EP0410894B1 - W.c. with minimal flush water consumption and using compressed air as the power source - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an installation of sanitary toilets of the direct evacuation and rinsing type without flushing or siphon effect.

The invention aims to achieve a WC installation avoiding the drawbacks of conventional systems operating by flushing effect, which require a large amount of water for each use.

The invention aims in particular to allow the installation of sanitary toilets under conditions and circumstances not allowing to have a large reserve of water for example and in particular on road or rail vehicles as well as in mobile homes (caravans, mobile homes, livable boats, etc.).

There has been described in European patent application EP-A-0.306.366, in the name of the applicant, an installation of WC toilets of the specified type and aimed at avoiding and alleviating the drawbacks of traditional systems, whether flushing toilets (consuming a lot of clear water and requiring a connection to a sewage system) or chemical toilets (handling toxic agents, effective limited in time, leaving unpleasant residual odors and also requiring the storage of treated effluents).

In the context of the known device, as described in the aforementioned French patent application, provision has been made for evacuation by a metered and limited quantity of water under high pressure.

Also known from US Pat. No. 3,968,326 is a toilet installation for a mobile unit and in which the sequence of operations for entering the flushing water and opening the hatch is controlled by a compressed air control assembly. .

The toilets according to the present invention develop the efficiency of sanitary installations of the direct evacuation and pressure rinsing type, in particular in the case of installations installed on road or rail vehicles generally having a supply of greased compressed air of 6 to 8 bars, in order to obtain a cleaning of the installation between two uses, from a limited quantity of water and of the order of 25 cl.

The evacuation and rinsing cycle is triggered by a simple digital pressure from the user, without however requiring the use of electrical energy, because the installation of the invention exclusively uses, both as a power source of energy and as a source of control energy, the compressed air drawn from the general equipment of the vehicle.

To this end, the invention relates to sanitary toilets with direct evacuation and rinsing without flushing or siphon effect, of the type consisting of a bowl of generally frustoconical shape comprising at its small base in the lower position a hatch controlled by a jack. pneumatic, said bowl being in intermittent communication with a discharge pipe, and the bowl also comprises at least one nozzle for spraying rinse and discharge water and coming from a source of pressurized rinse liquid, the toilets are connected to a source of compressed air in communication on the one hand with a chamber for pressurizing the rinsing and evacuation water to ensure the high pressure supply of the nozzles and on the other hand with the pneumatic actuator for operating the hatch, this communication being carried out by a pneumatic register distributor ensuring the regulation and control of the compo evacuation cycle the synchronized phases firstly opening the hatch and spraying water under pressure and secondly closing the hatch and stopping the spraying of water, and, for this purpose, the distributor is connected to a first contactor, consisting of a manual contactor in a position accessible to the user and suitable for moving the damper by ensuring the initialization of the evacuation and rinsing cycle by the communication of the compressed air source with the pressurizing chamber for rinsing and evacuating water as well as by the communication of the compressed air source with a first inlet of the actuator for operating the flap, ensuring the positioning opening the latter, characterized in that the pressurizing chamber consists of a cylinder containing a piston separating said chamber into two capacities, that is to say a dry capacity behind the communicating piston, via the distributor, with the compressed air source, and thus ensuring the displacement of the piston against the action of a return member and a capacity for receiving water, in front of the piston, communicating, with interposition of non-return valves with a source of water on the one hand and with the water projection nozzles in the bowl on the other hand, so that the displacement of the piston under the action of air compresses on its rear face, causes the setting under water pressure from the front face of the piston, thus supplying the projection nozzles, the return of the piston caused by said return member ensuring in the opposite direction the refilling of said capacity (38 ') receiving water .

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows and which is given in relation to a more particular embodiment presented by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 gives a longitudinal sectional view of the bowl of the installation according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the pneumatic circuits ensuring the control of the evacuation cycle.

According to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the installation essentially consists of a bowl 1, of generally frustoconical shape, resting on its small base 2.

This bowl will advantageously be made of polyester reinforced with sanitary white colored glass fibers.

The bowl is itself embedded in a casing block 3 which includes the bowl as well as the control assembly 4 (illustrated in detail in FIG. 2) and mounted on rails resting on the base of the casing 6.

The base 6 may advantageously rest on the floor of the room by means of silentblocks 7, 7 ', to avoid the transmission of vibrations.

In its upper part, the bowl has a rim oriented inwards and advantageously constituted by the extension of the upper horizontal face of the casing 3 comprising for this purpose a substantially elliptical solution of continuity and corresponding to the large base of the bowl 1.

Under this rim 8 are housed the projection nozzles four in number and of which three nozzles are shown in the drawings under the references 9, 9 ', 9' '.

And the periphery of the bowl itself comprises, in a known manner, a double flap consisting of the bezel 10 and the cover 11.

On the rear part of the upper face of the casing, behind the bowl, is provided for example an inclined plane 12 receiving the button 13 of the contactor 47 ensuring the control of the evacuation and rinsing cycle under the conditions which will be described below. -after.

The base 2 of the bowl comprises a closing hatch 14 of the "shovel valve" type and maneuvered in a substantially horizontal plane by a pneumatic cylinder 15.

Below the hatch, the installation comprises a vertical pipe constituting the outlet for evacuation and the collection of the effluents ending in a storage tank which could be disposed inside the casing 3 and which in the example produced is located below from the floor 16 of the installation, this tank 17 being connected to the lower evacuation pipe by the communication sleeve 19.

The storage tank 17 itself comprises in the lower part an outlet formed by a flexible pipe 21 for the intermittent evacuation of the effluents stored between two periods of emptying.

A vent is planned in 20.

The installation is itself connected to a supply of clear water 22 comprising a suction strainer 23 at the end of the dip tube 24 and supplying the regulating assembly shown in FIG. 2.

Finally, the assembly is supplied with energy in the form of compressed air from the pipe 25 leading to the regulation and control block of FIG. 2 and connected to a source of compressed air greased 6 to 8 bars, available on the vehicle .

It can be seen that the installation can operate mechanically without the use of electrical energy, therefore without any risk linked to the presence of electrical conduits and circuits in a humid environment and with perfect reliability.

The operation of the tire control unit is illustrated in Figure 2.

This block, preferably mounted on a sliding plate on rails, so as to easily allow its upkeep and maintenance, is supplied with compressed air 6 to 8 bars by the pipe 25 previously described and in clear water by the pipe 24.

A pipe 26 is used for the evacuation of the compressed air in return and it ends at the base of the storage tank 17 where it opens out through the nozzle 27 by allowing, by the game of turbulence, the homogeneous distribution of the effluents within the tank.

The compressed air from the supply line 25 ends up at the distributor 28 of the sliding register type and allowing the intermittent distribution and distribution of the engine compressed air towards the operating members.

The distributor thus has two alternative outlets for pressurized air, namely a first outlet 29 and a second outlet 30.

The second outlet 30 leads to a second inlet (not shown) of the double-acting cylinder 15 for pneumatically controlling the hatch 14.

This double-acting cylinder ensures, when it is supplied by its second inlet through the pipe 30, the return of the hatch and the maintenance of this hatch towards its closed position.

Alternatively, when the pipe 30 is not pressurized, the distributor is able to send the compressed air under pressure in the pipe 29 which itself leads to the two sub-pipes 29a and 29b thus supplied simultaneously.

While the supply of the pipe 30, ensuring the closing of the hatch, corresponds to the rest position of the distributor, the installation being in the inactive position, the supply of the pipe 29 corresponds to the initialization of the cycle of drainage and rinsing.

To this end, the pipe 29a, leading to the first inlet of the double-acting cylinder 15, retracts the hatch 14 and consequently opens the base of the bowl for the purpose of discharging the effluents.

At the same time the pipe 29b terminates in the pressurizing chamber 31 and makes it possible to ensure the evacuation under high pressure of the dose of water 32 contained in this chamber.

To this end, the chamber 31 is supplied with clear water by the line 33 which allows both the reception of the water from the line 24 in the suction phase, through the non-return valve 34; while this same pipe 33 allows the evacuation of the pressurized water towards the pipe 35 leading to the projection nozzles 9, 9 'and 9' ', with interposition of the non-return valve 36.

To control the suction and discharge phases, the chamber 31 comprises a piston 39 dividing the chamber into two capacities, namely a capacity 38 placed on the rear face of the piston and communicating precisely with the arrival of compressed air 29b.

While the capacity 38 ′, corresponding to the front face of the piston 39, constitutes the water reserve 32.

The piston 39 is integral with a rod 40 projecting outside the chamber and comprising a helical spring 41 mounted at the periphery and coaxial with said rod; the spring 41 being compressed between the rear stop 42 integral with the terminal end of the rod 40 and the front stop 43 formed by the corresponding wall of the chamber 31.

Cooperating with the stop 42 is disposed a limit switch 44 connected on the one hand by the pneumatic line 45 to the compressed air supply source 25 and on the other hand by the pneumatic line 46 to the distributor.

And the thrust exerted by the stop 42 on the contactor 44 allows the communication of the outlet pipe 46 with the inlet pipe 45 by consequently sending to the distributor a pneumatic pulse corresponding to the end of travel positioning of the stop 42 and therefore of the piston 39 inside the chamber 31.

Finally, the distributor is connected to a manual contactor 47 for controlling the start of the cycle, this contactor being controlled by the digital pressure of the user on the button 13.

This contactor is connected by a pneumatic inlet line 48 to the source of compressed air; this supply is obtained by the distributor 37 supplying from the line 25 on the one hand the distributor on the other hand the contactor 44 by the line 45 and finally the manual contactor 47 by the line 48.

The manual contactor 47 is in turn connected to the distributor by the pneumatic outlet pipe 49.

The pressure exerted on the button 13 ensures the communication of the inlet pipe 48 with the outlet pipe 49, while they are normally isolated in the rest position of the assembly; the result of this contacting is an initial pneumatic pulse sent to the distributor, which controls the start of the evacuation and rinsing cycle.

The operation of the assembly can easily be deduced from the above description.

Under the action of the manual contactor 47, an initial impulse is sent to the distributor, which moves the damper and ensures that the compressed air pressure is sent through the line 29 on the one hand to the second inlet of the double-acting cylinder of the hatch. by ensuring the opening of the latter, via the line 29a; and at the same time the pipe 29b transmits the pneumatic pressure in the tank 38 thus ensuring the displacement of the piston 39 which pumps the water 32 through the pipes 33, the non-return valve 36 and the pipe 35 towards the nozzles rinse 9, 9 ', 9' '.

Thus at the start of the operating cycle after use of the bowl, the operator triggers by a simple maneuver, without recourse to electrical control energy, on the one hand the opening of the hatch and at the same time the projection of a high pressure water along the walls of the bowl.

The high water pressure provides an immediate evacuation and rinsing effect from a limited amount of water which may not exceed 25 cl.

While during all this evacuation phase the double-acting cylinder 15 maintains the hatch in the open position.

The opening and evacuation cycle is limited to a period of a few seconds, for example 5 to 6 seconds.

The end of cycle control is automatically ensured when all of the water reserve 32 has been evacuated under pressure to the nozzles; this end of the cycle is detected by the contactor 44 on which the stop 42 comes to bear, then corresponding to the positioning of the piston 39 at the end of the race when substantially all the water has been removed.

The contactor ensuring the communication of the inlet pipe 45 and the outlet pipe 46 allows the sending of a pneumatic pulse to the distributor 28 which returns the register to its initial position.

That is to say that the pneumatic flow is cut both at the line 29a and at the line 29b (the chamber 31 is no longer supplied with compressed air).

On the contrary, the pipe 30 then receives the pneumatic flow which is transferred to the first inlet of the double-acting cylinder 15 thereby ensuring the return of the hatch to its closed position and the maintenance of this hatch in the closed position.

The displacement of the piston 39 was made under the pneumatic pressure developed in the capacity 38, against the action of the spring 41; when the chamber 38 is no longer supplied with compressed air, the force of the return spring prevails and drives the piston 39 which is returned to its initial position; and in this movement the piston causes the call and the aspiration of the quantity of water 32, since in this phase the non-return valve 36 is in the closed position while the non-return valve 34 is in the open position ; the return of the piston and the aspiration of a perfectly dosed quantity of rinsing water are thus automatically obtained for future use and in the standby position in the pressurization chamber 31.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the distributor register is provided in such a way that it causes, under the action of the contactor 44, initially, the return of the hatch to its closed position while the interruption of the pressure water supply is delayed by a few fractions of seconds; thus obtaining the end of the cycle beforehand closing the hatch while a minimal quantity of water continues to be discharged from the nozzles, which ensures the maintenance of a film of water on the wall of the hatch; this gives a perfect seal of the bowl against odors on the one hand, while maintaining a film of water helps to ensure the cleanliness of the bottom of the bowl by preventing the formation of deposit.

According to a variant not shown, the pneumatic control and regulation block will be grouped in a remote box relative to the device and to the bowl block; the box can be placed externally and in the immediate vicinity of the bowl block and the base of the bowl block is thus freed up to optionally house the effluent tank then integrated into the device.

Claims (8)

1. Sanitary toilets with direct evacuation and rinsing without flush effect nor siphon, of the type constituted by a pan (1) of generally truncated shape comprising at the level of its small base in lower position a trap (14) controlled by a pneumatic jack (15), said pan being in communication by intermittence with an evacuation conduit (19), and the pan further comprises at least one nozzle (9) for projecting rinsing and evacuation water coming from a source of rinsing liquid under pressure, the toilets are connected to a source of compressed air in communication on the one hand with a chamber (31) for pressurizing the rinsing and evacuation water in order to ensure supply under high pressure of the nozzles (9, 9') and, on the other hand, with the pneumatic jack (15) for manoeuvring the trap (14), such communication being effected by a pneumatic distributor valve (28) with register ensuring regulation and control of the evacuation cycle comprising the synchronized phases in the first place of opening of the trap and of projection of pressurized water and, in the second place, of closure of the trap and stopping of the projection of water and, to that end, the distributor valve (28) is connected to a first contactor, constituted by a manual contactor (47) in position accessible for the user and adapted to ensure displacement of the register, ensuring initialization of the cycle of evacuation and of rinsing by placing the source of compressed air (25) in communication with the chamber (31) for pressurizing the rinsing and evacuation water as well as by placing the source of compressed air (25) in communication with a first inlet of the jack for manoeuvring the trap, ensuring placing of the latter in position of opening,
   characterized in that the pressurizing chamber (31) is constituted by a cylinder containing a piston (35) separating said chamber into two volumes, viz. a dry volume (38) at the rear of the piston communicating, via the distributor valve, with the source of compressed air (25) and thus ensuring the displacement of the piston against the action of a return member (41) and a volume (38') receiving water, at the front of the piston, communicating, with the interposition of non-return valves (34, 36) with a source of water on the one hand and with the nozzles projecting water into the pan on the other hand, with the result that the displacement of the piston under the action of the compressed air on its rear face, provokes the pressurization of the water by the front face of the piston, thus supplying the projection nozzles, the return of the piston provoked by said return member ensuring in opposite direction the filling afresh of said volume (38') receiving water.
2. Sanitary toilets according to Claim 1, and characterized in that the distributor (28) is in addition connected to a second contactor (44) adapted, at the end of evacuation cycle, to ensure return of the register towards its position of rest, isolating on the one hand the source of compressed air (25) with respect to the pressurizing chamber (31) and ensuring on the other hand the communication of this source of pressurized air (25) with a second inlet of the jack (15) for manoeuvring the trap ensuring the return and maintenance of the latter in closed position.
3. Sanitary toilets according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the first contactor (47) constituted by a manual contactor is disposed outside the distributor valve on the upper part of the toilets in order to be easily accessible for the user, and this manual contactor (47) is itself connected by two pneumatic conduits (48, 49) on the one hand to the distributor valve (28) and on the other hand to the source of compressed air (25), the two conduits being isolated from one another in the position of rest of the contactor and the contactor, under digital thrust by the user, places the two-conduits in communication, thus sending to the distributor valve a pneumatic impulse provoking displacement of the register towards the position of activation and of initialization of the cycle with communication of the source of compressed air with the chamber for pressurizing the water on the one hand and on the other hand communication of said source of compressed air with the first inlet of the jack manoeuvring the trap for placing this latter in position of opening.
4. Sanitary toilets according to one of Claims 2 or 3,
   characterized in that said second contactor (44) is associated with the pressurizing chamber (31) and comprises means for detecting the end of evacuation of the water phase (32) contained in said chamber, this contactor being connected by two pneumatic conduits (43, 46) on the one hand to the source of compressed air (25) and on the other hand to the distributor (28), the two conduits being isolated from each other in the position of rest of the contactor corresponding to an at least partially filled situation of the pressurizing chamber, whilst the contactor initiates the communication of the two conduits after detection of the substantially empty situation of water of the pressurizing chamber, provoking by a pneumatic impulse thus initiated the return of the register towards its position of rest with, consequently, isolation of the pressurizing chamber (31) with respect to the source of compressed air (25) and communication of said source of compressed air with the second inlet of the pneumatic jack provoking return and maintenance of the trap in closed position.
5. Sanitary toilets according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that the distributor valve (28) provokes an offset between the initial closure of the trap (14) and the stop of the pressure in the pressurizing chamber (31), this stop intervening with a slight delay, with the result that a limited quantity of water continues to be poured from the projection nozzle or nozzles after closure of the trap, thus ensuring maintenance of a film of water at the base of the pan with isolation of the latter.
6. Sanitary toilets according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that the piston (39) comprises a rod (40) connected to its rear face and projecting outside said chamber (31), being disposed coaxially to the cylindrical chamber, this rod comprises a helical spring (41) concentric to and outside the rod and working in compression, the spring being blocked between a first stop (42) at the outer end of the rod and a second stop (43) against the wall of the cylindrical chamber, said first stop, in the extreme end of stroke position of the piston, corresponding to the end of the evacuation of the water, mechanically actuates the second contactor (44) initiating the end of the cycle with closure of the trap and stop of the projection of water.
7. Sanitary toilets according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in that the distributor valve (28) is advantageously connected by an air-return conduit (28) to a tank (17) for storing the effluents, of which the air flow thus generates the homogeneous distribution within the tank.
8. Sanitary toilets according to one of Claims 1 to 7,
   characterized in that the pan (1) comprises a plurality of nozzles (9, 9') particularly 4 in number, supplied from pressurizing chamber (31), said nozzles being distributed and disposed on the upper periphery of the pan so as to project a jet under pressure sweeping all the truncated walls of said pan.

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