Toilet ventilation systems and methods

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a ventilation system for a toilet to discharge odorous air from a toilet cavity of the toilet through an exit before the odorous air escapes from the toilet cavity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toilet ventilation system for collecting the odorous air from the toilet cavity, transporting such through air pathways thereof, and discharging such to the exit. The present invention also relates to a toilet ventilation system for collecting the odorous air from the toilet cavity, removing at least a portion of odorous substances contained therein, and returning or recirculating a substantially odor-free air into a space in which the toilet is placed. Such a ventilation system of the present invention may be incorporated into various toilets in various embodiments such that, e.g., at least a portion or an entire portion of such a ventilation system may be embedded into the toilet or its parts, movably coupled to the toilet or its parts, detachably coupled to the toilets or its parts, or fixedly coupled to the toilet or its parts. Accordingly, the ventilation system of the present invention may be incorporated into a new toilet during its manufacture and/or may be arranged to be retrofit into an existing toilet. In addition, the toilet ventilation system of this invention may be arranged to ventilate a single toilet or to ventilate multiple toilets.

1 . A ventilation system for a toilet including at least one stationary part and at least on movable part, wherein said stationary part includes at least one of a toilet base and a water reservoir, wherein said movable part includes at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid and is configured to be movably coupled to at least a portion of said stationary part, wherein said toilet base is configured to define a toilet cavity therein, wherein said toilet seat is movably disposed over said toilet base and configured to define a center aperture therein, and wherein said ventilation system is configured to transport air from said toilet cavity to an exit, said ventilation system comprising: 
 at least one airway member including at least one inlet unit and at least one outlet unit, wherein said inlet unit is configured to have at least one inlet opening which is in fluid communication with said toilet cavity and wherein said outlet unit is configured to define at least one outlet opening which is in fluid communication with said exit; and    at least one coupling member disposed between said inlet and outlet units and configured to move between at least one on-position and at least one off-position, wherein said coupling member is configured to form a fluid communication between said inlet and outlet units in said on-position and to disrupt at least a portion of said fluid communication therebetween in said off-position.    
   
   
       2 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  further comprising a one pump member operatively coupled to at least one of said airway and coupling members and configured to pump air through said airway and coupling members.  
   
   
       3 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  wherein at least one portion of said airway member is one of embedded into, movably coupled to, fixedly coupled to, and detachably coupled to said toilet seat and wherein at least another portion of said airway member is one of embedded into, movably coupled to, fixedly coupled to, and detachably coupled to at least one of said toilet lid, said toilet base, and said water reservoir.  
   
   
       4 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein said coupling member is configured to move from one of said on- and off-positions to the other thereof in response to movements of at least one of said toilet seat and toilet lid.  
   
   
       5 . The ventilation system of  claim 4 , wherein said toilet seat is configured to move between a flat seat position and a non-flat seat position, wherein said toilet lid is configured to move between a flat lid position and a non-flat lid position, and wherein said coupling member configured to be in said. on-position when said toilet seat is in said flat seat position and said toilet lid is in said non-flat lid position  
   
   
       6 . The ventilation system of  claim 5 , wherein said coupling member is configured to include a first coupler unit and a second coupler unit each of which is configured to define a first air pathway and a second air pathway therein, respectively, and wherein at least one of said coupler units is configured to move toward and away from the other of said coupler units along a preset path, thereby providing a fluid communication between said coupler units in said on-position and to disrupt at least a portion of said fluid communication in said off-position.  
   
   
       7 . The ventilation system of  claim 6 , wherein said first coupler unit is configured to be movably disposed inside said second coupler unit so as to form a fluid communication therebetween in said on-position and to be detached therefrom so as to disrupt at least a portion of said fluid communication in said off-position.  
   
   
       8 . The ventilation system of  claim 5 , wherein said coupling member is configured to include a first coupler unit and a second coupler unit configured to respectively define a first opening and a second opening thereon and wherein one of said first and second coupler units is configured to be disposed onto the other thereof in order to provide a fluid communication in said on-position by aligning said first and second openings and to disrupt at least a portion of said fluid communication in said off-position by misaligning said first and second openings.  
   
   
       9 . The ventilation system of  claim 8 , wherein said first and second coupler units have thereon a first arcuate surface and a second arcuate surface, respectively, and wherein said arcuate surfaces include said openings thereon and are configured to allow angular rotation of one of said coupler units with respect to the other thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The ventilation system of  claim 3 , wherein said coupling member is configured to move from one to the other of said on- and off-positions in response to an angle formed between said toilet seat and said toilet lid.  
   
   
       11 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , wherein said coupling member is configured to be disposed in said on-position when said angle is within a preset range and to be in said off-position when said angle is outside said preset range.  
   
   
       12 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein said airway member includes at least one air guide unit configured to introduce air thereto from said toilet cavity.  
   
   
       13 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one filter member disposed along at least one of said airway and coupling members and capable of removing odorous substance from air flowing therethrough.  
   
   
       14 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one d hydration member disposed along at least one of said airway and coupling members and capable of reducing humidity of air which flows therethrough.  
   
   
       15 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one air treatment member which is configured to be in fluid communication with at least one of said airway and coupling members, to store fragrant substance therein, and to release said fragrant substance into air flowing therethrough.  
   
   
       16 . The ventilation system of  claim 1  further comprising a sound member which is configured to store at least one prerecorded sound and capable of playing said sound.  
   
   
       17 . A ventilation system for a toilet including at least one stationary part and at least one movable part, wherein said stationary part includes at least one of a toilet base and a water reservoir, wherein said movable part includes at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid and is configured to be movably coupled to at least a portion of said stationary part, wherein said toilet base is configured to define a toilet cavity therein, wherein said toilet seat is movably disposed over said toilet base and configured to define a center aperture therein, and wherein said ventilation system is configured to transport air from said toilet cavity to an exit, said ventilation system configured to minimize a resistance to air flow therealong and comprising: 
 at least one airway member including at least one inlet unit and at least one outlet unit, wherein said inlet unit is configured to have at least one inlet opening which is in fluid communication with said toilet cavity and wherein said outlet unit is configured to define at least one outlet opening which is in fluid communication with said exit; and    at least one pump member configured to be operatively coupled to said airway member and to pump air inside said toilet cavity from said inlet opening to said exit,    wherein said airway and pump members are at least one of embedded into, movably coupled to, detachably coupled to, and fixedly coupled to at least one of said stationary and movable parts of said toilet and wherein different parts of said airway member excluding said inlet and outlet openings are configured to have similar cross-sectional areas therealong in order to minimize at least one of an expansion and a contraction of said cross-sectional areas, to minimize pressure losses thereby, and to minimize said resistance to air flow thereby.    
   
   
       18 . A method of transporting odorous air from a toilet by incorporating a ventilation system to said toilet including at least one stationary part and at least one movable part, wherein said stationary part has at least one of a toilet base and a water reservoir, wherein said movable part has at least one of a toilet seat and a toilet lid and is movably coupled to at least a portion of said stationary part, wherein said toilet base is configured to define a toilet cavity therein, and wherein said toilet seat is configured to be movably disposed over said toilet base, to move between its flat position and a vertical position, and to define a center aperture therein, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing an airway member having a first air pathway and a second air pathway;    operatively coupling said airway member to a pump member which is capable of transporting air through said first and second air pathways of said airway member;    incorporating said first air pathway of said airway member into said toilet seat while disposing one end of said first air pathway in fluid communication with said toilet cavity;    incorporating said second air pathway of said airway member into said toilet lid while placing one end of said second portion in fluid communication with an exit of said odorous air;    movably coupling said first and second air pathways of said airway member;    receiving an odorous substance giving off said odorous air in said toilet cavity;    starting said pump member, thereby transporting said odorous air from said toilet cavity to said exit through said first and second pathways of said airway member; and    terminating said pump member when said transporting is completed.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  said incorporating said first air pathway comprising the steps of: 
 embedding said first air pathway of said airway member into said toilet seat;    fixedly coupling said first air pathway of said airway member to said toilet seat;    movably coupling said first air pathway of said airway member to said toilet seat; and    detachably coupling said first air pathway of said airway member to said toilet seat.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  said incorporating said second air pathway comprising the steps of: 
 embedding said second air pathway of said airway member into said toilet lid;    fixedly coupling said second air pathway of said airway member to said toilet lid;    movably coupling said second air pathway of said airway member to said toilet lid; and    detachably coupling said second air pathway of said airway member to said toilet lid.