Patent Application
20250064276
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The disclosure relates to disinfection devices and more particularly pertains to a new disinfection device for automatically sterilizing a toilet seat. The device includes a disinfectant reservoir, mounted to a toilet, which contains a liquid disinfectant and a disinfectant unit that is mounted the toilet and which is fluidly coupled to the disinfectant reservoir. A sprayer is movably integrated into the disinfectant unit and a blower is movably integrated into the disinfectant unit. The sprayer is actuated to spray disinfectant onto the toilet seat when the toilet is flushed and the blower is actuated to blow air onto the toilet seat to dry the toilet seat when the sprayer sprays the disinfectant onto the toilet seat.
The prior art relates to disinfection devices including a variety of toilet sterilizing devices that each includes a mechanized element for physical cleaning a toilet and a plurality of toilet sterilizing devices that each releases a chemical disinfectant into water employed by a toilet and a variety of toilet sterilizing devices that each applies a liquid disinfectant to a toilet seat. In no instance does the prior art disclose a toilet sterilizing device that includes a sprayer that is urgeable into a deployed position to spray a disinfectant onto a toilet seat and a blower that is urgeable into a deployed position to blow air onto the toilet seat to dry the toilet seat when the disinfectant has been sprayed onto the toilet seat.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a disinfectant reservoir that is mountable to a toilet and which contains a liquid disinfectant. A disinfectant unit is mountable to a toilet and the disinfectant unit includes a blower and a sprayer. Each of the blower and the sprayer is urgeable between a deployed position and a stored position. The sprayer sprays the liquid disinfectant onto a seat of the toilet when the spray is urged into the deployed position to disinfect the toilet seat thereby ensuring a clean and sterile toilet seat for subsequent use. The blower is actuated into the deployed position when the sprayer is actuated into the stored position to urge air onto the toilet seat for drying the toilet seat.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The top wall 18 has a fill port 28 extending into an interior of the disinfectant reservoir 12 for filling the disinfectant reservoir 12 with the liquid disinfectant 16. Additionally, the disinfectant reservoir 12 has an outlet tube 30 that is fluidly integrated into the outer wall 22 at a point located adjacent to the bottom wall 20 thereby facilitating the outlet tube 30 to transport the liquid disinfectant 16 outwardly from the disinfectant reservoir 12. The disinfectant reservoir 12 includes a cap 32 which removably engages the fill port 28 for opening or closing the fill port 28. The back side 26 of the outer wall 22 rests against an exterior wall 34 of a tank 36 of the toilet 14 and an adhesive layer 38 is bonded to the back side 26 of the outer wall 22 of the disinfectant reservoir 12. Furthermore, the adhesive layer 38 adheres to the exterior wall 34 of the tank 36 for retaining the disinfectant reservoir 12 on the tank 36.
A disinfectant unit 40 is mountable to a toilet 14 and the disinfectant unit 40 includes a blower 42 and a sprayer 44 and each of the blower 42 and the sprayer 44 is urgeable between a deployed position and a stored position. The sprayer 44 is in fluid communication with the disinfectant reservoir 12 thereby facilitating the sprayer 44 to spray the liquid disinfectant 16 onto a seat 46 of the toilet 14 when the sprayer 44 is urged into the deployed position. In this way the sprayer 44 can disinfect the toilet seat 46 thereby ensuring a clean and sterile toilet seat 46 for subsequent use. The blower 42 is actuated into the deployed position when the sprayer 44 is actuated into the stored position thereby facilitating the blower 42 to urge air onto the toilet seat 46 for drying the toilet seat 46.
The disinfectant unit 40 comprises a housing 48 that has a lower wall 50 and an upper wall 52 and the lower wall 50 is mounted to an upper surface 54 of the bowl 53 of the toilet 14 having the housing 48 being positioned against the tank 36. The upper wall 52 has a blower opening 56 extending into an interior of the housing 48 and the upper wall 52 has a sprayer opening 58 extending into the interior of the housing 48. The disinfectant unit 40 includes a pair of belts 63 each being coupled to and extending laterally away from the housing 48 in opposite directions from each other. As is most clearly shown in
The sprayer 44 comprises a cylinder 60 that is slidably positioned within the housing 48 and the cylinder 60 is aligned with the sprayer opening 58. The cylinder 60 has an outside wall 62 and the cylinder 60 has a first rail gear 64 that is integrated into the outside wall 62 and the first rail gear 64 is vertically oriented on the outside wall 62. The cylinder 60 has a sprayer inlet 66 that is integrated into the outside wall 62 and a sprayer outlet 68 that is integrated into the outside wall 62. The sprayer outlet 68 is in fluid communication with the sprayer inlet 66 and the sprayer inlet 66 is positioned adjacent to a lower end 70 of the cylinder 60. Additionally, the sprayer outlet 68 is positioned adjacent to an upper end 72 of the cylinder 60.
The blower 42 has a front wall 74 and a lateral wall 76 and the blower 42 is aligned with the blower opening 56 in the top wall 18 of the housing 48; the front wall 74 is foraminous to pass air through the front wall 74. A second rail gear 78 that is integrated into the lateral wall 76 and the second rail gear 78 is vertically oriented on the lateral wall 76. The blower 42 includes a plurality of fans 80 each positioned within the blower 42 and each of the plurality of fans 80 blows air outwardly through the front wall 74 when the fans 80 are turned on. Each of the fans 80 may include an electric motor and a plurality of blades that are rotated by the electric motor.
The disinfectant unit 40 includes a processor 82 that is integrated into the housing 48. The processor 82 receives a blower deploy input, a blower retract input, a sprayer deploy input and a sprayer retract input. The disinfectant unit 40 includes an electronic timer 84 that is integrated into the housing 48 and the electronic timer 84 is electrically coupled to the processor 82. The electronic timer 84 is actuated to countdown a first duration of time when the processor 82 receives the sprayer deploy input. Furthermore, the processor 82 receives the sprayer retract input when the electronic timer 84 completes counting down the first duration of time. The disinfectant unit 40 includes a power supply 86 positioned within the housing 48. The power supply 86 is electrically coupled to the processor 82 and the power supply 86 comprises at least one battery 88. As is most clearly shown in
The electronic timer 84 is actuated to countdown a second duration of time when the processor 82 receives the blower deploy input. Additionally, the processor 82 receives the blower deploy input when the electronic timer 84 finishes counting down the first duration of time. The processor 82 receives the blower retract input when the electronic timer 84 finishes counting down the second duration of time. The first duration of time may range between approximately 2.0 seconds and 5.0 seconds and the second duration of time may range between approximately 30.0 seconds and 60.0 seconds.
The disinfectant unit 40 includes a first motor 90 that is positioned within the housing 48 and the first motor 90 is electrically coupled to the processor 82. Additionally, the first motor 90 is positioned adjacent to the cylinder 60 associated with the sprayer 44. The first motor 90 is actuated to rotate in a first direction when the processor 82 receives the sprayer deploy input. Conversely, the first motor 90 is actuated to rotate in a second direction when the processor 82 receives the sprayer retract input. The disinfectant unit 40 includes a first gear 92 that is rotatably attached to the first motor 90 and the first gear 92 enmeshes with the first rail gear 64 which is integrated into the cylinder 60. The cylinder 60 is lifted upwardly through the sprayer opening 58 in the upper wall 52 of the housing 48 when the first motor 90 rotates in the first direction. Conversely, the cylinder 60 is lowered through the sprayer opening 58 having the cylinder 60 contained within the housing 48 when the first motor 90 rotates in the second direction. The first motor 90 may comprise a two direction electric motor or the like.
The disinfectant unit 40 includes a second motor 94 that is positioned within the housing 48 and the second motor 94 is electrically coupled to the processor 82. Additionally, the second motor 94 is positioned adjacent to the lateral wall 76 of the blower 42. The second motor 94 is actuated to rotate in a second direction when the processor 82 receives the blower deploy input. Conversely, the second motor 94 is actuated to rotate in a second direction when the processor 82 receives the blower retract input. The second motor 94 may comprise a two direction electric motor or the like.
A second gear 96 is rotatably attached to the second motor 94 and the second gear 96 enmeshes with the second rail gear 78 which is integrated into the lateral wall 76 of the blower 42. The blower 42 is lifted upwardly through the blower opening 56 in the upper wall 52 of the housing 48 when the second motor 94 rotates in the second direction. Conversely, the blower 42 is lowered through the blower opening 56 having the blower 42 being contained within the housing 48 when the second motor 94 rotates in the second direction. Each of the plurality of fans 80 in the blower 42 is turned on when the processor 82 receives the blower deploy input. Conversely, each of the plurality of fans 80 is turned off when the processor 82 receives the blower retract input.
The disinfectant unit 40 includes a pump 98 that is positioned within the housing 48 and the pump 98 is electrically coupled to the processor 82. The pump 98 has an input 97 and an output 99 and the input 97 is fluidly coupled to the outlet tube 30 of the disinfectant reservoir 12 such that the pump 98 receives the liquid disinfectant 16. The output 99 is fluidly coupled to the sprayer inlet 66 on the cylinder 60 associated with the sprayer 44. The pump 98 is actuated when the processor 82 receives the sprayer deploy input such that the pump 98 urges the liquid disinfectant 16 outwardly through the sprayer outlet 68 in the cylinder 60 associated with the sprayer 44. Additionally, the sprayer outlet 68 is directed toward the seat 46 of the toilet 14 when the cylinder 60 associated with the sprayer 44 is cylinder 60 is lifted upwardly thereby facilitating the sprayer outlet 68 to spray the liquid disinfectant 16 onto the toilet seat 46. The pump 98 is de-actuated when the processor 82 receives the sprayer retract input and the pump 98 may comprise an electric fluid pump or the like.
A flush sensor 100 is mountable to a toilet 14 having the flush sensor 100 being positioned in a bowl 53 of the toilet 14 thereby facilitating the flush sensor 100 to be exposed to water when the toilet 14 is flushed. The flush sensor 100 includes a conductor 102 that is electrically coupled between the flush sensor 100 and the processor 82 in the housing 48 associated with the disinfectant unit 40. Additionally, the flush sensor 100 rests against an interior surface 104 of the bowl 53 and the processor 82 receives the sprayer deploy input when the flush sensor 100 senses water. The flush sensor 100 may comprise an electronic fluid sensor or the like that can sense the presence of water.
A clip 106 is included which has a central member 108 hingedly coupled to and being perpendicularly oriented with a first member 110 and a second member 112 being perpendicularly oriented with the central member 108 such that the second member 112 is spaced from the first member 110. The central member 108 rests on top of a rim 114 of the bowl 53 such that each of the first member 110 and the second member 112 extends downwardly along a respective interior surface 104 and an outwardly facing surface 118 of the bowl 53. Additionally, the conductor 102 associated with flush sensor 100 is attached to the clip 106 thereby facilitating the clip 106 to mount the conductor 102 to the bowl 53.
In an alternative embodiment 120 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the disinfectant reservoir 12 and the disinfectant unit 40 and the flush sensor 100 are each mounted to the toilet 14 in the aforementioned locations on the toilet 14. The sprayer 44 is actuated into the deployed position when the toilet 14 is flushed to spray the liquid disinfectant 16 onto the toilet seat 46. The sprayer 44 is actuated into the stored position and the blower 42 is actuated into the deployed position. The blower 42 is turned on the blow air onto the toilet seat 46 to dry the toilet seat 46. The blower 42 is turned off and the blower 42 is actuated into the stored position when the blower 42 has been turned for a sufficient duration of time to dry the toilet seat 46. In this way the toilet seat 46 is automatically disinfected and dried each time the toilet 14 is flushed thereby ensuring a clean and a sanitary toilet seat 46 for subsequent use.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
