which ventilation means comprises a toilet seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, a source of suction, and conduit, means connected between the outlet means on the toilet seat and the source of suction.

13. A water closet according to claim 12 in which the source of suction is a ventilation shaft, the ventilation shaft being provided with extractor means.

14. A water closet according to claim 12 in which the source of suction is an individual extraction means which is solely for the room in which the water closet is situated.

15. A water closet according to claim 14 in which the individual extractor means is an extractor fan which is situated in a wall or a window of the room in which the water closet is situated.

16. A water closet substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.