Toilet flush tank and bowl air deodorizing apparatus

An air deodorizing apparatus for use in a toilet having a bowl, a flush tank connected with and extending above the bowl for holding water to use in flushing the bowl, a top cover overlying the flush tank, and an overflow pipe disposed in the flush tank and spaced below the top cover, the overflow pipe having an upper open end providing an open passage between the bowl and the interior of the flush tank above the overflow pipe permitting passage of air between the bowl and flush tank and passage of water in the flush tank overflowing the upper open end of the overflow pipe downward through the overflow pipe into the bowl, said air deodorizing apparatus for recirculating and filtering toilet flush tank and bowl air, comprising:

• (a) a fan having a motor with a rotary output shaft and a fan blade mounted to said shaft and rotatable therewith for inducing a flow of air past said motor upon operation of said motor;
• (b) an annular air filter having opposite air flow inlet and outlet sides;
• (c) a housing including a lower portion having a tubular sleeve adapted to fit over the upper end of the overflow pipe in the flush tank for mounting said housing within the flush tank of the toilet about and above the upper open end of the overflow pipe in the toilet tank between the overflow pipe and top cover of the toilet, said housing also including an upper portion with means for supporting said fan within said housing in axially aligned relation with the toilet tank overflow pipe and for mounting said annular air filter in concentric relation around said fan motor with said fan blade rotatable adjacent to said air flow inlet side of said annular filter;
• and
• (d) means connected to said fan motor for controlling operation of said fan;
• (e) said upper portion of said housing including
• (i) an outer annular wall supported by said lower portion of said housing and defining a chamber,
• (ii) a transverse wall extending across said outer annular wall and the flow path of air from said lower portion of said housing through said chamber of said upper portion thereof, said transverse wall supporting said motor in said chamber and having openings defined therein permitting passage of air flow upwardly through said chamber,
• (iii) an intermediate annular wall mounted on and extending upwardly from said transverse wall, said intermediate wall being shorter in height than said outer wall and spaced radially inwardly therefrom, said intermediate wall supporting said annular air filter above said transverse wall,
• (iv) an inner annular wall mounted on and extending upwardly from said transverse wall and having substantially the same height as said intermediate annular wall, said inner annular wall being spaced inwardly from said intermediate annular wall and surrounding said motor, and
• (v) a cover releasably connected to an upper edge of said outer annular wall to retain said air filter upon said intermediate annular wall, said cover having openings therein permitting flow of air from said chamber through said cover.