US 12,473,727 B2
Self-cleaning toilet assembly
Jean-Jacques L'Henaff, New Canaan, CT (US); Ki Bok Song, Plainview, NY (US); Jacob Nitz, Brooklyn, NY (US); Alison J. Lyons, Jersey City, NJ (US); Paul Flowers, London (GB); and Greg Reinecker, Brooklyn, NY (US)
Assigned to AS America, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 18/695,501
Filed by AS America, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 30, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/045316
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 26, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/055981, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 6, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/251,564, filed on Oct. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2025/0116097 A1, Apr. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. E03D 9/03 (2006.01); E03D 1/34 (2006.01); E03D 5/10 (2006.01); E03D 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC E03D 9/035 (2013.01) [E03D 1/34 (2013.01); E03D 5/10 (2013.01); E03D 9/037 (2013.01); E03D 2009/024 (2013.01); E03D 2009/028 (2013.01); E03D 2201/40 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A self-cleaning toilet assembly comprising
a toilet bowl;
a toilet water tank;
a toilet water tank lid;
a flush valve assembly; and
a cleaning system,
wherein
the toilet assembly is configured to operate in a flush mode to perform a flush cycle to clear the toilet bowl of bowl contents,
the toilet assembly is configured to operate in an independent cleaning mode to perform a clean cycle to clean the toilet bowl,
the toilet bowl comprises a toilet bowl interior surface,
the toilet water tank lid is configured to be positioned on and enclose the toilet water tank, the toilet tank lid comprises a upper lid and a lower lid,
the flush valve assembly comprises a flush valve body having an interior space, a flush valve inlet, a flush valve outlet, and a seal,
the flush valve assembly is configured to be in a closed position when the seal is positioned over the flush valve inlet,
the flush valve assembly is configured to be in an open position when the seal is lifted off the flush valve inlet,
the flush valve assembly is configured to direct toilet tank water through a rim outlet and into the toilet bowl,
the cleaning system comprises
a clean cycle actuator,
a chamber configured to receive a cleaning agent,
a housing configured to receive the chamber in a housing interior space,
a flow assembly, and
a controller,
the clean cycle actuator and the housing are coupled to the lower lid,
the housing and chamber are in flow communication,
the clean cycle actuator and the controller are in electrical communication,
the chamber is configured to be in an inserted position in the housing and to be in an extended position out of the housing,
the chamber is configured to receive the cleaning agent when in the extended position,
the cleaning mode comprises
operating the clean cycle actuator to send a clean cycle request to the controller,
the controller instructing the flow assembly to direct a dose of cleaning agent from the housing to the flush valve body interior space in the flush valve closed position,
the controller instructing the flush valve to open to introduce tank water into the rim flush valve body interior space to carry the dose of cleaning agent as a water/cleaning agent mixture through the flush valve outlet, through the rim outlet, and onto the toilet bowl interior surface,
the controller instructing the flush valve to close,
the cleaning mode is configured to operate independently from the flush mode, and
a flow rate and volume of the water/cleaning agent mixture are insufficient to initiate a flush to clear the toilet bowl of bowl contents.