Ventilated toilet seat assembly

Abstract

A ventilated toilet seat assembly includes a seat which defines air inlets and internal air flow passages. The seat may be opened for cleaning. The assembly includes a pair of seat mounts for hingedly mounting the seat to a toilet. The mounts each define a port which leads to an internal chamber. The flow passages through the seat align with the ports in the mounts. The mounts connect to a toilet with fasteners which define an air path from the interior chamber. Nuts are connected to the fasteners for securing the mounts and for mounting conduits which lead from the fasteners to an air mover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilated toilet seat assembly comprising:
 a first mount and a second mount, said first and second mounts comprising a body which defines an interior air chamber and having a port leading from a front of said mount to said air chamber, said first and second mounts further comprising a fastener extending downwardly there from, said fastener defining an air passage leading from said interior air chamber of said corresponding mount, and said first and second mounts further comprising a hinge pin;   a first nut configured to engage said fastener associated with said first mount and having a collar for mounting a first hollow conduit thereto;   a second nut configured to engage said fastener associated with said second mount and having a collar for mounting a second hollow conduit thereto; and   a seat having an upper portion and a lower portion, at least one ventilation inlet extending through said lower portion to at least one air passage within said seat, which air passage leads to a rear of said seat, said upper and lower portions selectively connectable and disconnectable to provide access to an interior thereof including said at least one air passage, said seat configured to mount to said hinge pins associated with said first and second mounts to permit said seat to be moved between a raised position and a lowered position;   wherein when said seat is in said lowered position, said assembly defines an air flow path through said at least one ventilation inlet into said seat, through said at least one air passage within said seat to said rear thereof, from said rear of said seat through said ports of said first and second mounts into said interior air chambers thereof, from said interior air chambers through said air passages through said fasteners to said first and second conduits.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a lid, said lid mounted to sad hinge pins for movement between a raised and a lowered position. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein each fastener comprises a hollow externally threaded fastener configured to extend through a mounting hole of a toilet. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said upper and lower portions of said seat. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 4  wherein said means comprises at least one latch. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said at least one latch comprises a catch which associated with one of said upper or lower portions of said seat, and a stop which is associated with the other of said upper or lower portions of said seat, said catch biased into engagement with a stop. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said seat defines two or more ventilation inlets and an air passage corresponding to each inlet. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 7  wherein said seat has a first arm and a second arm, first and second ventilation inlets associated with said first arm and corresponding first and second air passages leading from said first and second ventilation inlets to said rear of said seat and third and fourth ventilation inlets associated with said second arm and corresponding third and fourth air passages leading from said third and fourth ventilation inlets to said rear of said seat. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said first and second air passages lead to said port of said first mount and said third and fourth air passages lead to said port of said second mount. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said first, second, third and fourth air passages through said seat are defined by one or more walls extending between said upper and lower portions of said seat. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said first and second nuts have a top and bottom, said top configured to be threaded onto said fastener and said bottom defining said collar. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 11  further comprising at least one spike extending outwardly from said collar of said first and second nuts, said at least one spike configured to engage said conduit connected to said nut. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein each hinge pin has first end which is mounted to said corresponding first or second mount and a second keyed end. 
     
     
         14 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 13  wherein said keyed end of each hinge pin is generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of feet which extend downwardly from said lower portion of said seat for engaging a rim of a toilet bowl. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein each fastener extends downwardly from a mounting plate and wherein said body of said first mount is mounted to one of said mounting plates and said body of said second mount is mounted to another of said mounting plates. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilated toilet seat assembly in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said first mount defines a front face for abutting with a rear seat face and said second mount defines a front face for abutting with said rear seat face, whereby said first and second mounts sealingly engage said seat to prevent air from being drawn from a space between said first and second mounts and said seat.