Deodorizing toilet seat assembly

Abstract

A deodorizing toilet seat assembly includes a seat, a pod housing a fan, a deodorizer, a sensor and a timer. A seat may be a heated seat. User seating activates the fan, and the timer may stop the fan a set time after the user rises from the seat. The deodorizer deodorizes air drawn by the fan, to which air fragrance and aroma may be added. Control or sensor signals may be electrical, optical, sonic, or other signals. Wiring may pass through a hinge connecting the pod and the seat or lid. Methods to deodorize air from a toilet include steps of providing an assembly with a seat, pod, fan, timer and deodorizer; activating a fan and a timer, contacting air with a deodorizer and optionally a fragrance or aroma dispenser, effective to improve the quality of the air and optionally provide fragrance or aroma to the air.

1 . An assembly for use with a toilet, said toilet having a toilet bowl with a lip, wherein said assembly comprises:
 a toilet seat configured to be disposed over said toilet bowl lip, thereby defining a gap between at least a portion of said lip and at least a portion of said seat;   a sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user;   a pod connected to the toilet seat and configured to mount on said toilet bowl, said pod having an air inlet, an air outlet, and a hinge;
 said air inlet being disposed adjacent said gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl lip when said pod is mounted on said toilet bowl, the air inlet being configured to accept air from the toilet bowl, and 
 said hinge being configured to connect the toilet seat with the pod effective to allow relative motion between the toilet seat and the pod, the hinge comprising electrical connection means; 
   a fan disposed to draw air into said air inlet when operating;   a deodorizer not in contact with said fan and disposed to receive air drawn from said air inlet by the fan;   a dispenser not in contact with the fan and disposed to receive air that has contacted or passed by or through said deodorizer and to condition said air;   a power source;   a switch operably connected with the fan, the sensor and said power source;   said electrical connection means connecting said sensor with said switch;   a timer configured to provide a timing function and operably connected with said switch; said switch being configured upon activation to initiate said timing function of said timer and to initiate operation of said fan for a time period determined by said timer, effective that operation of the fan draws air from the toilet bowl through the air inlet effective to contact the deodorizer to provide deodorized air, and effective that said deodorized air contacts said dispenser to provide conditioned air to said air outlet effective to improve the quality of air from the toilet bowl.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said dispenser disposed to receive air that has contacted or passed by or through the deodorizer is selected from an aromatherapy aroma dispenser configured to provide aromatherapy aroma to air, a fragrance dispenser configured to provide fragrance to air, and both an aromatherapy dispenser configured to provide aromatherapy aroma to air and a fragrance dispenser configured to provide fragrance to air, effective to condition said air and to improve the quality of said air from the toilet bowl. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user is disposed on or in an assembly element selected from the seat, the lid, and the pod. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user is disposed on or in the seat. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a lid and means for preventing abrupt closure of said lid. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said pod is configured to reduce the likelihood of water entering said pod or to reduce the likelihood of water remaining within the pod, or both. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said pod comprises elements selected from the group of elements consisting of one or more of:
 an air inlet having sloped surfaces effective to encourage water to drip out of the pod;   an air inlet comprising a front edge, said front edge being extended downward effective to block potential splash-back from inside the toilet and effective to direct dripping liquids back into the bowl;   an air inlet having a lip along the outer edge configured to reduce the likelihood of water coming up and over that edge; and   an air outlet having sloped surfaces effective to encourage water to drip out of the pod.   
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , said assembly comprising anti-microbial materials. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said exposed surfaces are smooth and rounded surfaces effective to facilitate cleaning and inhibit deposition of dirt thereon. 
   
   
       10 . An assembly for use with a toilet, said toilet having a toilet bowl with a lip, wherein said assembly comprises:
 a toilet seat comprising a heating element and configured to be disposed over said toilet bowl lip, thereby defining a gap between at least a portion of said lip and at least a portion of said seat;   a sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user on said toilet seat;   a pod connected to the toilet seat and configured to mount on said toilet bowl, said pod having an air inlet, an air outlet, and a hinge;
 said air inlet being disposed adjacent said gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl lip when said pod is mounted on said toilet bowl, the air inlet being configured to accept air from the toilet bowl; 
 said hinge being configured to connect the toilet seat with the pod effective to allow relative motion between the toilet seat and the pod, the hinge comprising electrical connection means; 
   a fan disposed to draw air into said air inlet when operating;   a deodorizer not in contact with said fan and disposed to receive air drawn from said air inlet by the fan;   a dispenser not in contact with the fan and disposed to receive air that has contacted or passed by or through said deodorizer and to condition said air;   a power source;   a switch operably connected with the fan, the sensor and said power source by said electrical connection means;   said electrical connection means being configured to connect said heating element and said power source;   a timer configured to provide a timing function and operably connected with said switch;   said switch being configured upon activation to initiate said timing function of said timer and to initiate operation of said fan for a time period determined by said timer, effective that operation of the fan draws air from the toilet bowl through the air inlet effective to contact the deodorizer to provide deodorized air, and effective that said deodorized air contacts said dispenser to provide conditioned air to said air outlet effective to improve the quality of air from the toilet bowl.   
   
   
       11 . The assembly for use with a toilet of  claim 10 , wherein said dispenser disposed to receive air that has contacted or passed by or through the deodorizer is selected from an aromatherapy aroma dispenser configured to provide aromatherapy aroma to air, a fragrance dispenser configured to provide fragrance to air, and both an aromatherapy dispenser configured to provide aromatherapy aroma to air and a fragrance dispenser configured to provide fragrance to air, effective to condition said air and to improve the quality of said air from the toilet bowl. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user is disposed on or in an assembly element selected from the seat, the lid, and the pod. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said sensor configured for detecting the presence of a user is disposed on or in the seat. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a lid and means for preventing abrupt closure of said lid. 
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said pod is configured to reduce the likelihood of water entering said pod or to reduce the likelihood of water remaining within the pod, or both. 
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said pod comprises elements selected from the group of elements consisting of one or more of:
 an air inlet having sloped surfaces effective to encourage water to drip out of the pod;   an air inlet comprising a front edge, said front edge being extended downward effective to block potential splash-back from inside the toilet and effective to direct dripping liquids back into the bowl;   an air inlet having a lip along the outer edge configured to reduce the likelihood of water coming up and over that edge; and   an air outlet having sloped surfaces effective to encourage water to drip out of the pod.   
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 10 , said assembly comprising anti-microbial materials. 
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said exposed surfaces are smooth and rounded surfaces effective to facilitate cleaning and inhibit deposition of dirt thereon. 
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said sensor is disposed in or on the toilet seat, and said electrical connection means connect the sensor with the switch. 
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a temperature control element effective to control the temperature of said seat comprising a heating element. 
   
   
       21 . The assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising a temperature sensor effective to detect the temperature of said seat or said heating element. 
   
   
       22 . A method of deodorizing air in the vicinity of a toilet, said method comprising:
 providing an assembly for use with a toilet of  claim 1 ;   activating said fan; and   initiating said timing function of said timer,   effective to draw air from said bowl through said inlet to contact said deodorizer and said dispenser for a time period determined by said timer, effective to deodorize and condition said air effective to improve the quality of the air from the toilet bowl.   
   
   
       23 . A method of deodorizing air in the vicinity of a toilet, said method comprising:
 providing an assembly for use with a toilet of  claim 10 ;   activating said fan; and   initiating said timing function of said timer,   effective to draw air from said bowl through said inlet to contact said deodorizer and said dispenser for a time period determined by said timer, effective to deodorize and condition said air effective to improve the quality of the air from the toilet bowl.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said dispenser is selected from an aromatherapy aroma dispenser, a fragrance dispenser, or both. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said dispenser is selected from an aromatherapy aroma dispenser, a fragrance dispenser, or both. 
   
   
       26 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor configured to detect the presence of a user is selected from the group of sensors consisting of a weight sensor, an infra-red sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitative sensor, a pressure sensor, and a strain sensor. 
   
   
       27 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said sensor configured to detect the presence of a user on the toilet seat is selected from the group of sensors consisting of a weight sensor, an infra-red sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a capacitative sensor, a pressure sensor, and a strain sensor.