Toilet ventilation system and associated method

Abstract

A toilet ventilation system for automatically removing undesirable odor from a toilet during operation preferably includes a toilet, an air intake port, a conduit, and an air discharge port directly coupled to such a conduit. The toilet ventilation system may further include a mechanism for automatically ventilating odorous air from an area located adjacent to the toilet rim to an area remotely located from the toilet rim by siphoning the odorous air through the air intake port to the air discharge port.

1 . A toilet ventilation system for automatically removing undesirable odor from a toilet during operation, said toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a toilet;   an air intake port formed along an inner perimeter of a rim of said toilet;   a conduit having a first section directly coupled to said air intake port;   an air discharge port directly coupled to said conduit; and   means for automatically ventilating odorous air from an area located adjacent to said toilet rim to an area remotely located from said toilet rim by siphoning said odorous air through said air intake port to said air discharge port.   
   
   
       2 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein said automatic ventilating means comprises:
 an air-discharging device connected directly to said conduit and being in fluid communication therewith, said air-discharging device being located down stream of said air intake port and further being located upstream of said air outlet port;   a power source electrically coupled to said air-discharging device;   a sensor electrically coupled to said power source for detecting when said user sits on said toilet and departs from said toilet respectively;   a logic gate electrically coupled directly to said sensor; and   a timer electrically coupled to said sensor and said logic gate.   
   
   
       3 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 2 , wherein said sensor generates and transmits true and false detection signals to said logic gate and said timer when said user sits on said toilet and departs from said toilet respectively. 
   
   
       4 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 3 , wherein said timer generates and transmits start and stop timing signals upon receiving said true and false detections signals such that said timer measures a length of time that said user is seated on said toilet;
 wherein if said user is seated on said toilet for a length of time that is less than a maximum threshold length of time, then said timer generates and transmits a false timing signal to said logic gate;   wherein if said user is seated on said toilet for a length of time that is greater than said maximum threshold length of time, then said timer generates and transmits a true timing signal to said logic gate.   
   
   
       5 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 4 , wherein said logic gate generates and transmits a true output signal to said air-discharging device when both of said timing and detection signals are true for activating said air-discharging device. 
   
   
       6 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 5 , wherein said logic gate generates and transmits a false output signal to said air-discharging device when at least one of said timing and detection signals are false for deactivating said air-discharging device. 
   
   
       7 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 2 , wherein said air-discharging device comprises: a motorized fan. 
   
   
       8 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 2 , wherein said air-discharging device comprises:
 a motor;   a rectilinear drive shaft coupled to said motor and being pivotally reciprocated along an arcuate path, said drive shaft being rotatably mated to said conduit;   first and second levers mated directly to said drive shaft and being oriented generally perpendicular thereto respectively;   first and second bellows for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to said conduit, said first and second bellows being deformably resilient such that when an air volume of said first and second bellows is decreased, air escapes through said conduit;   a plurality of chambers and a plurality of flaps pivotally coupled to ingress and egress orifices of said chambers respectively, each of said flaps being selectively articulated between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting the pressurized air from passing through associated ones of said chambers.   
   
   
       9 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 8 , wherein said chambers comprise:
 an air ingress chamber in direct fluid communication with said air intake port;   first and second air holding chambers in direct fluid communication with said air ingress chamber;   an air egress chamber in direct fluid communication with said first and second air holding chambers, said air egress chamber being isolated from said air ingress chamber;   wherein first and second ones of said flaps are pivotally seated at said ingress orifices of said first and second air holding chambers respectively;   wherein third and fourth ones of said flaps are pivotally seated at said egress orifices of said first and second air holding chambers respectively.   
   
   
       10 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 9 , wherein said first and second bellows are alternately compressed and expanded along mutually exclusive vertical paths as said drive shaft pivots along said arcuate path, each of said first and second bellows increasing and decreasing air pressure inside of said first and second air holding chambers and thereby causing said flaps to synchronously articulate between the open and closed positions such that the odorous air is continuously forced into said air ingress chamber and expelled through said air egress chamber during compression and expansion of said first and second bellows. 
   
   
       11 . A toilet ventilation system for automatically removing undesirable odor from a toilet during operation, said toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a toilet;   an air intake port formed along an inner perimeter of a rim of said toilet;   a conduit having a first section directly coupled to said air intake port;   an air discharge port directly coupled to said conduit; and   means for automatically ventilating odorous air from an area located adjacent to said toilet rim to an area remotely located from said toilet rim by siphoning said odorous air through said air intake port to said air discharge port;   wherein said automatic ventilating means is automatically toggled between active and inactive modes when a user sits on said toilet and departs from said toilet respectively.   
   
   
       12 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 11 , wherein said automatic ventilating means comprises:
 an air-discharging device connected directly to said conduit and being in fluid communication therewith, said air-discharging device being located down stream of said air intake port and further being located upstream of said air outlet port;   a power source electrically coupled to said air-discharging device;   a sensor electrically coupled to said power source for detecting when said user sits on said toilet and departs from said toilet respectively;   a logic gate electrically coupled directly to said sensor; and   a timer electrically coupled to said sensor and said logic gate.   
   
   
       13 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein said sensor generates and transmits true and false detection signals to said logic gate and said timer when said user sits on said toilet and departs from said toilet respectively. 
   
   
       14 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 13 , wherein said timer generates and transmits start and stop timing signals upon receiving said true and false detections signals such that said timer measures a length of time that said user is seated on said toilet;
 wherein if said user is seated on said toilet for a length of time that is less than a maximum threshold length of time, then said timer generates and transmits a false timing signal to said logic gate;   wherein if said user is seated on said toilet for a length of time that is greater than said maximum threshold length of time, then said timer generates and transmits a true timing signal to said logic gate.   
   
   
       15 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 14 , wherein said logic gate generates and transmits a true output signal to said air-discharging device when both of said timing and detection signals are true for activating said air-discharging device. 
   
   
       16 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 15 , wherein said logic gate generates and transmits a false output signal to said air-discharging device when at least one of said timing and detection signals are false for deactivating said air-discharging device. 
   
   
       17 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein said air-discharging device comprises: a motorized fan. 
   
   
       18 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein said air-discharging device comprises:
 a motor;   a rectilinear drive shaft coupled to said motor and being pivotally reciprocated along an arcuate path, said drive shaft being rotatably mated to said conduit;   first and second levers mated directly to said drive shaft and being oriented generally perpendicular thereto respectively;   first and second bellows for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to said conduit, said first and second bellows being deformably resilient such that when an air volume of said first and second bellows is decreased, air escapes through said conduit;   a plurality of chambers and a plurality of flaps pivotally coupled to ingress and egress orifices of said chambers respectively, each of said flaps being selectively articulated between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting the pressurized air from passing through associated ones of said chambers.   
   
   
       19 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18 , wherein said chambers comprise:
 an air ingress chamber in direct fluid communication with said air intake port;   first and second air holding chambers in direct fluid communication with said air ingress chamber;   an air egress chamber in direct fluid communication with said first and second air holding chambers, said air egress chamber being isolated from said air ingress chamber;   wherein first and second ones of said flaps are pivotally seated at said ingress orifices of said first and second air holding chambers respectively;   wherein third and fourth ones of said flaps are pivotally seated at said egress orifices of said first and second air holding chambers respectively.   
   
   
       20 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 19 , wherein said first and second bellows are alternately compressed and expanded along mutually exclusive vertical paths as said drive shaft pivots along said arcuate path, each of said first and second bellows increasing and decreasing air pressure inside of said first and second air holding chambers and thereby causing said flaps to synchronously articulate between the open and closed positions such that the odorous air is continuously forced into said air ingress chamber and expelled through said air egress chamber during compression and expansion of said first and second bellows.