Devices and methods for toilet ventilation using a radar sensor

A toilet ventilation device for disposition within a tank of a toilet and for removal of contaminants from at least a bowl portion of the toilet, the toilet ventilation device comprising:

• (a) a housing defining an air inlet aperture and an air outlet aperture;
• (b) an air movement apparatus disposed in the housing;
• (c) a filter disposed in the housing;
• and
• (d) a radar sensor disposed within the housing, the radar sensor being electrically coupled to the air movement apparatus to activate and deactivate the air movement apparatus in response to a presence and absence of a user;
• (e) wherein the toilet ventilation device is configured and arranged to be disposed over an overflow conduit of a toilet and, using the air movement apparatus, to draw air from the bowl of the toilet, through the overflow conduit, into the air inlet aperture of the housing, through the filter, and out the air outlet aperture of the housing.

A toilet ventilation device for removal of odors from air, comprising:

• (a) a housing defining an air inlet aperture and an air outlet aperture;
• (b) an air movement apparatus disposed in the housing;
• and
• (c) a radar sensor disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the air movement apparatus to activate the air movement apparatus in response to detection of a user, wherein the radar sensor is configured and arranged for disposition completely within the tank of the toilet and does not require a window formed in the tank for detection of a user of the toilet, wherein the radar sensor comprises
• (i) a transmitter for emitting pulses of rf energy,
• (ii) a gated receiver for receiving reflections of the pulses of rf energy, wherein the gated receiver is only receptive to the reflections for a time period after each pulse of rf energy in which the receiver is gated open, and
• (iii) a processor for determining, in response to the reflections received by the receiver, whether a user is present.

A method of removing malodorous elements using a toilet ventilation device disposed within, the method including steps of:

• (a) sensing, using a radar sensor, whether a person is proximate the toilet, wherein the radar sensor is disposed in the toilet ventilation device and the radar sensor is completely disposed within the tank of the toilet and does not require a window formed in the tank for detection of the person proximate to the toilet;
• (b) operating an air movement apparatus, when the person is proximate the toilet, to draw air from a bowl of the toilet into the toilet ventilation device, wherein the air movement apparatus is disposed in the toilet ventilation device;
• and
• (c) removing malodorous elements in the air drawn from the toilet bowl using a filter disposed in the toilet ventilation device.