GB2205119A

GB2205119A - Waste disposal unit

Info

Publication number: GB2205119A
Application number: GB08809296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Sutton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-22
Filing date: 1988-04-20
Publication date: 1988-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-20
Also published as: GB2205119B; GB8809296D0

Abstract

A waste disposal unit comprises a casing 19 having an inlet slot 27 in its upper wall, from which a chute 28 leads downwardly within the casing to a bowl 23. An outlet conduit 24, incorporating a U-bend water trap, leads from the bowl 23 out of the casing for connection to a sewage system. A flushing cistern 30 is mounted within the casing and is operated by an external lever 31. A bag comprising two generally rectangular panels of water-absorbent paper joined together around three sides thereof and optionally perforated over substantially the whole surface thereof with an integral paper rib or tab projecting therefrom to form a handle, is also described. <IMAGE>

Description

"Improvements in or relating to the disposal of waste material" The invention relates to the disposal of waste material, and particularly to the convenient disposal of dog excrement, hereinafter referred to as dog waste.

There is currently a widespread problem of dogs fouling public places with their waste, the main problem areas being public footpaths, parks and playing fields.

The presence of such waste is unpleasant and unsightly, and can represent a significant health risk, particularly for children playing in areas which have been fouled by dogs.

In such areas it is normally left to employees of the local Council to clear up dog waste. Efforts have been made to educate the dog-owning public themselves to dispose of the waste left by their dogs, and scoops and similar devices are available to enable a dog owner to clear up the waste. However, such devices are not widely used, largely due to the problem of disposing of the waste after it has been cleared up. It is inconvenient for the dog owner to carry the waste home for disposal in a domestic lavatory, and where waste is deposited in rubbish bins, the unpleasant task of finally disposing of the waste is still left to Council employees whose job it is to empty the bins. While the waste is in the rubbish bins it can cause unpleasant smells, attract flies and generally be a hazard to health.

The present invention sets out to overcome these problems by providing a purpose-built disposal unit which may be installed in any public area to provide for the immediate and convenient disposal of dog waste and thereby encourage dog owners themselves to clear up and dispose of the waste left by their dogs.

According to the invention there is provided a disposal unit, for the disposal of dog waste, comprising a casing having an inlet aperture in the upper part thereof, an inlet conduit leading downwardly within the casing from said aperture, an outlet conduit in communication with the lower end of the inlet conduit and leading out of the casing for connection to a sewage system, a trap for preventing the passage of gases from the sewage system upwardly along the conduits, and means for effecting the passage of waste material downwardly past said trap.

To use the disposal unit, the dog owner simply picks up the dog waste, perhaps using a scoop and/or paper bag, and deposits it in the inlet aperture in the upper part of the unit. The waste then passes, through the trap, directly to the sewage system, which may comprise a main sewer or a septic tank.

The trap may be a U-bend which, in use, is filled with water, and the means for effecting the passage of waste material downwardly past the trap may then comprise means for supplying water above the trap so as to flush waste material through the U-bend. The U-bend trap is preferably provided in the outlet conduit, which may lead away from an enlarged receptacle for waste material, the lower end of the inlet conduit communicating with the enlarged receptacle.

The enlarged receptacle may comprise an open topped bowl, the lower end of the inlet conduit being open and facing into the open top of the bowl.

The means for supplying water above the trap may include a cistern assembly, which is preferably operable by means of a control handle which is accessible externally of the casing.

In the case where the disposal unit includes a water supply conduit within the casing, the conduit is preferably provided with a tap whereby water may be withdrawn from the conduit to clean the interior of the casing. The casing may be provided with an openable access door or panel.

The invention also provides a bag for use in the disposal of dog waste, comprising two generally rectangular panels joined together around three sides thereof, and formed of water-absorbent paper which is perforated over substantially the whole surface thereof.

The bag may have an integral paper rib or tab projecting therefrom to form a handle.

The bag may be used, in a manner to be described, in combination with a second similar but smaller bag which is capable of being received within the first bag.

The following is a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section through a simple type of waste disposal unit, to illustrate the principle of the invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a preferred form of unit, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a scoop for use with the disposal unit, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bag for use with the scoop and disposal unit.

Referring to Figure 1, the disposal unit comprises an outer cylindrical casing 10 which is partly sunk into the ground 11. Disposed within the casing is an upper tapered inlet conduit 12 leading to a vertical outlet conduit 13 which is connected to a main sewage pipe 14.

A trap, diagrammatically represented at 15, is located at the junction between the inlet and outlet conduits and a mains water supply pipe 16 supplies water to the trap. Insulating material 17 is packed between the conduits and the interior of the casing. A cover 18 closes the upper end of the casing 10.

In use, the dog owner picks up the dog waste, perhaps using a scoop and bag of the kind to be described later and deposits it in the inlet conduit 12 of the unit.

Access to the inlet conduit 12 may be through a slot in the cover 18, or the cover may be hinged to the casing 10 so that it may be opened.

The dog waste passes down through the trap 15, into the outlet conduit 13 and directly into the sewer.

The trap 15 may be of any convenient form, the primary purpose of the trap being to prevent the escape up the conduit 13 of noxious gases from the sewage system. The trap may, for example, be a mechanical flap valve or the like, or may be a water trap, another example of which will be described below.

Water from the mains conduit 16 is supplied into the unit for the purpose of washing down the conduits and the supply of water may also assist in passing the waste through the trap 15. The supply of water through the conduit 16 may be under manual control so that it may be operated when required by the user or by a Council employee, or it may be under some form of automatic control so as to flush the unit at regular intervals. The outlet from the water conduit 16 may be disposed higher up the inlet conduit 12 than shown in the drawing so as more effectively to cleanse the tapered inlet conduit.

If the trap 15 comprises a manually operable valve, manual operation of the valve may be arranged simultaneously to turn on the supply of water through the conduit 16 so that water is flushed through the trap valve each time it is opened.

Figure 1 is only a diagrammatic representation of a unit according to the invention, and Figure 2 illustrates a more practical proposal for such a unit.

Referring to Figure 2, the disposal unit comprises a generally rectangular metal casing 19 having a lockable front access door 20. The unit may be strongly mounted, for example on a concrete base 21, to prevent vandalism, fixing lugs 22 being provided to secure the back of the unit to a wall.

Mounted within the casing 19 is an upwardly open bowl 23 from the lower end of which extends an outlet conduit 24 which is curved in conventional manner to provide a U-bend 25 which, when filled with water, will provide a water trap. The outlet conduit 24 is connected to a sewage system (not shown) which may be a main sewer or a septic tank.

The upper surface 26 of the casing is formed with a rectangular slot 27 and a rectangular tubular chute 28 extends downwardly at a steep angle from the slot 27. The open lower end 29 of the chute open into the bowl 23.

Also mounted within the casing 19 is a conventional water cistern 30 which may be operated by means of a lever 31 which projects through a slot 32 in the side wall of the casing 19. The cistern is supplied with mains water through a conduit 33 and a tap 34 is provided on the conduit 33 within the casing. An overflow pipe 35 leads from the cistern. The outlet pipe 36 from the cistern leads into the upper part of the bowl 23.

In operation, the dog owner simply deposits the dog waste in the slot 27 from where it slides downwardly along the chute 28 into the bowl 23. The waste is then flushed away to the sewage system by operation of the cistern lever 31. Although it is preferable, in order to save water, that it be left to the user to flush the waste away, it is also possible to provide an automatically controlled system which flushes the bowl 23 at regular intervals.

The door 20 provides access to the interior of the casing 19 for the purposes of cleaning or to clear any blockage or other malfunction of the cistern or bowl.

The tap 34 provides a convenient source of water, for example for the attachment of a hose, for the purposes of washing down the interior of the casing when required.

Although the parts of the disposal device may be manufactured of any suitable materials, the internal parts are preferably formed from stainless steel. The casing 19 may also be formed from stainless steel or any other sufficiently strong material to render it weatherproof and resistant to vandalism.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate, respectively, a scoop and bag suitable for use in the convenient picking up of dog waste for disposal in the disposal device. The scoop 37 illustrated in Figure 3 may conveniently be moulded in one piece from plastics material and comprises a tray portion 38 which is open at the front and has connected to it a handle 39. The dog waste is scooped up using the scoop 37 and deposited in a paper bag, such as that illustrated in Figure 4, before depositing it in the above-described disposal device.

Referring to Figure 4, the paper bag 40 is formed from water-absorbent paper which is perforated over substantially the whole of its surface. The bag comprises two generally rectangular panels joined together around three of its sides, in conventional manner. The bag is formed with an integral paper rib 41 which serves as a handle for holding the bag. The purpose of the bag being formed of perforated water-absorbent paper is to facilitate its being flushed away in the disposal unit.

The scoop 37 is re-usable. In order to prevent the scoop becoming dirty an alternative arrangement (not illustrated) is possible in which there are provided two bags, similar to the bag 40 of Figure 4, but one bag being smaller than the other. When it is required to pick up dog waste, the smaller bag is first slipped over the tray portion 38 of the scoop 37 and is held in place by the user's thumb. The dog waste is picked up on the surface of the bag on the scoop, and the scoop with the waste is then inserted in the larger bag. The scoop is then withdrawn leaving the smaller bag and dog waste inside the larger bag. Since the scoop is protected by the smaller bag it does not become dirtied by the dog waste and does not therefore require cleaning.

The bags and scoops may be sold separately to dog owners. Alternatively, supplies of the bags may conveniently be provided in a dispenser, for example a coin-operated dispenser, adjacent the disposal unit.

Claims

1. A disposal unit, for the disposal of dog waste, comprising a casing having an inlet aperture in the upper part thereof, an inlet conduit leading downwardly within the casing from said aperture, an outlet conduit in communication with the lower end of the inlet conduit and leading out of the casing for connection to a sewage system, a trap for preventing the passage of gases from the sewage system upwardly along the conduits, and means for effecting the passage of waste material downwardly past said trap.

2. A disposal unit according to Claim 1, wherein the trap is a U-bend which, in use, is filled with water, and the means for effecting the passage of waste material downwardly past the trap comprises means for supplying water above the trap so as to flush waste material through the U-bend.

3. A disposal unit according to Claim 2, wherein the U-bend trap is provided in the outlet conduit.

4. A disposal unit according to Claim 3, wherein the outlet conduit leads away from an enlarged receptacle for waste material, the lower end of the inlet conduit communicating with the enlarged receptacle.

5. A disposal unit according to Claim 4, wherein the enlarged receptacle comprises an open-topped bowl, and the lower end of the inlet conduit is open and faces into the open top of the bowl.

6. A disposal unit according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the means for supplying water above the trap includes a cistern assembly.

7. A disposal unit according to Claim 6, wherein the cistern assembly is operable by means of a control handle which is accessible externally of the casing.

8. A disposal unit according to any of Claims 2 to 6, which includes a water supply conduit within the casing, having a tap whereby water may be withdrawn from the conduit to clean the interior of the casing.

9. A disposal unit according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the casing is provided with an openable access door or panel.

10. A disposal unit, for the disposal of dog waste, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 or 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A bag for use in the disposal of dog waste, comprising two generally . rectangular panels joined together around three sides thereof, and formed of waterabsorbent paper.

12. A bag according to Claim 11, wherein the paper of the bag is perforated over substantially the whole surface thereof.

13. A bag according to Claim 11, or Claim 12, having an integral paper rib or tab projecting therefrom to form a handle.

14. The combination, with a bag according to any of Claims 11 to 13, of a second similar but smaller bag which is capable of being received within the first bag.

15. A bag, for use in the disposal of dog waste, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of disposing of dog waste comprising placing the dog waste in a paper bag formed of waterabsorbent paper and depositing the bag of waste in a disposal unit according to any of Claims 1 to 10.