Nowadays, with the ever-increasing emphasis being placed on the problems of air pollution, both inside and outside of buildings, homes and other structures, one area which needs to be addressed is that of arranging for deodorizing of a toilet facility. In the past various means have been employed for purposes of cleaning a toilet pan during flushing thereof, but the problem of actual dissipation, more especially of deodorization, of foul or noxious gases generated has barely been touched upon. Indeed nowadays the method and apparatus generally utilized for such a purpose involves either (i) the provision of an exhaust apparatus or facility in the toilet itself, whether of the forced draft or natural draft type and/or (ii) the use of canned or pressure-pack type deodorants of any known type. Such arrangements, however, suffer from disadvantages in that they either (i) merely serve to ultimately (with the passage of time) expel any foul or noxious gases from the immediate vicinity of the toilet (without treatment by way of deodorization) to atmosphere, or (ii) attack the problem only after use of the toilet facility has finished. Even then, however, they only marginally alleviate the discomfiture of subsequent users of the toilet facility, primarily because of the time span needed to allow for efficient and fully effective expulsion of foul or noxious gases from that facility, and/or subsequent deodorization thereof.

The present invention seeks to overcome the

problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art by providing an apparatus which, to all intents and purposes, acts directly on the noxious or foul gases, effectively prior to their emission from the toilet pan into the surrounding atmosphere. The apparatus or arrangement in accordance with the present invention functions to trap those gases and allow for passage thereof through appropriate deodorizing means prior to their expulsion to atmosphere. The end result is that the gases eventually expelled into the surrounding atmosphere or environs of the toilet facility are substantially free of unpleasant odours, thereby adding to the comfort not only of the present user of the toilet facility but also to subsequent users. It should be realised that the present invention not only relates to an arrangement which can be adapted to co-operate with an existing toilet pan/toilet seat arrangement, but also can be combined with its own toilet seat. In other words the invention can be said to relate to a unit or the like for the desired purpose which can be made available either in isolation (for attachment to an existing toilet facility in the simplest possible manner even by the home handyman) , or as a complete set (in conjunction with a toilet seat or the like) to be located on a toilet pan.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is provided an apparatus for the extraction and deodorization treatment of foul or noxious gases from a toilet facility or the like, said apparatus including a deodorizing unit, means for connecting said unit to a toilet pan of a toilet facility, and means for activating said deodorizing unit wherein said deodorizing unit includes a main body member including an inlet portion and divided by a removable partition into respective upper and lower

chambers, said lower chamber having located therein, in a removable manner, a forced draft inducing means operable, in use, to extract gases from the toilet pan, via said inlet portion, and to direct said extracted gases to said upper chamber for deodorization thereof, the arrangement being such that, after deodorization in said upper chamber, the treated gases are vented to atmosphere.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and put into practical effect there shall now be described in detail a preferred embodiment of a deodorizing apparatus or arrangement for a toilet facility in accordance with the invention. The ensuing description is given by way of non-limitative example only and is with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, from above, of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a toilet seat incorporating an apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

As illustrated an apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a deodorizing unit, generally designated 1 (to be described hereinafter in more detail) , and a fixing means or bracket 2 adapted, in use, to co-operate with both the deodorizing unit 1 and a toilet seat 3 of any known type. In the especially preferred embodiment illustrated the deodorizing unit 1 and bracket 2 are constructed wholly or principally of any suitable material such as, for example, plastics or the like, and manufactured by any known method such as, for example, molding. It should

be realized, however, that it is not essential to the practice of the invention that a plastics material and/or a molding process be employed. In the embodiment shown the deodorizing unit 1 and bracket 2 could be formed separately and then, in use, joined together in any known manner, as for example by bolting, gluing, etc.. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the deodorizing unit exhibits a substantially bulbous shape, so as to afford the overall apparatus an aesthetic appeal.

The fixing bracket 2 is of the general shape illustrated and is adapted, in use, to co-operate with at least one, and preferably two, fixing bolts 4 whereby to allow for fixing thereof to a toilet pan in accordance with known techniques. The fixing bracket 2 is of such a shape and configuration as to allow for usage with effectively any known type of toilet seat, regardless of the dimensions or shape thereof. In this regard it should be noted that the bracket 2 includes a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 5 adapted, in use, to co-operate with and have located therein and therethrough the fixing bolts 4. The slots 5, of a larger size than the fixing bolts 4, allow for ready adjustment of the location of the bracket 2, and associated deodorizing unit 1, relative to _. a toilet seat pan to suit various shapes and/or sizes of both toilet seat and toilet bowl or pan.

The fixing bracket 2 further includes provision for flow connection to the interior of the toilet bowl or pan 6, whereby to allow for egress

(forced) of air from the pan 6 to the deodorizing unit 1. Preferably the slots 5 of the bracket 2 are adapted, in use, to provide accommodation for the preferably eccentric heads of fixing bolts 4 for the toilet seat 3 (again of any known type) . To be more specific, in accordance with the present invention the

arrangement is such that the fixing bracket 2 (with associated slots 5) is adapted to be located at the rear of the toilet pan 6 and underneath a rear portion of a toilet seat 3 (as illustrated in Fig. 3) . With correct location (relatively speaking) of the bracket

2, toilet seat 3 and fixing bolts 4, the arrangement can then be effectively locked to the pan 6 in any known manner.

The deodorizing unit 1 in accordance with the present invention includes an inlet portion 10 for noxious gases, such inlet portion 10 being in gas flow connection, in any known manner, with the interior of the pan 6 itself. In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, not illustrated, ducting may be appropriately disposed under the toilet seat 3 and fixing bracket 2 so as to be effectively hidden from view.

When located on a toilet bowl or pan 6, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus also includes means allowing for actuation of the deodorizing unit 1, in a manner to be explained hereinafter. The actuation means, in an especially preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, takes the form of a pressure- or weight- sensitive switch 7 (of any known type) . The principle of operation is that, when a person sits on the toilet seat 3, the weight-sensitive switch 7 is actuated whereby to in turn activate the fan 14. When the person (user of the toilet facility) gets off the seat

3, the weight-sensitive switch 7 is no longer actuated, thereby turning off the fan 14 and causing exhausting of the pan 6. In an especially preferred embodiment means may be included such that operation of the fan 14 will not cease for some finite and pre-arranged time after deactivation of the weight-sensitive switch 7, thereby ensuring that exhausting of the pan 6, and deodorization, continues for that finite time whereby

to ensure full effectiveness.

As shown in FIG. 4 the deodorizing unit 1, of a substantially hollow construction, includes an internal or intermediate wall or partition member 11 which serves to divide the unit 2 into respective lower and upper chambers or sections 12 and 13. The wall member 11 includes a plurality of slots 11a therein, allowing for passage of air from the lower chamber 12 to upper chamber 13. The deodorizing unit 1 includes a forced draft inducing means, preferably in the form of a fan 14 of any known type which, in the especially preferred embodiment illustrated, is located in a removable manner in the lower chamber 12, the upper chamber 13 being adapted to receive and contain appropriate deodorizing material 15. The upper chamber 13 is such as to allow for flow therethrough of the forced draft provided by the fan 14. The upper chamber 13 also includes apertures allowing for passage of deodorized air therethrough to atmosphere. In an especially preferred embodiment the fan or the like forced draft inducing means 14 will be battery operated. It should be understood, however, that the means for actually driving the forced draft inducing means 14 does not constitute part of tne invention and that any suitable means for achieving such a result may be employed.

The principle of operation of a preferred embodiment of a deodorizing unit 1 in accordance with the present invention can best be described as follows. Upon a person occupying the toilet seat 3, the pressure or weight sensitive means associated therewith serves to actuate the fan 14 whereby to exhaust from the pan 6 the air trapped therein (including any noxious gases) . The air thus exhausted is allowed to pass through the deodorizing unit 1, via the aforementioned inlet means 10, and the chambers 12 and 13 whereby to allow for

deodorization thereof. The end result is that substantially odour-free air is expelled from the deodorizing unit 1 to the environs.

As previously mentioned, in accordance with an especially preferred embodiment of the invention a deodorizing unit 1 is provided to be marketed separately or more correctly in conjunction with a fixing bracket 2 whereby to allow for installation in an existing toilet facility, using the existing toilet seat. Within the scope of the invention, however, is a combination deodorizing unit 1, fixing bracket 2 and toilet seat 3. The deodorizing unit 1 may be connected to the fixing bracket 2 in any known manner, as for example by bolting, by the use of tongue-in-groove connecting means, or whatever. It should be realized that the actual mode of interconnection of deodorizing unit and fixing bracket forms no part of the invention.

Finally it is to be understood that the aforegoing description refers merely to preferred embodiments of a deodorizing apparatus in accordance with the invention and that variations and modifications will be possible thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of that invention.