US 3,995,328 AGranted

Vacuum toilet system

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsRaymond J. Carolan, Bjorn R. Kristoffersen

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Abstract

A vacuum flush waste diposal system for aircraft; wherein the required vacuum is acquired at altitude through the differential pressure between the aircraft cabin pressure and the ambient pressure above approximately 15,000 feet. When the aircraft is below this altitude or on the ground, the vacuum is provided by a blower. For flushing the toilet bowl, a timing device is initially actuated and functions: to introduce a recirculated flush fluid into a flush ring in the upper portion of the toilet bowl; and to open a drain in the lower portion of the toilet bowl, leading to the vacuum waste line; whereby, the waste and flush water are rapidly propelled through the waste line towards a centrally located holding tank, by the differential pressure acting upon it. Once in the holding tank, the waste fluid is filtered out for further use as the recirculated flush fluid. The holding tank is positioned within the fuselage of the aircraft and has a vertically oriented filter screen separating the tank longitudinally into a fore and aft compartment, so that the acceleration forces of take-off and the deceleration forces of braking upon landing causes the fluid to slosh fore and aft through the filter screen to aid in the filtration process. The toilet bowl incorporates integral air slots around the periphery of the toilet bowl so that there is no possibility of inadvertant injury to the user that could be caused by the sudden application of vacuum pressure to a seated occupant.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A vacuum flush waste disposal system for an aircraft having a pressurized passenger compartment, said system comprising:

a receptacle mounted within the pressurized passenger compartment for receiving waste;
said receptacle having an outlet from which the waste is to be extracted;
a tank for holding the waste;
a first valve means connected to said receptacle outlet;
a waste conduit interconnecting said tank with said first valve means;
a recovery system contained within the tank for producing filtered liquid;
a liquid pressure pump connected to the tank for withdrawing and pressurizing the filtered liquid;
spray means mounted within the upper portion of the receptacle for cleaning the inner surface thereof;
a second valve means operatively connected to said spray means for controlling the flow of liquid therefrom;
a flush fluid conduit connecting the liquid pressure pump with said second valve means;
means for venting the tank to ambient air pressure so as to induce a pressure differential between the tank and said first valve means, above a predetermined altitude;
an air suction pump connected to the tank for producing a predetermined vacuum pressure in the tank when the aircraft is below said predetermined altitude;
manually actuated means having an automatic cycle of operation;
connected to both said first and second valve means, for automatically opening and then closing each of said valve means after a predetermined interval of time;
thereby releasing pressurized filtered liquid through the spray means, into the receptacle and subjecting the receptacle outlet to a suction pressure corresponding to the predetermined minimum pressure differential between the tank and the pressurized passenger compartment for removal of the waste from the receptacle and for flowing the received waste through said conduit into the waste holding tank;
and said receptacle incorporating suction-break means for preventing the application of a suction force to an occupant.

13 more elements

A vacuum powered toilet flush system for an aircraft having a pressurized passenger compartment, said system comprising:

a tank centrally located within the fuselage of the aircraft and positioned outside of the pressurized passenger compartment, for holding waste;
a recovery system contained within the tank for producing filtered flushing fluid;
a pressure system and a storage system interconnected to the tank for recovering and storing the filtered flushing fluid under pressure;
means for venting the tank to ambient air, for providing vacuum thereto above a predetermined altitude;
a vacuum blower connected to the tank for producing a predetermined vacuum pressure in the tank when the aircraft is below said predetermined altitude;
a toilet bowl mounted within the pressurized passenger compartment for receiving waste;
said toilet bowl having an outlet in the bottom thereof from which waste is to be extracted;
a first valve means connected to said toilet bowl outlet;
a waste line interconnecting said tank with said first valve means;
a toilet bowl spray ring mounted within the upper portion of the toilet bowl for cleaning the inner surface thereof;
a second valve means operatively connected to said spray ring;
a flush fluid line connecting the pressurized flush fluid storage system with said second valve means;
actuator means connected to the first and second valve means;
a toilet flush trip handle and timer mechanism operatively connected to said actuator means for controlling the actuation cycle of said first and second valve means for the admittance of flush fluid through the spray ring and vacuum pressure removal of waste from the toilet bowl to the waste holding tank;
and said toilet bowl incorporating suction-break means for preventing the application of a suction force to an occupant.

12 more elements

A vacuum powered toilet flush system for an aircraft having a pressurized passenger compartment, said system comprising:

a toilet bowl mounted within the pressurized passenger compartment for receiving waste;
said toilet bowl having an outlet from which the waste is to be extracted;
a tank for holding the waste;
a filter positioned with the tank so as to divide the tank into a waste receiving compartment and a filtered liquid compartment;
a waste conduit interconnecting the outlet of the toilet bowl with the waste receiving compartment of the tank;
means for venting the tank to ambient air pressure so as to induce a pressure differential between the tank and the toilet bowl outlet in the pressurized passenger compartment above a predetermined altitude;
a vacuum pump connected to the tank and operated in response to ambient air pressure below a predetermined altitude for producing a predetermined minimum pressure differential between the tank and the toilet bowl;
a liquid pressure pump connected to the filtered liquid compartment of the tank for withdrawing and pressurizing the filtered liquid;
a spray ring mounted within the upper portion of the toilet bowl and connected to the liquid pressure pump for ejecting the pressurized filtered liquid against the inner surface of the toilet bowl to cleanse it;
a spray ring valve connected to the spray ring for controlling the flow of liquid from the toilet spray ring;
a toilet bowl outlet valve connected to the toilet bowl outlet and normally retained in a closed position until opened to evacuate the toilet bowl;
manually actuated means having an automatic cycle of operation, connected to both the spray ring valve and the toilet bowl outlet valve, for automatically opening and then closing each of said valves after a predetermined interval of time;
thereby releasing the pressurized filtered liquid into the toilet bowl and subjecting the waste matter to a pressure differential corresponding to the predetermined minimum pressure differential between the tank and the pressurized passenger compartment for flowing the waste through conduits into the waste receiving compartment of the tank;
and said toilet bowl incorporating suction-break means for preventing the application of a suction force to an occupant.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.