TOILET VENTILATION DEVICE

• US 20130086736A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rene Larouche
• Original Assignee: Rene Larouche
• Inventors: Larouche, Rene
• Application Number:
  US13/703,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/348
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/05 ventilating the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/052 using incorporated fans

Abstract

The toilet ventilation device is used for drawing air from inside a toilet bowl of a toilet having a toilet tank and having an overflow pipe located inside the toilet tank. The device includes an adaptor fitting over an opened top end of the over-flow pipe. The adaptor forms a first bottom- opened chamber and a second bottom-opened chamber that are in fluid communication with one another through a restricted flow passage. At least one among the first and the second chamber is configured and disposed to surround the top end of the overflow pipe and creates an oversized hood extending substantially parallel to an outer wall surface of the overflow pipe. The open bottom of the first and of the second chamber is located below a filled water level. The device also includes an air conduit network extending between the outlet of the adaptor to outside the toilet.

Claims

1. A toilet ventilation device for drawing air from inside a toilet bowl of a toilet having a toilet tank and having an overflow pipe located inside the toilet tank, the device including:

an adaptor fitting over an opened top end of the overflow pipe, the adaptor forming a first bottom-opened chamber and a second bottom-opened chamber that are in fluid communication with one another through a restricted flow passage, at least one among the first and the second chamber being configured and disposed to surround the top end of the overflow pipe and create an oversized hood extending substantially parallel to an outer wall surface of the overflow pipe, the open bottom of the first and of the second chamber being located below a filled water level, the adaptor defining an internal air path extending from the first chamber to an outlet of the adaptor positioned downstream of the second chamber; and

an air conduit network extending between the outlet of the adaptor and outside the toilet tank.

2. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 1, wherein the hood is created by the first chamber, the first chamber including a first and a second portion, the first portion being generally located vertically above the top end of the overflow pipe, and a second portion generally surrounding the overflow pipe below an edge of the top end of the overflow pipe.

3. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first chamber is defined inside a first vertically-extending tube and the second chamber is defined inside a second vertically-extending tube.

4. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 3, wherein the first vertically-extending tube is coaxially-disposed with reference to the overflow pipe when the adaptor is mounted thereon.

7. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 4, wherein the first and the second vertically-extending tube are juxtaposed to one another, the restricted flow passage being provided through corresponding side walls of the first and the second vertically-extending tube.

8. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 7, wherein the restricted flow passage is vertically higher than the edge of the top end of the overflow pipe.

9. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 8, wherein the first and the second vertically-extending tube each have a bottom opened end that correspond to the bottom end of the first and the second chamber, respectively, the bottom ends of the first and the second vertically-extending tube extending below the filled water level of the toilet tank, the bottom end of the second vertically-extending tube being vertically below the bottom end of the first vertically-extending tube.

11. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 1, wherein the restricted flow passage includes a horizontally-extending tube, the horizontally-extending tube having at least one beveled end.

13. The toilet ventilation device as defined claim 1, wherein the air conduit network includes a substantially J-shaped air conduit having a curved top end, the curved top end being configured and disposed to fit between a top edge of a toilet tank wall and a bottom surface of a tank lid of the toilet.

14. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 13, wherein the J-shaped air conduit includes an inlet portion having a first end located above the filled water level and a second end located below the filled water level, the first end of the inlet portion being connected to the outlet of the adaptor through an intermediary air conduit.

15. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 14, wherein the intermediary air conduit is made of a flexible material and is positioned above the filled water level, the device further including a fan unit to create a vacuum pressure inside the adaptor, the fan unit is located outside the toilet tank.

5-6. -6. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. The toilet ventilation device as defined in claim 10, wherein the horizontally-extending tube engages the edge of the top end of the overflow pipe when the adaptor is mounted thereon, at least a part of the weight of the adaptor being supported by the horizontally-extending tube.

16-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An adaptor of a ventilation device for a toilet, the adaptor being insertable over an overflow pipe located inside a toilet tank of the toilet, the adaptor having an internal air path extending from inside the overflow pipe and an outlet of the adaptor, the adaptor including:

a first vertically-extending tube fitting over an opened top end of the overflow pipe, the first vertically-disposed tube having a bottom opened end;

a second vertically-extending tube that is juxtaposed to the first vertically-extending tube and having a bottom opened end, the first and the second vertically-extending tube being in fluid communication through a restricted flow passage; and

an outlet tube having a first end connected to the second vertically-extending tube, and a second end, opposite the first end, defining the outlet of the adaptor, the internal air path passing through the first vertically-extending tube, the restricted flow passage, the second vertically-extending tube and then the outlet tube.

19. The adaptor as defined in claim 18, wherein the first vertically-extending tube includes a first and a second portion, the first portion being generally located vertically above the top end of the overflow pipe, and a second portion generally surrounding an outer wall surface of the overflow pipe.

20. The adaptor as defined in claim 19, wherein the first vertically-extending tube is coaxially-disposed with reference to the overflow pipe when the adaptor is mounted thereon.

23. The adaptor as defined in claim 18, wherein the restricted flow passage is provided through corresponding side walls of the first and the second vertically-extending tube, the restricted flow passage being vertically higher than an edge of the top end of the overflow pipe.

24. The adaptor as defined in claim 18 wherein the bottom end of the second vertically-extending tube is vertically below the bottom end of the first vertically-extending tube.

21-22. -22. (canceled)

25-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method of mitigating water ingestion in a toilet ventilation device for a toilet having a toilet tank, the method including:

mounting an adaptor over an overflow pipe extending vertically inside the toilet tank of the toilet, the adaptor forming an oversized hood surrounding a top end and an outer wall surface of the overflow pipe;

filing the toilet tank up to a filled water level;

applying a vacuum pressure at an outlet of the adaptor to draw air coming from inside a toilet bowl of the toilet through the overflow pipe;

upon flushing the toilet, preventing airborne water drops, caused by at least one splash occurring inside the adaptor as the water level goes down in the toilet tank, from coming out of the adaptor through the outlet.

29. The method as defined in claim 28, wherein preventing airborne water drops from coming out of the adaptor through the outlet includes passing air between two juxtaposed bottom-opened chambers through a lateral restricted air passage, the chambers and the restricted air passage being located inside the adaptor, one of the chambers surrounding the top end of the overflow pipe.

30. The method as defined in claim 29, wherein preventing airborne water drops from coming out of the adaptor through the outlet includes having the bottom of the chamber surrounding the top end of the overflow pipe being out the water, when the water level goes down, before the bottom of the other chamber.

31-32. -32. (canceled)