2. Discussion of the Related Art Nearly everyone, at one time or another, has experienced the unpleasant experience of entering a bathroom immediately after a toilet has been used. This is unpleasant for one person and can be embarrassing for another. While everyone understands that odors associated with toilet use are natural, nearly everyone considers these odors unpleasant.

Therefore, there is a need for an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet.

The art contains many examples of fans and the like that are intended to remove such odors. These fans are generally manually activated by a switch on the wall of the bathroom. While sometimes convenient, the operation of the fan depends on the attentiveness of the person desiring to evacuate the odor. If that person forgets, then the odor evacuation system is rendered useless. On

the other hand, if the odor evacuation system is activated by a manual switch, that system may operate long after it is necessary as the system will operate until someone manually de-activates it.

Therefore, there is a need for an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and which is automatically activated when needed.

Some devices in the art include elaborate systems that are located in the walls of the bathroom. Such systems may be expensive to install and service and thus have significant shortcomings. An existing toilet system is not easily retrofitted with such elaborate systems.

Therefore, there is a need for an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet that can be easily retrofit onto an existing toilet system.

Therefore, there is also a need for an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet that can be easily installed and serviced.

The elaborate systems may influence operation of the toilet, and may impede operation of the toilet. For example, if part of the system is positioned near a flush handle, operation of the flush handle may be impeded.

Therefore, there is a need for an odor evacuation

system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and does not interfere with operation of the toilet.

In addition to removing odors, it may also be advantageous to actually add pleasant odors to a bathroom. Various scents can be added to any room via air fresheners or the like. However, some devices that add scents to a room operate all the time, or must be activated manually. Both modes of operation have disadvantages either because it may be wasteful to add scent to a room at all times, or because such scent addition must wait for a person to manually carry out the task. Generally, scent must be added to a bathroom only immediately after a toilet has been used, and then only for a few minutes.

Therefore, there is a need for an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and which can also be used to efficiently impart pleasing odors to the vicinity of the toilet.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a main object of the present invention to provide an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and does not interfere with operation of the toilet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and which is automatically activated when needed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and which can also be used to efficiently impart pleasing odors to the vicinity of the toilet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an odor evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet that can be easily retrofit onto an existing toilet system.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system that is easy to install and service and thus is very cost efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These, and other, objects are achieved by an odor

evacuation system for use in connection with a toilet which includes a motor/fan unit that is hung on the water tank of a toilet and which is fluidically connected to the toilet bowl either via an inlet nozzle attached to a hinge of the toilet seat or to a vented toilet seat. The odor evacuation system includes a filter and/or a scent generator through which air passes before it is recycled back into the room. A switch can be pressure operated, heat operated, or motion operated and activates the motor/fan only when necessary.

The odor evacuation system embodying the present invention efficiently removes odor directly from a toilet and also imparts pleasing odors to the vicinity of the toilet. The system will only be activated when needed and thus no energy will be wasted. The system is easily retrofit onto an existing toilet system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES Figure 1 is a perspective view of an odor evacuation system for directly removing odors of a toilet embodying the present invention in conjunction with a toilet.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an odor evacuation system for directly removing odors of a toilet embodying the present invention.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of an odor evacuation system for directly removing odors of a toilet embodying

the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view of an odor evacuation system for directly removing odors of a toilet embodying the present invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a filter with a scent generating element therein which is suitable for use with the odor evacuation system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the Figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in an odor evacuation system 10 for use in connection with a toilet T to be activated only when necessary and which can be used to impart pleasant odors to the room containing the toilet.

System 10 comprises a hollow housing 12 which includes a first end wall 14 that is a top wall when the housing 12 is in a use orientation as shown in Figure 1. Housing 12 further includes a bracket 18 on the first end wall 14.

Bracket 18 is adapted to engage a rim R of a water tank TT associated with flush toilet T. Housing 12 further includes a second end wall 20 that is a bottom wall when the housing 12 is in a use orientation. Housing 12

further includes a side wall 22.

As shown in Figure 1, using bracket 18, housing 12 can be mounted on the rim of the toilet water tank in a location that does not interfere with operation of the toilet, and that is spaced apart from a flush handle F associated with the toilet. The housing 12 is easily mounted on and dismounted from the toilet so use of system 10 is easy and any placement or replacement of the system 10 is easy. An existing toilet is easily retrofitted with system 10 and any maintenance is easily effected due to easy access to system 10.

An air vent 24 is defined in the side wall 22 and can include a plurality of louvers or the like. A hose access opening 30 is defined in the second end wall 20.

A fan unit 40 is located in the housing 12. The fan unit 40 includes a motor 42 and is fluidically interposed between the hose access opening 30 and the air vent 24.

The motor 42 can be battery powered or can receive power via an electrical cord 44 via a circuit breaker or the like.

A filter unit 46 is located in the housing 12.

Filter unit 46 is located fluidically between the fan unit 40 and the air vent 24 so that air being exhausted from the fan unit 40 passes through the filter unit 46 before flowing into the air vent 24.

A scent generator 50 is also positioned in the

housing 12. Scent generator 50 is located fluidically between the filter unit 46 and the air vent 24 so that air being exhausted from the fan unit 40 passes through the filter unit 46 and through the scent generator 50 before flowing into the air vent 24. One form of filter unit is shown in Figure 5 as filter unit 46'and includes a scent generator 50'directly incorporated into the filter unit 46'.

An air inlet unit 60 is adapted to be mounted on a toilet seat TS of the flush toilet in a position that is fluidically connected with an interior of a bowl of the flush toilet. Air from inside the toilet bowl will be drawn into the air inlet unit 60 by operation of the fan unit 40 and will then be exhausted from the housing 12 via the air vent 24 after passing through the filter unit 46 and the scent generator 50. One form of air inlet is shown in Figure 2 and includes a shroud 52 that attaches the air inlet unit 60 to a hinge H that connects the toilet seat to the toilet as shown in Figure 1.

A fluid conduit 54 fluidically connects the air inlet unit 60 to the fan unit 40 and includes a first end 56 adapted to be mounted on the toilet seat and a second end 58 mounted on the housing 12 adjacent to hose access opening 30 defined in the second wall 20 of the housing 12.

Another form of the air inlet unit is shown in

Figure 3 as air inlet unit 60'. Air inlet unit 60' includes a plurality of air intake holes, such as air intake hole 62 defined in bottom surface 64 of toilet seat 66. Toilet seat 66 is hollow and has a fluid channel 68 fluidically connecting each of the air intake holes 62 to an air chamber 70. Fluid conduit 54 is fluidically connected to the air chamber 70 to receive air from the intake holes 62 via the fluid channel 68 and via the air chamber 70. Fluid conduit 54 is also fluidically connected to the fan unit 40 as hereinbefore discussed so air received from the inlet of the fluid conduit 54 is. drawn through the fluid conduit 54 and flows toward the air vent 24 of the housing 12.

A fan unit activation switch 80 is adapted to be mounted on the toilet seat of the flush toilet and is electrically connected to the fan unit 40 by an electrical conductor 82. Fan unit activation switch 80 can be a pressure activated switch, or a temperature activated switch, or a motion sensor activated switch so the fan unit 40 is activated only when the toilet seat is used. A delay circuit can also be included if desired.

The just-mentioned switches are well known to those skilled in the electrical arts and the exact form of the switch is not important to the invention. Accordingly, the exact details of switch 80 will not be presented.

It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.