Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet – Bowl
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-05-01
Recla, Henry J. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet
Bowl
C004S427000, C004S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223357
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a vacuum toilet comprising a bowl with flushing nozzles mounted in the upper area of the bowl and a shutoff valve in the waste pipe connected in the lower area of the bowl.
In vacuum toilets of this type operating conditions may occur which are highly undesirable and in some cases may have disastrous consequences.
If, for example, delivery of flushing water to the flushing nozzles is not shut off because of an error of some nature, the flushing water flows into the bowl and cannot drain downwards, since the shutoff valve is closed. In this instance the water level in the bowl rises and a situation may finally arise in which the flushing nozzles come in contact with the waste water in the bowl, with the result that undesirable contact of more or less polluted waste water to the fresh water circulation may occur; for example, should a defect in the fresh water system cause suction to occur, polluted water from the toilet could reach the fresh water system. But this must be prevented. The safety measure applied in this case would be installation of a separate flushing water circuit in addition to the fresh water circuit, that is, a relatively cost intensive measure.
It is also conceivable that, in instances of improper use of state-of-the-art vacuum toilets, in particular ones used in aircraft, for which the negative pressure outside an airplane flying at a high altitude is used as a means of conveyance, the suction action of the vacuum might draw in objects or human body parts so that the danger of damage to objects and of serious physical injury exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns itself with such defects of state-of-the-art vacuum toilets and provides an effective remedy in that, in a vacuum toilet of the type described in the foregoing, in the lower area of the bowl or in the outlet area a pipe leading to the exterior terminates at a level somewhat lower than that of the flushing nozzles and is open toward the outside.
Because of the connection of the pipe so as to communicate, the highest possible water level in the bowl can be determined by positioning the end of this pipe at the desired geodetic height. Hence, if the flushing nozzles deliver additional water to the bowl with the valve closed, the worst case which may occur is that the flushing water is discharged through the pipe open at its upper end. In no event can the level of the water in the bowl reach the level of the nozzles, and so impairment of the fresh water circuit is excluded.
In the suction process of the vacuum toilet claimed for the invention the vacuum source affects the liquid present in the piping as well as the mass in the bowl. The mass flushed and the liquid are drawn by the suction force of the vacuum and, after the piping has been emptied, air is drawn in, so that in no event, as for example in use of the toilet without a toilet seat and conceivably complete sealing off of the edge of the bowl by the body of the person using the toilet, can a suction effect be generated in the bowl such that body parts or objects might be drawn in.
To be added is that the mass drawn in is in a way fluidized by sizing of this additional pipe which is suitable from the viewpoint of internal diameter or a throttle point, so that on the whole the situation during vacuum removal is rendered more favorable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 108146 (1870-10-01), Ivers
patent: 2778029 (1957-01-01), Young
patent: 3956776 (1976-05-01), Vanden Brock
patent: 4063315 (1977-12-01), Carolan et al.
patent: 4164049 (1979-08-01), Michael
patent: 5495626 (1996-03-01), Lindroos et al.
patent: 5732417 (1998-03-01), Pondelick et al.
patent: 6012678 (2000-01-01), Hale et al.
patent: 2054688 (1981-02-01), None
Huynh Khoa
Recla Henry J.
Sanivac Vakuumtechnik GmbH
Shannon John P.
Venable
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