GB1349108A - Toilet - Google Patents

Abstract

1349108 Sanitary closets; treating sewage THETFORD CORP 3 Aug 1972 [31 Dec 1971] 36397/72 Heading C1C [Also in Division El] A sanitary closet, of the type in which liquid is re-circulated from a tank beneath the closet bowl for flushing the latter, uses liquid in the form of an electrolyte, e.g. sodium chloride solution, and includes first and second chambers which may either be incorporated in the tank, as shown, or be formed as a separate structure, means for circulating the electrolyte such that it passes from the second chamber to the bowl for flushing, from the bowl to the first chamber and, upon reaching a predetermined level in the first chamber, from the first chamber to the second chamber, and a pair of electrodes in each chamber between which current may be caused to pass via the electrolyte such that electrolysis of the sewage in the electrolyte in both chambers occurs. In the preferred embodiment, a plastics bowl 3 has a manually operated pivoted flap 4 normally closing an outlet which delivers to a splash pan 10, also of plastics material, moulded to provide a strainer 11 having slots 12, a macerating impeller 19 driven by an electric motor 17 comminuting the sewage for passage through the slots 12 into first chamber 24. The electrolyte can spill over from chamber 24 over the top of wall 25 into the second chamber which surrounds chamber 24 and extends to one side thereof where the surface of the electrolyte is radiated with ultra-violet light from a bulb 14. One pair of electrodes (27, 28, Fig. 4, not shown) is provided at the ends of chamber 24 and another pair 30, 31 as shown in the second chamber, an ion-permeable barrier 33 being positioned adjacent the negative electrode 31 to prevent the passage of visible particles which would otherwise cause cloudiness in the electrolyte. A pump 40, driven by electric motor 41, circulates the electrolyte via pipe 42 and flushing opening 43. In operation, a timer (Fig. 6, not shown) is set to provide for supply of current to the electrode and light bulb 14 for a predetermined period, e.g. half an hour, at any time during which the circuit may be broken and replaced by a circuit including the motors 17 and 41. This is effected by depressing a switch button on a handle for operating the flap 4, the switch operating a relay. This arrangement is intended to conserve current which is from a 12 volt D.C. supply, e.g. on a vehicle, or from a transformer-rectifier.