[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 14/824,230 that was filed August 12, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of toilets. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a vacuum source and a valve for ventilating a toilet to treat and/or remove foul air from a toilet bowl.

SUMMARY

[0003] In one aspect, a system for ventilating a toilet having a cistern and a bowl includes a valve located between the cistern and the bowl. The valve includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a through-passage extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a ventilation passage provided at an angle with respect to the through-passage. The through-passage is located at an interior of the housing and is in fluid communication with the bowl. The ventilation passage has an inlet at the interior of the housing and an outlet at an exterior of the housing. A vacuum source is connected to the outlet of the ventilation passage and configured to establish a negative pressure in the ventilation passage to draw air from the bowl through the through-passage, and to exhaust the air to a remote location. The housing, the through-passage, and the ventilation passage are integrally formed.

[0004] In another aspect, a valve for ventilating a toilet includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a through-passage extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and ventilation passage provided at an angle with respect to the through-passage. The through-passage is located at an interior of the housing and is in fluid communication with the bowl. The ventilation passage has an inlet at the interior of the housing and an outlet at an exterior of the housing. The vacuum source is configured to establish a negative pressure in the ventilation passage to draw air from the bowl through the through-passage, and to exhaust the air to a remote location. The housing, the through-passage, and the ventilation passage are integrally formed.

[0005] In yet another aspect, a system for ventilating a toilet having a cistern and a bowl includes a stand pipe located within the cistern and in fluid communication with the bowl. An interior of the stand pipe forms a ventilation passage having an inlet at an end of the stand pipe located closest to the bowl and an outlet at an end of the stand pipe located furthest from the bowl. A flap is mounted at the inlet of the ventilation passage. A connection connects the outlet of the ventilation passage to a vacuum source. The vacuum source is configured to establish a negative pressure in the ventilation passage to draw air from the bowl through the stand pipe, and to exhaust the air to a remote location.

[0006] Additional features, advantages, and aspects of the present disclosure may be set forth from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims.

Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the present disclosure and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without further limiting the scope of the present disclosure claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate aspects of the present disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of the present disclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the present disclosure and the various ways in which it may be practiced.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of an aspect of a toilet having a valve for ventilating the toilet installed between a cistern of the toilet and a bowl of the toilet.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a top view of the toilet of FIG. 1 with a lid of the cistern removed.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a front view of the toilet of FIG. 1 with a toilet seat and a toilet lid in a closed, lowered position. [0011] FIG. 4 is a front view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the toilet seat and the toilet lid in an open, raised position.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a top view of the toilet of FIG. 1 according to an aspect in which the valve includes a flap (the cistern has been removed).

[0013] FIG. 6 is a top view of the toilet of FIG. 1 according to an aspect in which the valve does not include a flap (the cistern has been removed).

[0014] FIG. 7 is a top view of the valve of FIG. 5.

[0015] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the valve of FIG. 5.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a top view of the valve of FIG. 6.

[0017] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the valve of FIG. 6.

[0018] FIG. 11 A is a schematic illustration of the intersection between a through-passage and a ventilation passage of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the ventilation passage is perpendicular to the through-passage.

[0019] FIG. 1 IB is a schematic illustration of the intersection between a through-passage and a ventilation passage of the valve of FIG. 1 in which the ventilation passage is inclined in an orientation in which standing water in the ventilation passage drips down into the through- passage.

[0020] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the valve of FIG. 1 connected to a vacuum source.

[0021] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating method of operating the valve of FIG. 1 according to one aspect.

[0022] FIG. 14 is a top view of another aspect of a toilet including a cistern and a bowl in which a valve for ventilating a toilet includes a stand pipe located within the cistern that forms a ventilation passage, a flap mounted at an inlet of the ventilation passage, and a connection connecting an outlet of the ventilation passage to a vacuum source. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplary aspects in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description, or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. An effort has been made to use the same or like reference numbers throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0024] Turning now to FIGS. 1-6, in one aspect, a system for ventilating a toilet to treat and/or remove foul air from a toilet 100 includes a valve 1000. The toilet 100 is a conventional toilet that includes a cistern 110, a bowl 120, a seat 130 and a lid 140. The valve 1000 may be installed between the cistern 1 10 and the bowl 120. For example, the valve 1000 may be installed between a bottom surface of the cistern 110 and a top surface of the bowl 120. In some aspects, for aesthetic purposes, the valve 1000 is not visible beneath the cistern 110 when viewing the toilet 100 from the top. See FIG. 2. In some aspects, for aesthetic purposes, when the seat 130 and the lid 140 are in a raised position (i.e., when the seat 130 is approximately perpendicular to the bowl 120), the valve 1000 is not visible behind the seat 130 and the lid 140 when viewing the toilet 100 from the front. See FIG. 4.

[0025] The valve 1000 may be configured to be incorporated into new toilet fixtures, or retrofit to the toilet 100. The valve 1000 optionally includes a plurality of holes 50 configured to secure the valve 1000 to the cistern 110 and the bowl 120. The valve 1000 may be secured to flanges extending from the cistern 1 10, portions of a stand pipe 111 within the cistern 110, or the bowl 120 to form a seal between a top surface 11 and/or a bottom surface 12 of the valve 1000. The valve 1000 may be secured, for example, by bolts (not illustrated) inserted into the plurality of holes 50. In one example, an interior of the plurality of holes 50 may be threaded to interact with threads of the bolts. In another example, the bolts may be secured within the plurality of holes 50 via a friction fit.

[0026] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the valve 1000 includes a housing 10 having a top surface 11, a bottom surface 12, an interior and an exterior. The housing 10 may be formed from stainless steel, brass, copper, hard rubber, bronze, ceramic, porcelain, plastic or any other suitable material, provided the material is generally water-proof and corrosion-resistant. A height of the housing 10 (i.e., a distance from the top surface 11 to the bottom surface 12) may be, for example, 1.25 inches to 2 inches, although dimensions outside this range may be used.

[0027] In one aspect, the housing 10 has a polygonal cross-section with rounded corners. For example, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5-10, the housing may have a polygonal cross-section having five sides. In other aspects, the polygonal cross-section may have three, four, six, seven, eight or any other number of sides, or be of any cross-sectional decorative shape. In other aspects, the housing may have a circular cross-section, oblong cross-section, or polygonal cross-section with non-rounded corners.

[0028] The housing 10 further includes a through-passage 20 extending from the top surface 11 to the bottom surface 12 at the interior of the housing 10. In one aspect, the through-passage 20 is disposed at a center of the housing 10. In other aspects, the through- passage 20 may be disposed offset from the center of the housing 10, provided the through- passage 20 is still located at the interior of the housing 10. The through-passage 20 is in fluid communication with the cistern 110 and the bowl 120 of the toilet 100. The through-passage 20 is configured to receive water from existing water passages of the toilet 100 when the toilet 100 is flushed. The through-passage is also configured to receive air from the bowl 120. In some aspects, the through-passage 20 is a non-bent, straight passage that extends from the bottom surface of the cistern 110 (as illustrated) to the top surface of the bowl 120. In other aspects, the through-passage 20 may be a bent passage (not illustrated) that extends from the bottom surface of the cistern 110 to a rear surface of the bowl 120.

[0029] The housing 10 also includes a ventilation passage 30. In some aspects, the ventilation passage 30 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the through-passage 20. See FIG. 11 A. In other aspects, the ventilation passage 30 is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the through-passage 20 such that the ventilation passage 30 is inclined in an orientation in which standing water in the ventilation passage 30 drips down into the through- passage 20. See FIG. 1 IB. The ventilation passage 30 has a first end located closest to the interior of the housing 10 and a second end located closest to the exterior of the housing 10. The second end of the ventilation passage 30 may be located on any face of the exterior of the housing 10 (i.e., in other positions around the perimeter of the housing 10). The second end of the ventilation passage 30 is configured to be connected to a vacuum source 60. See FIG. 12. The vacuum source 60 will be described in further detail below. In one aspect, the housing 10, the through-passage 20 and the ventilation passage 30 are integrally formed, for example, as a single piece.

[0030] In one aspect, the housing 10 includes a flap 40 pivotally connected to the interior of the housing 10. The flap 40 has substantially the same shape as a vertical cross-section of the ventilation passage 30. The flap 40 may be formed from a rubber, stainless steel, brass, copper, ceramic, porcelain, plastic or any other suitable material, or a combination of any two or more such materials, provided the material is generally water-proof and corrosion- resistant. The flap 40 can be formed from a same or a different material than the material used to form the housing 10. In aspects in which the flap 40 is formed from a rubber, the rubber may have a hardness of, for example, 30-durometer hardness, 40-durometer hardness, 50-durometer hardness or 60-durometer (as measured by the Shore A durometer), depending on the specific type of rubber and a pressure of the vacuum source 60.

[0031] When the flap 40 is in an open position, the flap 40 extends outward from the interior of the housing 10 towards a center of the through-passage 20. When the flap 40 is in a closed position, the flap 40 extends downwards along a surface of the through-passage 20 towards the bottom surface 12 of the housing 10 and covers the first end of the ventilation passage 30. The flap 40 remains in the open position until the toilet 100 is flushed. A negative pressure may be established in the ventilation passage 30 such that air from the through-passage 20 enters the first end of the ventilation passage 30 when the flap 40 is in an open position. In other words, fluid (e.g., foul air) may be drawn from the bowl 120 through the through-passage 20 into the ventilation passage 30, and exhausted to a remote location such as the vacuum source 60 and/or to atmosphere.

[0032] The flap 40 is pivotally connected to the housing 10. In one aspect, the flap 40 fits in a groove 41 in the top surface 11 of the valve 1000. A mating piece 42 configured to fit within the groove 41 is placed on top of the flap 40 to hold the flap 40 in place without screws. See FIG. 7. [0033] In another aspect, the flap 40 is connected to the housing 10 via a hinge 43. The hinge 42 may be made of a flexible material such as rubber, such that the hinge is a flexible tang, or the hinge may include a joint to move flap 40 from an open to a closed position. See FIG. 8. Where the hinge 43 includes a joint, it may be a spring-loaded joint such that the flap 40 will be maintained in an open position. In other words, due to the flexible tang or spring- loaded joint, the flap 40 will be in the open position, but may be folded or moved to the closed position. This would cause a 90 degree deflection when held there by the vacuum source 60. The flap 40 is configured to return to an open or flat position on its own when the vacuum source 60 is shut down or removed.

[0034] The vacuum source 60 may be, but is not limited to, a vacuum, a wet-dry vacuum, or a fan that may establish a negative pressure in the ventilation passage 30. Referring to FIG. 12, the vacuum source 60 may be located in a different location than the valve 1000. For example, the valve 1000 may be located in a Location A, such as a bathroom, while the vacuum source 60 may be located in a Location B, different from Location A, such as a basement, an attic, a garage, or any other room in the house or building. In other aspects, the valve 1000 and the vacuum source 60 may be located in a same location. If the vacuum source 60 is located at a height greater than the height of the cistern 110, the vacuum source 60 is preferably located at least three feet higher than the cistern in order to allow the vacuum source 60 to draw enough air from the bowl without drawing water vapor into the vacuum source 60.

[0035] In aspects in which the vacuum source 60 is located at a height greater than the height of a cistern 110 of the toilet 100, the valve 1000 may optionally include the flap 40. In other words, the flap 40 may be omitted. See FIGS. 6, 9 and 10. In aspects in which the flap 40 is omitted, the ventilation passage 30 is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the through-passage 20 such that the ventilation passage 30 is inclined in an orientation in which standing water in the ventilation passage 30 drips down into the through-passage 20. See FIG. 11B.

[0036] The vacuum source 60 is connected to a timer switch 70. For example, the timer switch 70 may be plugged into a power outlet with the vacuum source 60 plugged into the timer switch 70 instead of being plugged directly into the power outlet. The timer switch 70 is a timer configured to operate an electric switch controlled by a timing mechanism. The timer switch 70 may be configured to switch the vacuum source 60 ON and/or OFF, at a preset time, after a preset interval, or cyclically.

[0037] Operation of the valve 1000 in which the flap 40 is not included will now be described. In order to use the valve 1000 to ventilate a toilet to treat and/or remove foul air from the bowl 120, the vacuum source 60 is turned ON by actuation of a manual switch or activated, for example, by a motion sensor when a user enters the bathroom. Activation of the vacuum source 60 establishes a negative pressure in the ventilation passage 30 that allows air (e.g., foul air) from the through-passage 20 to enter the first end of the ventilation passage 30. The foul air may be contained in the vacuum source 60 and/or exhausted to atmosphere. In one aspect, the user may manually turn the vacuum source 60 OFF by re-actuation of the manual switch, or the vacuum source 60 may be turned OFF by a motion sensor when the user exits the bathroom. In another aspect, the timer switch 70 may turn the vacuum source 60 OFF after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[0038] Operation of the valve 1000 in which the flap 40 is included will now be described. See FIG. 13. In step 1, in order to use the valve 1000 to ventilate a toilet to treat and/or remove foul air from the bowl 120, the vacuum source 60 is turned ON by actuation of a manual switch or activated, for example, by a motion sensor when a user enters the bathroom. The flap 40 is in the open position in step 1. Activation of the vacuum source 60 establishes a negative pressure in the ventilation passage 30 that allows air (e.g., foul air) from the through-passage 20 to enter the first end of the ventilation passage 30. The foul air may be contained in the vacuum source 60 and/or exhausted to atmosphere.

[0039] In step 2, the toilet 100 is flushed. The vacuum source 60 remains ON. The flap 40 is moved from the open position to the closed position by a pressure exerted by water entering the through-passage 20 from the cistern 110 or the stand pipe 111 when the toilet 100 is flushed. Because the flap 40 is held closed, water is prevented from entering the ventilation passage 30, and therefore, also prevented from entering the vacuum source 60.

[0040] In step 3, the timer switch 70 is configured to count at least one time period during which the vacuum source 60 remains ON. For example, the timer may be set for a predetermined time period (A) lasting from 1 to 4 minutes or more (or any time in-between) during which the vacuum source 60 remains ON and the cistern 110 and the bowl 120 of the toilet 100 refill. During the predetermined time period (A), the vacuum source 60 holds the flap 40 closed while the cistern 110 and the bowl 120 of the toilet 100 are refilling, thereby preventing water from being deflected into the vacuum source 60. In an exemplary aspect, the predetermined time period (A) is one minute and ten seconds, which is the time it takes for a typical bowl of a toilet to refill.

[0041] Step 4A is an alternative to step 4B. In either step, the vacuum source 60 is turned OFF to allow the flap 40 to reopen.

[0042] In step 4A, after expiration of the predetermined period of time (A), the timer switch 70 turns the vacuum source 60 OFF for a brief predetermined period of time(B) to allow the flap 40 to reopen. The brief predetermined period of time (B) may be, for example, one second to 10 seconds (or any time in-between), provided that the vacuum source 60 is OFF for a long enough period of time to release the suction holding the flap 40 closed.

[0043] In step 4B (an alternative to step 4 A), the timer switch 70 is set at a pressure, for example, a few millibars (or inches of Hg) higher than the operating pressure of the system, while the flap 40 of the valve 1000 is open. The timer switch 70 may be configured to turn OFF the vacuum source 60, when a pressure caused by suction from the vacuum source 60 is greater than the operating pressure (i.e., when the flap 40 is closed and air flow through the through passage 20 is restricted).

[0044] In step 5, after the flap 40 has reopened, the timer switch 70 is configured to turn the vacuum source 60 ON again. Air is once again drawn from the bowl 120 by the vacuum source 60 for: 1) a predetermined period of time (C), 2) until another flush is initiated, or 3) until the system is turned off by actuation of a manual switch or deactivated by a motion sensor when no movement is detected in the bathroom. In aspects including the flap 40, if the system is turned OFF, the flap 40 remains in the open position and the vacuum source 60 is turned OFF. [0045] With regard to the predetermined period of time (C), the valve 1000 may be operated in an energy saving mode in which the system is configured to be shut off when not in use. In particular, the system may be turned off after the predetermined period of time (C) elapses if the toilet 100 is not flushed again. The predetermined period of time (C) may be, for example, multiples of 30 minutes of idle time (e.g., 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 120 minutes or more) after operation of the valve. The desired idle time may be, for example, pre-selected by the user. In the third mode of operation, the flap 40 remains open, but the vacuum source 60 is off.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 14, in another aspect, a valve 2000 may be installed within the stand pipe 111 disposed in the cistern 110 of the toilet 100. In other words, in the aspect of FIG. 14, the valve 2000 is located within the cistern 110 (i.e., the tank of the toilet) and is in fluid communication the bowl 120. In this aspect, the stand pipe 111 serves as the valve housing. An interior of the stand pipe 111 defines a ventilation passage 2010. An inlet of the ventilation passage 2010 is formed at an end of the stand pipe 111 located closest to the bowl 120. An outlet of the ventilation passage 2010 is formed at an end of the stand pipe 111 located furthest from the bowl 120. The valve 2000 does not include a through-passage. The valve 2000 is not visible from an exterior of the toilet 100. The water supply, which would normally supply the bowl 120 with water through the stand pipe 111 is removed and rerouted to the bowl 120.

[0047] A top of the stand pipe 111 is connected to a vacuum source 60 via a connection 2020 (e.g., piping or tubing), thereby establishing a negative pressure in the stand pipe 111, such that air from the bowl 120 enters the stand pipe 111 when the vacuum source 60 is ON. The connection 2020 extends from the standpipe 111 (proximate to the outlet of the ventilation passage 2010) through a wall of the cistern 110 to the vacuum source 60. Foul air is removed from the bowl 120 via the connection 2020. The connection 2020 may be disposed, for example, in a top portion of the cistern 110, a side wall of the cistern 110 or a back wall of the cistern 1 10 (as illustrated in FIG. 14). In the aspect of FIG. 14, the vacuum source 60 is preferably provided at a height greater than the height of the cistern 110. The valve 2000 operates in a manner similar to the operation of the valve 1000 described above (in the embodiment that does not include a flap). [0048] The valves and the operation thereof described above allow for the removal of foul air from the bowl. The valves are easy to install and can be retrofit to an existing toilet. Alternatively, the valves may be integrally formed with the toilet. The valves include fewer parts than conventional toilet ventilation devices, allowing for easier manufacture and installation. Because the vacuum source may be located in a different location than the toilet, operation of the valves is safer as compared to conventional toilet ventilation devices in which electrical circuits are located close to the toilet and the standing water located therein. These advantages cannot be achieved by conventional toilet ventilation devices.

[0049] As utilized herein, the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially", and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.

[0050] The terms "coupled," "connected," and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.

[0051] References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., "top," "bottom," "above," "below," etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the

FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary aspects, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. [0052] It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the toilet valve as shown in the various exemplary aspects are illustrative only. Although only a few aspects have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative aspects. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary aspects without departing from the scope of the present invention.