INTELLIGENT NETWORKED TOILET SYSTEM WITH CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURE SET

• US 20200131751A1
• Filed: 10/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shine Bathroom Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shine Bathroom Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Herbert, Chris, Stump, John
• Application Number:
  US16/665,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20200131751A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 17/00 Other equipment , e.g. separate apparatus for deodorising, disinfecting or cleaning devices without flushing for toilet bowls, seats or covers; Holders for toilet brushesportable urinating aids A61F5/4556; devices for receiving spittle A61J19/00 ; disinfecting apparatus for medical, surgical or hygienic purposes A61L; cleaning devices with flushing for toilet bowls, seats or covers E03D9/00; for emptying or cleaning chamber-pots, bed pans, bed urinals or the like E03D11/025
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/035 Electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/181 Flexible packaging means, e.g. permeable membranes, paper
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/461 by electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46104 Devices therefor; Their operating or servicing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/005 Black water originating from toilets
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4612 Controlling or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 1/00 Water flushing devices with cisterns ; Setting up a range of flushing devices or water-closets; Combinations of several flushing devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 2009/028 using a liquid substance
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/002 Automatic cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/005 Devices adding disinfecting or deodorising agents to the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/02 Devices adding a disinfecting, deodorising, or cleaning agent to the water while flushing apparatus for disinfection A61L2/00; treatment of water in general C02F
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/032 Devices connected to or dispensing into the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods that provide enhanced capability for toilets and bathrooms in general by adding feature sets such as user weighing, leak detection, enhanced toilet cleaning/deodorizing and other features, connected over networks to user devices and servers, creating a complete bathroom ecology where users have direct and remote control and access to system functions and data, and server based bathroom support applications provide a wide range of capabilities including user control and readout of toilet systems functions, bathroom condition, supply levels, and health data.

Claims

1. A remotely actuated electrolyzer, comprising;

at least one reservoir comprising a control valve and a fill sensor,

at least one access point for a replaceable active ingredient pod;

at least one anode and cathode for electrolysis;

a power supply; and

,

a processing and network interface element (i.e. controller) configured to;

provide control signals to the pump, electrode and control valve, receive fill sensor data and at least one of;

receive user ID information from one or more network sources,

receive power supply status from the power supply,

receive control information from a user,

receive control information from the network,

receive control information from a sensor, and

actuate at least one of the pump, valve, and electrode in response to control information.

2. A toilet cleaning system comprising the electrolyzer of claim 1, and further comprising at least one pump, a feedline from the pump to a toilet, wherein the system elements are packaged together in a housing wherein the electrolyzer includes a base, a removable reservoir, and a pods/electrode mounting configured for access to the reservoir when all elements are assembled together.

3. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the system reports usage and when electrolysis was last done to a server

4. The toilet cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the server automatically reorders more cleaning pods based on usage data received

5. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the system accepts commands from a mobile app, webpage, or API

6. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the reservoir is configured to at least one of;

sit on floor adjacent toilet,

hang from toilet body by means of a hanging bracket,

mount to wall adjacent toilet,

sit on top of toilet,

or placed on counter top or other fixed horizontal surface

7. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the active ingredient pod comprises a foil sealed vessel, which when installed in the reservoir the foil is pierced by a pin allowing the active ingredients to drain into the reservoir.

8. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the processor accepts and provides information across the network with user devices including Personal Electronic Devices running applications specific to the toilet cleaning system.

9. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the feedline terminates in a sprayer attachable to the toilet bowl.

10. The toilet cleaning system of claim 6 wherein the sprayer at least one of clips, sticks via adhesives, is held by suction to the toilet, or is mechanically connected to the toilet.

11. The toilet cleaning system of claim 6 wherein the sprayer comprises three nozzles at differing angles to deliver a fine spay mist wherein the mist covers the entire inside of the toilet bowl, wherein to deliver the fine mist, the fluid moves through tubing, through the sprayer, into the nozzle cavity, around a pin, through texture at the tip of the pin, and finally exiting through the nozzles.

12. The toilet cleaning system of claim 6 wherein the sprayer is user adjustable to adjust the spray via the user interface to change firmware to increase or decrease power to the pump wherein lower power results in more of a stream of fluid for more of a point contact of the fluid to the bowl and higher power creates more pressure resulting in a fine mist.

13. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the power supply comprises at least one of:

a battery,

a plug in power source.

14. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 further comprising a flow (flush) sensor mountable onto a water line including a toilet feedline and in wired or wireless communication with the toilet system processor, wherein the processor is configured to selectively trigger the pump, valves, and electrode upon flush detection.

15. The toilet cleaning system of claim 9 wherein the flow sensor comprises an accelerometer, packaged in a housing configured to clamp around a water line, including the toilet feedline and wired to the system electronics for power and signals.

16. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 further comprising at least one Internet server configured as a toilet system service provider for one of tracking or automatically ordering supplies based on toilet system use.

17. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the base includes at least one of a power inlet and an external data interface including USB variants.

18. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 further comprising a nightlight, controllable by one of user commands, network command, or internal timer.

19. The toilet cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the installation of a pod is electrically communicated to the processor.

20. The toilet cleaning system of claim 16, wherein the processor at least one of sends an alert or flashes an LED after a predetermined time after pod installation to replace pod

21. The toilet cleaning system of claim 16, including at least one Internet server configured as a toilet system service provider wherein at least one of the server or processor sends an alert after a predetermined time after pod installation to replace pod

22. The toilet cleaning system of claim 9 wherein the system detects leak conditions by means of the flow sensor and communicates leak conditions by way of sending an alert.

23. The toilet cleaning system of claim 16, including at least one Internet server configured as a toilet system service provider, wherein the server is configured to communicate to the user at least one of, water usage, estimated water cost, toilet use, estimate the associated consumables around toilet usage such as toilet paper and hand soap, compare water usage to usage in local area, leak profile, suggested repairs, or send user a repair kit.

24. The toilet cleaning system of claim 22, including a database containing leak patterns, toilet models, and location information where leak data collected from the system can be compared with leak data on the database to determine the most likely cause of the leak

25. The toilet cleaning system of claim 21, including use of a machine learning algorithm to pattern match the historical water information collected from the system to precisely determine the cause of the leak.