MX2008004638A - Portable toilet - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable restroom is designed to provide features which enhance the comfort and appeal to users. These features include a rigid and stable structure, including a rigid floor structure, thus providing a sense of security to the user. Further, flushing and fresh water capabilities are achieved by using a dual tank structure made capable by the base design itself. This dual tank structure is achieved utilizing a unique siphoning pump to provide appropriate functionality.

Description

PORTABLE RETREAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a portable toilet. More specifically, the present invention relates to the floor structure of a portable toilet which includes unique supports to provide a stiffer floor, and which includes a unique water tank feature that provides a washing capacity for the floor. toilet . Portable toilets are widely used and a very convenient part of society today, providing facilities in many different places when necessary. For example, those portable toilets are frequently used in public events such as sporting events, outdoor concerts, public gatherings, etc. In each of these applications large groups of people are expected to attend, thus overwhelming any existing health facility. When the public clearly understands that portable toilets will not include the convenience of domestic toilets, it is desirable to make those facilities as pleasant and comfortable as possible. In this regard, several concerns include cleanliness, enough space to feel comfortable, and sufficient structure for the user to experience a minimum level of privacy. Along those lines, there are several mechanisms to provide those desired characteristics. Initially, the integrity and structural strength of the portable toilet should be at a level where users feel they are in a strong and rigid structure, thus providing some sense of safety and comfort. Naturally, this must be balanced with the portable nature of the structure. Specifically, the structure must provide the desired solidity / rigidity sensation, while also being light enough to be transportable. This creates a natural relationship that must be balanced by the toilet manufacturer. Although the strength of all the components that create the structure is important, an obvious component that provides a problem has been the resistance of the floor. More specifically, the floor in many toilets of the prior art is somewhat weak and flexible, so that it will bend or flex when a user enters the toilet. When this occurs, an immediate feedback is provided to the user, suggesting that the toilet is not extremely strong or rigid, this inherently affecting his sense of comfort. In addition to the desired comfort and safety, other features also affect the user's overall feeling when using portable toilets. For example, features such as running water to provide hand washing ability, together with the cleaning mechanism will provide a more comfortable and pleasant user experience. Naturally, adding those features or functions requires additional systems within the portable toilet, which complicates the total product and adds to the costs / complexity involved in manufacturing. In this way, any design that efficiently adds those capabilities is very valuable. In specific consideration of the washing characteristic, it requires that a source of fresh water be available within the portable toilet. Typically this requires an additional tank to contain washing water, which is separate from the waste tank. As set forth in US Pat. No. 6,327,719 issued to the beneficiary of the present application, a possible location for this wash water is within the base of the toilet itself. This requires the base to provide a source of appropriate reservoirs that contain this water designed in the particular component. That is, there are complications related to the formation of a water containment tank inside the base. Specifically, it is difficult to create a single tank that has interconnected waterways and effectively use all available area within the base unit. In addition, when the portable portrait is used in uneven places, this single washing tank becomes very problematic since the available water will naturally migrate towards a single side or edge of the base reservoir. Consequently, this unique reservoir within the base unit is not completely ideal for all applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The light of the complications discussed above, set forth in the present invention, provides a portable toilet which has greater comfort for the user. More particularly, the present invention provides that comfort in part through the unique design of its base structure. This unique design provides two primary features that are incorporated into a single design. First, a double water tank system is provided which effectively utilizes the space contained within the runners of the base unit to provide wash water to the portable toilet. More significantly, this double tank capacity becomes feasible through the use of a single siphon pump which extracts water from each tank uniformly, while also having a self-leveling characteristic. Secondly, the base unit of the present invention includes a rib structure, in a rotomolded product, which provides rigidity of additional resistance to the floor. Accordingly, when users enter the portable toilet of the present invention, the floor itself feels rigid and solid, thus providing a certain level of comfort to the user. This rigidity is achieved through an alternating structure of arched flanges, which form bridges between pairs of primary beams in the structure of the floor itself. Consequently, the support points are evenly distributed across the resulting floor in a structure, which more easily handles the desired loads. Additionally, the design is more easily manufactured using the desired rotational molding process because the material that is molded efficiently satisfies the desired design. Although the design itself provides additional support to the floor, the component works much more efficiently (due to the better formation when molded). The structure mentioned above (ie the primary beams and the arched flanges) forms a bridge between two support corridors. Support corridors sit on the floor (or other surface) to support the overall structure. This also provides the ability to move the toilet with a forklift. As discussed more fully below, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable toilet having a floor structure with significant stiffness, so that users feel comfortable entering the structure. This rigidity especially provides a floor structure which does not buckle or bend when a user walks over it. A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable toilet having washing capabilities. Returning the available washing capacity due to a basic design which incorporates a double chamber reservoir able to contain the necessary washing water. This dual-chamber reservoir cooperates with the uniquely designed siphon pump to provide wash capabilities along with the self-leveling feature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be observed by reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable lavatory mode of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the base structure of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom of the base structure of the present invention; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the structure of the base; Figure 5 is a top view of the structure of the base; Figure 6 is a side view of the structure of the base; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the base illustrating the reinforcing ridges; Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating the double water tanks and the single siphon pump of the present invention; and Figure 9 is an exploded view illustrating the pump of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Certain features of the present invention are described below with respect to a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in the accompanying Figures. Naturally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that certain variations and modifications to this structure could be made, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a perspective view of a modality of a portable toilet 10, having a toilet base 20, a plurality of exterior walls 12, a roof 14 and a closing door 16, all combined to create an enclosure for the portable toilet. Naturally, additional structures are contained within this enclosure to provide the necessary elements, including a toilet structure that has a waste tank of some kind, potentially a urinal, proper tank ventilation, and airflow mechanisms (each of those characteristics or elements are not shown in Figure 1). Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, perspective views of the base of the toilet 20 are shown. As illustrated, Figure 2 shows a perspective view from above of the base of the toilet 20, while Figure 3 shows a view. in perspective from below. As best illustrated, the base of the toilet 20 includes a floor surface 22, a support structure 24, and a pair of support runners 26 and 28. As illustrated, the support structure 24 joins the area between the first runner of support 26 and the second support runner 28, thereby providing the necessary support for the surface of the floor 22. Also illustrated is a water tank cavity 30 which is specifically configured to receive and support a waste tank of the toilet (not shown). The cavity of the waste tank 30 is created by forming supports 32, 34 and 36 specifically, the left support 32 is located on the left side of the cavity 30, and the rear support 34 is located on the rear side of the cavity 30, and the right support 36 is located on the right side of the cavity 30. In addition, the floor support structure 24 surrounds the cavities 30 on a front side, thereby providing support on all four sides of the cavity 30. In the Preferred embodiment, the base structure is a single rotomolded part, which is a unique integral component. In addition, the base of the toilet 20 is configured to cooperate with the other components by creating the enclosure, as generally illustrated in Figure 1. Referring now to Figure 4, a view from below of the base of the toilet 20 is illustrated. More specifically, Figure 4 provides additional details with respect to the support structure 24 which provides an improved floor structure for the portable lavatory of the present invention. As mentioned above, the support structure 24 joins the space between the first runner 26 and the second runner 28, thereby providing a base structure on which the remaining portion of the portable toilet can be formed. The support structure itself includes a number of major ridges 40 each of which are molded on the bottom surface of the toilet base 20. These main ridges 40 extend through the entire structure, and are configured in a manner that is likewise in the form of a base. both consistent with the conventional support flanges. Between each of the support flanges, there is a support network 42, made of a plurality of arcuate portions 44 each of which extend upwards to eventually come into contact with an upper layer of the floor structure. Referring to Figure 7, a more detailed view of this support structure is illustrated. More specifically, Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view showing the plurality of arcuate portions 44 and their cooperation with the support flanges 40. As more fully illustrated in Figure 7A, which is an exploded view of the cross section of Figure 7, the arcuate portions 44 have a point of contact 48 where the materials meet the floor surface supporting the portion 22. Naturally, the floor surface 22 is created from a panel of material 50. The material of the floor surface 50 is molded with or formed with an arcuate portion 44 to provide a rigid contact point 48, as illustrated more fully in Figure 7A. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that there is also an arched opposite oriented portion, similar, 46, separate from the arcuate portion 44, but that it creates a very similar structure. As illustrated in Figure 4, the arcuate portions 44 are illustrated in a row, while the opposite oriented arcuate portions 46 are located in adjacent rows. Accordingly, the support network 42 is created which has multiple contact points uniformly spaced apart to support the floor surface 22. As also illustrated and suggested above, the base structure 20 includes a first support runner 26 and a second runner. 28. Each of these support runners is configured to include an internal cavity 60, which will easily contain wash water for use in a wash application. More specifically, the runners include a first internal cavity 60 and a second internal cavity 62, which are separated from each other due to the molding and constraints of base configuration. Referring to Figure 8, this is illustrated schematically. To use these tanks for washing capabilities, a pump 64 is incorporated which is operatively connected to the first internal cavity 60 and the second internal cavity 62. The pump is functionally connected to the first internal cavity 60 via an inlet hose 66. In addition, pump 64 is connected to a second internal cavity 62 via a second inlet hose 68. By operating the pump, water can be provided to other systems via an outlet 70. Generally speaking, this system makes use of both. internal cavities for effectively and efficiently storing washing water, while also satisfying the structural needs of the toilet base 20. To effectively achieve this dual tank pumping capacity, the siphon pump of the present invention is designed in a unique way This design is illustrated more fully in Figure 9, which shows a pump housing 80, having a pump inlet 82. Attached connected to the inlet of the pump 82 is an inlet coupling 84, which provides the key to operating the dual reservoir pump system. Specifically, the input coupling 84 provides a self-leveling feature, while allowing the water to be extracted from each particular reservoir. The input coupling 84 includes a first inlet 86 and a second inlet 88 which are specifically coupled to the first inlet hose 66 and the second inlet hose 68. A coupling outlet 90 allows the water to be extracted from both reservoirs simultaneously by the siphon pump 64. Also, because the inlet coupling 84 allows free fluid flow between two different reservoirs, self-leveling is achieved. More specifically, the water levels in the two reservoirs will maintain equal levels, through the operation, due to the natural capacity of the fluid that flows between these two reservoirs, and the existence of an initial vacuum in the system created when the pump is operated for the first time. Although many different variations are possible, the pump in this mode is operated via a push button 92. The pump itself is typically mounted to the floor of the base 20 so that it is operated by the user's foot. Naturally, other variations are possible. Additionally, it was contemplated that the siphon pump 64 be used to provide wash fluid to a washing mechanism in the portable toilet. That washing mechanism could be incorporated in a washable toilet or a washable urinal of various types. That is, the siphon pump 64 could also be used to provide water to a mechanism for hand washing or washing of some kind. The present invention has now been described with reference to various modalities. The detailed description and the previous examples given for purposes of clarity and understanding only. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes can be made in the described embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the exact details and structures described herein, but rather to the appended and equivalent claims. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property.

1. A uniform base structure that creates a stable platform on a top surface thereof capable of supporting the weight of individuals, the base structure is characterized in that it comprises: an interior portion in contact with a support surface in at least two places; a top panel that forms the platform on the upper surface thereof; and a formed bottom panel joining at least two locations of the lower portion in contact with the support surface, the lower panel having a plurality of primary flanges and a support network extending between the primary flanges, extending into the support network toward up, so that an upper portion of the support network contacts a lower surface of the upper panel, where the support network has a plurality of non-symmetrical arcuate portions extending between each pair of primary flanges and the top panel each non-symmetric arcuate portion extending only on a longitudinal portion of the length of the primary flange, alternating the plurality of non-symmetrical arcuate portions in the downwardly extending direction along the primary flange, thereby creating an alternating pattern of contact points. The base according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower portion includes a first runner and a second runner, and the lower panel joins an area between the first runner and the second runner. The base according to claim 1, characterized in that the first runner and the second runner, the upper panel and the lower panel form a single molded component. The base according to claim 3, characterized in that the base is rotomolded. The base according to claim 3, characterized in that the first runner and the second runner include a first reservoir and a second reservoir, respectively, internally molded to contain a liquid. The base according to claim 5, characterized in that the first reservoir and the second reservoir are insulated from each other so that the fluid can not flow between them. The base according to claim 1, characterized in that the support network further includes a plurality of substantially straight portions extending opposite the arcuate portions and providing a connection between the primary flange and the contact point on the opposite side of the plurality of arched portions. The base according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises a washing pump to provide washing water to the subsequent systems, the washing pump in fluidic contact with the first reservoir and the second reservoir.