Dry Closet

Abstract

A dry closet comprises a vessel having an open top and provided with a seat member adjacent the open top. A receptacle holding member is positioned within the vessel and includes a lower container receiving portion and an upper, foraminous, portion. A disposable receptacle is positioned on the holding member prior to use. The receptacle includes a container portion, preferably in the form of a closeable box, and a bag portion much larger in volume than the box when extended upwards of the box in unfolded condition. The bag is closed at the bottom and open at its top and is secured at its lower end within the box and forms a water tight receptacle bag within the vessel. A rim portion at the upper, open, end of the bag is placeable over the upper surface of the seat portion at the top of the vessel. The receptacle holding member and receptacle thus divided the vessel into a first, closed, chamber comprising the space between the vessel walls and the receptacle holding member aNd a second chamber having an open top comprising the space within the receptacle holding member. With the receptacle in place, vacuum is applied to the first chamber thus causing the receptacle to be held in place against the foraminous upper portion of the receptacle holding member. During use, the second chamber is ventilated, utilizing a vacuum source. After use, the top area of the bag is folded together and evacuated using the ventilation vacuum source, such that the walls collapse without entraining air in the bag. The bag is then rolled down on itself until it is within the box container. The box container is then closed and sealed and stored for subsequent disposal. The individual closed boxes are preferably stored in larger carriers capable of carrying several used boxes to a disposal site. The invention is particularly suited to marine use since no waste products are discharged overboard and since pumping-out facilities, necessary for use with holding tank devices, are not required ashore.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sanitary collection of wastes. More particularly, the invention relates to dry closets and to disposable receptacles for wastes useful therewith.

Dry closets are useful in many instances where the disposal of waste is inconvenient, unsanitary or, often, illegal. For example, in space applications, disposal of waste is impractical and waste material is usually stored for subsequent disposal. Similarly, in remote areas such as construction sites and campsites, and in boats or vehicles such as campers, trailers, and the like, waste disposal is difficult. The problem with boats is particularly acute, especially in confined waters, and there is a great deal of legislative endeavor to regulate the disposal of wastes from boats and ships. In small boats, the most widely used type of marine toilet is a wet closet with through-hull fittings wherein the waste is simply flushed out into the water using the water itself as flushing water. There is a general legislative trend away from this type of device: New York State, for example, has made this type of device illegal.

There are three main alternatives to the conventional marine toilet mentioned above: chemical treatment, principally the macerator-chlorinator; holding tank; and dry closet. In the macerator-chlorinator device, wastes are chemically treated on board and then dumped overboard. There are several major drawbacks to these systems. First, they require storage of chemicals and processing equipment. Second, the end product which is dumped overboard has an oxygen demand and thus removes biologically needed oxygen from the water. Third, while the waste material is supposed to be sterilized by chemicals, heat is a practical necessity to truly sterilize human waste materials and the material dumped overboard is therefor rarely truly sterile.

Holding tanks avoid almost all of these problems but cause new problems. First, suitable pumping equipment must be available ashore. This usually means that, on returning to shore, the boat will have to stand in line waiting to be pumped out. Second, the holding tank must be of a finite size which places a limit on the duration of a voyage. Very importantly, a majority of marinas have limited sewage disposal ability by virtue of their waterfront location, and legislation contemplating the mandatory invocation of their facilities simply begs the question by shifting the potential water pollution source from the boat to the waterfront institution.

Dry closets avoid the problems associated with both of the foregoing types of marine toilets but have themselves suffered from several drawbacks including odors, leaky containers, and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dry closet which is essentially odor free. It is a further object to provide a receptacle for a dry closet which is inexpensive, reliable, leak free and operable with a maximum of facility and fastidiousness.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are achieved according to the present invention by providing a dry closet comprising a seat member adjacent the open top of the vessel, a receptacle holding member positioned within the vessel, the receptacle holding member comprising a lower container-receiving portion and a foraminous upper portion secured to the container-receiving portion and diverging outwardly upwardly of the container-receiving portion and secured adjacent an upper portion of the vessel, the lower container-receiving portion and the foraminous upper portion together defining a member for holding a receptacle within said dry closet, the receptacle holding member having air permeable walls and dividing the vessel into a first chamber portion in the space between the receptacle holding member and the walls of the vessel, the first chamber portion being capable of being made air tight by placing a foldable, imperforate, bag-like receptacle in the receptacle holding member, and into a second chamber portion in the space within the receptacle holding member, first duct means for removing gas from the first chamber portion, and second duct means for removing gas from the second chamber portion. There is also provided a disposable box-like storage receptacle for the dry closet which comprises a closeable, self-supporting container having a closeable opening in the top thereof, a closeable flexible bag secured at its bottom to the inner surface of the box-like container and conforming to the inner air-permeable surface forming therewith a closed end of the flexible bag, the upper end of the bag being open, the opening in the upper end being larger than the opening in the top of the container, the bag thus including a volume when extended upwardly of the container, the volume of said upwardly extending portion of the bag being at least three times the volume of the container, the bag being waterproof and including a flexible rim portion at its upper, open, end, the rim portion being capable of extending generally outwardly of the upwardly extending portion for placing the rim on the surface of a dry closet seat with which the receptacle is used, the upwardly extending portion of the bag and the rim portion of the bag being capable of being placed in the container after use, and means for closing the container to enclose the bag therein after use. In use, the disposable receptacle is positioned in the second chamber portion with its self-supporting container being located within the container receiving portion, the flexible rim portion of the bag being positioned over the upper surface of the annular rim member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There follows a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, together with accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the detailed description and accompanying drawings are provided solely for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment and that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable receptacle for use with a dry closet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 shown closed.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional elevation through the bottom portion of the receptacle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dry closet useful with a receptacle as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional elevation of the dry closet of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the device of FIG. 4 shown with a receptacle according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 shown in the process of being folded down into its lower portion;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a portion of an alternative dry closet according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a disposable receptacle 10 according to the invention for use with a dry closet. The receptacle includes a container 11, a closeable, flexible bag 12 and a flexible rim portion 13. The container is self-supporting, and has a closeable opening in the top thereof. By "self-supporting" is meant that the container material and construction is such that it retains its shape when filled with waste material. The container material is thus relatively stiff and conventional container material such as corrugated cardboard is suitable. The container is an open-topped box as shown having conventional lids for closing the top opening. The lids 11a, b, c, d may be sealed in closed position by inter-leaving the lids as shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, however, the container is sealed by means of conventional mating flap tape sealable closures commonly used in tape sealed folding boxes since these give a tighter closure and will make a more even top surface which facilitates stacking and storing. The container may take any convenient shape such as square as shown, rectangular, cylindrical, pyramidal, conical, etc. The container may be fabricated from conventional materials including cardboard, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, and may be water-proofed by means of wax coatings, plastic coatings, and the like, either inside, outside, or both.

The volume of the container is sufficient to hold a predetermined amount of waste material in the bottom of bag 12 as well as the bag material itself. In its preferred utilization, the receptacle is used once and not re-used and thus the preferred size of the container is from about 3/4 to 3 quarts, preferably from one to 11/2 quarts.

As shown in FIG. 3, bag 12 is secured in box 11 by means of an adhesive layer 14. Alternatively, bag 12 can be secured within container 11 by any suitable means such as heat sealing, mechanical fasteners, or the like. In any event, it is preferred that the seal is confined to the lower portion of container 11 to permit the upper part of the bag to be freely rolled down into the upper portion of container 11 for storage after use.

Flexible bag portion 12 is fabricated from any conventional flexible waterproof sheet material, preferably a plastic such as polyolefin, vinyl resin, or the like. Preferred materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and other hydrophobic polymer sheets. The thickness of the bag material can vary widely. However, a minimum thickness of about 1.5 mils is preferred to minimize the likelihood of entraining air in the bag during closure thereof. The maximum thickness is conveniently about 10 or 15 mils although thicker stock can be used provided the bag is flexible. A preferred range of thickness is 1.5 to 10 mils, and still more preferably, about 2 and 6 mils. It is preferred that the sheet material is highly hydrophobic to prevent adhesion of fecal materials such as bile salts and degraded protein which have extremely low surface tension. The surfaces of hydrophobic stock sheet materials such as polyethylene may carry lubricants and surfactants and the like which would make them wetting to fecal materials. Thus, it is preferably to coat the inner bag surface with hydrophobic materials such as zinc stearate, polyethylene dust, talc, aluminum powder, Teflon powder, silicone spray, or the like. This not only inhibits adhesion of fecal materials, but prevents adhesion of adjacent bag surfaces.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the bottom of bag 12 is closed. However, it will be understood that it can be open, provided that the inner surface of box 11 is waterproof and further provided that there is a peripheral waterproof seal between the bag and the inner surface of box 11.

The wall 15 of bag 12 above box 11 preferably flares outwardly when the bag is extended upwardly of the container as illustrated in FIG. 1. The exact shape can vary widely and a conical shape is preferred. The upper end of the bag is open, and the opening is larger than the opening at the upper end of container 11. The size of the bag is such that when extended upwardly as shown in FIG. 1, the volume inside the bag, exclusive of the portion in the container, is at least three times the volume of the container and preferably three to six times that volume.

Flexible rim portion 13 is secured to bag portion 12 and is preferably fabricated of the same material and is preferably an integral extension of the bag material. Although the rim portion is shown as being flange-like, it will be understood that it may simply be constituted by the upper portion of the bag which portion, like the bag, may be cylindrical. In any event, rim portion 13 is capable of being placed over the upper surface of the seat of a dry closet with which the device is used. In the illustrated embodiment, a relatively stiff sealing member 16 is pivotally secured to rim portion 13. Sealing member 16 may be stiff plastic, cardboard, or the like. It is pivotally attached to rim portion 13 in any convenient manner such as by adhesive, heat seal, or mechanical fastener.

The receptacle 10 of FIG. 1 is preferably used in a dry closet 19 as shown in FIG. 4. The dry closet includes a cylindrical vessel 20 open at the top and having a seat member 21 positioned adjacent the top of vessel 20. A receptacle holding member 22 is positioned within the vessel and includes a lower container receiving portion 23 and a foraminous upper portion 24 secured to the container-receiving portion and diverging outwardly upwardly therefrom. The foraminous portion is secured at its upper end to the upper portion of the vessel, preferably such that the edge of its open end is located adjacent the inner edge 25 of seat member 21 as shown in FIG. 5. The upper portion of vessel 20 may be provided with a flange member 26 secured thereto or integral therewith underneath seat portion 21 for securing receptacle holding member 22. In that case, the upper end of foraminous portion 24 may be provided with an outwardly extending lip portion 27 which is positioned adjacent the upper surface of flange member 26 to locate holding member 22 in position in vessel 20. Container-receiving portion 23 and foraminous upper portion 24 together define a member for holding a waste-receiving receptacle within the dry closet. The shape and size of receptacle holding member 22 is selected to hold a particular waste-receiving receptacle, in this case, the receptacle shown in FIGS. 1-3. Accordingly, container portion 23 is shaped and sized to hold container portion 11 of the receptacle, and foraminous portion 24 is shaped and sized to accomodate bag portion 12 of the receptacle.

Receptacle holding member 22 divides vessel 20 into two chamber portions, a first chamber portion 28, and a second chamber portion 29. First chamber portion 28 is located between receptacle holding member 22 and side wall 30 and bottom wall 31 of vessel 20 and is capable of being made air-tight by placing an imperforate receptacle, such as that shown in FIGS. 1-3, in receptacle holding member 22. Second chamber 29 is located within receptacle holding member 22 and is open at its top.

The dry closet also includes a first duct 32 for removing gas from first chamber 28 and a second duct 33 for removing gas from second chamber 29. First duct 32 includes a first valve 34 for regulating the flow of gas within duct 32 to regulate the pressure within first chamber portion 28. Second duct 33 includes a second valve 35 for regulating the flow of gas within duct 33 to regulate the withdrawal of gas from second chamber portion 29.

Seat portion 21 is secured to the top of vessel 20 in any suitable manner and is preferably removably secured such as by mechanical fastening means such as bolts 36 passing through seat portion 21 and flange member 26. In this event, the upper heads of the bolts are preferably smooth and fit within recesses in the upper surface of seat portion 21 to present a smooth upper seat surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the seat is hinged at 37 such that the forward portion 38 is capable of being raised in the direction of arrow 39 until the upper surface of front portion 38 is adjacent the upper surface of rear portion 40 of seat 21. Front portion 38 includes a channel 41 in its under surface for receiving the upper edge 42 of side wall 30 of vessel 20. The upper surface of edge 42 of side wall 30 is provided with a rubber gasket 43 to provide an air tight seal.

Conduit member 33 is pivotable in the direction of arrow 44 for movement between an inoperable position remote from seat member 21 as shown in FIG. 5, and an operable position shown in FIG. 4. In its operable position, conduit 33 is positioned in slot 45 provided in the upper surface of the rear portion of seat member 21. When conduit 33 is in its operable position, and placed over the rim portion of a receptacle located in receptacle holding member 22 with the rim portion placed over seat member 21, channel 46 of stop-cock valve 35 is in communication with a source of vacuum such as exhaust blower 47 through conduit members 48 and 49. Thus, gas in second chamber 29 will be withdrawn through the open end 50 of conduit 33 positioned in the second chamber. Conduit 33 is shaped such that when insetted into slot 45, it presents a smooth upper surface contiguous with the upper surface of seat 21. On moving conduit 33 into its inoperable position, valve 35 disconnects conduit 33 from blower 47 thus terminating the withdrawal of gas therefrom. While member 33 is illustrated as being pivotably moveable between its operative and inoperative position with opening 50 out of communication with chamber 29, it will be understood that other arrangements are suitable, such as lateral motion. The forward end 51 of conduit 33 is preferably relatively stiff to be held by a friction fit within slot 45 of seat 21. However, the rear portion of conduit 33 and/or conduit 49 may be flexible to facilitate lateral withdrawal of conduit 33 from slot 45. In a preferred form of the invention, valve 35 for conduit 33 is automatically actuated for exhausting gas from chamber 29 when conduit 33 is in its operative position as shown. This is achieved in the illustrated embodiment by utilizing a stop cock valve 35 which closes conduit 33 when it is pivoted upwards as shown in FIG. 5.

Seat member 21 preferably includes a plurality of apertures 52 positioned at small intervals, say one to five inches, about the periphery of seat member 21 and extending from the upper surface of seat member 21 through flange member 26 to first chamber 28. Seat member 21 also includes a shallow groove 53 extending around its periphery to receive an elastic member, such as a length of shock cord (not shown) for mechanically clamping the rim portion of a waste-receiving receptacle to seat member 21.

To use the dry closet, a waste-receiving rceptacle is placed in the dry closet with container portion 11 in container receiving portion 23, with rim portion 13 on the upper surface of seat member 21, and with bag portion 12 disposed therebetween adjacent foraminous portion 24. Where a mechanical clamping device is used, such as shock cord, the bag is then mechanically secured to the dry closet, such as by positioning the shock cord over rim portion 13 in channel 53. Conduit 33 is positioned in slot 45 over the upper surface of the rim portion 13 of the receptacle thus depressing this portion of rim portion 13 into slot 45 to present a smooth upper seat surface. Sealing flap 16, if provided, is then placed over conduit 33. Valves 34 and 35 are then actuated to provide a vacuum in first chamber 28 and to ventilate second chamber 29. The vacuum in first chamber 28 serves to hold bag portion 12 of the waste receiving receptacle in place on foraminous member 24. Container receiving portion 23 and flange portion 27 of the waste receiving receptacle do not need to be foraminous but may, of course, be foraminous for convenience. For example, in its simplest form, member 22 is a fabricated from wire or plastic screen having a mesh size appropriate to retain bag portion 12 in portion 24 on the foraminous member and portions 23 and 27 of member 22 are conveniently made of the same material. Conventional home window screen has a suitable mesh size. Alternatively, the container receiving portion can be an imperforate container secured to a foraminous screen member which, in turn, is secured to the upper portion of vessel 20. Optional apertures 52 in seat member 21 serve to hold the rim portion 13 of the receptacle on the seat. This arrangement is preferred where no mechanical clamping means are provided for securing the receptacle to the dry closet.

During use, ducts 32 and 33 are maintained open to keep chamber 28 under vacuum and to ventilate second chamber 29. The vacuum in chamber 28 is preferably slight to minimize power requirements, being sufficient to hold bag portion 24 in place. A vacuum of about 1/2 to 5 inches of water will be generally suitable, about 1 inch being optimum since a small pen-light battery operated blower can provide a suitable vacuum source. For boats and other installations which do not have a vacuum source or a suitable power source, vacuum source 47 may be integrally mounted on the dry closet and the dry closet would be provided with a switch for actuating the blower. Alternatively, of course, a hand or foot driven blower can be provided in which case no battery or other power source is required. A simple and practical sort of battery driven exhaust system integral with the toilet shell is a small cooling fan of the type used to ventilate electronic equipment, mounted in the shell to move air outward. An activated carbon filter of the type used to adsorb cooking odors in unvented range hoods is preferably placed on either side of the fan to adsorb any odors pulled from chamber 29. There are many varieties of small 12 volt blowers used in automobiles that are adaptable to this service -- they would simply be used as vacuum pumps, to move relatively large volumes of air at low pressures -- say 50 to 200 cubic feet per minute at 1 inch water head, or less.

The purpose of duct 33 is twofold. First, it is utilized to ventilate chamber portion 29 to minimize odor. This will be very efficient when the user sits on seat portion 21 since chamber 29 will be closed except for a small area towards the front thereof. Thus, odors will be very effectively removed from chamber 29 and vented from blower 47 to a remote area by conduits not shown. This is very important in boats and other installations where toilets are provided in cramped quarters which are prone to lingering odors.

Secondly, duct 33 is utilized to assist in closing the waste receptacle after use. Valve 32 is closed to disconnect chamber 28 from vacuum. Chamber 28 may be vented to atmosphere in any convenient manner such as by opening a vent port (not shown) which may be actuated by closing valve 34. In any event, with a low vacuum of about 1 inch of water, it is not necessary to vent chamber 28. Any mechanical clamping device, such as shock cord, is removed to free the rim portion 13 of the waste receptacle from the dry closet. After chamber 28 is disconnected from vacuum, the front portion of rim portion 13 of the waste receptacle is raised in the direction of arrow 39 and placed over the rear portion 40 of seat 21 such that the upper end of bag 12 closes upon itself. Conduit 33, however, remains in position with its open end 50 within the closing bag and thus removes gas (and odor) from within bag to assist in closing same. The bag is preferably opaque and thus the closing operation is made as aesthetic as possible and sanitary. After the bag is evacuated, the bag sides are folded together at the top as shown in FIG. 6. Conduit 33 is then removed and the bag is then rolled down into container 11 as shown in FIG. 7. Where rim portion 13 of the receptacle is provided with a stiff sealing flap 16, this is conveniently used to assist in the following down step. The bag is rolled down into container 11 and the container is then closed as shown in FIG. 2 and stored for subsequent disposal. The bag portion 12 and container portion 11 of the receptacle are sized such that, after a normal use, the bag, when rolled down, will fit within the upper portion of container portion 11. Sealing member 16, if provided, preferably has a length slightly smaller than a dimension of container 11 (for example the diagonal of a square container 11) such that the bag, rolled on the sealing member, is wedged into the box to assist in sealing. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, bag 12 may be provided with one or more sealing strips comprising a flexible plastic strip 55 secured to bag 12 and including a removable strip 56 covering adhesive layer on strip 55 for placing over the rolled down portion of bag 12 inside container 11. Container 11 may be sealed shut in any convenient way such as by inter-leaving the closure lids as shown in FIG. 2 or by an adhesive sealing strip or by any conventional closure means. Preferably, the container includes indicia to indicate that it has or has not been used, such as color-coded adhesive labels or the like. In a preferred embodiment, a color-coded adhesive label is used both to seal container 11 and to indicate that it is ready for disposal.

After removing a used receptacle, a fresh receptacle is inserted in the dry closet and, if mechanical clamping means are provided, it is clamped in position in the dry closet. The vacuum is preferably inoperable during periods of non-use to conserve power.

In the illustrated embodiment, the method of closing the bag is made somewhat more aesthetic by providing a hinged lid. After use, and after removing any interfering clamping means, the front portion of seat 21 is pivoted on hinge 37 in the direction of arrow 39 to close the bag over conduit 33. Otherwise, the operation is substantially as described for a non-hinged seat.

Where a hinged seat is employed, the seat may be automatically raised to close the bag. This can be accomplished by any suitable arrangement such as a damped spring, ropes and pulleys, or the like. Where the seat is raised automatically by a spring, the dry closet will include a latch or other member releasably locking the forward portion of the hinged seat in the down position. The bag is thus closed simply by releasing the latch and the bag is then rolled down and stored as described above. Since the bag is opaque and the user touches only the outside surface, the operation is sanitary and aesthetic.

An alternative form of mechanical clamp for securing the receptacle to the dry closet is illustrated in FIG. 7. The seat portion 60 of the dry closet includes a peripheral lip 61 at its lower edge. An annular hoop or bail member 62 pivotally mounted at 63 at the rear of seat 60 is a close fit with the outer periphery of seat 60 and is moveable downwardly to lie just above lip 61 to clamp the rim portion of the receptacle to seat 60. The receptacle is released simply by lifting the bail. In the illustrated embodiment, the seat is hinged at 63 and raising the forward edge 64 of seat 60 will release bail 62 from the front portion 64 of seat 60 since its pivot point is located rearwardly of hinge 63 and above a horizontal plane passing through hinge 63.

A deodorizing agent may be provided within the waste receiving receptacle. By "deodorizing agent" is meant any agent which minimizes odor, either by masking same and/or by inhibiting the degradation which causes odor. Urea hydrolysis inhibitors and bacteristats are preferred. The agents are preferably dry powders simply provided within the receptacles either by the manufacturer or the user and suitable agents include pine oil, stable dry bleach, the sodium salt of cyanuric acid chloride, and sodium perborate.

The used containers are preferably disposed of by incineration. In a preferred method of operation, the user is provided with a standard carrier for holding a suitable number of individual receptacles, such as six to twelve. The receptacles can be provided with their container portion in a ready-to-use configuration or, in the case of conventional foldable containers, they may be provided in a collapsed condition in which case they are simply unfolded into assembled form prior to use. In any event, after use, the used containers are carried to a collection location for processing. In a marina, the collection station could be located near already existing trash collection facilities and would require virtually no capital outlay. This is a distinct advantage over shore pumping facilities for pumping out holding tanks which, even in the smallest marina, would require considerable capital outlay, maintenance and eventual replacement. Furthermore, marinas are generally located in low lying areas where sewer systems cannot be installed. Accordingly, the pumped-out material would also be required to be hauled away from the marina and this would involve considerable additional expense in view of the large amount of flushing water used with holding tank systems. It will therefore be readily apparent that the present system offers considerable advantages over presently existing systems of waste disposal, particularly for marine use.

The dry closet can be mounted in a boat or other installation in any convenient manner such as by releasable mechanical fasteners such as wing nuts. A hinged lid 65 (FIG. 8) may be provided if desired. The outlet ducts for the ventilating system can vent the gas to virtually any desired location such as out the transom of a boat. Boats having enclosed inboard engines generally are provided with exhaust systems for ventilating bilges, engine rooms, etc, which are required by law as well as outboard exhaust therefor. These systems are readily modified to provide vacuum for the present dry closet. In smaller boats not so equipped, in trailers, campers, portable toilets, and the like, the dry closet can be provided with its own exhaust blower which can be mechanically powered or powered by either the boat's or its own power supply such as a wet-or dry-cell battery.

The improvements in sanitary waste disposal from boats and in other installations provided by the present systems include;

1. No liquid or solid sanitary wastes are discharged to the environment, so that all existing or future standards for effluents can be readily met.

2. No flushing water is required. Plumbing of the toilet or head area is simplified. There are no aerosols from flushing.

3. The toilet area is ventilated and deodorized when in use.

4. The volumes and weights of waste materials to be handled are reduced to a minimum.

5. Wastes are ultimately disposed in adequate systems at a distance from their origins. The local environment is protected.

6. The system is not "primitive." Handling of wastes has been made as mechanically simple and fastidious as any dry system can be. A wide range of toilet designs may be used to satisfy tastes, but all use the same basic collection disposal units and supply collection cartons.

7. The system uses a low pressure ventilation arrangement to combine three processes (a) the ventilation of the toilet, (b) holding the collecting bag and seat cover in place, and (c) exhausting excess air from the filled collecting unit.

8. The system provides a disposable collection that is standardized and easily handled. The volumes of the unit containers are adequate for most uses; the volume, size, and weight of the collector cartons are favorable for storage and handling.

9. The system is aesthetically acceptable. The combination of disposable seat cover, included bacteristat-deodorant, and tight sealing and near-automatic confinement in standard units eliminates major objections to dry disposal processes.

10. The packaged wastes can be handled as solid wastes and disposed in community incinerators or through special contract disposal services. Wastes can be unloaded quickly, without waiting for pump out. The interim storage period is not limited by development of nuisance.

11. The system is applicable to many types of temporary and mobile habitats -- small boats, larger cruisers and yachts, construction groups, campers, public meetings, permanent and transient campsites, etc.

12. Power requirements are minimal, and the inclusion of battery powered exhaust fans with inexpensive, replaceable, absorbent odor filters eliminates dependence upon a common exhaust and power supply.

13. Finally, the proposed expedient is naturally appealing to both boat manufacturers and users by virtue of cost, simplicity, ease of maintenance, and elimination of costly and hazardous through-hull inlet and outlet plumbing connections.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A dry closet comprising:

a vessel having an open top;

a seat member adjacent the open top of said vessel;

a receptacle holding member positioned within said vessel, said receptacle holding member comprising a lower container receiving portion and a foraminous upper portion having an air permeable surface secured to said container receiving portion and diverging outwardly upwardly of said container receiving portion and secured adjacent an upper portion of said vessel, said lower container receiving portion and said foraminous upper portion together defining a member for holding a receptacle within said dry closet; said receptacle holding member dividing said vessel into a first chamber portion in the space between said receptacle holding member and the walls of said vessel, said first chamber portion being capable of being made air tight by placing an imperforate receptacle in said receptacle holding member, and into a second chamber portion in the space within said receptacle holding member;

first duct means for removing gas from said first chamber portion; and

second duct means for removing gas from said second chamber portion.

2. A dry closet according to claim 1 wherein said foraminous upper portion of said receptacle holding member is secured adjacent the inner edge of said annular seat member.

3. A dry closet according to claim 1 wherein said first duct means includes first valve means for regulating the flow of gas within said first duct means to regulate the pressure within said first chamber portion.

4. A dry closet according to claim 1 wherein said second duct means includes second valve means for regulating the flow of gas within said second duct means to regulate the withdrawal of gas from said second chamber portion.

5. A dry closet according to claim 1 wherein said seat portion includes a channel in its upper surface for receiving said first duct means.

6. A dry closet according to claim 5 wherein said first duct means comprises a conduit member moveable into an operative position in said channel with an open end positioned in said second chamber portion for removing gas therefrom.

7. A dry closet according to claim 6 including means for actuating said second valve means for removing gas from said second chamber portion upon moving said conduit member into said operative position.

8. A dry closet according to claim 1 further including means for withdrawing gas from said first and second chamber portions through said first and second duct means.

9. A dry closet according to claim 2 wherein said annular seat portion includes a plurality of perforations for holding a flexible sheet material adjacent its upper surface when a vacuum is maintained within said first chamber portion.

10. A dry closet according to claim 1 including means for mechanically securing a receptacle to said dry closet.

11. A dry closet according to claim 1 including a hinged lid for covering said second chamber portion.

12. A dry closet according to claim 5 wherein said annular seat member includes a forward portion and a rear portion, said rear portion including said channel, said front portion being hingedly secured to said rear portion for swinging said front portion over said rear portion to place the upper surfaces of said front and rear portions in adjacency.

13. A dry closet according to claim 1 including a disposable receptacle according to claim 1, said disposable receptacle being positioned in said second chamber portion with its self-supporting container being located within said container receiving portion, said flexible rim portion of said bag being positioned over the upper surface of said annular rim member.