GB2194260A

GB2194260A - A vacuum lavatory arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2194260A
Application number: GB08718222A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Kirchner
Original assignee: SEMCO ODENSE AS
Current assignee: SEMCO ODENSE AS
Priority date: 1986-08-26
Filing date: 1987-07-31
Publication date: 1988-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-31
Also published as: DE3728157A1; IT8721690A0; DK154405C; ES2007698A6; GB2194260B; DK154405B; DK405486D0; GB8718222D0; DK405486A; IT1222528B

Description

GB2194260A 1

SPECIFICATION hauster or the like equipment.

The lavatory arrangement is activated by A vacuum lavatory arrangement influencing a rinsing button 26. Immediately upon activation the necessary vacuum is The invention relates to a vacuum lavatory arcreated in the ventricle 19. Subsequently, the rangement for mobile units, such as trains and arrangement rinses and carries the faeces etc.

buses, and comprising at least one lavatory to the faeces receiver 23. The total rinsing pan, means for producing a vacuum, a recep- cycle lasts approx. 15 sec.

tion bowl, pipes with valves carrying the ma- A lamp indicates when the level within the terial from the lavatory pan to the reception 75 faeces receiver 23 has risen to for instance bowl by means of said vacuum, a ventricle 75% and the receiver should be emptied coupled in the pipe of the reception bowl, and shortly after. If the receiver is completely filled means feeding rinsing liquid to the lavatory up an electromagnetic door lock is activated pan, whereby the means producing a vacuum and a red warning lamp is turned on and the in the ventricle and the pipes are formed by 80 rinsing button is blocked. These measures en an ejector connected to a compressed-air re- sure that the water in the pan does not ceiver. overflow the rim.

Such a vacuum lavatory arrangement is Upon activation of the rinsing button 26, the known for instance from Swedish Printed Ac- ventricle 19 of the arrangement is evacuated cepted Specification No. 421,769. If one of 85 by means of a pneumatic ejector 11, cf. Figs.

the valves breaks the water can, however, 2 and 5. Subsequently, the ejector 11 is inter overflow the lavatory pan and spread over the rupted and the atmospheric pressure forces floor. faeces, water etc. through the piping and into The object of the invention is to eliminate the ventricle 19 in which it is temporarily the above risk, and the vacuum lavatory ar90 kept. The ventricle 19 is closed and put under rangement according to the invention is char- pressure. Then the ventricle 19 is opened and acterised by a siphon-interrupting device being the subject matter therein is passed to the provided in the pipes of a cistern, said device faeces receiver 23 through the piping by being capable of introducing air into the pipes. means of the air pressure. The ventricle 19 is As a result water damages are avoided when 95 closed, and the rinsing cycle is terminated by the valves of the rinsing system leak. the trap of the lavatory pan 22 being filled The invention will be described more de- with water, whereafter the lavatory is in its tailed below with reference to the accompany- stand by position again.

ing drawings, in which Having used the lavatory the user presses Figure 1 illustrates a vacuum lavatory ar- 100 the rinsing button 26 communicating with a rangement according to the invention compris- control box 21. As a consequence the ejector ing at least one lavatory pan and a faeces 11 is activated by the valve No. 1 being receiver, opened, cf. Fig. 5 whereby compressed air is Figure 2 illustrates a ventricle receiver coup- blown through the ejector 11 and creates a led between the lavatory par! and the faeces 105 vacuum. Subsequently, the valves Nos. 2 and receiver, 3 are activated whereby the resulting vacuum Figure 3 illustrates a siphon-interrupting de- propagates through the pipes C and D. The vice situated in the pipes of the cistern, pipe D is connected to the ventricle 19, cf.

Figure 4 illustrates a filling device in connec- Fig. 2, which is evacuated approx. 70%. Si- tion with the pipes o Fig. 3, and 110 multaneously a suction is performed on pipe Figure 5 illustrates a control system for the C, cf. Fig. 3. The pipe C communicates with a lavatory arrangement. filling device 31 shown in greater details in The vacuum lavatory arrangement of Fig. 1 Fig. 4. This filling device 31 comprises a rub- for mobile units, such as trains or buses, ber ball 27 carried by the water and later on comprises at least orip lavatory pan 22, 115 blocking the filling device 31. The low pres means producing a vacuum, a reception bowl, sure in the filling device 31 implies that water pipes with valves for carrying the material is sucked through a non- return valve 28 and a from the lavatory pan' 22 to the reception horizontal length of pipe. In this manner the bowl by means of said vacuum, and a ventri- remaining piping is filled with water until the cle 19 coupled in the pipe of the reception 120 water level has reached the rubber ball 27 in bowl. The arrangement includes furthermore the filling device 31. The vertical length of means feeding rinsing liquid to the lavatory pipe is of a diameter of 1 inch, which pro pan 22. The means producing a vacuum in vides a volume of at least 1 1, said water the ventricle 19 and in the pipes are formed volume being used for rinsing. When the 6Q by an ejector 11 connected to a compressed- 125 water level has reached the rubber ball 27, air receiver. said rubber ball blocks the suction pipe C, i.e.

Two hose valves 17 and 18 are provided in the ball 27 is simply stuck in such a manner connection with the ventricle 19. Two sensors that no more water is sucked into the piping, control the level of the faeces receiver 23 and the piping is now filled with water. A U which is emptied by means of a mud ex- 130 shaped part of the piping is furthermore pro- 2 GB2194260A 2 vided with a siphon-interrupting device 29 the transmissions of vibrations between the comprising a non-return valve. The latter valve parts.

implies that a blowing can only occur at the When the train coach is equipped with more pipe D of the ventricle 19. The amount of air than one lavatory, several vacuum lavatory blown out is adjusted by means of a throttling 70 pans can be connected to a common recep situated above the non-return valve. tion bowl, which reduces the costs involved in Now the piping has been filled with water both the installation and the emptying.

and the ventricle 19 has been evacuated, In order to ensure that the lavatory arrange- whereby the first hose valve 18 is opened by ment is reliable during the winter, said ar means of a pipe B, cf. Fig. 5. Then the atmo- 75 rangement is provided with self-regulating spheric pressure forces faeces and water to heating flues keeping the faeces receiver 23, the ventricle 19, whereafter valve No. 1 and the ventricle system, and the pipings frost the feeding of compressed air to the ejector proof. The energy for running the arrangement 11 are interrupted. As a- result valve No. 2 is provided by the compressed-air system of and valve No. 3 are reopened followed by an 80 the train coach. The control current for the activation of valve No. 4 communicating with electromagnetic control system is delivered by pipe C. The latter implies that valve No. 4 is the accumulator of the coach. When the va opened and compressed air is fed to the pipe cuum lavatory is in the stand by position, the C communicating with the filling device 31. ventricle of the system is closed.

The. filling device 31 is opened at a pressure 85 The piping above the ventricle 19 is filled of approx. 3 bar at a rinsing valve 32, with water whereby smell nuisances are whereby the water in the piping is carried to avoided.

the lavatory pan 22. Valve No. 5 is simultane

Claims

ously opened, said valve controlling the hose CLAIMS valve 18 through the

pipe D. As a conse- 90 1. A vacuum lavatory arrangement for mo- quence the hose valve 18 is opened in such a bile units, such as trains and buses, and corn manner that water, faeces etc. -are pressed prising at least one lavatory pan, means for into the ventricle 19 by the atmospheric presproducing a vacuum, a reception bowl, pipes sure. When this process hs been terminated with valves for carrying the material from the the valve No. 4 is closed, whereby the feed- 95 lavatory pan to the reception bowl by means ing of compressed air to the rinsing device is of said vacuum, a ventricle coupled in the pipe stopped and valve No. 2 is opened in order to of the reception bowl, and means for feeding relieve the air pressure in the piping. As a rinsing liquid to the lavatory pan, whereby the result the rinsing procedure is interrupted quite means for producing a vacuum in the ventricle suddenly because compressed air is delivered 100 and the pipes are formed by an ejector con to the ambience. Subsequently valve No. 7 is nected to a compressed-air receiver, charac activated which causes compressed air to be terised by a siphon- interrupting device being blown into the ventricle 19 through the pipe provided in the pipes of a cistern, said device D, which creates a high pressure in the ventri- being capable of introducing air into the pipes.

cle 19. Compressed air is furthermore blown 105
2. A vacuum lavatory arrangement as into the U-shaped length of pipe through the claimed in claim 1, characterised by the si sjphon-interrupting device 29, whereby the si- phon-interrupting device being situated in a U phon effect optionally appearing is interrupted. shaped length of pipe.

Again valve No. 7 is closed and valve No. 6
3. A vacuum lavatory arrangement sub- is opened, i,e. pipe A controlling the second 110 stantially as described above and with refer hose valve 17, whereby access is obtained to ence to the accompanying drawings.

the faeces receiver 23. Then the high pressure created in the ventricle 19 blows-all the con- Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 HighHolborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from tents out through the piping to the faeces re- The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD.

ceiver 23. Printed by Burgess & Son (Ab[ngdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.

The above arrangement provides a shorter cycle period than previously.

The components of the vacuum lavatory ar- rangement are coupled as indicated in Fig. 1.

The ventricle 19 is mounted adjacent the lava tory pan below the bottom of the coach, said ventricle transferring the faeces etc. from the lavatory pan 22 to the faeces receiver 23.

The faeces receiver 23 can be situated on 69 several locations providing the best room, such as within or below the coach. The ar rangement is controlled by the control box 21 suitably mounted in the coach.

The individual parts are interconnected by means of resilient hoses and pipes cushioning