Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – With recirculating means
Patent
1995-10-24
1998-01-27
Walczak, David J.
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
With recirculating means
4321, 4340, E03D 5016
Patent
active
057110387
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a toilet system, in particular, for rail-bound vehicles, airplanes, coaches or the like, for mobile use. The invention relates, in particular, to a toilet system comprising a toilet including a flushing device and a toilet bowl, further comprising a faecal tank for receiving sewage from the toilet, the faecal tank including a separating device for separating liquid and solid components of the sewage, and the liquid components being withdrawable as grey water from the separating device through a first outlet, and further comprising a hygienization tank receiving the grey water separated off in the faecal tank through a grey water inlet and including a device for hygienizing the grey water which is then withdrawable as hygienized grey water from a second outlet.
Such toilet systems are known, for example, from the firm of Protec, Partner fuer Umwelttechnik GmbH as so-called biotoilets. The way in which they operate will be described briefly hereinbelow.
With the aforementioned biotoilets, the faeces are conveyed together with the flushing liquid into the faecal tank which acts as treatment tank and bioreactor. The faecal tank is lined in both the bottom and side areas with a specially coated carrier material through whose pores the liquids can run off freely, while the solids are retained on the carrier material.
Organisms and bacteria in the human faeces concentrate therein and cause decomposition of the faeces. Odors released during this are directed into the open by means of tank ventilation. The liquids enter as grey water a hygienization tank comprising a device for hygienizing the grey water. During hygienization, in particular, a reduction in the germ count is achieved. This makes the thus hygienized grey water ecologically perfectly safe and so it can be released into the environment.
After only two weeks the solids retained in the faecal tank have been reduced to approximately 50% of their original volume by biological decomposition processes and are reduced thereafter by a further 5% daily.
In addition to offering independence from municipal sewage purification plants and absolute ecological safety, the advantages of this biological toilet system are to be seen in the fact that the contents of the faecal tank only have to be emptied infrequently owing to the reduction in volume of the solids. Also, the carrier material is designed so that it will continue to operate over a long number of years. The treatment or faecal tank only has to be rinsed with normal water once a year. This treatment is sufficient to guarantee permeability of the carrier material to an adequate extent, and no further maintenance is required. The disadvantages of these toilet systems are that, on the one hand, they require larger amounts of fresh water for flushing the toilet bowl and, on the other hand, they release hygienized grey water to the environment.
The need for a larger storage tank for fresh water and the necessity of releasing hygienized grey water to the environment restrict use of this toilet system in a whole series of cases.
A toilet system for coaches is known from German Utility Model G 91 16 209 wherein a reduction of the volume of flushing liquid to be taken along is achieved by the possibility of switching over alternatively between fresh water flushing and flushing with recirculating chemical agents.
Disadvantages of this kind of flushing are, in particular, the use of chemicals for hygienizing the sewage in its entirety, i.e., without separating off the solids, and the necessity of having to take along chemical solutions. Disposal of the chemical flushing liquid also poses problems.
Furthermore, in order to minimize an additional drinking water load in airplanes, it is known from EP-A-298 199 to reuse processed waste water for flushing the toilet.
The object of the present invention is to so improve a toilet system of the kind described at the outset that it makes do with considerably reduced amounts of fresh water.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention by
REFERENCES:
patent: 3922730 (1975-12-01), Kemper
patent: 4017395 (1977-04-01), Davis
patent: 4063315 (1977-12-01), Carolan et al.
patent: 4115876 (1978-09-01), Cole, Jr. et al.
patent: 4213864 (1980-07-01), Asikainen
patent: 4871452 (1989-10-01), Kohler et al.
patent: 5010602 (1991-04-01), Sargent et al.
Brochure from Protec, Partner fur Umwelttechnik GmbH entitled "Innovationen fur die Zukunft" (undated).
Niethammer Michael
Schafer Karl
Niethammer GmbH
Walczak David J.
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