GB2160417A

GB2160417A - Dry bag toilet

Info

Publication number: GB2160417A
Application number: GB08415155A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John William Tinkler; Alan Leslie Burton
Original assignee: NORTHERN SPECIALISED SITE SERV
Current assignee: NORTHERN SPECIALISED SITE SERV
Priority date: 1984-06-14
Filing date: 1984-06-14
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: GB2160417B; GB8415155D0

Abstract

A dry bag toilet has a seat integral with the bowl and a tubular film bag passing from store 35, over the seat and through the bowl. An indexing mechanism comprising two rollers (39, 41) are provided for moving the tubular film. One of the rollers (39) is rotatably driven by way of a ratchet mechanism and the other roller (41) is slidable relative to roller (39) and biased theretowards. Thus after use the handle 55 is operated, the soiled part of the bag is indexed between the rollers 39, 41 and sealed off by them, and a fresh part of the bag covers the seat. <IMAGE>

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A dry bag toilet The present invention relates to a dry bag toilet.

A known dry bag toilet comprises a seat, a bowl, approximately equivalent to the conventional toilet pan, and a container for receiving the waste. A tubular film is arranged to pass over the rim of the bowl and through the outletforthe bowl. Thus, the film forms a linerforthe bowl. Thae tubular film is sealed at the end and an indexing mechanism is provided for feeding the film in a direction from the pan to the container. A separate seat is provided as in a conventional toilet. In one known toilet of this type means is provided for sealing the tubular film at descrete intervals to seal off the waste from the environment.

One aim of the present invention is to provide an improved dry bag toilet which is more hygienic than known toilets and which is more robust in construction.

According to the present invention there is provided a dry bag toilet comprising a bowl having an integral seat, which bowl and seat are located on a base container and an outlet from the bowl opens into the base container, a tubular film bag is arranged to pass over the seat and adapted to pass through the bowl outlet into the container and an indexing mechanism is provided for feeding the tubular film bag over the seat and through the bowl outlet and into the base container.

The aforementioned construction has the advantage that each user of the toilet sits on a clean section of tubular film by virtue of the fact that the film passes over the seat. Furthermore, the construction can be made stronger and more rigid when the bowl and seat are formed integrally. This makes the construction particularly suitable for moulding out of plastics.

The seat and bowl part is separate from the base container and this is particularly advantageous in that the waste can be easily carried away in the base container without having to transport the seat and bowl portion. One application of a toilet of this kind is in underground mines. With the two part construction the toilet can be easily serviced. A service agent only needs to take a base container and a fresh bag down the mine and remove the used base container.

The base and seat portion is preferably accommodated in a housing which, conveniently, is box shaped and which has lugs and recesses in the base surface which are adapted to co-operate with corresponding lugs and recesses on the upperside of the base container. Conveniently, the lugs and recesses take the form of castelations. The seat and bowl is bonded to the housing by way of an intermediate wall which divides the housing into upper and lower portions. The tubular film bag has its open end folded over on itself concertina wise and is positioned in the upper portion of the housing radially outwardly of the seat and bowl. The lip of the seat may be extended downwardly toward the intermediate wall to guide the tubular film. It is preferred that the box shaped housing be provided with a top cover which has an aperture therein defined by a lip and corresponding in shape with the seat.When the top cover is in position it is at a level lower than the top of the seat and the film feeds through the gap formed between the exterior of the seat and the aperture. A seat lid is conveniently hingedly secured to the top cover.

The indexing mechanism comprises a pair of rollers which are accommodated in the lower portion of the box shaped housing. The rollers are provided with a plurality of radially extending blades extending along the length of the rollers. One of the rollers is slidably mounted relative to the other and both are journalled for rotation. The fixed roller is rotated by a ratchet drive mechanism whilst the slidable roller is rotated by virtue of its cooperating engagement with the driven roller. The blades of the rollers are provided with resilient tips to provide a seal. Rotation of the rollers draws the tubular film over the seat and through into the base container.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base container of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 with the casing partially broken away to reveal internal detail; and Fig. 4 is a side view of the apparatus with the casing broken away to reveal further internal detaii.

Referring to the drawings, the dry bag toilet of the present invention comprises two parts. A top part 1 referred to as the toilet housing incorporating a seat 3 and bowl 5 and of generally box like configuration, and a bottom part in the form of a base container 7.

The top part 1 is adapted to fit on top of the base container 7 and to locate the two parts relative to one another the top of the base container has a raised lug 9 at each of the four corners. The top part 1 has complementary shaped recesses 11 in its underneath surface. In the preferred embodiment the base container is a moulding with identically shaped top and bottom surfaces. A lip 13 is formed around the base container, and the function of this will be described further hereinafter. The top of the base container has a circular hole 15 formed in a raised portion 16, which hole can be closed off by a blanking plate (not illustrated). As shown at 17 a carrying handle is secured to one side of the base container.

The seat 3 and bowl 5 of the top part 1 are formed as an integral moulding. A support plate 21 is disposed within the box like body of the housing and provides a support surface for the bowl which is bonded to it. An aperture is formed in the support plate corresponding in shape to the outlet bowl. The integral seat and bowl is sufficiently strong so that additional support is not required. The plate 21 defines an intermediate wall dividing the housing into upper and lower portions. The seat may be provided with a lip which extends downwardly therefrom toward the intermediate wall to act as a guideforthetubularfilm.

In an alternative envisaged arrangement where the bowl and seat moulding has insufficient strength a support ring is provided such as that shown at 23 in Figs. 3 and 4which engages between the support plate and the underside of the seat.

A top cover 25 has an aperture 27 therein which is complimentary in shape with the outer periphery of the seat 3 and is dimensioned to receive the seat on fitting of the top cover 25 to the top part 1. The aperture has a downwardly depending lip. In the fitted position the top cover is disposed at a lower level than the seat surface. The top cover 25 carries hingedly secured thereto a seat cover 29. The seat cover is shaped to fit around the outer periphery of the seat and to cover the seat opening to the bowl.

A recess 31 is defined between the lipped aperture 27 and the exterior of the seat 3 through which a tubular film 33 can pass. The tubularfilm is preferably a plastics bag.

An annular chamber 35 is defined in the upper portion of the housing outwardly of the bowl between the intermediate wall 21 and the top cover 25 and this accommodates folded sections of the unused tubular film.

Secured to the support plate 21 at spaced intervals are two brackets 37. These support two rollers 39,41 which are mounted side by side and which are journalled for rotation. One of the rollers 39 is securely fixed, whilst the other 41 isslidably mounted and resiliently biased toward the other.

The rollers 39,41 carry radially extending blades 43, six on each roller, the tips of which are provided with resilient sealing members 45. The blades are solid and extend along the length of the rollers. The sealing members 45 are generally U-shaped in cross-section and are preferably slightly shorter in length than the blades 43.

The rollers 39,41 are disposed below an outlet 49 from the bowl 5. The brackets 37 are positioned outwardly of the outlet, and side walls 51 are preferably provided between the brackets 37. The side walls 51 are preferably disposed outwardly of the outlet 49.

The roller 39 is mounted on a shaft which carries a sprocket or toothed wheel 53 secured by way of a ratchet connection to the shaft. A lever arm 55 is journalled in the top part 1 and carries a toothed plate 57 which co-operates with the toothed wheel 53. Reciprocal movement of the lever arm 55 causes the roller 39 to be rotated in one direction only by virtue of the ratchet action. Rotation of roller 39 gives rise to rotation of roller 41 by virtue of the interengaging blades 43.

An aperture is formed in the base of the top part 1 to receive the raised projection 16 when the top part is located on the base container. The hole 15 is in the base container is aligned with the outlet 49 from the bowl.

In use, the tubular film 33 with one end sealed, (i.e. conveniently in the form of a bag) has the sealed end pushed through the outlet 49, inserted between the rollers 39,41 and led into the base container. Folded sections of the open end of the tubular film are accommodated in the annular compartment 35.

A person having used the toilet operates the lever 55 to index the bag through the rollers and with it the waste until clean film lines the bowl down to the rollers. In indexing the film, it is drawn from the chamber 35, through the recess 31 and overthe seat 3.

The resilient biasing of the rollers seals off that portion of the bag and contents which is accommodated in the base container. When the tubular film is at the end or it is otherwise required to replace the base container, the end of the bag is tied off and fed through the rollers and into the base container. The top part may be lifted off the base container using conveniently positioned handles 61 positioned on opposite sides of the top part. A blanking plate may then be fitted to the opening 15 and the base container removed for disposal of the bagged contents. Conveniently, the top part is replaced on an empty base container.

It is envisaged that such toilets will find particular application in mines and the like where regular servicing by contractors can be easily carried out.

The contractors can bring empty base containers with them for replacing with the used base containers in a simple operation.

The illustrated toilet is intended for use in a cubical having a recess in the floor dimensioned to receive the base container. When in position the lip 13 rests on the floor of the cubical. The lip may be omitted when the toilet is not to be used in a cubical of this type.

Claims

1. A dry bag toilet comprising a bowl having an integral seat, which bowl and seat are located on a base container, and an outlet from the bowl opens into the base container, a tubular film bag is arranged to pass over the seat and adapted to pass through the bowl outlet into the container and an indexing mechanism is provided for feeding the tubularfilm bag over the seat and through the bowl outlet and into the base container.

2. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 1 in which the seat and bowl part is separate from the base container.

3. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 1 or2 in which the seat and bowl are accommodated in a housing which is box shaped and which has lugs and recesses in its base surface which are adapted to co-operate with complimentary lugs and recesses in the upper-side of the base container.

4. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 3 in which the lugs and recesses take the form of castelations.

5. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claims 3 or 4 in which the seat and bowl is bonded to the housing by way of an intermediate wall which divides the housing into upper and lower portions.

6. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 5 in which the tubular film bag has its open end folded over on itself concertina wise and is positioned in the upper portion of the housing radially outwardly of the seat and bowl.

7. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claims 5 and 6 in which a lip of the seat extends downwardly toward the intermediate wall to guide the tubular film.

8. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any of claims 3 to 7 in which the housing has a top cover which has an aperture therein defined by a lip and corresponding in shape with the seat and wherein the seat projects through said aperture.

9. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 9 in which the tubular film bag feeds through a gap defined between the seat and/or bowl and the aperture in the top cover.

10. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any preceding claim in which the indexing mechanism comprises a pair of rollers disposed downstream from the bowl outlet, which rollers are provided with a plurality of radially extending blades extending along the length of the rollers.

11. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 10 in which one of the rollers is slidably mounted relative to the other and both the fixed and the slidable roller are journalled for rotation.

12. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 11 in which the fixed roller is rotated by a ratchet drive mechanism.

13. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claims 11 or 12 in which the slidable roller is rotated by virtue of its cooperating engagement with the driven roller.

14. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13 in which the blades of the rollers are provided with resilient lips.

15. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claims 3 or4 in which the top and bottom surfaces of the base container are identically shaped.

16. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any preceding claim in which a horizontal lip is provided around the periphery of the base container between its top and base surfaces.

17. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any preceding claim in which the base container is provided with a carrying handle.

18. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon in which a support ring is provided between the intermediate wall and the underside of the seat.

19. A dry bag toilet as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a seat cover which is shaped to fit around and over the seat.

20. A dry bag toilet as claimed in claim 12 in which the driven roller is rotated by way of a geared shaft.

21. A dry bag toilet constructed and arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.