Clean toilet and accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450733-B2
Application number	US-201815900933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A toilet that includes a water tank having a vent hole; a bowl; and a system having a valve body connecting the tank and a fluid channel; a housing moveable relative to the valve body during a flush cycle to pass water from the tank into the bowl through the fluid channel, the housing having a bore that connects with the fluid channel; a fan in the bore that operates in first and second modes; a motor in the bore for rotating the fan in each mode; and a vent having an inlet fluidly connected with the bore and an outlet fluidly connected with the vent hole. In the first mode, the fan moves air from the bowl to the vent hole through the bore and vent; and in the second mode, the fan moves air from outside the tank to the bowl through the vent hole and bore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet configured to receive a supply of water, the toilet comprising:
a tank configured to hold the water, the tank having a vent hole;
a bowl fluidly connected to the tank through a fluid channel; and
an integrated flush valve and ventilation system comprising:
a valve body fluidly connecting the tank and the fluid channel;
a housing disposed in the tank and moveable relative to the valve body during a flush cycle to pass the water from the tank into the bowl through the fluid channel, the housing having a bore that is in fluid communication with the fluid channel at a first end;
a fan disposed in the bore and operable in at least one of a first mode or a second mode;
a motor disposed in the bore and configured to rotate the fan in at least one of the first mode or the second mode; and
a vent having an inlet coupled to a second end of the housing and in fluid communication with the bore, the vent having an outlet that is in fluid communication with the vent hole in the tank;

wherein in the first mode, the fan moves air from the bowl to the vent through the bore and the fluid channel to be vented through the vent hole in the tank; and
wherein in the second mode, the fan moves air from outside the tank through the vent hole to the bowl through the bore and the fluid channel.

2. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the fan is operable in both the first mode and the second mode.

3. The toilet of claim 1 , further comprising a filter comprising a filtering material, wherein the filter is disposed in either the bore or the vent to filter fluid moving across the filter between the vent and the bowl.

4. The toilet of claim 3 , wherein the filtering material comprises at least one of a zeolite, a charcoal, or a hydroxyl.

5. The toilet of claim 4 , wherein the filtering material comprises the zeolite.

6. The toilet of claim 3 , wherein the filter is disposed in the inlet of the vent and the filter is sized to occupy the entire cross-section of a vent passage extending between the inlet of the vent and the outlet of the vent.

7. The toilet of claim 6 , wherein the integrated flush valve and ventilation system further comprises a cap that is coupled to the second end of the housing, and wherein the vent couples directly to the cap to seal the flow of fluid between the vent and the housing.

8. The toilet of claim 3 , wherein the filter is disposed in the bore of the housing.

9. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a buoyant element.

10. The toilet of claim 1 , further comprising a power source that supplies electric power to the motor.

11. The toilet of claim 10 , wherein the power source is a battery that is located in the tank above a water line of the water housed in the tank.

12. The toilet of claim 11 , further comprising a sensing system comprising a VOC sensor that is located in or around the bowl that detects organics, wherein at least one of the first mode or the second mode is activated based on a detection by the VOC sensor.

13. The toilet of claim 12 , wherein the VOC sensor is located in or on a rim of the toilet that is above the bowl.

14. The toilet of claim 12 , further comprising a seat assembly comprising a seat and a seat cover each of which is independently rotatable relative to the bowl, wherein the VOC sensor is located in or on the seat assembly.

15. The toilet of claim 14 , wherein the VOC sensor is located in or on the seat cover in a central portion such that the VOC sensor detects organics in the bowl through an opening in the seat in a closed position of the seat and the seat cover.

16. The toilet of claim 14 , wherein the sensing system further comprises a user detection sensor that is configured to detect the presence of a user seated on the seat, and wherein the user detection sensor activates at least one of a flush cycle of the toilet or the fan to operate in the first mode or the second mode after the user is no longer seated on the seat.

17. The toilet of claim 16 , wherein the user detection sensor is located in or on the seat cover to detect the user seated on the seat in an open position of the seat cover.

18. The toilet of claim 12 , wherein the user detection sensor is located on or in a side of the tank facing laterally outward, so that that a zone of detection of the user detection zone is beside the tank.

19. The toilet of claim 12 , wherein the sensing system further comprises a remote actuator that is located remotely from the toilet, the remote actuator comprising:
a first sensor that is configured to activate a flush cycle of the toilet based on a detected presence or a detected motion within a first zone of detection; and
a second sensor that is configured to activate the fan to operate in one of the first mode or the second mode based on a detected presence or a detected motion within a second zone of detection.

20. The toilet of claim 19 , wherein the remote actuator further comprises a third sensor that is configured to activate the fan in the other of the first mode or the second mode based on a detected presence or a detected motion within a third zone of detection.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Luettgen Michael
• Kuru William
• Garrels Clayton
• Denzin Peter

Classifications

• E03D9/038

  Passive dispensers, i.e. without moving parts · CPC title

• E03D9/033

  Devices placed inside or dispensing into the cistern · CPC title

• E03D9/031

  Devices connected to or dispensing into the flushing pipe · CPC title

• E03D9/005

  Devices adding disinfecting or deodorising agents to the bowl · CPC title

• A47K17/00

  Other sanitary equipment not covered by the other groups of this subclass {; Holders for toilet brushes} · CPC title