Venting attachment for use with a toilet

Abstract

A venting attachment for a toilet comprises a main body shaped similar to a toilet seat. The main body has a bottom, an inner wall and outer wall, which together define a channel, a frontal portion at a front end and frangible break line formations. The inner wall has a plurality of apertures defined therein in fluid communication with the channel. The outer wall has at least one vacuum port which is in fluid communication with the channel. The break line formations enable the frontal portion to be severed from a major rear portion of the main body. The attachment with or without the frontal portion can be mounted on the underside of the toilet seat. The frontal portion can be severed from the major rear portion when the toilet seat is open at its front end.

1 . A venting attachment for a toilet having a toilet bowl and a toilet seat, the attachment comprising:
 a main body extending around a relatively large opening, said main body being shaped similar to the toilet seat, having front and rear ends, and having:
 a channel defined therein, the channel substantially extending along at least two opposite sides of the body; 
 a plurality of apertures defined therein, the apertures in fluid communication with the channel and said large opening; 
 at least one vacuum port in fluid communication with the channel; 
 a frontal portion extending across said front end; and 
 frangible break means formed in said main body at opposite ends of said frontal portion for severing said frontal portion from a major rear portion of the main body, 
   wherein, in use, the attachment can be mounted on the underside of the toilet seat such that the attachment is positioned between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and, if the toilet seat is open at its front end, the frontal portion of the attachment can be severed and discarded so that the major rear portion can be used for venting air from the toilet.   
     
     
         2 . The venting attachment of  claim 1 , wherein said break means comprises a pair of grooves located at opposite ends of the frontal portion, said grooves extending transversely relative to the channel. 
     
     
         3 . The venting attachment of  claim 1  wherein said main body has at least one expansion notch defined in a rear end section thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The venting attachment of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one expansion notch permits deflection of opposite side sections of the main body when the frontal portion is severed from the main body. 
     
     
         5 . The venting attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further has at least one nipple in fluid communication with the at least one vacuum port, the at least one nipple being adapted for connection with an inlet of a vacuum system for withdrawing air from the toilet bowl via said venting attachment. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further has a pair of transverse walls which interrupt the channel, the transverse walls positioned proximate to the frontal portion such that the transverse walls remain with the major rear portion when the frontal portion is severed. 
     
     
         7 . A venting attachment for use with a toilet having a toilet seat, the attachment comprising a main body shaped similar to the toilet seat, the main body having:
 a bottom, an inner wall, and an opposite outer wall which together define a channel, the inner wall having a plurality of apertures defined therein, the apertures in fluid communication with the channel, the outer wall having at least one vacuum port which is in fluid communication with the channel;   a frontal portion formed at a front end of the main body; and   frangible break line formations defining opposite ends of said frontal portion and enabling said frontal portion to be severed from a major rear portion of the main body   wherein, in use, said frontal portion is severed from the major rear portion and not used for venting of the toilet seat when said toilet seat is open at its front end and the attachment with or without the frontal portion can be mounted on the underside of the toilet seat with the open top side of the channel oriented towards an underside of the toilet seat.   
     
     
         8 . The venting attachment of  claim 7 , wherein said break line formations comprise a pair of transversely extending grooves. 
     
     
         9 . The venting attachment of  claim 7  including an expansion notch formed in the main body in a rear side thereof located opposite said frontal portion. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment of  claim 9 , wherein the expansion notch provides for the deflection of opposite side sections of the main body when the frontal portion is severed from the main body. 
     
     
         11 . The attachment of  claim 8 , wherein the main body further has at least one nipple in fluid communication with the at least one vacuum port, the at least one nipple being adapted for connection with an inlet of a vacuum system for withdrawing air from a bowl of the toilet and being located at a rear end of said main body. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment of  claim 8 , wherein the main body further has a pair of transverse walls which interrupt the channel, the transverse walls positioned proximate to the frontal portion such that the transverse walls remain with a remaining rear portion of the attachment when the frontal portion is severed. 
     
     
         13 . A venting attachment for a toilet having a toilet bowl and a toilet seat, the attachment comprising;
 a vent forming body defining and extending around an opening similar in size to an opening formed by said toilet seat, said body including:   two similar, curved elongate side sections and a base section joining rear ends of said side sections together, said body forming a venting passageway that extends along said side sections in the lengthwise direction thereof,   a plurality of apertures that are distributed along inner sides of said side sections and are in communication with said passageway,   port means for evacuating air from said passageway, said port means being in fluid communication with said passageway, and   an expansion notch formed in said base section,   wherein during installation of said venting attachment, said expansion notch allows outward separation of said side sections from a first position to a more outward position whereby said attachment can be attached to and fit toilet seats of different sizes and shapes.   
     
     
         14 . A venting attachment according to  claim 13  wherein said elongate side sections and said base section are integrally connected to one another and said notch is located midway along the length of said base section. 
     
     
         15 . A venting attachment according to  claim 14 , wherein said port means includes two vacuum ports located on opposite sides of said notch and said venting passageway includes two vent passage sections each having a closed end at its respective side of said notch and each in communication with a respective one of said vacuum ports. 
     
     
         16 . A venting attachment according to  claim 14 , wherein said body includes a separable frontal portion extending between and joining said elongate side sections and, during installation of said venting attachment, said frontal portion is separated from the remaining portion of the attachment if outward separation of said side sections from their first position is required for installation. 
     
     
         17 . A venting attachment for a toilet having a toilet bowl and a toilet seat pivotably attached to the bowl, the attachment being adapted for attachment to the toilet seat and comprising
 a main body forming a relatively large opening and shaped similar to the toilet seat, said main body including two elongate side sections and a base section joining said sections, a venting passageway that extends along said side sections, a plurality of apertures that are distributed along inner sides of said side sections that face said opening, said apertures being in communication with said passageway, and port means for evacuating air from said passageway, and   an electronic circuit mounted in said main body, said circuit including a proximity sensor for sensing a person sitting on said toilet seat and generating an electrical signal indicative thereof and a transmitter for transmitting said signal to a receiver of a control circuit for an air evacuation apparatus to which said port means can be operatively connected,   wherein said main body has at least one battery receiving chamber for holding at least one battery for powering said electronic circuit.   
     
     
         18 . A venting attachment, according to  claim 17 , wherein said electronic circuit including a circuit board on which said at least one battery can be mounted and a cavity in which said circuit board is mounted is formed in one of said side sections. 
     
     
         19 . A venting attachment according to  claim 17 , wherein said main body includes a frontal portion which connects front ends of said two side sections and frangible break lines at opposite ends of said frontal portion for severing said frontal portion from said side sections when required for installation of the attachment on said toilet seat. 
     
     
         20 . A venting attachment according to  claim 18 , wherein said port means includes two vacuum ports formed in an outer wall of said base section and two nipples each operatively connected to a respective one of said vacuum ports and located on opposite sides of a central expansion notch formed in said base section.