2332217 IMPROVEMENTS TO A WC VACUUM TOILET OR SQUAT PAN. STANDARD GRAVITY
FLUSH WC PANS USE A VARYING VOLUME OF WATER (NORMALLY 6-9 litres of POTABLE WATER) TO PHYSICALLY DISPLACE THE CONTENTS OF A TOILET OR SQUAT PAN PAST THE'S' BEND OF THE WC FORMING A WATER SEAL AND WEIR OVERFLOWING TO THE BLACK WATER SEWER AT WHICH POINT IT FOLLOWS THE HYDRAULIC FALL OR VERTICAL DROP OF THE ASSOCIATED INSTALLED SOIL PIPEWORKVACUUM TECHNOLOGY UTILISING A SINGLE VOLUME CHARGE OF VACUUM FROM A VESSEL WITHIN THE EXISTING CISTERN OR SYSTEM OR AS A STAND ALONE VESSEL ADJACENT TO A WC OR SQUAT PAN OF APPROX 6 Litres VOLUME WILL ACT IN A COST EFFECTIVE MANNER AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS TO THAT OF 6 - 9 Litres OF WATER FLUSH AS CURRENTLY USED AND THE PRESENT WATER SEAL WILL BE RENEWED BY A REDUCED AMOUNT OF POTABLE OR RE-CYCLED GREY WATER OR TREATED RAIN WATER OF 1.2 Litres VOLUME TO REMOVE WATERS OR SOLID PRODUCTS SUCH AS FOECES, PAPER TISSUE, LIQUIDS FROM A MODIFIED WC TOILET OR SQUAT PAN PREFERABLY USING REDUCED DIAMETER OR EXISTING 10Omm DIAMETER PIPEWORK AND USING ONLY 1.2 litres OR IN THE CASE OF PLANES AND TRAINS LESS THAN 1.2 litres OF FLUSH WATER COMPARED WITH THAT OF GRAVITY FLUSH CURRENTLY SPECIFIED. AT THE PRESENT TIME VACUUM TECHNOLOGY REQUIRES A CENTRAL VACUUM COLLECTION TANK OR PLANT OF A SPECIFIED DESIGN, IT'S A SIZE AND INTERCONNECTING PIPEWORK BEING BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF WC TOILETS OR SQUAT PANS TO BE SERVICED, PROJECTED NUMBER OF FLUSHES, WITH A RATED CAPABILITY OF DISCHARGE TO THOSE SERVICES TO WHICH THE SYSTEM IS CONNECTED. A CENTRAL SYSTEM IS NORMALLY OPERATED AT A CONTINUOUS RATED DESIGNED VACUUM INTO WHICH ANY SQUAT OR TOILET PAN CONTENTS ARE DRAWN UPON OPERATING OF ANY SINGLE PAN CONNECTED IN SERIES IN COMMON TO THE TOILET MANIFOLD BY USE OF A TOILET BUTTON, WHICH IN TURN ACTIVATES THE ISOLATING LINE VALVE AT THE REAR OF THE PAN FOR A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME (3 SECONDS) IN THE COURSE OF WHICH ANY VACUUM CREATED IN THE CENTRAL RECEIVER IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE WC PAN. THIS EFFECTIVELY RESULTS IN A STANDARD ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF 14.7 psi or 1 BAR FORCING ANY PAN CONTENTS WHICH AT THAT TIME ACTS AS A SEALING MASS IN THE PAN OUTLET INTO THE PIPEWORK EJECTING IT THROUGH THE CONNECTING PIPEWORK AND WHICH CONTINUES TO BE TRANSPORTED TOWARDS THE SOURCE OF THE VACUUM IMBALANCE AS ANY VALVE IS IN AN OPERATING STATE AND WHILST A VACUUM CONDITION (-0.06) EXISTS IN THE CENTRAL RECEIVER. WHEN THE VALVE COMPLETES ITS CYCLE AND WATER RE-MAKES AIR/LIQUID SEAL IN THE PAN, THE CENTRAL COLLECTION TANK 1 OR MORE VACUUM PUMPS FITTED TO RECOVER THE VESSEL'S PARTIAL LOSS OF VACUUM IN KEEPING WITH THOSE UPPER AND LOWER VACUUM LEVELS SET BY OPERATORS OF THE SYSTEM, UNTIL THE NEXT FLUSHING OPERATION OF ANY TOILET CONNECTED TO THE MANIFOLD, REPEATING THAT MOMENTARY LOSS OF VACUUM IN THE RECEIVER, IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN ISOLATING VALVE ON THE CONNECTING PIPEWORK AT THE TOILET THERE ARE OTHER HIGH COST SEQUENCENTIAL CONTROL VALVES CONTROLLING BOTH, VALVE TIME CYCLE AND REPLENISHMENT OF FLUSHING WATER TAKEN FROM THAT SPECIFIC BOWL CURRENTLY IN USE BY THE PRECEEDING OPERATING CYCLE. WHEN DIRECT COSTS AND COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE APPLIED THEY SHOW A COMPARABLE BREAK EVEN POINT OF APPROXIMATELY FIFTY (50) GRAVITY WC'S:VACUUM WC'S WHEN CONSIDERING A COMPARABLE COST OF SUPPLY/INSTALLATION OF A VACUUM INSTALLATION WHICH ARE THOSE CAPITAL COSTS IN DIRECT COMPARISON WITH THE COST OF AN EQUAL NUMBER GRAVITY FLUSH PANS USING CISTERNS EACH USING 9 litres OF WATER FOR EACH FLUSH CYCLE. ENVIROMENTALY A HIGH PERCENTAGE (APPROX 40%) OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF POTABLE WATER USED DOMESTICALLY IN UK, EUROPE AND THE WESTERN WORLD MARKET IS THAT USED TO FLUSH TOILETS. VARIOUS DEVICES HAVE BEEN TRIED TO MINIMISE THIS HIGH USAGE OF A VALUABLE RESOURCE. HOWEVER, THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF A MUCH HIGHER CAPITAL COST HAVE LIMITED THE READY ADOPTION DOMESTICALLY, OF VACUUM TECHNOLOGY IN PREFERENCE TO WATER FLUSH TOILETS DESPITE SUBSEQUENT MAJOR SAVINGS IN WATER AND DEMANDS ON MAIN SEWERAGE TREATMENT WORKS & ENVIROMENT. THOSE SINGLE VACUUM TOILET MODIFICATIONS PROPOSED ARE 4- AIMED AT ACHIEVING A MORE EQUABLE COST OF AN INDIVIDUAL DOMESTIC WC INSTALLATION AND THAT RELATED COST OF SUPPLY WITHOUT LOSS OF THE BENEFIT OF WATER SAVINGS ACCRUING FROM USE OF VACUUM TECHNOLOGY AT THE WC PAN, INCORPORATING BOTH THAT FLEXIBILITY OF DESIGN WHEREBY THE NEW DESIGN OF A "SINGLE SHOT VACUUM" UNIT CAN BE INCORPORATED OR USED WITH EXISTING GRAVITY SOIL PIPE SEWAGE SYSTEMS WHILST MAINTAINING THE LESSER WATER VOLUME WHICH IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN USING VACUUM TECHNOLOGY TO REPLACE WATER FLUSH AND EXCLUDES THOSE USING CHEMICALS HARMFUL TO OUR ENVIROMENT OR ALTERNATIVE BIO-REMEDIATION TECHNIQUES LIKE COMPOSTING. IN THE'SINGLE SHOT OF VACUUM' TOILET-THE BASIC FLUSH PAN REMAINS UNCHANGED,THE OUTLET OF THE PAN IS PREFERRABLY OF REDUCED BORE X- SECTION OF 5Omm TO THAT EXISTING OF 10Omm. THE VACUUM FLUSH INITIATION IS FROM EITHER VARIATION OF THE CISTERN FLUSH OR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL VESSEL IMMEDIATELY AT THE REAR OF EACH PAN, THE VOLUME OF WHICH IS CALCULATED SO THAT AT A LOW VACUUM STATE IT IS SUFFICIENT TO DRAW THE PAN CONTENTS AT A VELOCITY RATE SUFFICIENT TO PROJECT IT INTO THE EXISTING BLACK WATER SEWER PIPEWORK HAVING FIRST PASSED THE NON-RETURN FLAP FITTED WITHIN A CONNECTION INSERTED BETWEEN PIPE SECTIONS, AS SHOWN IN DRAWING 1. THIS FLAP IS PRIMARILY TO MINIMISE THE VOLUME UPON WHICH 'SSW VACUUM WILL ACT THUS PRIORITISING IT'S RE-ACTION TO THE PAN CONTENTS AND NOT BEING ALLOWING DISSIPATION DRAWING UPON THE GREATER VOID AREA OF THE DOWNSTREAM SOIL PIPEWORK. ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF CREATING A VACUUM VOLUME IS THAT DERIVED FROM EITHER AN ADAPTATION OF THE EXISTING WATER CLOSET BEHIND OR ABOVE THE WC PAN OR A STAND ALONE VESSEL ON THE FLOOR BESIDE THE WC PAN CONNECTED TO THE IMMEDIATE DOWNSTREAM PIPEWORK OF THE INSTALLATION EVACUATED USING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MEANS: a) A DIRECT VACUUM LINE OR BY A MANUAL PUMP HANDLE:b) VENTURI EDUCTOR USING MAINS WATER PRESSURE OR PUMP: c) USE OF A SMALL -FREE PISTON- ELECTRO MECHANICAL VACUUM PUMP SUITABLE FOR LOW DEMAND DOMESTIC APPLICATION. THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS SATISFY THE VACUUM DEMAND AND MAY BE CREATED BY USE OF A SMALL EDUCTOR, A VESSEL OR ADAPT CISTERN, OPERATED BY STANDARD MAINS WATER PRESSURE OR A FRACTIONAL HP DEDICATED PUMPED CIRCUIT, MANUAL OPERATION OF A PUMPING ACTION OR BY COMPRESSING SPRINGS BY MEANS OF A LEVER OR CAM UNTIL ENGAGEMENT AND WHICH UPON RELEASE WILL CREATE AND MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED VACUUM AFTER EACH INDIVIDUAL FLUSH SIMILAR TO THE CURRENT OPERATION OF A FLUSHING CISTERN ON A GRAVITY TOILET, IT IS SO DESIGNED THAT THE REPLENISHMENT OF THE LOST VACUUM BY ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED METHODS WILL TAKE NO MORE THAN 45 seconds WHICH IS BELIEVED ADEQUATE FOR NORMAL HOUSEHOLD DOMESTIC SERVICES WHEN OPERATED AT GROUND LEVEL- FIRST FLOOR LEVELS OR AT HIGH-RISE LEVELS WHERE SOIL RISER STACKS AND GRAVITY SEWERS ARE FITTED. A VACUUM CYCLE FLUSHING THE PAN OF ITS CONTENTS CAN BE BY EITHER DIAPHRAGM PUSH BUTTON OR BY MANUAL OPENING OF THE INTERCONNECTING PIPEWORK BETWEEN THE RESERVOIR AND THE 100/20Omm SOIL PIPE. THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN CONCEPT ELIMINATES THOSE RESTRICTIVE CAPITAL DESIGN COSTS AND PERMIT BUILDING DESIGNERS TO CONSIDER THE COMPARABLE COST EFFECTIVE CAPITAL COSTS AND OF THOSE MANY ENVIROMENTAL ADVANTAGES UTILISING WC VACUUM TECHNOLOGY WITHIN SINGLE BED HOMES WHICH AR-E CURRENTLY NOT POSSIBLE WITH VACUUM SYSTEMS WHEN COMPARED TO COST OF WATER FLUSH WC'S and CURRENT VACUUM TECHNOLOGY.
-1 CLAIMS. A SINGLE WC OR SQUAT PAN TOILET OPERATED BY A SINGLE CHARGE OF VACUUM DERIVED FROM A STAND ALONE VESSEL OR VOID VOLUME CREATED FROM A LENGTH OF PIPEWORK OR ADAPTED CISTERN WHICH WILL REPLACE THE PRESENT WATER FLUSH OF 6-9 litres OF WATER CURRENTLY USED OR A COMPOSTING TOILET SO THAT THE WATER COSTS ARE REDUCED BY THE ACTUAL VOLUME OF WATER USED RESULTS IN AN ACCEPTABLE ENVIROMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY. THE SYSTEM COMPRISES SIMPLE COMPONENTS AND THE FLUSH DURATION IS CONTROLLED BY THE VACUUM VOLUME AVAILABLE AND THE TIME TAKEN TO BE BALANCED AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WHEN OPENED TO THE DOVrNSTREAM SIDE OF THE TOILET BUT UPSTREAM OF THE NON RETURN VALVE AND BY THE SMALL CHARGE OF SEWAGE PASSING TO THE SEWER BEYOND THE NON RETURN VALVE WHICH SEALS WHEN THE FOLLOWING VACUUM DISCHARGE DRAWS THE VALVE FLAP CLOSED TO THE SEAT PROVIDED ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE OF THE PAN FOLLOWED BY A SMALL CHARGE OF WATER BEING PRESENTED TO THE PAN CREATING A REPLACEMENT WATER/FOUL ODOUR SEAL OF PAN TO THE SOIL PIPE AND PIPEWORK. 1.2 litres OF REMAKE WATER CONTROLLED BY A TIMED WATER VALVE OR BY THE REPETITIVE REPLACEMENT OF A CONTROLLED VOLUME OF WATER FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF EACH CYCLE COMPRISES A SEAL. WHEN THE TOILET IS OPERATED AN AMOUNT OF FOUL AIR IS DRAWN FROM THE CLOSET OR COMPARTMENT INTO THE PIPEWORK SYSTEM
0 CLAIMS (cont'd) AND PAN BEYOND THE NON RETURN VALVE WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO MAINTAINING A LESS ODIOUS LOCAL ATMOSPHERE. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE A COST EFFECTIVE WC/SQUAT PAN. THAT AN ALTERNATIVE COST EFFECTIVE SYSTEM TO FLUSH A SINGLE WC PAN EITHER THAT INSTALLED IN THE ACCEPTED STANDARD GRAVITY DOMESTIC SEWAGE DISCHARGE SYTEM OR IS 1 OF ANY NUMBER OF WC BOWLS OR SQUAT PANS EACH CONNECTED INTO AN COLLECTIVE CENTRAL VACUUM SYSTEM OR WHICH ARE FLUSHED BY THE HYDRAULIC WASHING BY 9 LITRES OF DOMESTIC POTABLE, SEA, OR RECYCLED WATER AND THAT WHICH CAN BE EFFECTED BY A SINGLE CHARGE OF VACUUM DEDICATED TO SINGLE FLUSHING CYCLE ONLY OF THE WC BOWL OR SQUAT PAN. THAT NEITHER THE NUMBER OF OR COMPLEX ASSEMBLY OF TIME AND FLOW CONTROL VALVES OR ACCESSORIES BEHIND THE PAN ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE ACTION OF FLUSHING TO DRAIN. THIS MAY CONSIST OF A BOWL (5) OR SQUAT PAN, A NON-RETURN VALVE (3) WHICH IS INSERTED IN THE PIPE, A CISTERN WHICH CONTAINS A SMALL VACUUM VESSEL (2) YMO'S CAPACITY IS RATED SUCH THAT ONLY THE CONTENTS OF THE PAN ARE EJECTED FROM THE PAN THROUGH THE FLAP VALVE (3a) TO THE CONNECTED SOIL PIPEWORK OR DRAIN. A SMALL RESERVOIR (4) OF 1,2 Ltr CAPACITY ACTING AS A REPLACEMENT VOLUME OF WATER TO REMAKE THE SEAL IN THE PAN (5) THESE VARIOUS ITEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED BY PIPEWORK OF REQUISITE BORE SIZE AND ARE ISOLATED ONE FROM
11 CLAIMS (cont'd) THE OTHER BY MANUAL VALVE OR CONTROLLING DEVICES ALLOWING THEIR INDEPENDENT AND INTER-RELATED IN THE COURSE OF EACH CYCLIC OPERATION. THE CREATION OF THE REQUIRED VACUUM TO REPLENISH THAT AIR EXHAUSTED ON EACH CYCLE ARE SHOWN BY THE SKETCH No: 4 TITLED "3 ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF IMPARTING VACUUM". THIS INNOVATIVE DESIGN PERMITS THE INSTALLATION OF SINGLE PAN TOILETS IN DOMESTIC HOMES IN LIEU OF WATER CLOSETS THEREBY ACHIEVING CONSIDERABLE WATER SAVINGS & ECONOMIES.