CA1195454A - Portable toilet holding tank spout - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A portable toilet comprises a spout via which accu-mulated waste contents are dumped at a suitable sanitary disposal station. The disclosed embodiment of portable toilet comprises separably mounted seat and holding tank sections which cooperatively define a storage housing for the spout when it is not in use. For dumping the two sections are separated. The spout is rotatably mounted in an aperture in the top wall of the holding tank and is swung from its stored position and a cap at the end of the spout is unscrewed. A
vent valve is also provided in the top wall of the holding tank and it is manually operated by the person dumping the holding tank so as to vent the head space during dumping.

Description

I~Q~NK SPOUT

BACKGROIJND AND SUMMA~Y OF THE INVENTION
Thls inventiorl relates ~c: portable ~oile~ and is particularly concerned with a new and improved arrangemetlt for emp~ying the contents o~ the holdirag ~nk of a portable 5 toilet.
A number of co~unonly assigned paterlts dis lose portable toilets of the ~ype which eomprise a holding ~ank section and ~ sea~ sec~ion separably mounted on th! holding tank section. The seat section comprises a bowl wi~h a bot-10 tom ou~let which registers with an opening in the top wall of~he holding tank. ~en the ~wo sec~ion~ are mounced together the bowl outlet is in sealed relationship wi~ch the opening in ~he top wall o:~ the holding t~TIk. A valve in ~he holding tank is disposed at the opening and when the valva is operated ~he 15 contents o ~he bowl drop in~o ~he holding ~ank~ The accumu~-lated contents of the holding tank are dumped :Erom time ~o tlme at suitabl~ sanltary disposal s~atio~sO
One usual practice has been ~o provide a ~hreaded : boss circum~cribing an outlct op~ning and a ~hre~ded cap threaded onto the boss to close ~he opening~ When the 60ntent8 axe to be dumped, the cap i8 un~cr~w~d and the was~Q materi~l8 poured out.
The presPnt inven~ion is direc~ed to a new and improved arrangement for dumping ~he content~ of the holding tank, and onP of i~s advantages is tha~ ~he dumping proc~dur~
is more convenient and can ~e accomplished with less concern for back-splashing o~ the waste discharge.
Further advantages accrue in the disclosed preferr~d embo~iment o~ th~ invention in which the improved arrangement comprise~ a rotatably mounted discharge spout on ~he ex~arior of ~he holding tank one ~nd of which its in~o an aperture in ~hQ top wall of ~he holding ~ank and the other end of which i~
closed by a removable cap. The aperture is locateda~ one corner o the top wall of the holding tank and the end o ~he discharge ~pout which fit~ into the apcrtur~ comprise~ a key. A mating key is provided on the aperture, a~d the keys are constructed suoh ~hat the spou~ can be inserted into and removed from ~h~ aper-ture only in one ro~ational position. Th0 spou~ may be ro~ated about the axis of the aper~re away ~rom said one po8i~10n over a range of positions in which the inter-engaged keys prevent separation of the spout from the holding t~nk. The holding tank comprises side walls which meet at the corner of the ~op wall con~aining the aper~ure, ~h~se side walls being generally at a right angle to each other. The aperture key is arranged IO such that the spout can be inserted into and r~moved from it with ~he spou~ overlying the top wall and disposed generally parallel to one of these two side walls. The spou~ may be rotated from this installa~ion andr~moval posi~ion approximately three-quarters o a ~ull eirclP so as to overlie the ~op wall in a position which is generally parallel with the other side wall. This latter position cons~itutes a storage position for the spout . The preferred embodiment is disclos ed as a portable toilet of the type comprising a sea~ section which is separably mo~nted on the holding tank seotion. The two sections are 2Q const~ucted such that they cooperatively define a cavity forming a housin$ for the 8pout when the spout îs in the ~torage posi-tion. In this way the spout i~ essenti~lly concealed from view when ~h~ ~wo sections are mounted together.
In order ~o dump the contents of ~he holding ~ank the two sections are separa~ed and the spout is r~ta~ed away from its s~orage posi~ion ~o a position pointing away from the holdo ing tank. The cap is removed, and the tank is tipped ~o that ~ha waste con~ents ars discharg~d from the ~ar end of the SpOU~.
In order to promote a smooth flowing discharge which is substantially immune from obje~tionable charac~eri~tics 6Uoh as belching, a ve~t valve is provided on the wall of ~he holding tank for venting the interior h~ad ~pace during dumping. Th~
disclo~ed embodimen~ of vent valve compri~es a normally clo~ed spring biased elem~nt with an ac~uator positioned ad~scen~o ~
gripping portion of the toile~ so ~ha~ when the ~oile~ 1~ gr~pped ~or dumping it is particularly convenient for ~he person to operate the verlt valve ac~uator concurren~ with the grasping and ~ipping of the holding tank. After ~he dumping procedure has been completed, the cap is serewed on~c~ ~he spou~, and the SpQU~: iS ~eturned to its stsrage position.
The foregoing features, advarl~ages and be2lefits o~
the invention along with additiorlal oneq, will be seen ln the D ensuing description and claims which shoulcl be oorlsidered in corljunction with the accompanying drawings.
The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the bes~ mode conte~plated at the pre-sent time in carrying ou~ the inven~ion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE l:~AWINGS
Fi~g. 1 is a perspec~ive view having a portion brolcen away Gf an embodiment of portable toilet comprising principles of the pr~sent invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlar,~ed vertieal sectional view ~aken substantially in ~he direction of arrows 2 2 in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 i~ a horizontal sectional vi~w, on a reduced QQ scale, taken in the direction o:e arrows 3-3 in Fig. 2.
~ig. 4 i~ ~ par~ly eacploded p~r~pectiv~ ~rlew, on an enlarged scale, o~ one portion of F:Lg. 1.
Fig~ 5 is a top plan view o o n e elem2n~ ~hown b~ i. self~
Fi~g. 6 is a ri~,h~ side view o Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a fxont view of Fig. 5.
Fig~ 8 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 8-8 in Flg. 7 and enlarged.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view illus~rating ~he dump ing procedure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREF~.RP~ED EMBODIMENT
Fig. 1 illus~rates a portable toil~t 10 ernbodying principles of ~he ~nvention. The ~oile~ comprise~ a seat sec-tion 12 which separably mounts on a holdin~g tank se ::tioaa 14 35 in a con~r~ntiorl~l manne~e. Fig. 1 shows the two 8-3ction8 separated. The seat section 1?. compri~es a bowl 16 and an overlyirlg seat 18 and cove~ 20 which are hingedly mounted on this section. A flush wa~er storage tank or chamber (not viewable~ i s p ro v i de d within the interior of ~eat 5 section i2 and i~ may be filled with fresh water via a ill port 22 which is eovered by a rPmovable cap 24. A pumping mecharlisr~
?6 is also provided or pumping fresh water rom ~he wa~er s torage ehamb~r into bowl 16 ~or use . The bowl comprl~e~ a bottom outle~ ~no~ viewable) which registers with an ~n~et open-10 in~ 28 in the top wall o~ holding ~anlc 14. Opening 28 i8closed by a slide ~alve 30 mounted within the interior of the holding tank. The slide valve is opera~ed by a handle 32 which is disposed a~ ~he fron~ wall of the holding tank 8e~-tioll. In order to open valve 30 the operating handle îs~
15 moved in the directiorl of arrow 34. As valve 30 slides open, the contents of bowl 16 drop into the holding tank. There-after the operating handl~ is mo~7ed in the opposite dlrection to close valsTe 30. In this way holding tank 14 accumulates waste conten~s for later disposal at a sui~cable sani~ary dis-2q posal station. Because of the separable moun~ing of the ~wosectiorls 12 ~nd 14 ~he holding cank s~ction 14 can be removed or d~mping.
Dumpin~g o~ ~he holding ~ank conter:t~ i~ accompllRhed through a diseharge spou~ 36 OTI holdin~; tanl~ 14. Spou~ 36 i8 25 a hollow tubular elem~nt having a ri~Sht ~ngle bend. OTI~ end is operati~ely engaged with the holdin~ tank while the opposite end is closed by a remov~ble eap 38. Details of tha s~out cons~ruction c~n be bas~ se~n in Figs. 4 through 8.
The end O:L~ the spout vn which cap 3~ is di~posed i~
3û provided with an integrally formed screw thraad 40. Cap 3~
has a sirnilar thr~ad which allows t~e cap ta be screwed onco th~ end of the spout to close i~. When the con~en~s are to be dump~d the cap is ua~screwed and remo~ed. Prefe:rably a circula2- sealing gasket 42 is lodged wi~hin oap 38 so as ~co 35 provide a ~eal between tpe end wall of the cap and ~h.. ~dge 44 , IL1~5~

of ~he spout at the discharge opening when ~he cap ls fully tightened on ~he spout.
The opposite end of ~he spou~ is of a generally circular shape bu~ it comprises a multi-lobPd key 46. Speci-fically the key 46 comprises six circumferentially spac~d lobeswhich are identified by the reference nu~erals 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e, and 46f. It al~o comprises a circular groov~ 48 ad~o cent;~o key-46for an O~ring ga~ket seal 50.
The holding tank wall is provided wi~h a circular walled ape.rture 52 within which the keyed end of spout 36 is disposed. A complemen~ary mating key 54 (shown in phan~om in Flgo 8) ig disposed on the wall of aperture 52. Key 54 allows the spout to be fully insert~d into aperture 52 only when the t~o keys are in circum~erential regi~try. The arrangament of key 54 in rela~ion to ~he holding ~ank is such tha~ circumferen-tial registry o~ the two keys 46, 54 occurs with the spout in the position shown in Fig. 4.
It will be observed that the holding tank has a generally rectangular shape and ~hat the aperture 52 is provided 20, in the top wall at one corner. Thus ~he installa~ion position o~ the sp~ut ls 8uch th~t the spout overlies the ~op wall and i9 generally parallel to the far ~horter side wall a~ viewed in Fig. 4. The constructlon o~ aperture 5~ and key S4 is such ~hat when ~he spou~ is ully inserted into the aperture ~he key 46 10 dispo~ed ~s~ beyond ~he key 54. At this point ~he 0-ring ga~-ka~ 50 is engaged with the wall of the aperture so that a leak~
proo jolnt i~ thereby provided. ~ext the spout is rotated in the directio~ of arrow~ 56. As key 46 leaves its circum~er~n-tlal r~g1s~ry with key 54, certain por~ion~ of ~he individual loba~ o~ the keys are alway~ in interlocking engagemen~ which:
prevents the ~pou~ fr3m coming out of the aper~urQ. Th~ dim~n~
~ional rela~ion~hips are ~uch ~hat ~his i tr~e oYer all posi~
~ion~ o~ a full circular revolution of ~he spout abou~ the aper~
~ure. However, the illu~tra~ed construc~ion i~ such ~ha~ the opera~iv~ range is lecs, Whe~ ~he spou~ has been rota~ed thr~e quarters of a revolution from its insertion posîtion, it occupies another pOSit:iOIl which once agair, overlies the top wall but is now parallel co the ne~rer longer side of ~he holding tank as viewed in Fig. 4. This is also the po~ition S whlch is illustrated in Fig. 1, and it constitu~es a B~oxa~e position for ~h~ spou~.
h~ storage position of the spou~ the ~wo sec-tion 12 and 1~ may be mou~ted ~ogether. The two see~ions cooperatively defirle ac their confrorl~in g ~ur:Eace~ a cavity 10 which forms a storage housing for the spout when the spout i8 in the s~ored posi~ion. The illustrated construc~iorl is such that one portion of the storage housing may be considered as oomprising the area identiied by the reference n~neral 58 in holding tank section 14 while the r~ainder is de~ined in 15 section 12 by the portion designated by the reference numeral 60. ~I~.e cavity forming the housin,, is in~egrally molded with the molded plastie sections 12 and 14. As can be seen in Fig.
4 a depression 62 is fashioned in the top wall o the holding ~ank. Wher~ spout 36, with cap 38 attached, is rota~ed ~o the

2~ storage position thP lower edge portion of the cap lodges in the depress~on 62 and in this way the depre~sion d~flne~ a locator for the storage posltion of the ~pout.
For dumping. seatsection 12 is s2parated and removed rom holding tank section 14 and th~ holding section i~ tak~n to an appropriate sanit2ry disposal station. The spout i8 swung ~way from its storage pasition and cap 38 is removed.
The spout wil~ ~ypically be pointed away ~rom ~he holding tank and will no~ normQlly come clo~e to the in~alla~ion-removal position. In other words rotation ~o the ins~alla~ion-removal position would be contrary to the objective o dumping the ~ank, and thereore accidental separation of the spout fr4m the holding tank i8 essenti~lly impossible. Moreover~ wh~n the spou~ ls in o~her than its s~orage posi~ion, the two sec~ion~
12, 14 earmot be moun~ed ~og~th r. Fig. 9 illus~rates a ~ypical 35 dumping procPdure and irl tha~ procedur~ the spout has been --7~

rota~ed from its storage position only about 180. This would probably b~ the mos~ amount of rotat~on, and o~her typical positions would be somewhat less.
In order to promo~e a rea~onably smooth discharge 5 flow of t~ie waste contents thxough ~he 9pout~ has been found beneficial to înclude a ventirlg means ~or direckly ven~cin~s ~h~
head spa~e of the holding tank ~o atmosphere during dumplng.
Venting les~3ens ~gre~ly the ~enderlcy for belching or burping of discharging was e materials.
The disclosed em~odimerlt comprises a vent valve 64 disposed on ~he top wall of ~he hol.ding tank ssmewha~ opposite aperture 52. Details of the vent valve can be seen in Figs.
~ and 3. The top wall of the holding tank is fashioned with an integral circular boss 66 ~he lower por~ion of which projects into the interior o~ che hold~g tank. The boss has a top wall 68 with a recess 69 formed centrally therein.
Recess 69, at the bottom, comprises a circular hole 7Q concen~
tric with ~he bo~s. Four arcuate vent openings.72 are in wall 6~ extending around recess 69 on a co~non circle. Open~
~20 ings 72 provlde, via the in~eric~r bore of boss 66, venting of ~he ta~k inte~ior to atmospher~0 A v~lving elemen~ 74 com-pr~ses a biurcated shank 76 whiGh fi~s aïo8ely wi~hln hol~
70. A circular actuator but~oll 78 ~ at the top o ~hank 76 and a helical ~pring 80 i8 dispo~3~d around ~hank 76 ~d bf~.we~r the bottom wall of recess 69 and actuatox button 78. The spring 80 biases ~ha valving el~m2nt 74 in the upward dirgc-tion ~o as to urge a sultable closure portion 82 agains~ th~
lowQr c.ircular edge of bos8 6~ 80 as to close the in~erior bore of ~he bos8 and hence the vent openings 72. The lllu strated const~uction or the closure portion comprise~ a rigid-circular por~ion 84 which is affixed to ~he lower and ~f sh~nk 76 within the holding ta~k and which suppor~ an anmllar gaskec 86 which seals against the lower circular edge of bos3 66 wh~ he valve ~s closed.
The brok~ lina pO8i~1C)n ShOWIl in F:Lg. 2 thl,lB

.

repres~nts ~he clos~d position to whieh the valvin~3 ~lement which is normally spring biased. In ~hi~ ps:~si~ion the closur~
portion preYents waste materials and vapors from pas~ing chrough the ven~ openings 72. The solid line. position illu-5 st~rates the actuated position which isused during dumping ~ovent the interior head space Ol' ~he holding ~ank O I~c ~houl d be observed that a ~top 87 is provided on button 78 for llmi~
ing downward displac~ment so kha~ the button does ~lOt C108e of the vent openings when the valve is depressed. Thu~!
10 actuation of ~he valve always allow~ air to pass through .
openings 72 in~o the holding tank ~o prev nt ~he crea~lon of the partial vacu~s whieh mi~gh~ give rise to belching aIld burping during dumpin~s.
It will be further observed ~hat thc loeation o~
15 the vent valve 64 is adjacent to the npera~:ing handle 32. A8 e~n b~ ~ppreciated fromconsideratioll of Fig. 9 the operating handle also forms a portion o a g:rip which may be ,grasp~ed by a person dumping k~e holding tank. The configuration is such that the person's fingers fit conveniently onto the handle ~20, with the actuator button being poised to be pushed by his thumb ~o th~ v~n~ position. An ups~anding lip 88 extend~
par~ially ~round (slightly mare than a s~ circle) the out~id~
o:~ the top wall 68 of boss 66. The upper ed~e o~ lip 88 i8 abo~re bu~on 78 when ~he valve is closed and it forms a protector against inadvertent ac~uation O;e the valv~
also as~is~s in preventin~s ~humb slippage while ~he butto~
being depre6sed. Thus fun~tion and conYQnience are gre~ly promotad by the arrangement.
Because ~he vent ~s located generally opposite ~he discharge spou~ it will inh~rently be exposed ~o the head space of the tank during dump~ng, the tank beirlg de~igned to l~ave a head space when it~ liquid was~e con~ent i~ completely full. Accordingly, liquid waste will not accideTltally pa~
~hrough the openings 72.
The par~icular ron~æuc~iorlal detail~ o ~he ~at .

:

~9 -and holding tank sections, the ven~ valve and ~he spout may be accomplished wi~h conver~tional materials and techniques. In accordance with the typical manufacturing procedures the tank~
sec~ions are fabricated :Ero~ two inJec~ion molded halve~ hav-5 ing matin~ perimeters. The ma~ing perimeter~ are mated ands~aled ~o reorm ~h~ eIlclosure. The SpOil~ may also advanta~
geously be fabricated ~rom plastie and i~ ma.y be manu:Eackur~d by any suitable plas~ic forming ~echnique 5uch as injec~ion molding or blow moldiTIg. The ven~ valve componerlts are also 10 plastic~ with the exeeption o~ spring 80, and ~che element 86 being a sui~abl~ elastomeric m~teri~l~ l'he assembly of ~he vent valve to ~he holding tank may be accomplished by fabri-cating the valving element as separ ~e pieces which are assembled ~og~her once they are in the correct position. The illus~ra~ed con~truction o~ bi~urcated shank 76 iacludes catches a~ the di~al end and the element 84 includes slo~s. The at~achment invol~es ~he end of shank 76 snapping onto element 84 a~ th2 inside ~he top wall of the tank so that the catches lodge ia the slots. Other alternative attac~ment procedures could l~o 2~ be used~
The invention promote3 convenienc s in dumpin~ beeau~e the poin~ at which ~he wa~e conten~s exi~ the spout i~ more remotely located from th~ per~on ~han would be th~ ca~e with prior type~. Th~ u~e of the ventin~ v~lve promotes 8moother di~eharge 1OW ~nd hence there is a ~ignif~oan~ reduction in an individual's concern about waste cont~nts ~pla~hin~ back.
The construc~ion is also advantagQous in that the 3pout is ~tored inter~orly o ~e unit and doe~ no~ protrudel except at dumping. The uni~ retain~ overall compactne~ ye~ po~e~es improved fu~ction.
~ ile a preferred embodiment ha~ been di~clo~ed, lt will be apprecia~ed ~at other embGd~ent~ are eon~empla~ed within th~ s¢ope of the following claim~.

Claims (15)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a portable toilet comprising a holding tank the improvement which comprises a discharge spout on the exterior of the holding tank through which contents of the holding tank are emptied and closure means for opening and closing the dis-charge spout.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein said closure means for opening and closing the discharge spout com-prises a removable cap at the end of the spout where the contents of the holding tank are discharged from the spout.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein the discharge spout is rotatably mounted in an aperture in the wall of the holding tank for rotation over a range of positions.

4. The improvement set forth in claim 3 in which the aperture is keyed and the spout has one end correspondingly keyed so as to be fully insertable into and removable from the aperture only at one rotational position of the spout and the keys are constructed such that when the one end of the spout is fully inserted into the aperture and the spout rotated to other than said one position it cannot be separated from the holding tank.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 further including a sealing gasket extending around the spout immediately adjacent its key and having a sealing engagement with a correspond-ing portion of the aperture for all rotational positions over said range of positions.

6. The improvement set forth in claim 4 in which the holding tank comprises a top wall and the aperture is dis-posed at one corner of the top wall of the holding tank, the holding tank also having side walls extending away from said one corner at approximately a right angle, and in which the arrangement of the keys of the aperture and of the spout are constructed such that the one end of the spout can be fully inserted into the aperture with the spout overlying the top wall and being generally parallel to one of said side walls and can be swung clear of the holding tank on the order of three-quarters of a circle to another position overlying the top wall and gener-ally parallel to the other side wall.

7. The improvement set forth in claim 6 in which said closure means for opening and closing the spout comprises a cap on the discharge end of the spout where the contents of the holding tank are discharged from the spout and the top wall of the holding tank comprises a recess which is engaged by a portion of the edge of the cap to define a locator for the spout establishing said another position.

8. The improvement set forth in claim 7 in which said another position constitutes a storage position for the spout and wherein said portable toilet further includes a seat section disposed on the holding tank with the two sections defin-ing a storage cavity within which the spout is housed when in the storage position.

9. The improvement set forth in claim 1 further including venting means for venting the interior head space of the holding tank when the contents are being discharged via the spout.

10. The improvement set forth in claim 9 wherein said venting means comprises a manually operated vent valve which is spring biased to a normally closed position and includes an acuator disposed adjacent a gripping point of the holding tank for actuation by a user who is emptying the holding tank.

11. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein the holding tank comprises a top wall including an aperture in said top wall for mounting of the spout and in which the spout is operable to a position pointing away from the holding tank for discharging the contents of the holding tank and including manu-ally operated vent valve means which may be operated by the user emptying the holding tank for venting the interior head space of the holding tank during discharge.

12. The improvement set forth in claim 11 which said aperture is disposed at a corner of the top wall and said vent valve means is disposed in the top wall at a location oppo-site that of said aperture.

13. In a portable toilet comprising a holding tank section and a seat section separably mounted on the holding tank section, said seat section comprising a bowl and said holding tank section comprising a valve which is operable to allow con-tents of the bowl to be deposited into the holding tank, the improvement which comprises a discharge spout via which the con-tents of the holding tank may be emptied, said seat and holding tank sections cooperatively defining between their confronting surfaces a cavity with said spout being disposed for storage in the cavity and being positionable from its storage position to a discharge position on the holding tank section for emptying the contents of the holding tank after the seat section has been removed from the holding tank.

14. The improvement set forth in claim 13 including normally closed vent valve means operable during emptying of the holding tank for venting the head space of the holding tank.

15. The improvement set forth in claim 13 wherein the holding tank section comprises an aperture with one end of the spout being disposed in said aperture and with the spout being rotatably mounted at the aperture for positioning between the storage and discharge positions.