Patent Application
20230135879
The present invention is in the field of plumbed waste collection facilities and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for removing contaminants from displaced air in a plumbed waste collection facility.
In the art of waste management, there are a plethora of utilities and equipment designed or otherwise adapted to collect human biological waste safely and/or treat and recycle the human biological waste, hopefully, eliminating or at least reducing potentially harmful biological airborne pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, contaminants and/or potentially harmful airborne synthetic toxins and/or fumes.
A typical system for recycling biological human waste like feces and urine includes a collection process, for example, collecting waste via toilet OR urinal. Human waste may be stored in collection tanks known as septic tanks for periodic collection by vehicle. Human waste may be collected and pumped into a sewer system eventually arriving at one or more treatment facilities where chemicals and certain processes may be applied to the wastewater to clean it from biological and synthetic contaminants. The treated water may then be used in other applications or may be released into the natural water drainage system.
It is known in the art and confirmed by many studies performed that a waste collection utility like a flush toilet, for example, may allow for airborne particles specific to disease such as bacteria, spores, viruses, and other airborne contaminant materials to be distributed into the air surrounding the flush toilet. Such contaminants may remain airborne for a period before they settle on surfaces around the flush toilet including the toilet surfaces, counter tops, sinks, towels, toothbrushes, shower units or bath unit surfaces, etc.
In a study referred to herein as Wilcox, Sandoe, and Best, entitled “Potential for Aerosolization of Clostridium difficile after flushing toilets” found that C. difficile was recoverable from air samples after a flushing operation on a toilet. The samples taken were positive for C. difficile at 25 centimeters above the toilet seat. Aerosolization produced by toilet flushing potentially contribute to hospital environmental contamination. Prevention measures (toilet lids) should be evaluated as interventions to prevent toilet-associated environmental contamination in clinical settings.
Other studies reveal that Toilets must be kept clean to prevent the transmission of bacteria and pathogens during the outbreak of the novel corona virus epidemic. Toilet users’ health can be affected by pathogens embedded in airborne aerosol droplets that may rise as high as one meter from the toilet seat during flushing and spread in the air. Each toilet flush can produce approximately 14,000 to 80,000 aerosol droplets, which can rise higher if the water tank is installed on a high position or a valve type flushing system is used.
The droplets may rise as high as one meter. Their study revealed that pathogens can be spread in the air by aerosol droplets emitted from toilet flushing, thus contaminating the washroom. Also, the smaller the size of the pathogens, the higher the concentration of distribution in the air after flushing. Covering the toilet lid before flushing can help to reduce bacteria-embedded airborne aerosol droplets that may contaminate the air and the washroom; however, Professor Lai said international studies found that bacteria can still be emitted from toilet flushing as there is a space of a few millimeters between the lid and the toilet bowl.
Multiple flushing may not help eliminate this problem since pathogens can stay on the surface of the toilet bowl for some time and be transmitted with aerosol droplets. The room walls and all surfaces and surrounding area will thus be infected when pathogens are spread in the air from a flushing event. As a result, the toilet lid, wash basin and even the floor of the washroom will be contaminated. Typically, a recommended bleach or sanitizer solution is to use 1 to 49 diluted household bleach to regularly clean the toilet bowl and 1 in 99 diluted household bleach to clean all areas of the washroom. Use the exhaust fan, if available, for 15 to 30 minutes after using the washroom to help dilute the bacteria and virus in the air. An opened window will also maintain adequate indoor ventilation.
In practice, a flushing of a typical toilet utility causes displacement of air within the toilet bowl by the additional water entering the toilet bowl, the added water being flushed out of the bowl causes air to come back into the bowl, and the added water after flushing causes the air in the bowl to be displaced out again. Typically, the aerosolized plume of biological material is pushed upward; however, it may also be pushed laterally if a toilet lid is closed due to a gap around the toilet lid underside and the toilet bowl rim. Scientific discovery that sewers may contain viruses such as the SARS Covid-19 virus as well as other pathogens confirms that those pathogens are present when the infected person uses the toilet facility and, therefore, may be aerosolized into the immediate area of the toilet and after time may settle on virtually all of the surfaces in the immediate area of the toilet.
An obvious problem with the devices known in the art is that they rely on known in the art sensors analyzers, collectors, filters, or sanitizers. Prior art devices are non-electric, a non-mechanical, and non-moving devices. They are also not airtight preventing all aerosols. Further to the above challenges, aerosolized or airborne contaminants, spores, or pathogens may bypass around the edges of the depicted article which may only be retained within a housing and not sealed off from hollow space above and peripheral to the toilet.
Therefore, what is clearly needed in the art is a modular antiviral filter assembly for filtering airborne contaminants from air displaced during a flushing sequence of a waste collection facility that removes, contains, or eliminates inorganic and organic airborne particles including viral pathogens emanating.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an effective antiviral commode, which also inactivates larger biological pathogens to include bacteria and spores, is provided including a base structure having a toilet water bowl and an upper bowl rim, a toilet seat hinge mounted to the base structure and oriented concentric to the upper rim, a toilet top lid hinge mounted to the base structure and oriented concentric to the toilet seat, a filter assembly including a physical high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media contained or disposed within a porous and dual metallic filter track of antimicrobial metals (such as zinc/lead and copper or silver) housing which provides additional electrostatic filtration of particles and inactivation of viruses through electric current (active electrocution). %Two antimicrobial metals such as zinc and copper function as electrodes and the liquid component of the aerosol also function as an electrolyte solution to create a “battery effect” for passive inactivation of viruses and bacteria. The filter media assembly is mounted to the underside of the toilet top lid concentric to the toilet seat. The filter assembly makes uniform surface contact with the top surface of the toilet seat when the toilet seat and top lid are closed. An electronics compartment has an internal volume for containing electronics for initiating flushing, a power source for powering the electronics, and at least one visual indicia [LED Light/s] for notification of the state of flushing.
A manual or electronically initiated flushing sequence with the toilet seat and lid closed, forces contaminated air within the toilet water bowl to rise upon refilling of the water bowl from a connected source of water, and to exit laterally/horizontally through the filter media assembly along the periphery thereof, thus disinfected to the outside of the base structure and into the room housing the toilet.
In one embodiment, a plumbed water tank serves as a connected water source and wherein the standard flush handle for manual flushing which should be operated only when the antiviral lid and seat are down. The manual flush handle may be replaced with a commercial electronic flushing system which can then be operated an Electronic Compartment within the lid. The Electronic Compartment contains a transmitter that sends a wireless flush signal to a receiver embedded within any automatic flush device to activate a flush button when the lid and seat are down or flush signal through a remote control unit only when the lid is down (or via a hard wired connection between the electronic control compartment and the commercial automatic flushing device). In a variation of this embodiment, flushing may be is initiated as a result of optical sensing of the closed state of the antiviral commode lid and seat through the use of a concave mirror on the toilet seat which reflects the optical beam back to the commercial flushing unit. In another embodiment using a tank, flushing is initiated by a user operating a flush button on the toilet lid or a remote control device.
In one embodiment, the toilet seat includes at least two or more one-way check valves seated laterally through the material of the toilet seat. The check valves, allowing outside air to enter into the toilet bowl and preventing air inside the toilet bowl to escape back through the check valves to the outside of the base structure upon flushing when the lid and seat are in the down position. In one embodiment, the visual indicia include two or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on top of the toilet seat, exterior of the electronics compartment, for alerting a user to commode state including the state of water filling into the toilet bowl after a flush action. In a preferred embodiment, electronics for initiating flushing include a remotely activated power switch. In one embodiment, the electronics include a micro-controller having instruction thereon for indicating state via the one or more LEDs.
In one embodiment, the antiviral commode further includes an annular depression having a cross bar therein for serving as a recessed lift handle disposed on the outside of the electronics compartment. In one embodiment, the electronics further include electronics for providing static or alternating negative to positive electric charge to the metallic sections of the inner track portion of the filter track housing the filter media to function as an electrostatic filter/precipitator of bacteria and aerosol droplets and for inactivation of viruses via electric charge. In one embodiment, the power source is a rechargeable battery and wherein the electronics further include electronics for enabling the battery to be recharged. In a variation of this embodiment, the electronics for charging is a universal serial bus (USB) port. In one embodiment, the antiviral commode further includes a pair of polymer caps to cover the metal porous track housing on each end of the filter assembly to provide an air-tight leak-proof union with the toilet lid and seat when both are closed. Cap material may be composed of commercial proprietary media such as plastic-rubber-silicone, vinyl and/or similar components.
In various embodiments described in enabling detail herein, the inventor provides a unique system for eliminating viral or pathogenic plumes from emanating from commodes during flushing. A goal of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate or contain viral or other pathogenic microbes, spores, and other contaminants from air forced out of a commode bowl during the flushing operation. Another goal of the invention is to prevent unnecessary spread of airborne viruses and other airborne contaminants to a group of people that use restroom facilities. The present invention is described using the following examples, which may describe more than one relevant embodiment falling within the scope of the invention.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the inventor provides an antiviral lid assembly 104 that may be operated to reduce or eliminate pathogens that may wind up in the humid air plume forced out of the commode bowl during the flushing process. Assembly 104 encompasses a donut commode seat and lid that are modified or otherwise manufactured to support an antiviral filter housing 105 that may be installed on the underside of the top lid and that may seal against the inside rim of a modified donut seat that rests on the bowl rim of base structure 102. Although not visible in this embodiment, the donut seat may also be modified by an addition of gasket material on the underside surface thereof for sealing against the top rim of the collection bowl inside base structure 102. In one embodiment of the present invention, assembly 104 may be manufactured and sold to consumers as an aftermarket antiviral solution for reducing or eliminating airborne pathogens that may otherwise escape the bowl feature whether the commode lid is in the up position or in the down position while flushing occurs. In such a case, the consumer may replace the existing seat assembly with the antiviral seat assembly 104. In this case, no modifications are required to other components of commode facility 100. In one embodiment, the top lid of antiviral seat assembly 104 includes a lift handle for user convenience in lifting and lowering the top lid supporting filter housing 105. In another embodiment, filter housing 105 may be installed to an existing seat assembly with specific modifications required to successfully integrate the filter housing into the commode seat assembly. In a preferred embodiment, antiviral seat assembly 104 is manufactured and added to an existing commode facility replacing the old seat assembly for user convenience; however, that is not specifically required to enable the present invention.
In this embodiment, antiviral filter housing 105 may host a single larger diameter antimicrobial, antiviral filter 203 (logically represented by broken boundary). In this embodiment, antiviral assembly 104 may be added to a public commode that is flushed automatically using wireless sensor technology. In one embodiment, antiviral seat assembly 104, more particularly, antiviral filter housing 105 may include a wireless electronic control module (WECM) 204 adapted for close range wireless communications with an automated all electric flushing unit that generates an automated flushing command based on sensor data describing a state or condition relative to the commode and the operation thereof by a user. Top lid 200 includes an array 205 of light emitting diodes adapted to inform a user about state of the antiviral commode. In one example, flushing is not performed until the top lid 200 and antiviral filter housing 105 are closed and sealed to donut seat 201. In such a case, one or more states for the antiviral commode may be worked into a routine for flushing that is optimized for the antiviral commode. In a simple form, a red LED or LEDs may turn on and or flash indicating a flushing process has begun, preferably just after a user as closed lid 200 supporting antiviral filter housing 105 over donut seat 201. This action of closing the lid may be communicated to the electric flushing unit (not illustrated) charged with flushing that individual commode in a number of ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In one embodiment, when the person steps away and closes the top lid before flush, the electric flushing unit sees that using an optical sensor and initiates flush when the antiviral filter housing is in correct interface with the donut seat. In another embodiment, when top lid 200 is up, it is communicated to the electric flushing unit by a trip sensor installed proximal to the hinge connection of the top lid and donut seat. An optical laser may be provided as a trip sensor whereupon the line may be broken when the lid is up and unbroken when the lid is placed down. More detail about process relative to flushing is provided later in this specification. In one embodiment wherein antiviral seat assembly includes WECM 204 and or LED array 205, a small power source (not illustrated), which may or may not be a rechargeable power source, may be provided to power electronic functions of the antiviral seat assembly 104. Small batteries might be housed within antiviral filter housing 105. For a rechargeable battery, a charge port may also be provided for charging the power source. In one embodiment, one or a pair of LEDs in LED array 205 may illuminate red for low battery and green for fully charged.
In one embodiment, one or a pair of LEDs in LED array 205 may illuminate red for flush in process (do not open) and green when it is safe to open the top lid 200 after a flush. A counter may be used by the electric flushing unit to correctly define the start and end of every use session of the commode keeping track of use, particularly the raising and lowering of top lid 200. In one embodiment, the electric flushing unit may have a timer function that allows for actions to be deemed authentic, for example, so a user could not open and close top lid 200 quickly expecting to initiate a flushing process each time the top lid 200 was closed. Similarly, the electric flushing unit in the public version of the commode seat assembly 104 may include fall back routines, for example, if a user simply walks away and does not close top lid 200, the unit may initiate a flush after a set period wherein the top lid 200 is detected not to be closed, and no person is detected in the stall, or immediate area around the public version.
Top lid 200 includes multiple air vents 206 (three vents visible) disposed to the rear end and rear sides of the unit. Air vents 206 each may include a number of parallel through slots that are placed through the body of top lid 200 and through the body of filter housing 104 at the upper hollow portion of the housing above the top plane of the filter 203 or filter array 106 of
The technology of surface-to-surface sealing is well known in the art and the desired seal affect may be had whether an O-ring gasket is provided or not; however, sealing by gasket may allow for a less strict angular tolerance in manufacturing the angled surface interface between the inner skirt 303 and the angled surface 306 around the lower portion of filter housing 105. In one embodiment, a commode kit containing the antiviral seat assembly may include two gaskets 300 and 306. In this embodiment, donut seat 201 has a flat and wide gasket 300 adhered to the underside of the donut seat and adapted to provide a seal against the top surface of a commode bowl rim. Gasket 300 may be glued to the underside of donut seat 201. Gasket 300 may be a silicon rubber gasket material that is somewhat pliable but resilient and that has a thickness sufficient to provide a sealing surface against the commode rim under the added weight of top lid 200 created by the addition of the filter housing. Gasket 300 eliminates a typical gap between the donut seat and the top rim of the commode bowl found in unmodified commodes with seat assemblies, which are not adapted to practice the invention. Gasket 306 provides a similar seal between the top lid 200 and the seat 201.
The purpose of using gaskets and or sealing surfaces is to ensure that contaminated air from the commode bowl does not escape into the atmosphere around the commode through any gaps in the system and must instead travel through the filters provided in filter housing 105. It is noted herein that top lid 200 should be closed over donut seat 201 against the rim of the commode bowl as soon as possible after waste is collected. The bidirectional nature of the filters and the flushing process may allow also for air that might have escaped before the lid was closed to be drawn back into the system during the flushing process at least greatly reducing the number of contaminants in the air around the commode that would eventually settle onto bathroom surfaces about the commode.
Prefilters 403 may, in one embodiment, be fabricated of cloth or plastic substrate with alternating concentric metallic rings of zinc and copper separated by a thin uniform gap. Zinc and copper may be printed or otherwise deposited on the annular substrate, which may be referred to as a nanoplate. Prefilters 403 may be termed electrostatic precipitators in the art. Electrostatic precipitators may also include electric disinfectant capabilities and are annular inserts into the otherwise unmodified CPAP or BIPAP filter assembly 106. Prefilters 403 are adapted to remove bacteria during the in-and-out airflow of the commode flushing process. The gap between the concentric zinc and copper rings referred to as nanoplates creates an electric current whenever ionic moisture is aerosolized during the commode flush operation, the current electrocuting bacteria, virus, microbes, etc. within the created circuit.
Precipitators create a weak electrical field in the presence of humidity in the air traveling through the CPAP or BIPAP filter device as mentioned above. In addition to the filtering action of the central microbial filter material 402, prefilters 403 may eliminate airborne viruses on contact through a weak electrocution process. Zinc is a well known antibacterial and antifungal compound that in the form of zinc pyrithione may be incorporated into cloth material, in this case in the form of a ring. Cooper salt may be used to form the copper rings on the cloth material. Copper is often used in disinfectants and has antimicrobial properties. In one embodiment, the substrata for the zinc and copper rings may be plastic instead of cloth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In another embodiment of the present invention, prefilters 403 may include metallic spots of zinc and silver, silver replacing copper, in a dot matrix printed or otherwise deposited on cloth, fabric, plastic, or synthetic blend of materials wherein the silver dots bound each copper dot in the matrix on four corners. Essentially, the dot matrix works in the same fashion as the concentric rings in the presence of ionized moisture or humidity in the aerosolized water traveling through the filter housing 105 (from
Filter assembly 106 has its own airflow channel architected through casing 400 and is open at both ends to facilitate airflow including an annular section 401 (short pipe) at the top of the filter assembly. Section 401 empties out inside the hollowed portion of the filter housing 105 and is directed toward the rear of the housing where vents 206 introduced further above in
In this embodiment, gasket 300 seals against the upper rim surface of a commode bowl and the skirt extends below the rim surface of the commode bowl. Depression feature 202 may provide a convenient location to lift top lid 200 breaking the seal between the filter housing 105 and the donut seat 201. In a preferred embodiment, no air may pass into filter housing 105 from the commode bowl without traveling through the provided filter or filters. It may be assumed that the treated air may exit filter housing 105 through vents in the filter housing like vent 206. In this embodiment, the WECM may include an on board battery that may also power the LED panel 205. It may be reminded that top lid 200 integrated with filter housing 105 is hinged to donut seat 201 at the rear (hinge not illustrated). In one embodiment, donut seat 201 is made of solid material like plastic and may be molded or otherwise formed.
In a one embodiment of the present invention, flushing units 601 are adapted to flush commodes 603 whenever the seat assembly (top lid and antiviral filter housing) is closed and sealed. This might be achieved using an optical sensor to determine when assembly 104 (
In one embodiment, LEDs analogous to LEDs 205 of
At step 702, if it is determined the commode is not a home version, then it may be determined at step 705 if the user is operating a public version of the antiviral commode. If at step 705, the commode is a public commode, then at step 706, the user, once finished closes the lid. At step 707 an electric flushing unit initiates the flushing sequence hands free. In one aspect, when the user opens the top lid, powered electronics resident in the filter housing wake from a sleep mode and communicate with the electric flushing unit that the user is operating the commode, and the electric flushing unit may apply a timing function to authenticate actual use of the commode. In one aspect of the method using a public version of the commode, a timing function is used to flush the commode with the top lid open in an event that the user forgot to close the top lid after use and walked away. In one aspect of the public version of the commode, one or more sensors are employed to wake the commode electronics from a sleep mode when the top lid of the commode is lifted. In this aspect, when the top lid is closed again, a counter may be employed associating the opening and closing of the top lid with a use session and may authenticate the use session with a timing function. In one aspect using the public version, the top lid is controlled mechanically by the electric flushing unit using sensors and a timing function to close the top lid in the event a user fails to close the lid after use.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the inventor provides a system that employs an oval high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter housed in an electrically conductive metal track housing mounted on the underside of the toilet lid. In this system, two or more one-way check valves may be provided and installed horizontally through the toilet seat to enable one way flow of room air into the toilet bowel during a portion of the flushing operation where the water level drops as the toilet is flushed. Also in this embodiment, air from the toilet bowel is forced out horizontally through the HEPA filter and oppositional charged porous metal track housing sections to provide optimum biological and particulate filtration of the forced air and electronic sanitation of that same airflow during the portion of flushing wherein water level rises in the toilet bowl. This embodiment is described using the following examples.
Compartment 805 may be made accessible for the purpose of maintenance. Compartment 805 may be fabricated of the same material as the toilet lid 803 or a different material without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, flush button 814 may be operated manually by depressing the button to flush commode 800. In the same embodiment, flush button 814 may also be activated remotely via wireless signal. In an alternative embodiment, flushing may be limited to a manual or to a remote signal activation without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
In this embodiment, an oval shaped HEPA filter assembly 804 may be provided and may be mounted centrally onto the bottom surface of toilet lid 803 in a manner that is roughly concentric in position to electronics compartment 805 and to the overall shape of the toilet lid.. HEPA filter assembly 804 may include a HEPA pleated filter 812 (depicted in broken line). HEPA filter 812 is in this embodiment houses within a oval shaped filter housing 813. Oval filter housing 813 may include an inside section and an outside section form a conductive metal, porous cage or housing around the HEPA filter material. Filter housing 813 may include a polymer seat and a polymer cap structure including a center separator wall to separate the metal cage parts from touching. For example, the inner metal cage portion and the outer metal cage portion may be inversely electronically charged (inner cage portion -, outer cage portion +), for the purpose of boosting the antiviral effectiveness of the HEPA filter assembly even slightly above the effectiveness rating of the filter material itself.
In one embodiment, HEPA filter assembly 804 may seal to the top surface of a toilet seat 815 via an oval, rubber gasket 816. In one embodiment, the bottom polymer cap over the metal filter housing 813 is contoured to produce a surface to surface seal with the top surface of toilet seat 815. In such an embodiment, airflow from the toilet flows horizontally through the filter assembly from the inside to the outside and can flow back through the filter assembly from the outside to the inside. In an alternative embodiment, a plastic housing analogous to housing 105 might be provided having vents placed there through to allow for the bidirectional airflow. In this embodiment, the footprint of HEPA filter assembly 804 is larger than the footprint of the doughnut opening (vertical broken lines) through seat 815.
In this embodiment, toilet seat 815 includes at least two linear and annular one way airflow check valves represented herein as check valve 808a and check valve 808b. Check valves 808a and 808b allow outside air to flow into the toilet bowl but do not let air from inside the bowl escape back into the outside area of commode 800. It may be noted herein that outside air may freely flow in through the HEPA filter assembly 804 during the same time of flushing that inflow is happening at the check valves. Check valves 808a and 808b are placed through the material of toilet seat 815 and may range from one-quarter inch in diameter to perhaps three-quarter inch in diameter. There may be more check valves 808 than are depicted in this example without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Check valves such as valves 808a and 808b may be strategically arrayed anywhere around toilet seat 815 equally spaced apart and angled according to the three hundred and sixty degree periphery of the toilet seat. Check valves 808a and 808b may be electronically operated or may be mechanical spring and ball valves without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment during a flushing sequence, check valves 808a and 808b are open to outside air flowing there through and into the toilet bowl as the water level drops in the toilet bowl. In either an electronically controlled embodiment or in a manual (non controlled) embodiment, there is no airflow allowed back through the check valves from the inside of the toilet bowl during any time respective of a one way valve as known in the art. Check valves 808a and 808b are not specifically required to practice the present invention but provide a mechanism for more airflow from the outside into the toilet bowl during a flushing operation as the water drops.
In a general use embodiment, commode 800 may be used to collect waist. After collection, a user may close top lid 803 against the toilet seat 815. The user may then flush commode 800 by manually depressing flush button 813 or by using a remote device and a wireless signal to initiate a flushing sequence. During flush, the water in the toilet bowl drops and outside air may enter the toilet bowl both through the check valves and through the HEPA filter assembly. Outside air entering through the filter assembly is sanitized through the electrically charged filter housing and the pleated HEPA filter. As water reenters the toilet bowl all of the inside air that is to be displaced is forced out horizontally in all directions through the HEPA filter assembly to the outside of commode 800 the air sanitized of microbes and particulates.
Referring now to
In this elevation view, HEPA filter assembly 804 is depicted in place within seat 815, and lid 803 in a closed position. One-way check valve 808A is visible in this elevation view. In this embodiment, lid 803 does not require any electronics. Instead, a concave mirror 818 is provided and installed or seated on the top of toilet seat 803 near the rear edge of the apparatus, the mirror occupying a center position relative to the longitude of the lid and seat assembly. Mirror 818 may be made of polymer with a mirror finish or another material that may support a reflective mirror. Mirror 818 may be annular, rectangular or another geographic shape without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in this embodiment. In this example, mirror 818 is concave to concentrate light or a beam of light and reflect that to an optical sensor mounted on dedicated flushing apparatus 817.
Flushing unit 817 includes a battery 819 that powers a set of LEDs 821, and a light emitter and beam sensor 822 referred to hereinafter as an eye 822. In this instance, eye 822 is mounted on the bottom side of a flush housing 820 wherein eye 822 is in direct line of sight (broken double arrow) with mirror 818 mounted onto the toilet seat lid 803. System 817 may be wall mounted in such a way as to enable a line of sight connection to mirror 818 and plumbing (not depicted) may be routed through the wall and into the bases structure more particularly to connect the toilet bowl within base structure 802.
In general use, a user may see LED array 821 and may therefore understand the unit is powered and that the user may proceed to use the system. After use the user must close lid 803 enabling a beam connection between the eye of the flush system and the reflective mirror. For example, opening the seat breaks the connection and it is not restored until the seat is closed, which automatically initiates a flushing sequence. The beam, light, or other line of site optic or infrared path may be emitted by the eye and reflected back to the sensor in the eye. After flush, seat 803 remains closed and a next user may see LEDs 821 and may understand that it is safe to open the lid after some time has passed. The period of time where the lid should remain closed is from the point of flush until the bowl in structure 802 is fully resupplied and no air is passing through filter assembly 804.
Lift bar 806 may be an annular depression having a cross bar that a user may grip to pull top lid 803 up off of toilet seat 815. In another embodiment, there is no lift bar 806 and a user may lift top lid 803 at the front center of the lid as described further above relative to
Flushing unit 1105 may include an optical sensor that has line of sight to the commode top lid and may determine in real time if the seat has been opened and then closed was described previously with units 601. In one embodiment, automated flushing may be implemented locally to the commode by adding orientation sensors or other motion sensors to electronics compartment 805, thus automatically sensing the positions of the top lid of the commode relative to a session period of time related to typical commode use. Micro controller 1101 may use bus structures or simple electrical paths (logical dotted lines) to connect to batteries 808, the flushing button 814 (if controllable via signal), and to an array of LEDs 1102, which may be analogous in description to LEDs 205 of
It will be apparent with skill in the art that the antiviral commode system of the present invention may be provided using some or all the elements described herein. The arrangement of elements and functionality thereof relative to the invention is described in different embodiments each of which is an implementation of the present invention. While the uses and methods are described in enabling detail herein, it is to be noted that many alterations could be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. The present invention is limited only by the breadth of the claims below.
The present invention claims priority to a U.S. Pat. Application No. 17/392,952 entitled “Antiviral Commode”, filed on Aug. 03, 2021 and to a U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/061,642 entitled “Anti-Aerosol Toilet Seat” filed on Aug. 05, 2020, disclosure of which is included in this specification at least by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63061642 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17392952 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Child | 18089543 | US |
