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US 8,771,393 B1Granted
Integrated polar cap for a vacuum waste tank system
AssigneeExelis, Inc.
InventorBradley Jason Kerbs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A polar cap for a vacuum waste tank includes an annulus with a lower outer mounting flange and an upper inner mounting flange surrounding a separator opening configured to be coupled to a separator; an inlet opening disposed in the annulus configured to be coupled to a waste line; and another opening disposed in the annulus configured to be coupled to a sensor or a rinse nozzle. The cap can carry sensors, rinse nozzles, inlets, and diverts.
Claims17
A cap device for a vacuum waste tank, the device comprising:
- a) an annulus having a lower outer mounting flange removably mounted to a mounting flange of the vacuum waste tank, and an upper inner mounting flange surrounding a separator opening configured to be coupled to a separator, with a diameter of the mounting flange of the waste tank, and an outer diameter of the lower outer mounting flange of the annulus, both being less than an outer diameter of the tank;
- b) an inlet opening disposed in the annulus configured to be coupled to a waste line;
- and
- c) another opening disposed in the annulus configured to be coupled to a sensor or a rinse nozzle.
1 more element
A vacuum waste tank device, comprising:
- a) a tank having an open top with a tank mounting flange having a diameter less than a diameter of the tank;
- b) a cap removably secured to the mounting flange of the tank and removably covering the open top of the tank, and the cap having an outer diameter less than the diameter of the tank;
- c) a plurality of openings formed in the cap, including a separator opening, an inlet opening, a sensor opening, and a rinse nozzle opening;
- d) a separator carried by the cap and coupled to the cap at the separator opening;
- e) a waste line coupled to the inlet opening of the cap;
- f) a sensor carried by the cap and coupled to the cap at the sensor opening;
- and
- g) a rinse nozzle carried by the cap and coupled to the cap at the rinse nozzle opening.
5 more elements
A method for servicing a vacuum waste tank, comprising:
- releasing a tank and a cap secured together to form the vacuum waste tank, the cap carrying a separator coupled to a vacuum source, a sensor and a rinse nozzle, and the cap having a waste inlet coupled a waste pipe, and the cap having an outer diameter less than a diameter of the tank;
- separating the tank with respect to the cap;
- servicing the tank, the cap, the separator, the sensor, the rinse nozzle, or combinations thereof;
- and
- rejoining and securing the tank and the cap, or securing a different tank with the cap, or securing a different cap with the tank.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.