Toilet ventilation for residential and commercial buildings

Abstract

A toilet venting system and kits to remove malodorous air from one or more toilet (and urinal) fixtures including fluidic pump stations for a multi-fixture environment, air intake assemblies, and ancillary components provided for its function. Air intake assemblies allow for existing toilets and urinals to be retrofitted with an air intake nozzle and connection to a toilet venting system. Ancillary component assemblies can be installed in a manner compatible with conventional existing electrical outlet boxes and plumbing fittings. Toilet and urinal designs that include a direct air conduit to the interior air space of their bowls and an exterior push-to-connect connection port for a tubing connection to a fluidic pump are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging multiple toilets, multiple urinals, or both the toilets and the urinals, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a pump case having a housing and a lid removably mounted on the housing, the pump case including inlet pass-throughs for air lines configured to direct air from the toilets or urinals into the pump case, cable connector ports configured to operatively engage cables connecting toilet ventilation activation switches to the pump case, a pass-through for an exhaust air line configured to direct air out of the pump case; and   a plurality of fluid pumps mounted in the pump case and configured to connect to the air lines, cables and exhaust air line.   
     
     
         2 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including an internal foam separator configured to maintain a position of each of the fluid pumps in the pump case. 
     
     
         3 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including an air manifold configured to connect to air outputs of each of the fluid pumps and direct the airflow into the exhaust air line. 
     
     
         4 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of air tubes extending from the inlet pass-throughs to respective ones of the toilets, urinals or both. 
     
     
         5 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of switches configured to activate respective ones of the fluid pumps, and a plurality of cables extending from the cable connector ports to respective ones of the switches. 
     
     
         6 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 5  wherein the switches are proximity sensors, each mounted adjacent to a respective one of the toilets, urinals or both. 
     
     
         7 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid pumps are air pump modules. 
     
     
         8 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including timer controllers mounted to the pump case and configured to allow for selectively activating and deactivating the fluid pumps. 
     
     
         9 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including controller interfaces mounted on the pump case, and programmable logic controllers mounted in the pump housing and operatively engaging the controller interfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including a single electric power supply opening configured to receive a cable from an electric power supply to power the fluid pumps. 
     
     
         11 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 10 , further including a wall outlet cover plate configured to mount to a wall electrical outlet box, the wall outlet cover plate including a fitting for connecting to an air line. 
     
     
         12 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 11 , wherein the wall outlet cover plate includes a low voltage cable connection configured to connect a switch adjacent to the toilet or urinal to the pump case. 
     
     
         13 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  further including a threaded plug configured to sealingly secure to a water drain pipe, the threaded plug including an air exhaust port configured to connect to the air exhaust line extending from the pump case and direct airflow into the water drain pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 13  wherein the drain pipe is a vertical drain pipe and the threaded plug is configured to sealingly secure to a cleanout opening in the water drain pipe. 
     
     
         15 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 13  wherein the drain pipe is a sink drain pipe and the threaded plug is configured to sealingly secure to a horizontal portion of the sink drain pipe. 
     
     
         16 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 1  wherein the toilets are flushometer toilets and the toilet ventilation system further includes:
 a respective air intake nozzle on each toilet with an opening adjacent to a toilet bowl, and a respective air flow tube connecting from each of the air intake nozzles to the pump case. 
 
     
     
         17 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 16  further including spud cover assemblies, each mounted on a respective one of the toilets around a corresponding vacuum breaker connecting pipe, with the air flow tubes extending through respective ones of the spud cover assemblies. 
     
     
         18 . A toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging a flushometer toilet, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 an air intake nozzle extending from a toilet bowl of the flushometer toilet toward a spud cover;   air intake tubing operatively engaging the air intake nozzle and extending past the spud cover; and   a spud cover assembly mounted around the spud cover and a vacuum breaker connecting pipe of the flushometer toilet, and configured to allow the air intake line to pass through the spud cover assembly to a back side of the flushometer toilet.   
     
     
         19 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein a toilet ventilation switch is mounted on the spud cover assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein a motion sensor is mounted on the spud cover assembly. 
     
     
         21 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein the spud cover assembly includes a front spud cover operatively engaging the air intake nozzle and a rear cover panel configured to be secure to the front spud cover to secure the spud cover assembly to the vacuum breaker connecting pipe. 
     
     
         22 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein the air intake nozzle is configured to extend under a toilet seat between a pair of toilet seat hinges. 
     
     
         23 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 22  wherein the air intake nozzle includes an end portion angled downward into the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         24 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 22  wherein the air intake nozzle extends to an edge of the toilet bowl but not down into the toilet bowl. 
     
     
         25 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein the air intake nozzle includes microchannels. 
     
     
         26 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein the air intake nozzle includes a single channel. 
     
     
         27 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 18  wherein the air intake nozzle is secured to an underside of a toilet seat and configured to pivot up and down with the toilet seat, and the air intake tubing is elastically flexible to bend as the toilet seat is pivoted up and down. 
     
     
         28 . A toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging a urinal, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a tubing adapter mounted on a front, generally horizontal surface of a bowl of the urinal, and including an air intake nozzle open to the bowl of the urinal and a tube connection outlet on an underside of the tubing adapter outside of the bowl; and   air intake tubing operatively engaging the tube connecting outlet and extending down along a surface of the urinal towards a bottom of the urinal.   
     
     
         29 . A toilet ventilation system integrated into a urinal, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a bowl;   a water overflow channel extending within the urinal having an overflow inlet open to the bowl on an upper portion of a front wall of the bowl, an overflow outlet to a drain of the bowl, and a tubing access port within the urinal; and   air intake tubing operatively engaging the tubing access port and extending to a back of the urinal.   
     
     
         30 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 29  wherein the air intake port extends adjacent to a sanitary drain connector of the urinal. 
     
     
         31 . A toilet ventilation system integrated into a flushometer toilet, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a bowl having a channel molded therein, with the channel having a first end open to an underside of a toilet bowl rim and a second end open to a back side of the flushometer toilet; and   an adapter block configured to operatively engage the second open end and connect to an air intake tube that is configured to direct air toward a fluid pump.   
     
     
         32 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 31  further including an air flow pipe extending through the channel and operatively engaging the adapter block. 
     
     
         33 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 31  wherein the adapter block includes a push-to-connect cartridge that is configured to secure to the air intake tube through a push-to-connect fitting. 
     
     
         34 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 31  wherein the adapter block is configured to connect as a toilet spud fitting. 
     
     
         35 . A toilet ventilation system integrated into a toilet, the toilet ventilation system comprising:
 a bowl;   a tank operatively engaging the bowl, including a cutout in a bottom or side wall of the tank;   a toilet tank overflow pipe mounted within the tank;   an air intake shroud mounted over a top of the toilet tank overflow pipe;   a fitting sealingly secured in the cutout, and having a hollow center configured to allow for airflow therethrough; and   an air tubing lead operatively engaging the hollow center at a first end and operatively engaging the air intake shroud at a second end.   
     
     
         36 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 35  wherein the cutout is in the bottom of the tank and a same size as a fill valve cutout that receives a fill valve. 
     
     
         37 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 35  wherein the fitting includes a hollow threaded body and a flange that secure the fitting in the cutout. 
     
     
         38 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 37  wherein the fitting includes a push-to-connect cartridge mounted in an opening outside of the toilet tank, with the push-to-connect cartridge connected to an exhaust air tubing. 
     
     
         39 . The toilet ventilation system of  claim 37  wherein the hollow threaded body includes a passthrough for receiving a cable therethrough while sealing the fitting to prevent water from leaking out of the tank through the cutout. 
     
     
         40 . A kit for a toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging multiple toilets, multiple urinals, or both toilets and urinals, the kit comprising:
 a pump case having a housing and a lid removably mounted on the housing, the pump case including inlet pass-throughs for air lines configured to direct air from the toilets or urinals into the pump case, cable connector ports configured to operatively engage cables connecting toilet ventilation activation switches to the pump case, a pass-through for an exhaust air line configured to direct air out of the pump case; and   a plurality of fluid pumps configured to mount together in the pump case and configured to connect to the air lines, the cables and the exhaust air line.   
     
     
         41 . A kit for a toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging a flushometer toilet, the kit comprising:
 an air intake nozzle configured to extend from a toilet bowl of the flushometer toilet toward a spud cover;   air intake tubing configured to operatively engage the air intake nozzle and extend past the spud cover; and   a spud cover assembly configured to be mounted around the spud cover and a vacuum breaker connecting pipe of the flushometer toilet, and the spud cover assembly configured to allow the air intake line to pass through the spud cover assembly to a back side of the flushometer toilet.   
     
     
         42 . A kit for a toilet ventilation system for operatively engaging a urinal, the kit comprising:
 a tubing adapter configured to mount on a front, generally horizontal surface of a bowl of the urinal, the tubing adapter including an air intake nozzle configured to be open to the bowl of the urinal and a tube connection outlet configured to be on an underside of the tubing adapter outside of the bowl; and   air intake tubing configured to operatively engage the tube connecting outlet and extend down along a surface of the urinal towards a bottom of the urinal.   
     
     
         43 . A kit for a toilet ventilation system integrated into a toilet, the kit comprising:
 a bowl;   a tank configured to operatively engage the bowl, including a cutout in a bottom or side wall of the tank;   a toilet tank overflow pipe configured to be mounted within the tank;   an air intake shroud configured to be mounted over a top of the toilet tank overflow pipe;   a fitting configured to be sealingly secured in the cutout, and having a hollow center configured to allow for airflow therethrough; and   an air tubing lead configured to operatively engage the hollow center at a first end and operatively engage the air intake shroud at a second end.