WO1996009445A1

WO1996009445A1 - Toilet gas incineration

Info

Publication number: WO1996009445A1
Application number: PCT/US1994/010573
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fred G. Williams
Original assignee: Williams Fred G
Priority date: 1994-09-21
Filing date: 1994-09-21
Publication date: 1996-03-28
Also published as: AU7837994A

Abstract

A ventilation system for incinerating volatile gases produced during use of a water closet includes a seat (14) having a plenum chamber (20) therein which communicates with the bowl (12). The cover (18) has a plenum chamber (34, 36, 40) therein which communicates with the seat chamber (20) to provide a passageway for gases rising from the bowl (12). The cover chamber (34) has an incinerating device (50) contained therein which ignites the volatile gases. The incinerated gases escape through exhaust opening (40) in the cover.

Description

TOILET GAS INCINERATION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a system for removing malodors from bathrooms wherein such body malodors are removed by incineration, and in particular to a system for incineration of body malodors where the system is adaptable to existing water closets.

Pui.lie and private bathrooms having long suffered from malodors generally associated with the use of water closets. The prior art has recognized the problem of removing objectionable body odors from bathrooms by improving the air quality. The prior art known to the inventor directed to removing odors from bathrooms in U.S. Patent No. 4,200,940. The patent is directed to an incineration system for burning volatile gases discharged during defecation. In general, the system includes a toilet seat with vent openings which connect to a conduit that is in turn connected to a rigid duct or chimney.

There are several drawbacks to the system described in U.S. Patent No. 4,200,940 which may detract from its use. To operate in exhaust fan and an electrified grid, there is a 110 volt a.c. motor that may be stepped down to 12 volts. However, it is necessary to provide an electrical outlet, as shown in the drawings. Most state and city electrical codes limit the use of electrical outlets in area where water is present. Another drawback is that some of the malodors could escape the grid since there are areas between the grid wires where the volatile gases go unignited, and the escaping malodors are forced out in the room by a fan. Finally, in one embodiment a container placed on the floor is alwav :. present, and in the other embodiment, the system is more permanently installed on an outside wall.

The venting of water closets is by itself well known and in U.S. Patent No. 3,273,170, an upscale version is disclosed. The water closet has a suction vent leading from the bowl through an integral pedestal to a suction chamber. An air blower mounted below the water closet and connected to the suction chamber removes the malodors and discharges them to the exterior of the building. A more recent patent which shows a water closet ventilating system is U.S. Patent No. 3,740,772. There is disclosed a ventilating toilet seat with vent holes through which malodors pass into a space in the seat. An exhaust communicates with the space for carrying of the malodorous gases.

The concept of incinerating malodors is old in the patent art as shown in a number of early patents. Examples of the older patents are U.S. patent Nos. 244,907, 334,158 and 396,187. These patents are directed to the incineration of sewer gases generated by the decomposition of sewage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement over the prior art wherein it is a completely safe and effective system for incineration of malodorous volatile gases.

It is well known that malodorous gases discharged by the body contain volatile gases. These volatile gases are made up on mainly methane and other gases which give off objectionable odors. Methane gas is a volatile gas having a low flash point. It is known that the volatile gases in question have a temperature of about 98.6 degrees fahrenheit and that the ambient temperature in and surrounding a water closet is generally 70-75 degrees fahrenheit. When two gases, such as methane and air are mixed together, methane which is lighter will rise. In addition, when the methane gas has a higher temperature it will rise more quickly due to convection. The present invention uses these known facts to remove volatile gases from a water closet, and incinerate the gases thereby, removing objectionable odors.

In the present invention a toilet set with a hollow cavity connected by vent duct to a toilet is shown. A toilet seat cover having a vent stack or incineration conduit built-in is connected to the hollow cavity of the toilet seat to draw malodors from a water closet.

An incinerating device preferably incorporating a butane lighter and an igniter is mounted in the vent stack in the seat cover to incinerate the malodorous volatile bodily gases passing through the vent stack and remove malodors.

The odor-free by-products of combustion are free to be discharged into the bathroom since all odors have been destroyed by the burning of the volatile gases. As a matter of choice, the odor-free by-products of combustion may be discharged to the outside through a vent since the malodors have been removed.

A suitable spring actuated spark lighter is mounted in the side of the seat cover to ignite butane from a container. An igniter wire an a tube from the butane container extend into the vent stack and are mounted in close proximity to each other to ignite the butane. The spring loaded spark switch is manually operated to simultaneously send a spark to the lighter wire end and to pump butane through the tube where the butane is burned.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water closet showing a partial view of a ventilation system of the invention; Figures 2 is a cross section view of a toilet seat of a ventilation system of the invention taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a cross section view of a toilet seat cover of a ventilation system of the invention taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a schematic of an incineration device of the invention. Figure 5 shows the spring actuated ->ark lighter.

Figure 6 is a partial cross s .on view of a toilet seat of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings Figures 1-5, there is shown a water closet 10 with a ventilation system of the invention. The water closet includes a bowl 12 having a

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26 flush water tank 16 coupled thereto; and a toilet seat 14 and seat cover 18 of the invention.

Toilet seat 14 is constructed to have an annular ring, made of plastic, to provide an opening 22. The front end 23 of the toilet seat 14 is solid while the back end 25 is a straight edge. A trapezoid shaped cavity 20, Figure 2, extends from the inside edge 15 of the annular ring to back end 25. The widest part of th cavity 20 is open to the inside of the toilet seat 14 and to the toilet bowl, with the terminus of the cavity 20 extending along the inside of sides 27 and 29. Figure 6 shows the cavity 20, an upward slope 21, defined by the toilet seat to direct air flow upwardly and toward the back of the seat. A conduit opening 30 connects the cavity 20 to the toilet seat cover 18, where malodors are removed from the toilet bowl 12 through cavity opening 20 in the toilet seat 14 and move upwardly through cavity 20 to conduit opening 30. The malodors, which contain a large volume of methane gas, are lighter than air, therefore, they rise out of the toilet bowl 12 through the cavity opening 20.

A rubber seal 26 is bonded to the bottom surface of the toilet seat to form a seal between the seat and rim 28 of the toilet bowl. The rubber seal 26 is needed to prevent malodors from escaping the toilet bowl 12, except through the openings 24.

Hinged to the toilet set 14 is the toilet seat cover 18. The hinges 32 are of the type found on most toilet seat and cover combinations. The toilet seat cover 18 has a similar outline as the toilet seat 14 and is made of the same plastic material. Toilet seat cover 18 has an incineration conduit 34 molded into the cover with an opening 36 at hinge end 38 and an exhaust opening 40 near the front end 42. Exhaust opening 40 opens on the top side 44 of toilet seat cover 18 to exhaust incinerated gases away from toilet tank 16 when the cover is up, Figure. 4. The connection between opening 30 in the toilet seat 14 and incineration conduit 34 of the toilet seat cover 18 occurs when the cover 18 is in the up position, as in Figure 4. There is a gasket 46, Figure 4, which surrounds the opening 30 of the toilet seat 14 to seal the opening between the seat 14 and cover 18 in the incineration position.

Toilet seat cover 18 has a receptacle 48 for housing an incineration device 50.

Incineration device 50 is constructed of a butane fuel container 52 connected to the fluid tube 54. The butane fuel is pressurized such that when a valve means 58 is opened, atomized fuel is released. An electric spark is generated by striking a piezoelectric crystal 56, piezo-electric crystals are unique in that they produce electricity when a pressure is applied to the crystal. The spark produced travels through an igniter wire 60 to the incineration conduit 34 where the spark ignites the atomized fuel. A spring biased plunger 62 strikes the piezoelectric crystal 56 to create the electric spark. The butane fuel container 52 is removable to replace with a new container.

The mechanism for operating the spring biased plunger 62 is shown in Figure 5 where a geared plunger 64 is pushed in against the force of spring 66. As the geared plunger 64 moves in, it rotates gear 68 which, in turn, moves spring biased geared plunger 62 in the direction of arrow A, against the force of spring 70. When the geared plunger 64 is pushed in past its gear teeth 72, the teeth 72 are released from gear 68, allowing the force of spring 70 to move spring biased plunger 62 in the direction of arrow B. Spring 70 is compressed when spring biased plunger 62 is moved in the direction of arrow A, since it is pressed against stationary ring 74. The release of the spring 70 releases its stored energy to force plunger 62 against piezoelectric crystal 56. The particular mechanism shown in Figure 5 may be replaced by any suitable mechanism for striking piezoelectric crystal 56. The butane fuel flows as long as plunger 64 is held in. Pressure on plunger 64 moves eyelet 78 in against stops 80 to force rod 82 to open valve means 58. When plunger 64 is released the force of spring 66 moves the plunger and eyelet 78 to contact stop 84, which closes valve means 84. The igniter device 50 is well suited for the operation of the invention. Other types of igniters which produce a spark may be substituted for the piezoelectric device, however the piezoelectric device will last a longer time and is unique in the field of malodor incineration.

In operation, the volatile gases travel by convection into incineration conduit 34 where the gased are incinerated. Once plunger 64 is depressed to ignite the atomized butane, the ignited butane burns the volatile gases removing all of the malodors.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown, it should be understood that one skilled in the art may realize other embodiments. For a complete understanding, the drawings, description and the claims should be considered.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A ventilating system for removing and incinerating volatile malodors from a water closet, comprising: a toilet seat having an annular ring with an outer edge and an inner edge and a cavity extending through said toilet seat connecting said outer edge and said inner edge where said cavity extends partially around said inner edge, said toilet seat having a front end and a back end where said cavity opens on said back end being on said outer edge; an annular seal bonded to said toilet seat to rest on a toilet bowl rim preventing the escape of malodors; a toilet seat cover hinged to said toilet seat having an incineration conduit therein for communicating with said cavity opening in said toilet seat back end, and an exhaust opening for removing spent gases; and an ignition means mounted in said toilet seat cover for incinerating volatile malodors.

2. A ventilation system as in claim 1 wherein said ignition means is contained in a receptacle in said toilet seat cover.

3. A ventilation system as in claim 2 wherein said toilet seat cover having top side and a bottom side, where said exhaust opening opens to said bottom side of said toilet seat cover, and a conduit opening in said toilet cover for connecting said incineration conduit to said cavity in said toilet seat, whereby said toilet seat cover conduit opening is in communication with said toilet seat conduit opening when said toilet seat cover is in a ventilation position.

4. A ventilation system as in claim 3 wherein a gasket means surrounds said toilet seat cover conduit opening to provide a seal between said toilet s-^ z cover conduit opening and said toilet seat conduit opt ng when said toilet seat cover is in a ventilation position.

5. A ventilation system as in claim 4 wherein said toilet seat cover pivots to cover said toilet seat and pivots to a vertical position for use to ventilate malodors.

6. A ventilation system as in claim 5 wherein said ignition means including a piezoelectric means for striking said piezoelectric device to produce a spark, an electric wire connected to said piezoelectric device and extending into said incineration conduit, a container for pressurized fuel, a fuel tube connecting said container to said incineration conduit, where said fuel tube and said electric wire are close to each other whereby a spark from said electric wire ignites and fuel.