Portable waste disposal system having automatic control means

Claim 2

A waste disposal system for a vehicle powered by a combustion engine, comprising: means for retaining waste; means for exhausting hot gases from said engine; means for delivering waste from said retaining means into said exhausting means; means for sensing the level of waste in said retaining means; means for sensing the temperature of said engine; means for electronically sensing the speed of said engine; means for activating said delivery means only upon coincidence of predetermined inputs thereto from said waste level, temperature and speed sensing means; and wherein said predetermined inputs are representative, respectively, of the presence of waste in said retaining means, and sufficient engine temperature and speed to achieve burning of said waste.

Claim 3

A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said waste level sensing means comprises a sensor having two probes, said two probes adapted to conduct current through waste therebetween.

Claim 4

A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said temperature sensing means comprises a temperature probe extending into said engine, said probe adapted to decrease in electrical resistance for increases in the temperature of said engine.

Claim 5

A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said vehicle further comprises a distributor associated with said engine for providing ignition pulses thereto, and wherein said speed sensing means comprises means for sensing said ignition pulses.

Claim 6

A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said activating means comprises: a first active circuit element having first and second terminals and a terminal capable of controlling current flow between said first and second terminals; means coupled to said second terminal for switching on said delivery means during current flow between said first and second terminals; means coupled to said control terminal for providing a bias thereto during incidence of said predetermined input from said speed sensing means; means coupled to said terminal for providing a bias thereto, during incidence of said predetermined inputs from said waste level and temperature sensing means; and wherein said sensing means control said circuit element such that current is conducted between said first and second terminals only during coincidence of said predetermined inputs.

Claim 7

A system as recited in claim 5 wherein said bias-providing means coupled to said control terminal comprises: a second active circuit element having first, second and control terminals; said second terminal of said second circuit element being coupled to said control terminal of said first circuit element; means coupled to said control terminal of said second circuit element for biasing said sEcond circuit element into conduction upon the incidence of said predetermined input from said speed sensing means; and wherein said first circuit element bias is provided to said first circuit element during conduction of said second circuit element.

Claim 8

A system as recited in claim 6 further comprising means coupled to said control terminal of said second circuit element for predetermining the input from said speed sensing means necessary to bias said second circuit element into conduction.

Claim 9

A system as recited in claim 7 wherein: said first circuit element comprises a PNP bipolar transistor; said second circuit element comprises an NPN bipolar transistor; each said bipolar transistor having emitter, base and collector terminals corresponding to said first, control and second terminals, respectively; and wherein said predetermining means comprises a potentiometer having a calibrating terminal coupled to said base terminal corresponding to said control terminal of said second circuit element.

Claim 10

A system as recited in claim 5 wherein said bias-providing means coupled to said first terminal of said first circuit element comprises: a third active circuit element having first, second and control terminals, said second terminal of said third circuit element coupled to said first terminal of said first circuit element; and means coupled to said control terminal of said third circuit element for biasing said third circuit element into conduction upon incidence of said predetermined inputs from said waste level and temperature sensing means.

Claim 11

A system as recited in claim 9 wherein said biasing means coupled to said control terminal of said third circuit element comprises: means directly coupling said control terminal of said third circuit element to waste level sensing means; a fourth active circuit element having first, second and control terminals, said second terminal of said fourth circuit element coupled terminal of said third circuit element; and wherein said third circuit element is adapted to conduct current between said first and second terminals thereof only upon coincidence of current flow in said direct coupling means and in the absence of current flow between said first and second terminals of said fourth circuit element.

Claim 12

A system as recited in claim 10 further comprising means coupled to said control terminal of said fourth circuit element for predetermining the input necessary to bais said fourth circuit element into non-conduction.

Claim 13

A system as recited in claim 11 wherein: said third and fourth circuit elements comprise PNP bipolar transistors each having emitter, base and collector terminals corresponding to said first, control and second terminals, respectively; and wherein said predetermining means comprises a potentiometer having a calibrating terminal coupled to said base terminal corresponding to said control terminal of said fourth circuit element.

Claim 14

Control apparatus for a waste disposal system carried by a combustion engine powered vehicle, comprising: means for receiving an input representative of the temperature of said engine; means for receiving an input representative of the speed of said engine; means for receiving an input representative of the level of waste in said system; means for activating said system only upon coincidence of a predetermined input from said temperature, speed and waste level sensing means; said activating means comprising: a transistor having emitter, base and collector terminals, a relay coupled to said collector terminal, said speed input receiving means coupled to said base terminal, and said temperature and waste level input receiving means coupled to said emitter terminal.

Claim 15

Control apparatus for a waste disposal system carried by a combustion engine powered vehicle, comprising: means for receiving an input representative of the temperature of said engine; means for receiving an input representative of the speed of said engine; means for receiving an input representative of the level of waste in said system; means for activating said system only upon coincidence of a predetermined input from said temperature, speed and waste level sensing means; said activating means comprising: a transistor having emitter, base and collector terminals, a relay coupled to said collector terminal, said speed input receiving means coupled to said base terminal, and said temperature and waste level input receiving means coupled to said emitter terminal.