Self-contained sanitary closet for vehicles or the like

Claim 2

A sanitary closet comprising a. a bowl portion having a bottom outlet, b. a waste receptacle positioned below said bowl for receiving liquid and solid waste admitted to said bowl and passing through said bottom outlet, c. closure means operable between open and closed positions for selectively permitting solid and liquid waste to pass from said bowl to said waste receptacle, d. means defining a separate reservoir for flushing fluid, said reservoir being positioned above said bowl outlet and around said bowl portion, e. sump means positioned below said bowl outlet and about said waste receptacle for collecting flushing fluid when said closure means is closed, f. means defining a separate flow path for said flushing fluid from said bowl to said sump when said closure means is in a closed position, thereby bypassing said waste receptacle, g. pump means for forcing said fluid from said reservoir to said bowl to flush said bowl, said means also defining a separate flow path to return said flushing fluid from said sump to said reservoir.

Claim 3

opening said closure means,

Claim 4

opening said closure means,

Claim 5

energizing said first and said second pump means for a predetermined time interval while said closure means is opened,

Claim 6

energizing said first and said second pump means for a predetermined time interval while said closure means is opened,

Claim 7

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump means includes a first pump means for forcing said flushing fluid to said bowl, and a second pump means positioned within said sump for returning the collected and separated flushing fluid to said reservoir.

Claim 8

A sanitary closet as claimed in Claim 2 which further includes a sequence control means for selectively operating said flushing pump and said sump pump.

Claim 9

closing said closure means,

Claim 10

closing said closure means,

Claim 11

energizing said first and said second pump means for a predetermined time interval when said closure means is closed,

Claim 12

energizing said first and said second pump means for a predetermined time interval when said closure means is closed,

Claim 13

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 3 which further includes a clutch means for connecting said flush pump to said sump pump during a portion of the timed period in which the sump pump is operating.

Claim 14

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 3 wherein said closure means is selectively closed by said sequence control means.

Claim 15

de-energizing said first pump means while continuing to operate said second pump means for a predetermined time interval.

Claim 16

de-energizing said first pump means while continuing to operate said second pump means for a predetermined time interval.

Claim 17

A sanitary closet comprising: a. a bowl portion having a bottom outlet, b. a waste receptacle positioned below said bowl for receiving liquid and solid wastes admitted to said bowl and passing through said bottom outlet, c. closure means operable between open and closed positions for selectively permitting solid and liquid wastes to pass from said bowl to said waste receptacle, d. means defining a separate reservoir for flushing fluid, said reservoir being positioned around said bowl portion and above said bowl outlet, e. sump means positioned below said bowl outlet and above said waste receptacle for collecting flushing fluid when said closure means is in its closed position, f. means defining a separate flow path for said flushing fluid from said bowl to said sump when said closure means is in its closed position, said flushing fluid thereby bypassing said waste receptacle, g. first pump means for forcing said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said bowl to flush said bowl, h. second pump means located within said sump for returning flushing fluid collected in said sump means to said fluid reservoir, i. sequencing control means to selectively energize said first pump means and said second pump means, said timing means also including means for selectively closing said closure means.

Claim 18

A sanitary closet comprising: a. a bowl portion having a bottom outlet, b. a waste receptacle positioned below said bowl for receiving liquid and solid wastes admitted to said bowl and passing through said bottom outlet, c. closure means operable between open and closed positions for selectively permitting solid and liquid wastes to pass from said bowl to said waste receptacle, d. means defining a separate reservoir for flushing fluid, said reservoir being positioned around said bowl portion and above said bowl outlet, e. sump means positioned below said bowl outlet and above said waste receptacle for collecting flushing fluid when said closure means is in its closed position, f. means defining a separate flow path for said flushing fluid from said bowl to said sump when said closure means is in its closed position, said flushing fluid thereby bypassing said waste receptacle, g. first pump means for forcing said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said bowl to flush said bowl, h. second pump means located within said sump for returning flushing fluid collected in said sump means to said fluid reservoir, i. sequencing control means to selectively energize said first pump means and said second pump means, said timing means also including means for selectively closing said closure means.

Claim 19

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 6 wherein a second closure means is positioned between said first closure and said waste receptacle.

Claim 20

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 7 wherein said second closure means comprises three pivoted closure segments, said segments being normally biased to a closed position, said segments being biased to an open position by the weight of the liquid and solid waste passing from said bowl to said waste receptacle.

Claim 21

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 6 wherein said sequence control means includes timing means for timing a plurality of predetermined intervals after said means is activated, said timer means on at successive intervals controlling operation of said toilet as follows:

Claim 22

A sanitary closet comprising a. at least one bowl portion, said bowl defining a waste outlet and a flushing fluid inlet, b. a flushing fluid reservoir positioned around said bowl portion, c. at least one closure means for selectively closing said waste outlet, d. a flushing means for supplying a flushing fluid to said fluid inlet and said bowl portion, e. sump means below said bowl portion rendered effective only when said closure means is in its closed position to collect said flushing fluid passing through said bowl portion, f. means for conveying the flushing fluid collected in said sump to said reservoir, g. sequencing control means for selectively operating said flushing means, said control means having a spring driven timing cam and a dash pot retarder which cooperate to define the timing interval for said flushing means.

Claim 23

A sanitary closet comprising a. at least one bowl portion, said bowl defining a waste outlet and a flushing fluid inlet, b. a flushing fluid reservoir positioned around said bowl portion, c. at least one closure means for selectively closing said waste outlet, d. a flushing means for supplying a flushing fluid to said fluid inlet and said bowl portion, e. sump means below said bowl portion rendered effective only when said closure means is in its closed position to collect said flushing fluid passing through said bowl portion, f. means for conveying the flushing fluid collected in said sump to said reservoir, g. sequencing control means for selectively operating said flushing means, said control means having a spring driven timing cam and a dash pot retarder which cooperate to define the timing interval for said flushing means.

Claim 24

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 10 which further comprises a linkage means for simultaneously opening said closure means and winding said spring driven timing cam.

Claim 25

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 11 which further comprises a lid for said closet, said lid being operatively connected to said linkage means to simultaneously open said closure and wind said spring means when said lid is opened.

Claim 26

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 12 wherein said lid opens said closure through said linkage means, and said timer closes said shutter through a release cam means.

Claim 27

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 10 wherein said sequencing control means further comprises a. a first rotatable timing shaft, said shaft having a linkage means connected thereto, b. rotatable cam means mounted on said timing shaft, c. resilient means interconnecting said cam and said shaft, d. latch means for engaging said rotatable cam means after the rotation of said cam to a first position.

Claim 28

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 14 wherein said dash pot is connected to said rotatable cam to retard the loading and unloading of said spring means, said dash pot retarding the rotation of said cam after said latch means has been disengaged.

Claim 29

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 14 wherein said rotatable cam means engages an electrical switch means for activating and deactivating said flushing means.

Claim 30

A sanitary closet as claimed in claim 14 wherein said rotatable cam means has first and second axial portions, said portions being interconnected to one another by an axially operable release cam means, said first portion being fixably attached to a sleeve surrounding said rotatable shaft, said second portion being rotatably mounted on said shaft and restrained in its rotation by the operation of said dash pot.