Toilet Odor Filter Device and Method Therefor

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The disclosure relates to toilet deodorizers and more particularly pertains to a new toilet odor filter device with a suction fan and air filter for filtering out odor-causing particles from malodorous air when a person is using the toilet and creating malodorous air, which device is also portable so the user can filter air from any private or public toilet.

The prior art relates to toilet deodorizers. The prior art, as best understood, does not disclose toilet odor filter device with a suction fan and air filter for filtering out odor-causing particles from malodorous air when a person is using the toilet and creating malodorous air, which device is also portable so the user can filter air from any private or public toilet.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a toilet odor filter device generally comprising a support arm, a vented head, and a filter assembly. The support arm is designed to fit onto an upper portion of a toilet bowl and includes an air conduit therein. The vented head is attached to a first end of the support arm and is positionable in a toilet bowl. The filter assembly is attached to a second end of the support arm and is positionable outside a toilet bowl. The filter assembly includes a housing, a suction fan positioned in the housing and designed to suction malodorous air from a toilet bowl through the vented head and the air conduit, and an air filter positioned in the housing and designed to filter odor-causing particles from suctioned malodorous air.

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.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular tothereof, a new toilet odor filter device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeralwill be described.

As best illustrated in, the toilet odor filter devicegenerally comprises a support arm, a vented head, and a filter assembly. The support armis designed to fit onto an upper portion of a toilet bowland includes an air conduittherein. The vented headis attached to a first endof the support armand is positionable in a toilet bowl. The filter assemblyis attached to a second endof the support armand is positionable outside a toilet bowl. The filter assemblyincludes a housing, a suction fanpositioned in the housingand designed to suction malodorous air from a toilet bowlthrough the vented headand the air conduit, and an air filterpositioned in the housingand designed to filter odor-causing particles from suctioned malodorous air.

The support armis divided into arm sections pivotably connected by jointsto permit shaping of the support armin a U-shape for hanging over an upper portion of a toilet bowl, as shown in. The jointsare also designed to permit folding of the support arminto a compact profile for transport, such as shown in. Other placements, designs, and numbers of the jointsare within the scope of the disclosure to permit different adjustment and shaping of the support arm. The arm sections comprise a telescoping middle arm sectionthat is adjustable in width to permit placement over toilet bowl rims or toilet seats of different widths.

As shown in, the vented headincludes a plurality of orifices. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the vented headincludes a spherical portion to aim the orificesin different directions, as well as a flat face, such that the vented headhas a hemispherical design overall. However, other shapes, such as ovals, rectangles, and triangles, as well as different curvatures, such as concave and convex portions, are within the scope of the disclosure. The vented headis pivotably connected to the first endof the support armby a joint.

As shown schematically in, the filter assemblyincludes a power supply positioned in the housing, which is operatively connected to the suction fanand a switch(see) positioned on the housingto permit a user to turn the suction fanon and off. The filter assemblyalso includes a charging portpositioned in the housingand the power supply includes a rechargeable battery (not shown) operatively connected to the charging port. The charging portcan be designed to receive a USB charger or other type of plug-in charging device to permit a user to recharge the rechargeable battery. The air filteris disposable and thus can be replaced periodically with a new one.

The toilet odor filter deviceis generally used to capture malodors produced when a user utilizes a toilet, such as odors produced by fecal material or flatulence, in order to avoid personal embarrassment or subjecting other persons to malodorous air. The user places the support armonto an upper portion of a toilet bowlwith the vented headpositioned in the toilet bowland the filter assemblypositioned outside the toilet bowl, as shown in. Either before, during, or after the user uses the toilet and produces malodorous air, the user activates the suction fanby pressing the switch. The suction fanthen suctions the malodorous air from the toilet bowlthrough the vented headand the air conduit. Odor-causing particles are filtered out from the suctioned malodorous air by the air filter. As mentioned above, the support armis divided into arm sections that are connected by the joints, so the user can pivot the arm sections to shape the support armin a U-shape for hanging over the upper portion of the toilet bowl. When the user is done using the toilet odor filter device, such as in a public bathroom or a bathroom at another person's residence, the user removes the support armand folds the support armat the jointsinto a compact profile for transport. The user can place the support armover either the toilet bowl rim() or over the toilet seat(). Since toilet seats are not the same size as toilet rims, and since toilet seats and toilet rims are not of uniform widths, the user can adjust the width of the telescoping middle arm sectionto fit the toilet bowl rimor the toilet seatof the toilet bowl.

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.