U.S. patent application number 10/835213 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-03 for portable restroom toilet chemical charging system.
Invention is credited to Cooper, Michael, Kostelyk, Jamie, Mullett, Rodney M..
Application Number | 20050241055 10/835213 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35185525 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050241055 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mullett, Rodney M. ; et
al. |
November 3, 2005 |
Portable restroom toilet chemical charging system
Abstract
A portable toilet chemical additive charging system comprises a
restroom cabana containing a toilet bowl which opens into a
waste-holding tank. A water source, such as a separate water tank,
is connected by a conduit to the toilet bowl for delivering flush
water to the bowl when a flush pump, that is connected to the
conduit, is actuated. The flush water passes through a control
valve in the conduit. A chemical additive container is removably
positioned near the toilet bowl and is connected by a tube to the
control valve. The control valve injects a pre-determined amount of
additive to the flush water when flush water is flowed through the
control valve to the bowl. Preferably, the container is shaped to
closely fit within a space between a vent pipe extending upwardly
from the waste-holding tank and the adjacent interior surface of a
wall of the cabana. A portion of the container is substantially
transparent and exposed so that an observer may view the level of
additive content in the container, while the remainder of the
container is substantially concealed by the vent pipe.
Inventors: |
Mullett, Rodney M.;
(Hammond, IN) ; Cooper, Michael; (Palos Park,
IL) ; Kostelyk, Jamie; (Hammond, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 828
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48303
US
|
Family ID: |
35185525 |
Appl. No.: |
10/835213 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/476 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D 5/012 20130101;
E03D 7/00 20130101; E03D 5/01 20130101; E03D 9/031 20130101; E04H
1/1216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/476 |
International
Class: |
E03D 001/00; A47K
011/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a portable toilet system having a toilet bowl located above
and opening into a waste-holding tank, a flushing system for
flushing waste from the bowl into the tank and a vent pipe
extending upwardly from the waste-holding tank, the improvement
comprising: a container for holding a chemical additive and a
conduit extending from the container and through a control valve to
the flushing system for inserting a measured quantity of additive
from the container into the bowl; said container being located
adjacent the vent pipe and having a wall portion formed with a
depression shaped for closely receiving an adjacent portion of the
vent pipe, with a portion of the container being exposed along a
side of the pipe so that its contents are visible to an observer,
and with the visible portion of the container being sufficiently
transparent to expose to the view of an observer the level of
additive within the container; and a normally closed filler opening
formed in the container for manually refilling additive in the
container when needed.
2. A container as defined in claim 1, and said waste-holding tank
having an upper horizontal portion adjacent the vent pipe, and with
the container adapted to be normally supported upon said horizontal
portion in close proximity to the vent pipe.
3. A construction as defined in claim 2 and said waste-holding tank
being fitted within a toilet cabana having vertical walls; said
waste-holding tank horizontal portion being adjacent at least one
of said walls and the vent pipe being connected to, and extending
upwardly from said tank at a location between said one wall and the
toilet bowl so that the container is normally located between the
vent pipe and wall and is substantially concealed from view by the
vent pipe except for the visible portion of the container, whereby
the level of additive can be observed by an observer located in
front of the toilet bowl and tank.
4. In a portable chemical toilet system having a toilet bowl
provided with a front end and a back end, and which opens into a
waste-receiving member through a normally closed toilet-flushing
member which is operable for flushing the contents of the bowl into
the waste-receiving member, and the waste-receiving member having
an associated pipe connected thereto, the improvement comprising: a
container normally holding a chemical additive and communicating
through a conduit and a control valve with the system for
delivering a measured amount of chemical additive into the bowl
when the flushing member is operated; said container being shaped
for engaging an adjacent portion of said pipe and being at least
partially concealed by the pipe from observation by an observer
located at the front end of the toilet bowl; said container having
a substantially transparent wall portion through which an observer
may see a level of additive within the container and which
transparent wall portion is exposed, relative to the pipe so that
it is visible by an observer from the front end of the toilet.
5. A construction as defined in claim 4 and said container having a
vertical wall portion and a vertically arranged channel formed in
said vertical wall portion, which channel receives an adjacent
portion of the pipe for facilitating holding the container in
operable position upon a support surface near the toilet bowl.
6. A construction as defined in claim 4 and said container having a
wall portion shaped to receive and engage an adjacent portion of
the pipe for holding the container in operable position upon a
support surface adjacent the toilet bowl.
7. A construction as defined in claim 4, and with said container
having a vertically-arranged channel formed therein for receiving
and engaging an adjacent portion of the pipe, and with the
container being substantially concealed by the pipe from view by an
observer located in front of the toilet bowl, except for said
transparent wall portion of the container extending vertically
along a side of the pipe and being visible to an observer who may
thereby see the level of additive within the container through the
transparent portion thereof.
8. A portable toilet chemical additive charging system comprising:
a waste-receiving tank with a toilet bowl opening into said tank
and a flushing system including a source of water; a water conduit
communicating with the water source, the toilet bowl and the
waste-receiving tank; a flush pump connected to said conduit for
pumping flush water from the water source to said toilet bowl. a
control valve connected into said water conduit through which
pumped water passes for flushing the toilet bowl; a refillable
additive container removably positioned on the tank for containing
a quantity of a liquid chemical additive, and an additive feed tube
extending from the additive container to said control valve; said
control valve including a fluid measurement control device which
passes a pre-determined amount of additive through the control
valve into the water pumped through the control valve; whereby the
pump may be manually actuated for pumping water from the water
source through the control valve and additive may flow into the
water passing through the control valve so that the mixture of
water and additive enter into and flush the toilet bowl when said
pump is actuated.
9. A portable toilet as defined in claim 8, and said container
being positioned near, and above the upper level of the toilet
bowl, and being manually moveable when desired for replacement or
refilling when needed.
10. A portable toilet as defined in claim 9, and said container
being formed of a bottle-like shape which may be rested upon a
support located adjacent the toilet bowl and above the level of the
toilet bowl for manually positioning and removing the container
when desired.
11. A portable toilet as defined in claim 10, and with at least a
portion of the container being visible by an observer for viewing
the level of the contents of the bowl.
12. A portable toilet as defined in claim 8, and said portable
chemical toilet including a cabana enclosure within which the waste
tank and toilet are mounted; the cabana having at least one
vertical wall portion adjacent the waste tank; said container being
located upon the waste tank closely adjacent the wall.
13. A portable toilet as defined in claim 12, and including an
upwardly extending projection from the waste tank spaced from the
wall, and said container being positioned between the projection
and the wall for supporting the container against unwanted
dislodgment from its position.
14. A portable toilet as defined in claim 13, and said container
having a forward face shaped to engage the projection and a rear
face portion adjacent the wall portion for maintaining the
container in position upon the waste tank.
15. A portable toilet as defined in claim 13, and said projection
comprising a vent pipe extending upwardly from the waste tank; said
container having a face formed with a vertically extending, open
groove of a size and shape for receiving the adjacent portion of
the vent pipe.
16. A portable toilet as defined in claim 15, and said cabana
having an interior corner portion defined by said wall and an
adjacent wall; said container having a face portion shaped to
closely fit adjacent the interior corner portion; whereby the
container is removably positioned between the vent pipe and the
corner portion from which position the container may be manually
removed and replaced.
17. A portable toilet as defined in claim 16, and said container
having a vertical portion adjacent the vent pipe which is
unconcealed by the vent pipe and is visible to an observer standing
by the waste tank and which is sufficiently transparent for
visually observing the level of additive within the container, with
a substantial portion of the container being otherwise
substantially concealed from such visual observation by the vent
pipe.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a system which provides a chemical
additive to the flush water used in a portable restroom toilet.
Portable restrooms, which are also referred to as portable chemical
toilets or portable restroom toilets, in general, comprise a cabana
or housing within which a toilet bowl and a waste storage tank is
positioned. In some of these types of toilets, the toilet opening
or bowl is formed in the upper surface of the waste-holding tank so
that the bodily waste drops into and is stored within the
waste-holding tank. The waste is removed from the tank from time to
time as necessary. In some portable restroom toilets, rather than
simply operating to drop bodily waste by gravity through the toilet
opening into the waste-collecting tank, the waste may be deposited
in a bowl, and a bowl flushing system is provided. In such a system
the bodily waste is collected within the toilet bowl, which may
have a trap or flap upon which waste is deposited. Then flush water
is pumped into and through the bowl so that the waste is flushed
past the trap into the waste-holding tank.
[0002] Examples of portable restroom toilets, and constructions of
their cabanas and toilets and waste tank components are disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,167, issued Jun. 3, 1969 to David B.
Harding, for a portable toilet cabana; U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,480,
issued Sep. 17, 1974 to George W. Harding for a chemical toilet
cabana; U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,572, issued Jun. 28, 1977 to George W.
Harding for a chemical toilet cabana shell section; U.S. Pat. No.
4,577,351, issued Mar. 25, 1986 to George W. Harding for a portable
toilet cabana; U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,671, issued May 23, 1989 to
George W. Harding for a portable toilet cabana; U.S. Pat. No.
4,918,765, issued Apr. 24, 1990 to George W. Harding for a portable
toilet cabana; U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,960, issued Mar. 26, 1996 to
Richard L. Tagg for a flush system for outdoor portable toilets;
and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,050, issued Oct. 1, 1996 to Richard L. Tagg
for a portable combined toilet and waste-holding tank.
[0003] As shown by the examples, the portable restroom toilets were
typically made of large sheets of plastic materials formed into
walls, a base or floor, and a roof which were assembled together
into the restroom cabana or housing. The waste-holding tank was
formed to fit within the cabana and an opening formed in the upper
surface of the tank served as a toilet opening into the
waste-holding tank. In some prior constructions, a toilet bowl was
provided below the opening. The bowl had an open lower end which
opened into the waste-holding tank. In some of such restrooms, a
urinal was also mounted within the cabana with a suitable pipe
extended from the urinal into the waste-holding tank. In some, more
luxurious types of portable restrooms, a sink, to which a tank of
water was connected, provided hand-washing facilities within the
cabana. Waste water from the sink flowed through a drain pipe into
the waste-holding tank.
[0004] These portable restrooms typically were carried from
location to location on suitable trucks and positioned for use on a
temporary basis. The waste-holding tanks were periodically emptied
by means of a suitable tank truck having a pipe which could be
inserted in the waste-holding tank for pumping the contents from
the waste-holding tank into a tank on the truck for later disposal,
such as into a municipal sewerage system.
[0005] For sanitary reasons, as well as for aesthetic reasons,
waste-flushing systems are desirable for flushing the bodily waste
out of the toilet bowl area and into the waste-holding tank.
Flushing systems have included either a separate water tank
containing or storing flush water or a connection to a local
running water supply system through a hose or pipe. In some such
systems, "grey" water was used for flushing. This involved using
some of the liquid contained in the waste tank as at least part of
the flushing water. In those systems some liquid is drained from
the waste tank and is re-circulated, which reduces the amount of
fresh water required and the frequency of refilling a fresh water
storage tank.
[0006] An example of a flushing system is illustrated in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,500,960, issued Mar. 26, 1996 to Richard L. Tagg for a "flush
system for outdoor portable toilets." This patent illustrates a
system in which water contained in a storage tank that is
positioned adjacent the exterior of the cabana can be pumped by a
simple hand- or foot-operated pump into a conduit which carried
water from the water storage tank into a bowl-shaped toilet
receptacle that opens into the waste-holding tank. The water is
sprayed into the upper area of the bowl by means of a perforated
pipe arranged around the interior of the perimeter of the bowl.
[0007] Other available flush systems have had a flap or closure at
the lower end of the bowl-shaped toilet for temporarily supporting
deposited bodily waste material. That material is dropped into the
waste tank during the flushing of the toilet. The flap or "trap"
may be arranged, for example, to either tip or swing downwardly
under the weight of flush water to permit the waste to fall into
the tank.
[0008] In some portable restrooms, the waste-holding tanks are
provided with a sump area where the fluids in the tank drain to a
common location for facilitating pumping the contents out of the
tank when the tank is emptied or to facilitate collecting grey
water. Because of the nature of the restroom constructions and
their uses, they typically exude obnoxious odors from their waste
or sewage contents. To reduce the unpleasant atmosphere caused by
odors, it is common to provide vent pipes which extend from the
waste-holding tanks upwardly through the roofs or through one of
the walls of the cabana. Nevertheless, obnoxious odors and the
unaesthetic impression of insanitariness due to odors is a common
problem in portable restrooms.
[0009] In an attempt to reduce the problem of odors and to provide
a more sanitary atmosphere, it is common for the personnel who
service or maintain such restrooms to add an additive chemical to
the toilet bowls and sumps and waste-holding tanks. Typically,
these chemicals are blue in color which mask and inhibit any
unsightly appearance of a bowl and, also, these chemicals
neutralize the odors to a considerable extent. The additive may be
referred to as a "charge."
[0010] As an example, the serviceperson may mix approximately five
gallons of water with a pre-determined amount of a commercially
available additive and pour this charge into the toilet bowl from
which the charge flows into the waste-holding tank. Further as an
example, the effect of such a charge might last, depending upon
weather conditions and the type and amount of chemical additives,
for as many as seven days. However, warm weather may require
stronger chemical additives and more frequent "charges."
[0011] Because of intermittent maintenance of the restrooms and
variations in the amount of time between applying charges, the
effect of any particular charge varies and, also, too much or too
little amounts of the additives may be applied. Since the amount or
volume of a charge is discretionary with the serviceperson who
manually applies the charge when servicing a restroom, a better
control of the timing between charges and the amount of additives
used are needed.
[0012] The time required to mix and to add the "charges" and, also,
the waste due to applying excessive amounts of the chemicals,
contribute to increasing the operating costs. And insufficient
amounts of additive or long periods between applications of
successive additive charges suggest poor service quality or lack of
maintenance as manifested by strong sewage odors.
[0013] Thus, there is a need for a simple, inexpensive, system for
providing an adequate "charge" or amount of chemical additive on a
consistent, periodic, basis, without depending upon the manual
service calls and the manual applications, particularly with
toilets which have a water-flush system. In the case of a
water-flush system, which may use fresh water or gray water, there
is also a need to reduce unsanitary appearances and odor problems,
which frequently arise by the failure of a toilet user to flush the
toilet after use.
[0014] Hence, the invention herein is concerned with providing an
additive charge system which operates during the normal flushing of
the toilet so as to minimize or alleviate the foregoing
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The invention herein contemplates a simplified chemical
additive charging system which is installed in a portable restroom
toilet for injecting small, pre-determined, amounts of chemicals
into the water which flushes the toilet. In general, the system is
applicable to portable restroom toilet systems involving a cabana
or housing containing a waste-holding tank having an upper surface
opening formed as a toilet seat or bowl. Thus, bodily waste is
deposited into the waste-holding tank through the opening. A fresh
water or gray water flush system conveys water into the bowl area
for flushing waste material into the tank. A trap or flap within
the bowl area may temporarily hold deposited waste until the water
flush operates. Alternatively, a direct gravity drop system may be
used. In either event, a flush pump is activated to flush urine and
feces into the waste-holding tank. Simultaneously, the chemical
charging system injects some chemical additive into the flush
water. Conventional chemical additives that are used, typically are
blue in color so that the additives mask the flushed materials for
aesthetic purposes and, simultaneously, inhibit or neutralize odors
emanating from the waste sewerage.
[0016] It is contemplated to operate the system by providing a
source of water which may be a separate water storage tank or a
hook-up to a nearby running water supply system. The water tank may
be positioned either within the housing or at the exterior of the
housing and connected through a conduit to the toilet bowl area.
The water may be pressure-flowed into the bowl area by means of a
suitable pump. The pump may be manually operated so that the toilet
may be manually flushed by the toilet user at appropriate times.
Meanwhile, the additive, which is provided in a separate container,
is drawn into the water-flushing system, through a control valve,
which controls or passes a pre-determined amount of the additive
into the water flow or into the toilet bowl during the flushing
actuation.
[0017] It is further contemplated to provide the chemical additive
in an enlarged bottle-like container which may be loosely placed
upon the upper surface of the waste-holding tank near the toilet
opening. In typical toilet systems, a vent pipe extends upwardly
from the waste tank and then extends outwardly of the housing
either through a sidewall or through the roof of the housing.
Hence, the container may be shaped to fit in the space between the
vent pipe and the wall of the housing. Preferably, it is shaped to
fit within a space at the corner area that is formed between the
juncture of the rear wall and a side wall and the vent pipe of the
housing. With that construction, the bottle-like container may be
filled, as necessary, by maintenance personnel who periodically
service the portable toilets. Otherwise, the container may be
shaped to fit behind the vent pipe and the wall adjacent the vent
pipe. Preferably, the container is shaped to fit closely within the
corner space at the rear of the vent pipe so that it is not
conspicuous. The container has a front wall which is formed with a
vertical channel or depression that partially receives or envelops
the adjacent portion of the vent pipe. Thus, the container is
inconspicuous, that is, it is sufficiently concealed by the pipe so
as to be visually less noticeable to users of the restroom.
[0018] In order to facilitate servicing the charge system, the
container may be formed with a transparent portion or a portion
which is at least sufficiently transparent to permit a
serviceperson to view the level of the contents in the container.
That portion would be arranged along the side of the vent pipe,
substantially clear of obstruction by the pipe, so as to be visible
to a serviceperson who is standing within the housing and looking
rearwardly towards the pipe at the back wall. Thus, the amount of
fluid within the container can be readily observed and the
container may be either removed and replaced with a fresh filled
container or, alternatively, the container may be refilled by the
serviceperson at that time.
[0019] Consequently, an objective of this invention is to provide a
system wherein chemical additives are positioned within a typical
portable restroom toilet, in a manner that the container holding
the additive is substantially inconspicuous and yet its contents
may be easily observed by a serviceperson who can quickly and
efficiently remove and replace, or can refill, a container when
necessary.
[0020] Another object of this invention is to provide a chemical
charging system which will automatically inject relatively small,
pre-measured amounts, of chemical additives into the flush water
when the flush water is pumped through the toilet bowl area for
flushing purposes. Similarly, this system would operate to provide
additives within a sump area of the waste-holding tank at the time
flush water is passed into the tank by the actuation of the flush
pump.
[0021] Yet another object of this invention is to provide a
simplified system for enhancing the flush system in a portable
chemical toilet by substantially reducing obnoxious odors and
masking unaesthetic appearing materials in the toilet.
[0022] It is a further object of this invention to provide a
relatively inexpensive, simplified system which requires minimal
labor for installation and servicing, for automatically injecting
into the flush water system chemical additives each time that the
flush system is operated for flushing waste material into the
waste-holding tank.
[0023] These and other objects and advantages of this invention
will become apparent upon reading the following description, of
which the attached drawings form a part.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a portable
restroom with an additive container.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing an
additive container placed behind a vent pipe in the corner area
formed by the intersection of the rear and a side wall.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional, plan view taken in
the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, schematic, cross-sectional view of
the toilet and lower portion of the cabana.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a chemical additive
container.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a top, plain view showing the container positioned
against a vent pipe.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the flushing system
and including the water flush and additive charging system.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the flushing system
with a top plan view of the toilet bowl and bowl flush conduit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates schematically,
in perspective, a conventional portable restroom 10. The restroom
comprises a cabana or housing 11 formed with sidewalls 12, a rear
wall 13 and a front wall 14. The front wall is provided with an
entry opening which is closed by a door 15 connected by hinges (not
shown) along one of the jambs of the opening. The door is provided
with conventional door handles or knobs 16 which may include a
latching device for fastening the door in close position when the
restroom is in use.
[0033] The door is provided with screened openings 17. Similarly,
the sidewalls are provided with screened openings 18.
[0034] The floor of the cabana is formed by a floor panel 19 which
is supported upon structural beams 20 (see FIG. 2). Further, a roof
21 is positioned over the upper edges of the walls. The walls 12,
13 and 14, and the floor panel 19 and the roof 21 are secured
together in conventional manners to form the substantially rigid,
small cabana or housing 11. A typical vent pipe 22 extends upwardly
through the roof 21, to assist in removing odors from the unit, as
will be described below. The vent pipe may, alternatively, be
extended, somewhere along its length, horizontally through one of
the adjacent side or rear walls and then upwards and outwardly for
venting purposes.
[0035] The cabana is mounted upon skids 23, which enable supporting
the cabana upon ground and sliding it short distances as may be
necessary for properly locating the cabana in a usable
position.
[0036] A waste-holding tank 25 is arranged within the cabana for
the receipt and storage of bodily waste materials. A toilet opening
26 is formed on the upper surface of the tank. As illustrated in
the drawings at FIGS. 1-3, a portion of the upper surface of the
holding tank may be depressed or recessed to form a recessed part
27 within which the toilet opening 26 is formed. A suitable toilet
seat 28 may be mounted above and around the opening in the tank
surface. The seat may be hinged for lifting it upwardly out of the
way or may be statically mounted on the tank.
[0037] In many conventional portable restroom toilets, a toilet
bowl 29 (see FIG. 4) may be positioned below the opening in the
tank surface and extended beneath that opening. In turn, the bowl
has a lower opening 30 into the waste-holding tank. In some such
toilet units, a hinged trap or flap 31 is arranged to normally
close the lower opening in the bowl. The trap or flap may be
weight-operated so that upon deposit of waste material upon the
trap, along with flush water, the flap or trap will swing
downwardly to open the bowl into the tank. Conventional mechanisms
may be used for the purpose of holding the flap or trap in a
closing position and for permitting it to swing downwardly upon use
and to return to its upper closing position.
[0038] In portable restroom toilet constructions where water is
provided for flushing purposes, a water tank 33 may be positioned,
for example, at the outside of the rear wall of the cabana. The
water tank normally has a water tank refill nozzle or opening 34,
which may be closed with a suitable cover or cap, so that the tank
may be refilled with water periodically, as needed, during the
normal maintenance or servicing of the unit. Alternatively, where
available, a separate water source (not shown) may be hooked up by
a hose to the cabana for providing flush water. Since these types
of portable toilets are frequently used in areas where a continuous
running water supply is not nearby, a separate water tank is
necessary.
[0039] A flush system which provides flush water, on demand, to
flush the toilet bowl, is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 7 and
8. The system includes a water line 35 from the water tank or water
source to the toilet bowl. The water line includes one or more
check valves 36 which prevent the water from backing from the bowl
into the water tank. These are conventional valves, that are
commercially available. The water line also includes a mix valve 37
and a check valve 38 within or adjacent the mix valve, again to
prevent water from flowing backwards to the mix valve and then into
the water tank.
[0040] A section 39 of the water line extends to a water
distribution pipe 40 which is installed within the bowl along the
upper portions of the bowl. The pipe, for example, may be U-shaped
and perforated so as to distribute streams of water into the bowl
for flushing purposes when the flushing system is operated. Other
types of distribution devices may be used for distributing water
within the bowl for flushing. Various commercially available or
conventional devices are used for this purpose and the particular
device utilized is not pertinent to the invention herein.
[0041] In order to flush the toilet, a conventional pump 42 is
provided. The pump may be a foot-operated device located on the
floor of the cabana adjacent the front of the waste-holding tank.
Alternatively, a hand-operated pump which may be provided, for
example, upon the upper surface of the waste-holding tank for
manual operation of the pump. The pump may be manually operated or,
alternatively, an electrically-operated pump may be used where
electrical connections are available. A line 43 from the pump
connects the pump to the mix valve or the water line 35 which
extends from the water-holding tank 33 to the water-flushing
distribution device 40.
[0042] The flushing system described above is known and is
available in various versions. The invention herein contemplates
adding to the known flushing system within a conventional portable
restroom toilet arrangement, a chemical charging system for
injecting chemical additives into the flushes when the flush system
is operated. The chemical charging system includes a container 45
or bottle within which the chemical additive material is stored and
is removed in increments as each flush is activated.
[0043] The container 45, preferably includes a front wall which is
provided with a groove or indentation 46 of the size and shape to
receive an adjacent portion of the vent pipe 22 (see FIG. 6). The
container also includes angled rear walls 47 which may fit adjacent
to or in contact with the corner 47 formed by the connected edges
of the rear and a sidewall of the cabana. Thus, it is contemplated
to position the container within the space between the vent pipe
and the adjacent portions of the side and rear walls, that is, in
the corner space rearwardly of the vent pipe. Thus, the container
is relatively inconspicuous within the cabana.
[0044] Preferably, the container may be removed, when empty, and
replaced with a filled container during routine servicing or
maintenance of the restroom. Alternatively, it may remain in place
and be refilled with chemical additive materials as needed.
[0045] To facilitate the refilling or the determination as to when
the container requires more material, the front wall 48 of the
container includes a vertical, panel-like, portion 49 adjacent the
groove 46. That portion of the container may be transparent or
translucent to provide a window through which the contents of the
container may be visibly determined by an observer. The entire
container may be formed of a translucent or relatively transparent
material or only that one portion of the container may be formed as
the viewing window. Index markings 50 on the portion 49 may be
provided to visibly indicate the quantity of liquid additive
remaining in the container.
[0046] The container is provided with a refill spout 52 which is
covered by a cap 53. For security, a lock (not shown) may be
mounted on the cap to keep the cap from being removed by an
unauthorized person. The particular lock may vary, where a lock is
used.
[0047] The container also is provided with a discharge spout 54
which may be in the form of a conventional tube coupling and a
short tubular extension positioned in either a side or front or
rear wall section of the container. Alternatively, a threaded
opening instead of a coupling, may be formed in the wall of the
container for that purpose. A conduit or discharge line 55 is
connected to the tube coupling spout or discharge tube or connected
to the threaded opening to deliver additive from the container to a
metering or measuring dispenser 56 and then through a check valve
57 to the mix valve 37. The volume of the additive is controlled by
the metering or measuring dispenser. The chemical additive is mixed
with the flush water and carried into the toilet bowl along with
the flush water.
[0048] Mixing and metering control devices which control the amount
of fluid passing through the dispenser when actuated, are
commercially available. Various available devices can be utilized
for this purpose, depending upon the cost and the durability of the
device. Thus, the particular metering dispenser which is utilized
here can be varied and can be selected by those skilled in the art
to fulfill the purpose of passing a measured, pre-determined,
amount of additive liquid from the container into the flush water
line when the flush water line is actuated by operating the
pump.
[0049] As mentioned above, the container is fitted within the
corner space 59 behind the vent pipe which is conventionally used
to remove odors from the waste storage tank. The pipe obscures the
container. Hence, because the container is inconspicuous, most
users of the restroom will not observe or pay attention to the
container, leaving it undisturbed. The container, during a service
call by a serviceperson, can be visually observed from a position
located within the housing in front of the waste tank.
Particularly, the markings 50 on the exposed front edge portion of
the container can be viewed to determine the level of additive
within the container. That would easily indicate to the maintenance
person when the additive level in the container should be restored
by adding more additive to the container or that the container
should be removed and replaced with a filled container.
[0050] When the toilet bowl is flushed by activating the pump,
urine and feces collected within the toilet bowl upon the bowl trap
will slide off and dump into the waste-holding tank. By way of
example, the trap may be calibrated to close under the flushing
action and, in addition, may be calibrated to retain a small
amount, as for example, four fluid ounces of chemical additive
either with or without some flush water so that the toilet bowl
contains a small amount of liquid between flushes, That will
provide a more pleasant fragrance and a more aesthetic appearance
to the users of the restroom.
[0051] The line from the additive container may be arranged to
supply the chemical additive, through the connection conduit, to
the flush device within the toilet bowl, separately from the flush
water tank that is entering the bowl when the flush is operated.
That is, by a direct connection, additive may be placed within the
bowl by the distribution device during or immediately after the
flushing has occurred, in which case, a pre-determined, small
amount of additive will enter the toilet bowl, after the flap or
trap is closed following flushing, and the additive will remain
within the bowl. That limited amount of additive will provide a
liquid covering of the trap within the bowl. Because of a blue or
other coloring, the chemical odor will mask sewerage odors from the
tank as well as any unsightly appearances of the bowl to the
user.
[0052] The particular chemical additive used may be selected by
those skilled in the art from available toilet chemicals. By way of
example, a fluid ounce of a commercial additive chemical may be
mixed with a much larger amount of water, such as an ounce of
chemical to 64 fluid ounces of water, in the container. That volume
may be sufficient, for example, to treat 30 gallons of sewerage
generated from 20 gallons of water from the fresh water reservoir
that is used to flush the bowl. Hence, a limited, relatively small
and exact amount, of chemical additives may be consistently used.
That helps to control the costs of operating the restroom. By using
a limited amount of additives, the bowl can have a fresh smell or
odor each time the bowl is flushed and the effects of the additive
will last a longer time because of the regular small amounts of
additive injected into the system. That is, the effects of the
chemicals will not dissipate or dilute in the waste tank during
interims between servicing the portable restroom.
[0053] Different types of additive injector valves or measuring or
metering valves are commercially available. Thus, the selection of
the valves depends upon obtaining a commercially available valve of
a size to fit within the unit, which will reliably dispense
pre-determined quantities of additive needed on a regular basis,
and a valve that is economical and easily installable by
conventional plumbing methods. Thus, the particular metering or
dispensing valve selected is not significant, other than that it be
properly selected from those that are available on the market.
[0054] Having fully described an operative embodiment of this
invention, it is desired that the foregoing description be read as
merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of this invention and
not in a limiting sense. Thus, the invention may be further
developed within the scope of the following claims.
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