Patent Application
20150252556
The present invention relates generally to low-water toilet systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to using mechanical means to transport waste away from a toilet.
Common toilet systems currently in use consume large amounts of water. There are several reasons for this. First, water acts as a transport medium allowing waste to travel through piping networks. Second, water blocks odors from waste and from sewer systems from reaching users. As populations grow, however, natural resources may become scarcer, increasing the need to conserve water. As such, there has been much effort devoted to creating low-water toilet systems.
As populations age, there is also an increasing need for daily health monitoring systems for early detection of preventable illnesses. Ideally, such health monitoring systems would perform their duties with as little inconvenience to the individual being monitored as possible. A variety of information about a person's health can be derived from their excrement. As such, there have been various attempts to incorporate health monitoring systems into toilet systems which people use every day.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,474 to Ogura et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains, discloses a toilet apparatus comprising a detecting sensor for detecting constituents in the feces, urine, or both of a user, and an indicator for indicating or informing the user of his health based upon abnormalities in the constituents detected by the sensor. It has been found that the amount of water used in many current toilet systems dilutes samples thus hindering health monitoring. Thus, in health-monitoring toilet applications, the need for low-water solutions is even greater.
One attempt to create a low-water toilet is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,649 to Miya, which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Miya discloses a defecating system in which foam is provided. Excrement is sealed by the foam visually, odorproofly, and hygienically without necessity of an appreciable quantity of water. While the use of foam does reduce the water required, it tends to move significantly slower than water without additional propulsion means.
Another example of a low-water toilet system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,231 to Breiing et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Breiing et al.
discloses means for transporting a material from a toilet pan into a sanitation pipe comprising two valves which are arranged in a pipe and a pressure chamber disposed in-between. Rather than water, the pressure chamber creates suction which transports the waste. Accurate control of the multiple valves and pressure chamber are necessary which may increase complication and cost.
An example of a health-monitoring toilet system that attempts to mitigate water dilution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,550 to Ikenaga et al., which is incorporated herein for all that it contains. Ikenaga et al. discloses a toilet with a device for measuring constituents of voided urine. The toilet has a urine reservoir having a surface contiguous to a bowl surface including a urine receiving surface. Urine examined by the measuring device is sampled from the urine reservoir before it enters any water.
While there have been various attempts at producing both low-water toilets and health-monitoring toilets there is still much room for improvement in the art.
The present invention comprises a piston-flush toilet system that may use appreciably less water than commonly used toilets today. Such a piston-flush toilet system may comprise a bowl to accept waste and a chamber comprising a waste inlet connected to the bowl and a waste outlet connected to a sewer system or the like. A piston may be disposed within the chamber capable of sealing the waste inlet. In various embodiments, the chamber may be positioned beneath the bowl such that gravity may transport waste from the bowl to the chamber. In some embodiments, the chamber may be positioned horizontally, or at an angle such that gravity may aid in transporting waste entering the chamber from the bowl at the waste inlet to the waste outlet. The bowl and chamber may be formed of a solid member that may be formed of plastic or ceramic.
In some embodiments, a macerating unit may be disposed within the chamber between the piston and the waste outlet. In other various embodiments, a one-way valve, an elastic stopper, or a rigid stopper held by a spring, may be disposed within the chamber between the piston and the waste outlet to allow waste to exit the chamber through the waste outlet without returning.
Some embodiments may comprise a foam generating system for supplying foam to the bowl, chamber or both. This may occur as the piston retracts to unseal the waste inlet. Such foam may comprise a lubricant to aid gravity in transporting waste from the bowl to the chamber.
Embodiments may also include a motorized or user-powered air compressor for providing compressed air. The compressed air may pressurize the piston, mix with surfactant and water to produce foam or both.
Some embodiments may provide health monitoring functions through a microchip disposed within the chamber for measuring characteristics of the waste. In such embodiments, the piston may compress waste against the microchip during its cycle. The piston may also comprise a light source that may pass light through the waste to the microchip or a reflective surface that may reflect light through the waste to the microchip.
a and 5b are longitudinal-section views of embodiments of chambers, each comprising an elastic stopper disposed between a piston and a waste outlet.
a and 6b are longitudinal-section views of embodiments of chambers, each comprising a rigid stopper disposed between a piston and a waste outlet.
a and 9b are longitudinal-section views of chambers in retracted and compressed positions respectively.
Referring now to the figures,
A macerating unit 240 may also be disposed within the chamber 210 between the piston 230 and the waste outlet 217. The macerating unit 240 may comprise a motor 242 that may rotate a blade 244 via a shaft 246 thus turning waste compressed by the piston 230 into slurry. It is believed that turning waste into substantially uniform slurry, by use of a macerator or other means, may aid in the compression and transportation of such waste out through the waste outlet 217, the formation of such waste into fertilizer, and/or the examination of such waste for health monitoring.
As can be seen in
As also viewable in
a and 5b show embodiments of chambers 510a and 510b. Each of the chambers 510a and 510b comprises a piston 530a and 530b disposed therein and a waste inlet 515a and 515b and waste outlet 517a and 517b. An elastic stopper 552a and 552b may be disposed within each of the chambers 510a and 510b between the piston 530a and 530b and the waste outlet 517a and 517b. In
a and 6b show embodiments of chambers 610a and 610b. Each of the chambers 610a and 610b comprises a piston 630a and 630b disposed therein and a waste inlet 615a and 615b and waste outlet 617a and 617b. A rigid stopper 654a and 654b may be disposed within each of the chambers 610a and 610b between the piston 630a and 630b and the waste outlet 617a and 617b and held in place by a spring 656a and 656b. In
In some embodiments, the foam 778 may be supplied to the bowl 720 or chamber 710 or both as a piston 730 retracts and unseals a waste inlet 715. As the piston 730 retracts, a pressure between the piston 730 and a waste outlet 717 of the chamber may decrease resulting in an increase of required force to retract the piston 730. Supplying foam 778 to the chamber 710 may increase the pressure to reduce the force and energy required to retract the piston 730.
In various embodiments, the compressed air source 776 may provide compressed air to pressurize the piston 730 thus moving it between retracted and compressed positions.
In various embodiments, the microchip 880 may measure characteristics of the waste by measuring light, such as a laser, passing though the waste. This may be performed by providing a light source on an external surface 835 of the piston 830, that passes light through the waste while compressed, that may be at least partially received by the microchip. This may also be performed by providing a reflective surface on the external surface 835 of the piston 830 that may reflect light passing through the waste toward the microchip 880.
The microchip 880 may be connected to a processor 888 that may collect data measured by the microchip 880 for storage or transmittal. It is believed that such measurements may aid in monitoring the health of a user of the piston-flush toilet system 800.
a and 9b show embodiments of chambers 910a and 910b, each comprising a piston 930a and 930b disposed therein. In
Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Nos. 61/772,776 filed Mar. 5, 2013; 61/823,525 filed May 15, 2013; 61/863,771 filed Aug. 8, 2013; 61/865,421 filed Aug. 13, 2013; and 61/907,117 filed Nov. 21, 2013; which are incorporated herein by reference for all that they contain.
