Vacuum toilet bowl assembly having removable bowl

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6536054
  • Patent Number
    6,536,054
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, January 22, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 25, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A vacuum bowl assembly for use in a vacuum toilet positioned on a support surface and having a discharge valve. The vacuum bowl assembly comprises a frame having a bottom member adapted to engage the support surface, and a top member defining a shoulder. A removable bowl is provided having a flange extending about an upper edge sized to engage the shoulder, and an outlet adapted for fluid communication with the discharge valve.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention generally relates to toilets and, more particularly, to vacuum toilet systems.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Vacuum toilet systems are generally known in the art for use in both vehicle and stationary applications. A vacuum toilet system typically comprises a bowl for receiving waste having an outlet connected to a vacuum sewer line. A discharge valve is disposed between the bowl outlet and vacuum sewer line to selectively establish fluid communication therebetween. The vacuum sewer line is connected to a collection tank that is placed under partial vacuum pressure by a vacuum source, such as a vacuum pump. When the discharge valve is opened, material in the bowl is transported to the sewer pipe as a result of the pressure difference between the interior of the bowl and the interior of the sewer line. Conventional vacuum toilet systems also include a source of rinse fluid and a rinse fluid valve for controlling introduction of rinse fluid into the bowl.




Repair and maintenance of vacuum toilet systems is often overly time consuming and labor intensive. Maintenance concerns are particularly significant in aircraft applications, in which a number of sub-systems are installed on board. According to general practice in the airline industry, each sub-system includes one or more components which must be replaced in the event of failure, such components being commonly referred to as line replaceable units (LRUs). Presently, the entire toilet assembly is defined as the LRU for the vacuum toilet system. As a result, an airline must stock one or more replacement toilets in case of a toilet failure, so that the replacement toilet may be swapped in for the faulty toilet. A “bench test” is then performed on the faulty toilet to determine which components have failed in the toilet. The faulty components are then repaired or replaced (which may include significant disassembly and reassembly of the toilet) so that the toilet may be reused on another aircraft.




Each of the steps performed during a toilet repair is overly difficult and time consuming. To remove an entire toilet assembly from an aircraft requires disassembly of at least four self-locking mounting fasteners, an electrical connection, a grounding strap, a potable water line connection, and a waste discharge pipe connection. Each connection may be difficult to access, and may require a particular tool in order to loosen and disconnect. The same connections must then be reconnected for the replacement toilet.




Even if it were possible to remove and replace a single toilet component, it would be overly difficult and time consuming to do so. Removal of a component would require disconnection of several wires and pipes, and the components are often located in areas which are difficult to access. Furthermore, it would be difficult to diagnose whether one component or several components had failed. There exists a multitude of combinations of simultaneous component failures, which may lead to trouble-shooting errors and the replacement or repair of non-faulty components.




Certain repairs, which may not require substantial amounts of trouble shooting to identify the failed components, still require significant amounts of disassembly and reassembly. The toilet bowl, for example, is typically formed of stainless steel covered with a non-stick coating that is subject to failure. In conventional toilets, the bowl is a structural, load bearing component that is attached to a base support. In some toilets, the base support is permanently attached to the bowl and therefore the entire toilet must be removed to replace the coating. In other toilets, the bowl is removable from the support base, and therefore fasteners must be removed and the bowl must be disconnected from the rinse fluid and discharge lines. In addition, the rinse ring or nozzle used to direct rinse fluid into the bowl must be removed. Furthermore, if the non-stick coating fails, the bowl must be removed from all of the other toilet components for a re-coating process, steps of which are performed at high temperatures to remove the old coating and apply a new coating to the toilet bowl surface. Accordingly, replacement of a conventional bowl is overly complicated and time consuming.




In addition, the use of the bowl as a structural, load-bearing member in conventional toilets overly limits the selection of bowl materials. Because the bowl must be capable of supporting the weight of a user and any components mounted thereto, it is typically made of a metal such as stainless steel. Because only rigid materials may be used, the selection of materials for use in conventional toilet bowls is overly limited.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, a waste receptacle is provided for use in a vacuum toilet system having a discharge valve with an inlet. The waste receptacle comprises a support structure, and a bowl releasably attached to the support structure, the bowl defining an outlet adapted to engage and seal with the discharge valve outlet.




In accordance with additional aspects of the present invention, a vacuum bowl assembly is provided for use in a vacuum toilet positioned on a support surface and having a discharge valve with an inlet. The assembly comprises a frame having a bottom member adapted to engage the support surface, and a top member defining an opening, a pair of slots being formed in the top member. A removable bowl has a sidewall sized for insertion into the opening and a flange carrying a pair of tabs sized to lockingly engage the slots, the bowl defining an outlet adapted for fluid communication with the discharge valve inlet.




In accordance with further aspects of the present invention, a vacuum bowl assembly is provided for use in a vacuum toilet positioned on a support surface and having a discharge valve with an inlet. The assembly comprises a frame having a bottom member adapted to engage the support surface, and a top member defining an opening, a pair of slots being formed in the top member. A removable plastic bowl has a sidewall sized for insertion into the opening and a flange carrying a pair of tabs sized to lockingly engage the slots, the bowl defining an outlet adapted for fluid communication with the discharge valve inlet.




Other features and advantages are inherent in the apparatus claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIGS. 1A and 1B

are front and rear perspective views, respectively, of a vacuum toilet frame and bowl in accordance with the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a schematic diagram of the vacuum toilet of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

is a top view of the bowl.





FIG. 4

is an enlarged view of a tab used to secure the bowl to the frame.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring initially to

FIGS. 1A

,


1


B, and


2


, a vacuum toilet


10


suitable for use in vehicle is shown including a frame


20


and bowl


36


in accordance with the present invention. The vehicle is provided with a sewer line


11


, a vacuum tank


13


connected to the sewer line


11


, and a vacuum source (not shown) for placing the vacuum tank


13


under partial vacuum pressure. The vehicle further includes a source of rinse fluid


15


connected to a rinse fluid supply line


19


.




The toilet


10


preferably includes a discharge valve


70


adapted for connection to the vacuum tank, and a rinse valve


72


adapted for connection to the source of rinse fluid. A flush control unit (FCU)


74


is also provided for controlling operation of the discharge valve


70


and rinse valve


72


. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the discharge valve


70


, rinse valve


72


, and FCU


74


are preferably provided as an integral valve set


8


, as described in greater detail in commonly owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/713,870, entitled “Integrated Valve Set For Vacuum Toilet” (Attorney Docket No. 05007/36582), incorporated herein by reference.




The frame


20


is provided for supporting the components of the vacuum toilet


10


. As best shown with reference to

FIGS. 1A and 1B

, the frame


20


includes a bottom member


24


adapted for attachment to a support surface of the vehicle. Vertical supports


26


extend upwardly from the bottom member


24


, and a top member


28


is attached to the vertical supports. The top member


28


is formed with an opening


30


near the front, and two slots


29


near the rear thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, an intermediate support


32


is attached between adjacent vertical supports


26


, and a bracket


27


is attached to the bottom member


24


. The bottom member


24


, top member


28


, and bracket


27


are preferably formed of sheet metal, while the vertical supports


26


and intermediate support


32


are preferably formed of tube steel, both of which are readily available and inexpensive. Other materials having sufficient rigidity, however, may also be used.




The bowl


36


is provided for receiving waste material. The bowl


36


has a curved sidewall


38


and an out-turned flange


40


extending about an upper edge of the sidewall (FIGS.


1


A and


1


B). The out-turned flange


40


further includes tabs


39


sized for insertion through the slots


29


formed in the frame top member


28


, as best shown in

FIG. 4. A

bottom of the sidewall is formed in an outlet


42


, and the sidewall


38


is sized for insertion into the opening


30


of the frame top member


28


. The outlet


42


fluidly communicates with the discharge valve


70


through a transfer pipe


44


. The transfer pipe


44


preferably includes a collar


47


sized to frictionally engage and seal with the outlet


42


.




To attach the bowl


36


to the frame


20


, the bowl


36


is inserted through the opening


30


and positioned so that the tabs


39


are aligned with the slots


29


and the outlet


42


is aligned with the collar


47


. The bowl


36


is lowered so that the tabs


39


pass through and lock with the slots


29


. Simultaneously, the outlet


42


is inserted into and engages the collar


47


. In this position, the out-turned flange


40


closely overlies the frame top member


28


so that downward forces applied to the bowl


36


are transferred to the frame


20


. As a result, the bowl


36


is not a load-bearing component, and may be made of non-structural materials such as plastic, thin-walled metal (defined herein as less than approximately 0.040″ thick), or other known alternatives. In addition, the bowl


36


is separable from the frame


20


and therefore may be replaced independently from the rest of the toilet


10


. Still further, the tabs


39


may be manipulated manually, and therefore no tools are required to install or remove the bowl


36


.




At least one rinse fluid dispenser, such as nozzles


46


, is provided inside the bowl


36


for directing rinse fluid over the surface of the bowl. As best shown in

FIGS. 1A and 1B

, a plurality of nozzles


46


are spaced about the bowl sidewall


38


and are oriented to direct rinse fluid over portions of the bowl surface. The number of nozzles may be more or less than that shown, depending on the size of the bowl surface to be rinsed. As used herein, the phrase “rinse fluid dispenser” includes the illustrated nozzles


46


, as well as known substitutes, such as spray rings.




A vacuum breaker


33


is positioned above the top edge of the bowl


36


, and a first rinse fluid pipe


35




a


extends from the nozzles


46


to the vacuum breaker


33


. A second rinse pipe


35




b


extends from the vacuum breaker


33


to the rinse valve


72


. Quick-disconnect couplings


108




a


,


108




b


are provided to connect the first and second rinse fluid pipes


35




a


,


35




b


to the vacuum breaker.




The separate frame


20


advantageously allows the bowl


36


to be a line replaceable unit (LRU). When the bowl


36


becomes worn or otherwise needs replacement, a maintenance person may simply disconnect the first rinse fluid pipe


35




a


using the quick disconnect coupling


108




a


, manipulate the tabs


39


so that the are disengaged from the slots


29


, and pull upward on the bowl


36


to remove the bowl


36


from the frame


20


. A new bowl


36


may then be inserted into the frame


20


as described above, and the first rinse fluid pipe


35




a


may be connected to the vacuum breaker


33


using the quick-disconnect coupling


108




a


. As a result, the entire toilet need not be removed and serviced. The bowl replacement process is not only fast, but does not require the use of any tools. In addition to facilitating bowl removal and replacement, the frame


20


allows a wider range of materials to be used for the bowl


36


, since the frame


20


, rather than the bowl


36


, supports the load.




The foregoing detailed description has be given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications would be obvious to those skilled in the art.



Claims
  • 1. A waste receptacle assembly for use in a vacuum toilet system having an inlet coupling, the waste receptacle assembly comprising:a frame including at least two vertical supports and a top member attached to the at least two vertical supports, the top member defining an opening and having a receptacle engaging portion; and a receptacle sized for at least partial insertion through the frame top member opening, the receptacle having an abutting portion positioned to engage the receptacle engaging portion of the frame when the receptacle is at least partially inserted through the frame top member opening thereby to maintain the receptacle in an installed position, the receptacle further having an outlet sized and adapted for releasable sealing engagement with the inlet coupling when the receptacle is in the installed position; wherein the receptacle is toollessly inserted into and removed from the installed position independent of the frame.
  • 2. The assembly of claim 1, in which the frame includes at least one slot, and in which the receptacle includes a tab adapted to lockingly engage the slot, thereby to secure the receptacle in the installed position.
  • 3. The assembly of claim 2, in which the tab is toollessly releasable to disengage from the slot.
  • 4. The assembly of claim 1, in which the top member of the frame further defines the receptacle engaging portion.
  • 5. The assembly of claim 4, in which the receptacle includes a flange defining the abutting portion of the receptacle.
  • 6. The assembly of claim 1, in which the vacuum waste system further comprises a rinse valve and a rinse fluid pipe, and in which the receptacle further comprises a rinse fluid dispenser adapted for toollessly releasable attachment to the rinse fluid pipe.
  • 7. The assembly of claim 1, in which the receptacle is made of a plastic material.
  • 8. The assembly of claim 1, in which the receptacle is made of a thin-walled steel.
  • 9. The assembly of claim 1, in which the receptacle is formed as a toilet bowl.
  • 10. A method of toollessly replacing a receptacle of a waste receptacle assembly used in a vacuum toilet system having an inlet coupling, the waste receptacle assembly including a frame including at least two vertical supports and a top member attached to the at least two vertical supports defining an opening, the frame further having a receptacle engaging portion, the receptacle being sized for at least partial insertion through the frame top member opening and having an abutting portion positioned to engage the receptacle engaging portion of the frame to maintain the receptacle in an installed position, the receptacle further having an outlet sized and adapted for releasable sealing engagement with the inlet coupling, the method comprising:lifting the receptacle while leaving the frame in place so that the abutting portion of the receptacle disengages from the receptacle receiving portion of the frame and the receptacle outlet disengages from the inlet coupling; withdrawing the receptacle through the frame top member opening to remove the receptacle from the frame; providing a new receptacle sized for at least partial insertion through the frame top member opening having an abutting portion positioned to engage the receptacle engaging portion of the frame and an outlet sized to sealingly engage the inlet coupling; and inserting a new receptacle at least partially through the frame top member opening so that the abutting portion of the new receptacle contacts the receptacle engaging portion of the frame and the outlet of the new receptacle engages the inlet coupling.
  • 11. The method of claim 10, in which the frame includes at least one slot, and in which each of the receptacle and new receptacle includes a tab adapted to lockingly engage the slot, wherein the tab of the receptacle is removed from the slot during the lifting step and the tab of the new receptacle is inserted into the slot during the inserting step.
  • 12. The method of claim 10, in which the top member of the frame further defines the receptacle engaging portion.
  • 13. The method of claim 12, in which the each of the receptacle and new receptacle includes a flange defining the abutting portion.
  • 14. The method of claim 10, in which the vacuum waste system further comprises a rinse valve and a rinse fluid pipe, and in which each of the receptacle and new receptacle further comprises a rinse fluid dispenser, the method further comprising detaching the rinse fluid dispenser of the receptacle from the rinse fluid pipe prior to the lifting step and attaching the rinse fluid dispenser of the new receptacle to the rinse fluid pipe after the inserting step.
  • 15. The method of claim 10, in which the receptacle is made of a plastic material.
  • 16. The method of claim 10, in which the receptacle is made of a thin-walled steel.
  • 17. The method of claim 10, in which the receptacle is formed as a toilet bowl.
Parent Case Info

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/713,861, filed Nov. 16, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,416.

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Continuations (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/713861 Nov 2000 US
Child 10/054061 US