Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02218045 2005-08-15
23038-103
1
Combustion toilet
The present invention relates to an incinerating toilet,
which has a basic structure accommodating a preferably
insulating block, which is rotatable in a horizontal plane,
and provided with at least one recess in its upper surface,
this recess opening out in register with at least one
opening capped by a lidded seat ring, in the upper surface
of the structure.
The object of the present invention is to provide an
incinerating toilet of the kind mentioned above, that
fullfils its purpose excellently, while being simple and
cheap in production.
According to a broad aspect of the invention, there is
provided incinerating toilet having a basic structure
accommodating at least one recess in its upper surface, this
recess opening out in register with at least one opening,
capped by a lidded seat ring, in the upper surface of the
structure, said recess accommodating an outer and an inner
receptacle, a space being formed between them, whereby an
incinerating flame, or the like, and an air supply are
arranged via a sealing lid over the recess, characterized in
that said inner receptacle has at least one air supply pipe
for supplying air directly to the waste to be incinerated
and that in said space between the receptacles there are
fins extending in the flow direction of the combustion
gases, said flame and air supplies being together intended
to incinerate waste deposited by the toilet user in the
inner receptacle, simultaneously as the combustion gases
occurring during incineration may be taken through the
space, said gases dissipating heat during their passage of
said fins, this heat further assisting in the vaporization
CA 02218045 2005-08-15
23038-103
1a
of water and urine in said waste, before the gases reach
atmosphere via an outlet.
Due to the invention, there has now been provided a toilet,
in which waste incineration takes place separately from the
place where the user performs his/her natural functions.
LPG gas or oil fuel are preferred for combustion, the excess
heat generated not being vented directly to atmosphere, but
taken into a space between an inner and an outer receptacle,
the former being intended for collecting waste and the
latter being accommodated in the recess in the rotatable
block, effective vaporization of water and/or urine thus
being obtained. In previously known solutions this is the
most difficult to vaporize and incinerate. Different types
of shape and different numbers of receptacles, with or
without partition walls, may be used here to afford rapid
vaporization of water or urine, by having their bottom areas
as large as possible. The capacity of the toilet, i.e. the
number of visits it can cope with in a given time, may also
be increased by using several receptacles. In addition,
effectively improved waste incineration is achieved by
supplying air through pipes in a direction towards the
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
WO 96/32047 PCT/SE95/01564
2
waste during combustion, this air causing the solid
waste to be broken up, i.e. small cavities are formed ,
in it, enabling the combustion flames not only to
contact the solid waste constituents from above, but ,
also such as to penetrate into it, thus providing both
complete and rapid incineration thereof. Incineration
time is also considerably shortened by combining the
just-mentioned air supply with the provision of fins in
the space between the receptacles.
The invention will now be described in more detail
below, with the aid of a preferred embodiment and with
reference to the accompanying drawings, where:
Fig. 1 is a schematic, perspective view, partly in
section, of an incinerating toilet in accordance with
the invention, which includes a substructure accommo-
dating a block of insulating material provided with
recesses, the block being rotatable such that the
recesses can come to given stations for use, incinera-
tion and possible cooling.
Fig. 2 is a view from above of the block and its re-
cesses, the block being provided with an insulating
material.
Fig. 3 is a similar view of the block, without insula-
tion, a scraper blade for removal of paper or other
matter also being shown, the blade being adapted for
attachment to the central shaft of the block.
Figs. 4-8 are different views of the inner and outer
receptacles and the space therebetween, pipes for air
supply to the inner receptacle also being shown in
Figs. 6-8.
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
WO 96132047 PCTlSE95/0156d
3
Fig. 9 is a view of a lid for use with the receptacles,
when one of them is at the combustion station.
Fig. 10 is a similar view to the one in Fig. 1, but
shows an alternative embodiment where there are two
pairs of inner and outer receptacles, each inner recep-
tacle being rotatable in relation to the block, and
provided with at least two compartments, and
Figs. 11-14 illustrate the receptacle configurations
used in the embodiment example illustrated in Fig. 10.
As will be particularly apparent from Fig. 1, the
incinerating toilet includes a basic structure 1, which
accommodates an insulating block 5, rotatable in a
horizontal plane, and provided with at least one recess
2, 2', 2 " in its upper surface, this recess opening
out in register with an opening 3, capped by a lidded
seat ring 4, made in the upper surface of the structure
1.
In each recess 2, 2', 2 " there is an inner receptacle
7 with a space 8 between it and an outer receptacle 6.
In one embodiment example of the invention (unillu-
strated on the drawings) the inner receptacle 7 may
include at least two mutually partitioned compartments.
A flame from a jet 9, supplied with LPG gas or fuel
oil, and an air supply 10 are disposed on a separate,
raisable lid il situated above the appropriate recess
2, 2°, 2 " , now placed at the incinerating station.
There are means 12, 13 for rotating the block 5, and
also such as a foot pedal and catch, which may be
' operated at predetermined, suitable occasions, depend-
ing on the incineration process.
At the incinerating station, the flame from the jet 9
together with supply air 10 are intended totally to
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
WO 96/32047 PCT/SE95/01564
4
incinerate the waste deposited in the inner receptacle
7 after a visit to the toilet, while the flue gases ,
thus generated are taken through the space 8 via a vent
40. During their passage through the space 8 the gases ,
surrender heat to the inner receptacle 7 for aiding
vaporization of water and/or urine in the deposited
waste, before they are taken to atmosphere via an
outlet 15, filter 16 and flue pipe 17. To facilitate
incineration the receptacle 7 may be provided with a
grating 18' for separating solid and liquid waste. As
will be seen from Figs. 4-8, the receptacle is provided
with fins 7' on its surface facing space 8, as well as
pipes 41 and 42 for supplying outside~air to the recep-
tacle via outlets 43, 44, which are adjustable to
different angular attitudes for obtaining the best,
desired result. During incineration the fins 7' contri-
bute to heating the receptacle as they take up heat
from the flue gases, as these gases pass through space
8 via vent 40 on their way to outlet 15. Even more
effective incineration may be obtained by blowing air
through pipes 41 and 42 towards the waste. Likewise,
after termination of incineration the fins act for
cooling as air blown from pipes 41 and 42 passes over
them, continuing to do so for a given time after in-
cineration.
The inventive toilet functions in the following manner.
After using the toilet, the user lowers the lid on the
seat and activates a push button (unillustrated on the
drawings). The block 5 is thus caused to rotate with
its recesses 2, 2', 2 " and the receptacles therein.
When the receptacle 7 with its newly deposited waste
comes into position at the incinerating station, an '
insulated lid 11 is lowered over it. Flames from the
jet 9 and air from supply 10 are now directed towards
the contents of receptacle 7 for incinerating the solid
waste and causing water and/or urine to evaporate,
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
WO 96!32047 PCT/SE95/0156~t
assisted by flue gases taken through the space 8 via
vent 40. After a given time, when all the waste has
been incinerated and water and/or urine have evaporat-
ed, air supply l0 and fuel to the jet 9 are cut off
5 automatically. The receptacle 7, after optional removal
of ashes and optional cooling, may then be transferred
by the block 5 to the station for deposition. The block
may of course be operated automatically also, with the
aid of timing equipment not shown here.
With regard to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 it
may be mentioned that three recesses 2, 2', 2 " are
used here, each containing an inner and outer recep-
tacle. They are operated such that when recess 2 and
its receptacles are at the use or deposition station,
the recess 2' is at the incinerating station with the
lid il lowered for tightly sealing against the recep-
tacles 6, 7, the inner one 7 being the one in which
incineration takes place, as will be more easily seen
in Figs. 4-8. Receptacle 7 is formed to serve as an
insert, and is shown in more detail in Figs. 4-5.
Although not shown on the drawing the receptacle 7 may
be sub-divided into two or more separate compartments.
The third recess 2 " and its receptacles are at the
cooling station, under a ventilation plate 18, which is
provided with ducts and orifices 19 for supply air and
20 for exhaust air/ventilation. A hose 21 takes the
exhaust air to the outlet 15. After the use station, in
the rotational direction of block 5, there is a scraper
blade 39 for pushing erroneously deposited waste or the
like back into receptacle 7.
s
The sealing lid 11, shown in more detail in Fig. 9,
includes, inter alia, a hinge 26 pivotally joining it
to the substructure 1. Incineration can only take place
when the lid is completely closed, and this is ensured
with the aid of a small recess 24 made in the upper
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
WO 96/32047 PCT/SE95/01564
6
edge 25 of the block 5 for each receptacle pair. This
recess assists in actuating initiation and termination ,
of incineration. When a recess and its receptacles come
into position at the incineration station the lid 11 is
closed over them, thus allowing a lug 22, mounted on an
ignition device 23, in turn mounted on the lid 11, to
be acted on via a linkage system 39 as the lid is
sealed against the receptacles, resulting in that the
device 23 ignites the incineration flame.
In a further embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 10, the
rotating block 5 of the incinerating toilet is provided
with two recesses 2, 2' accommodating receptacles 6, 7,
of which the latter is rotatable in the block itself.
Rotation of the block and operation of the lid 11 take
place in the same way as with the previously mentioned
embodiment. The greatest difference here is that the
receptacles 6, 7 may be rotatable together in their
respective recesses 2, 2'. This rotation is performed
with the aid of gear wheels 28 mounted on vertical
shafts 27 and operated by a gear segment 29 attached to
an operating lever 30. The lever 30 is provided with a
knob 31 to facilitate its operation. The receptacles
used in this embodiment are shown in more detail in
Figs. 11-14, where it will be seen that the inner
receptacle 7 has two compartments 32 and 33, separated
by partition wall 34. The inner receptacle 7, or so-
called collection cup, is arranged in receptacle 6 and
rotates in it with the aid of an advancing means to-
gether with means 27-31. Receptacle 7 is provided with
heat energy dissipation fins 35 accommodated in the '
space 8. The outlet 15 is connected to atmosphere via
filter 16 and flue pipe 17. With this embodiment also, "
air supply pipes similar to those in Figs. 6 and 8 may
be arranged in receptacle 7 to make incineration more
effective. A slide ring/sealing ring 36, e.g. made from
teflon, is provided at the edge portions of the recep-
CA 02218045 1997-10-10
W O 96!32047 PCTlSE95/OI564
7
tacles 6 and 7, for reducing friction between them when
receptacle 6 is rotated.
In the case where the inner receptacle has two compart-
ments 32, 33, either one or other of them is rotated
into a position apparent from Fig. 10. The other com-
partment will then be covered by a plate 37. In this
embodiment, the lid at the incineration station has, of
course, a round shape corresponding to that of the
receptacles. A flexible hose 38 is used to take exhaust
air to the flue pipe 17.
The incineration toilet in accordance with the embodi-
ment illustrated in Fig. 10 functions in the following
manner. One of the two recesses 2, 2' are either in a
forward or rear position. The recess in the forward
position has, for example, its receptacle 7 turned so
that compartment 32 will be used, the other one 33
being under the cover plate 37. After deposition of
waste, the receptacle 7 is rotated by actuating knob
31, such that compartment 32 comes under cover plate
37. When a deposition has been made in compartment 33,
the block 5 is rotated 180°, so that the used compart-
ments 32, 33 assume the incineration position. After
waste incineration, the recess 2 with its receptacles
can be returned to the use station when both compart-
ments 32 and 33 in the receptacle 7 already there have
been used. The utilization cycle is then repeated as
required.
