Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMPOSTING TOILET ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of toilets and, in
particular, to
composting toilet assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Composting toilets have found wide application in rural, isolated, or
under-
developed locations where water and sewage networks may be limited or
completely
non-existent. For example, United States Patent No. 6,601,243 describes a
vermi-
composting toilet installation adapted for use in the wild. Specifically, the
toilet
installation is designed to distribute fecal matter within an underground
tunnel for
vermi-composting. The conditions in the underground tunnel are maintained by
dampening means that self-regulates the amount of rainwater entering the
tunnel where
vermi-compositing takes place. In this way, the toilet installation is
designed to be
relatively self-regulating to allow for its use in such remote and under-
developed sites.
[0003] The advantages of composting toilets from an environmental perspective
have
been gaining popularity and particular interest has grown in the adoption of
composting
toilets for domestic applications in urban locations. In this respect, a
variety of batch
composting toilet systems have been developed. Such systems are typically
designed
with a container in which waste material is collected and the composting
process is
carried out. Once the composting process is completed inside the sealed
container, the
container is fully composted and ready for emptying. While the self-contained
nature
of batch composting systems facilitates installation into domestic locations,
these
systems are limited in the amount of material that can be processed at any
given time.
As well, many of these systems require the addition of materials such as
chemicals
and/or sawdust or wood chips to catalyze the composting process.
[0004] United States Patent No. 4,254,515 describes a self-contained
composting
toilet which can be used in domestic environments in which liquid and solid
waste
material is first separated and then each separately treated with auxiliary
agents to
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compost the materials. By separately treating the waste, the treatment
capacity of the
composting toilet is increased, however, the large treatment capacity results
in a bulky
design that is described as being installed underground. Accordingly,
installation of
such a system would require extensive retrofitting to be operational in a
dwelling-
house, for example.
[0005] Continual processing systems that are in a constant state of composting
have
also been described. United States Patent No. 3,136,608 describes a continual
processing system that can be adapted for use in a dwelling-house. A large
underground
container is situated to receive waste from a toilet. The container is
dimensioned with
an inclined bottom to allow entering waste to successively slide from the
reception
compartment down towards the storage compartment of the container. The
entering
waste slides down the container at a speed such that by the time the waste
arrives at the
storage compartment, the waste is essentially mouldered for use as compost.
While
such a system allows for a larger volume of material to be in a constant state
of
composting, the underground nature of the container installation would require
extensive retrofitting for operation.
[0006] This background information is provided for the purpose of making known
information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the
present
invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that
any of
the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments pertaining to a composting
toilet
assembly. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a
composting
toilet assembly comprising: a separating means for separating liquid and solid
waste
entering the toilet assembly, the separating means comprising a sloping
conveyor belt
actuated by control means and serving to separate the liquid waste from the
solid waste
by means of gravity, wherein the liquid waste is diverted to a bottom end of
the sloping
conveyor belt and the solid waste is diverted to a top end of the sloping
conveyor belt; a
receptacle attachable at the bottom end of the sloping conveyor belt for
collecting the
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diverted liquid waste for disposal; and a housing shaped as a pedestal toilet
seat and
sized to house the separating means, wherein the toilet seat comprises an
opening
aligned with the sloping conveyor belt through which the liquid and solid
waste enters
the toilet assembly, and wherein the housing further comprises a rear opening
through
which the top end of the sloping conveyor belt diverts the solid waste for
disposal away
from the toilet assembly.
[0008] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided
a
composting toilet installation comprising: an airtight composting space having
at least
one wall opening; and one or more toilet assemblies, each toilet assembly
comprising: a
separating means for separating liquid and solid waste entering the toilet
assembly, the
separating means comprising a sloping conveyor belt actuated by control means
and
serving to separate the liquid waste from the solid waste by means of gravity,
wherein
the liquid waste is diverted to a bottom end of the sloping conveyor belt and
the solid
waste is diverted to a top end of the sloping conveyor belt; a receptacle
attachable at the
bottom end of the sloping conveyor belt for collecting the diverted liquid
waste for
disposal; and a housing shaped as a pedestal toilet seat and sized to house
the
separating means, wherein the toilet seat comprises an opening aligned with
the sloping
conveyor belt through which the liquid and solid waste enters the toilet
assembly, and
wherein the housing further comprises a rear opening through which the top end
of the
sloping conveyor belt diverts the solid waste for disposal; wherein the rear
opening of
each toilet assembly is in sealing engagement with the wall opening of the
airtight
composting space and the top end of the conveyor belt extends therethrough to
divert
the solid waste for disposal into the composting space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in
the
following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended
drawings.
[0010] Figure 1A is a side cross-sectional view of a toilet assembly,
according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
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[0011] Figure 1B is a side view of a toilet assembly, according to embodiments
of
the present disclosure;
[0012] Figures 2A and 2B are side views of the separation means of a toilet
assembly, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0013] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front end of the separation means
of a
toilet assembly, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0014] Figure 4 is a top view of a separation means of a toilet assembly,
according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0015] Figure 5A is a rear end view of the separation means of a toilet
assembly,
according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0016] Figure 5B is a perspective view of a receptacle for liquid waste
separated
from the separation means shown in Fig. 5A, according to embodiments of the
present
disclosure;
[0017] Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an example of a
composting
toilet installation, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0018] Figure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a ground level
composting
toilet installation, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0019] Figures 8A and 8B are diagrammatic perspective views of a ground level
composting toilet installation, according to embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0020] Figures 9A and 9B are diagrammatic perspective views of upper level
composting toilet installations, according to embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0021] Figures 10 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a multi-level
composting
toilet installations, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
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[0022] Figures 11A and 11B are diagrammatic top views showing exemplary
arrangements of composting zones in a composting space, according to
embodiments of
the present disclosure;
[0023] Figures 12A and 12B are diagrammatic top views showing exemplary
arrangements of composting zones in a composting space, according to
embodiments of
the present disclosure;
[0024] Figure 13 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the interior of a
composting
space, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0025] Figure 14 is a diagrammatic partial side view of a compositing space
showing
a side access door to the composting space, according to embodiments of the
present
disclosure; and
[0026] Figure 15 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an installed toilet
assembly,
according to embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the housing has
been
removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] The adoption of composting toilets raises a number of issues relating
to the
practicalities of installing and operating composting toilets, particularly
for use in urban
sites. For example, in most cases the installation and operation of a
composting toilet
will need to be adaptable to the existing infrastructure of a building, such
as a dwelling-
house, in terms of spatial efficiency, ease of installation, compatibility
with existing
building infrastructure, ease of use and maintenance, and accommodation of the
needs
of the user. These issues are not limited to urban sites but can also arise in
more remote
sites such as in campgrounds and leisure areas. Accordingly, while exemplary
embodiments of the toilet assembly may herein be described in context to urban
environments, such as a dwelling-house, it will be understood that the toilet
assembly
of the present disclosure may be adapted for use in other environments such as
rural
and industrial sites.
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[0028] The composting toilet according to embodiments of the present
disclosure is
designed to be easily adapted for installation and use. The toilet assembly is
of a
compact design comprising a separation mechanism within the body of the
assembly
and designed for disposal and composting of waste outside of, and away from,
the toilet
assembly. In this way, the toilet assembly of the present disclosure is
designed for
spatial efficiency. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the
compact
design of the toilet assembly can accommodate a range of spaces, including the
oftentimes small and limited space available in the existing structure of a
dwelling-
house, for example.
[0029] The compact design of the composting toilet assembly of the present
disclosure allows the toilet assembly to be easily adaptable to the existing
infrastructure
of a dwelling-house. In particular, the composting toilet assembly according
to certain
embodiments of the present disclosure does not require complicated, extensive,
retrofitting of an existing infrastructure for its installation and operation.
Specifically,
according to embodiments of the present disclosure, separation of the liquid
waste from
the solid waste occurs within the toilet assembly itself and is diverted away
from the
solid waste for disposal. In certain embodiments, the toilet assembly is
connectable to
the existing used-water system of an infrastructure. The liquid waste is then
diverted to
the existing used-water system for disposal. In this way, the toilet assembly
of the
present disclosure can be made to be compatible with the existing
infrastructure of the
environment without extensive retrofitting. Because the liquid waste is
diverted away
from the solid waste and separately disposed, the liquid waste cannot
compromise the
composting process. Accordingly, the toilet assembly of the present disclosure
can
accommodate any liquid waste entering the toilet assembly, including cleaning
products typically used with regular water-run toilets, without compromising
the
operation of the composting process.
[0030] The separated solids are also separated and diverted away from the
toilet
assembly within the toilet assembly itself. According to embodiments of the
present
disclosure, the separated solid waste is diverted to a designated composting
space
where it is treated using any of the composting methods known to those skilled
in the
art. In preferred embodiments, the solid waste is treated by vermi-composting
and
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conditions favourable to vermi-composting are maintained within the composting
space.
[0031] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the separated solid
waste
is diverted away from the toilet assembly and to an external composting space
for
disposal. The composting space, according to certain embodiments, is an
airtight
enclosure in sealing engagement with the toilet assembly through a wall
opening but
otherwise separated from the toilet assembly. The composting space is on the
ground-
level and may be configured to receive solid waste from one or more toilet
assemblies.
In one embodiment, the composting space is configured to receive solid waste
from one
toilet assembly. In other embodiments, the composting space is configured to
receive
solid waste from multiple toilet assemblies.
[0032] Being on ground-level facilitates installation of the composting space
of the
present disclosure and allows for one or more toilets to be accommodated. In
this way,
the toilet assembly of the present disclosure is adaptable to the
practicalities of a user's
needs where multi-toilet facilities are often desired. As well, the ground-
level
composting space allows it to be accessible by a toilet assembly from multiple
levels.
For example, the composting space according to the present disclosure can be
accessible from either the ground-level or from a level above. In one
embodiment, the
composting space is configured to receive solid waste from one or more toilet
assemblies located on ground-level. In another embodiment, the composting
space is
configured to receive solid waste from one or more toilet assemblies located
on a level
above the composting space. In a further embodiment, the composting space is
configured to receive solid waste from one or more toilet assemblies located
on ground-
level and on a level above the composting space.
Definitions
[0033] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have
the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to
which
this invention belongs.
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[0034] As used herein, the term "about" refers to an approximately +/-10%
variation
from a given value. It is to be understood that such a variation is always
included in any
given value provided herein, whether or not it is specifically referred to.
[0035] The term "vermi-composting", as used herein, refers to the breakdown of
organic matter by the ingestion and digestion of the matter by worms. As well,
vermi-
composting also includes the collateral biotransformation of such organic
matter from
the bacterial action inherent in such systems.
[0036] The terms "liquid waste" and "solid waste", as used herein, refers to
urine and
fecal matter respectively and may further include any liquid or solid waste
that may
enter the toilet assembly of the present disclosure. For example, without
limitation,
toilet paper, sanitary products, and cleaning products.
Toilet Assembly
[0037] Referring to Figs. 1A and 1B, the composting toilet assembly 10
according to
embodiments of the present disclosure comprises a housing 50 shaped as a
pedestal
toilet seat 55 defining a gravity outlet opening 57 for receiving both liquid
and solid
waste. The housing 50 is sized to house a separating means 20 for separating
liquid
and solid waste entering the toilet assembly 10 through the outlet opening 57.
The
separating means 20 is positioned within the housing 50 such that the outlet
opening 57
is aligned with the separating means 20 to receive the liquid and solid waste.
In some
embodiments, the separating means 20 comprises a bowl 90 for directing the
liquid and
solid waste to the separating means 20 as shown in Figs. 2A and 2B.
[0038] As shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, the separating means comprises a sloping
conveyor belt 25 actuated by control means 30 and serving to separate the
liquid waste
from the solid waste by means of gravity. The conveyor belt 25 comprises an
endless
strip mounted between two rollers designed to rotate so as to move the
conveyor belt 25
in an upward direction towards the top end 40 of the belt 25. The conveyor
belt 25 is
arranged to ensure complete gravitational separation of the liquid waste from
the solid
waste. The sloping conveyor belt 25 is positioned within the housing 50 at an
angle
that causes the liquid waste to be diverted to the lower positioned bottom end
35 of the
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sloping conveyor belt 25 at the front portion of the housing 50 (as indicated
by the solid
arrow shown in Fig. 2B). Advancement of the conveyor belt 25 by actuating the
control means 30 advances the solid waste towards the top end 40 of the
sloping
conveyor belt 25 located at the opposite rear end of the housing 50 where the
solid
waste can then be disposed of through a rear opening 60 in the housing (as
indicated by
the outlined arrow shown in Fig. 2B). In some embodiments, the control means
30 is a
mechanically-controlled foot pedal that advances the conveyor belt 25 with
each
activation of the pedal. In other embodiments, the control means 30 may be
power
assisted.
[0039] According to some embodiments, the sloping conveyor belt 25 is disposed
on
a support 75 for positioning the sloping conveyor belt 25 at an incline
sufficient for
separating and diverting the liquid waste from the solid waste. In one
embodiment, the
angle of inclination of the conveyor belt 25 is from about 5 to about 45 . In
other
embodiments, the angle of inclination of the conveyor belt 25 is from about
100 to
about 30 . In further embodiments, the angle of inclination of the conveyor
belt 25 is
from about 15 to about 25 . Due to the incline of the sloping conveyor belt
25, the
conveyor belt 25 serves to separate the liquid waste by causing it to flow
down the
sloping conveyor belt 25 and into a receptacle 45 situated at the bottom end
35 of the
conveyor belt 25. The solid waste, on the other hand, is diverted towards the
top end
40 of the conveyor belt 25 by actuating the control means 30.
Liquid Waste Disposal
[0040] Liquid waste is collected in the receptacle 45 at the bottom end 35 of
the
separating means 20. As shown in Fig. 5B, the receptacle 45 is removable from
the
separating means 20 for ease of cleaning and maintenance. According to
embodiments
of the present disclosure, the receptacle 45 is connectable to a wastewater
disposal
system 65 for disposing the diverted liquid waste. In such embodiments, the
receptacle
45 can include a conduit 67 for fluid connection to an existing wastewater
disposal
system 65 as is commonly found in existing developments (see Figs. lA and 5A).
The
conduit 67 can take a variety of forms suitable for connecting the receptacle
45 to the
wastewater disposal system 65 as will be readily ascertainable by the skilled
person. In
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certain embodiments, the conduit 67 can comprise a PVC pipe configured to
provide
the necessary connection for diverting and disposing of the liquid waste.
According to
embodiments of the present disclosure, the receptacle 45 can also include an
overflow
conduit 70 to control liquid waste levels in the receptacle 45. In one
embodiment, the
overflow conduit 70 is configured to divert overflow liquid waste through the
rear
opening 60 of the housing 50 (see Figs. 2A, 2B, and 15).
[0041] In certain embodiments, the separating means 20 will include anti-
splash
edges 80 to prevent liquid waste from spilling sideways from the sloping
conveyor belt
25. In other embodiments, as shown in Figs. 2A, 2B, 3 and 4), the separating
means 20
includes an upper cover 85 for covering the sloping conveyor belt 25. In this
way, the
liquid and solid waste entering the toilet assembly 10 remain contained until
disposal.
In preferred embodiments, the separating means 20 includes an upper cover 85
having
an opening shaped as a bowl 90 for directing the liquid and solid waste into
the
separating means 20 (see Fig. 3).
Solid Waste Disposal
[0042] Solid waste that is separated from the liquid waste is diverted towards
the top
end 40 of the conveyor belt 25 by advancing the belt 25 with each use. As
shown in
Figs. 1A and 1B, the housing 50 comprises a rear opening 60 through which the
top
end 40 of the sloping conveyor belt 25 extends to allow disposal of the solid
waste
through the rear opening 60. In a preferred embodiment, the rear opening 60 is
in
sealing engagement with an enclosed composting space into which the diverted
solid
waste is disposed.
[0043] At the bottom portion of its top end 40, the conveyor belt 25 can have
one or
more scrapers 95 and 97 as shown in Fig. 1B. Each scraper 95 and 97 is
situated on the
path of the conveyor belt 25 to detach any solid waste that has stuck to the
conveyor
belt 25. In this way, the one or more scrapers 95 and 97 serve to clean the
conveyor
belt 25 with each use. In one embodiment, the separating means 20 comprises
one or
more scrapers 95 and 97 fixedly positioned at the top end 40 to dislodge solid
waste
that has stuck to the sloping conveyor belt 25. In another embodiment, the
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means 20 comprises one or more scrapers 95 and 97 that are hingedly fixed to
resiliently press against the surface of the sloping conveyor belt 25 during
return
movement (see Figs. 2A and 2B).
[0044] As shown in Fig. 6, after each use of the toilet the sloping conveyor
belt is
advanced by the control means 30 to divert or transport the solid waste
upwards
towards the top end 40 of the conveyor belt, through the rear opening of the
housing 50
and into a composting space 100. On reaching the top end 40 of the conveyor
belt, the
solid waste drops under gravity into the composting space 100, away and
separate from
the toilet assembly 10 and the washroom 165, where it is treated for
composting
according to methods known in the art.
Composting Space
[0045] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the composting
space
100 is an airtight space located on ground-level. In certain embodiments, as
shown in
Fig. 7, the composting space 100 can be a room adjacent to the washroom 165
where
the toilet assembly 10 is located, and having a door 110 to access the
interior of the
composting space 100. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the
door
110 of the composting space 100 is sized to allow access into the interior of
the
composting space 100 for maintenance of the toilet assembly and composting
process.
In a preferred embodiment, the room has a minimum height allowance to provide
entry
into the space. In one embodiment, the room has a minimum height allowance of
up to
about 2 meters to allow entry of an average-sized person into the composting
space
100. In certain embodiments, the composting space 100 is provided with a clean
access
path 135 (see Fig. 13) for easy access into the interior of the composting
space 100
without risk of disturbing the compost while allowing clean passage into the
composting space. In other embodiments, as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the
composting space 100 can be a smaller space adjacent to the washroom 165 and
toilet
assembly 100, and having a trap door 112 to access the interior of the
composting space
100. In such smaller composting spaces, the trap door 112 is positioned to
allow a
minimum height allowance of at least about 70 cm above the height of the
toilet
assembly 10. As shown in Fig. 8B, the composting space 100 can be lowered
below the
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level of the toilet assembly 10 to increase the capacity of the composting
space 100 to
accommodate more frequent usage. For example, in certain embodiments, the
composting space 100 can be lowered by at least about 40 cm below the level of
the
toilet assembly 10. In other embodiments, as shown in Fig. 14, a side access
door 140
may be provided for directly accessing the top end 40 of the conveyor belt
from the
outside for easy maintenance of the conveyor belt without needing to open the
door of
the composting space.
[0046] The ground-level location of the composting space 100 provides
versatile
options for installation of the toilet assembly 10 of the present disclosure.
For example,
as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, toilet assembly configurations can include one or
more
toilet assemblies installed on ground-level. Figs. 9A and 9B, depict further
embodiments of the present disclosure in which a toilet assembly is installed
on levels
above the composting space 100. In still further embodiments, as shown in Fig.
10,
configurations can include more than one toilet assembly 10 located on
different levels,
for example, on an upper level above the composting space 100 and on ground-
level
adjacent to the composting space 100.
[0047] Referring to the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 9A and 9B, for
example,
toilet assemblies 10 located on an upper level above the composting space 100
may
include an extension 103 having an open connection 107 with the composting
space
100 located on the ground-level, in order to accommodate a toilet assembly 10
on the
upper level. As shown, the extension 103 can be adapted to a composting space
100
designed to be directly below the washroom 160 (Fig. 9A) as well as in cases
where the
composting space 100 is behind the washroom 160 as shown in Fig. 9B.
[0048] In embodiments comprising multi-level toilet assemblies, as shown in
Fig. 10
for example, it will be important to ensure that solid waste discharged from
the toilet
assembly 10 located in the upper level washroom 160 does not interfere with
the
operation of the toilet assembly 10 located in the ground-level washroom 165.
Specifically, it will be important to configure the respective conveyor belts
40
extending into the composting space 100 such that solid waste discharged from
the
upper level does not collect on the ground-level conveyor belt 40. In one
embodiment,
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the lengths of the respective conveyor belts can be adjusted to avoid such
interference
in operation. For example, the upper level conveyor belt can be longer in
length than
the ground-level conveyor belt so as to allow solid waste to be discharged
beyond the
ground-level belt. In a further embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, a chute 150
can be
positioned between the upper and lower levels to further direct the solid
waste
discharged from the upper level away from the ground-level conveyor belt.
[0049] In order to maintain optimal conditions for composting the solid waste,
the
composting space 100 is airtight. Accordingly, irrespective of the particular
configuration, access to the composting space 100 by each toilet assembly 10
is through
a corresponding wall opening 105 sized for sealing engagement with the rear
opening
60 of each toilet assembly 10.
[0050] Embodiments of the present disclosure may include accessories for
improving
the operation of the assembly. For example, managing the generation of odours
emanating from the assembly can be included in certain embodiments. The
composting
space 100 can further include means for managing odours emanating from the
solid
waste. Air constantly circulates from the toilet assembly 10 to the composting
space
100 where it is then evacuated to the exterior. In one embodiment, the
composting
space 100 can include a ventilation system such as an air duct 115 (see Fig.
6) running
from the composting space 100 to the exterior environment. In such
embodiments, the
air duct can include a fan for circulating the air. In other embodiments, the
ventilation
system can be joined with the air-evacuation system of the existing
infrastructure. In
further embodiments, the attraction of flies in the assembly may be managed by
including a fly trap in certain embodiments.
[0051] While the composting toilet assembly of the present disclosure can be
adapted
for composting the solid waste using a variety of known methods known in the
art, in a
preferred embodiment, the composting toilet assembly is adapted for vermi-
composting
of the solid waste. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the composting space
comprises
conditions suitable for vermi-composting of solid waste disposed into the
composting
space. Conditions required for vermi-composting is within the knowledge of
persons
skilled in the art.
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[0052] In embodiments in which vermi-composting is relied on for composting
the
solid waste, the ground surface area of the composting space 100 must be
designed to
facilitate the composting process and reduce maintenance frequency. In certain
embodiments, the ground surface area of the composting space is about 4
meters2. In
other embodiments, the ground surface area of the composting space is adjusted
to
accommodate the frequency of use of the toilet assembly and the corresponding
volume
of solid waste expected to be processed. In preferred embodiments, the ground
surface
of the composting space 100 is divided into three separate zones (see Figs.
11A, 11B,
12A and 12B) corresponding to zone A 120, located directly underneath the top
end 40
of the conveyor belt 25 where the fresh solid waste initially falls into the
composting
space 100; zone B 125, occupied by solid waste undergoing the first phase of
composting, i.e., drying of the solid waste; and zone C 130, occupied by solid
waste
that has fully composted and is ready for removal and use. As illustrated in
Figs. 11A,
11B, 12A and 12B, the configuration of the ground surface can take a variety
of forms
that can be designed for compatibility with the existing infrastructure of the
site. In
alternative embodiments, the composting space 100 may be configured to include
additional zones to accommodate for frequent usage and large production
volumes of
solid waste. For example, as shown in Fig. 11B, the composting space 100 can
include
an additional zone B 126.
[0053] In operation, vermi-composting of the solid waste is achieved by moving
the
solid waste through the zones as the solid waste undergoes the different
phases of
composting. For example, as shown in Fig. 11A, fresh solid waste is disposed
into the
composting space 100 through the wall opening by falling directly from the top
end 40
of the conveyor belt into zone A 120. The solid waste in zone A 120 is moved
to zone
B 125 where worms are introduced to begin the composting process. In certain
embodiments, and depending on the amount of solid waste to be composted, about
two
dozen worms are introduced into the solid waste occupying zone B to begin the
composting process. Material in zone B 125 and/or C 130 is allowed to then
undergo
vermi-composting afterwhich time the material is moved to zone C 130 where it
is kept
for storage until use. The material may be manually moved through the zones
using an
appropriate tool such as a shovel or a rake. Cycling of the material through
the zones is
14
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CA 02826499 2013-09-05
carried out after sufficient time is allowed to vermi-compost the solid waste.
The
amount of time required for vermi-composting and the frequency of cycling
through the
zones will depend on the frequency of usage and is within the knowledge of
persons
skilled in the art to determine.
[0054] As is known in the art of vermi-composting, sufficient moisture
conditions are
needed in order to maintain the worms. According to embodiments of the present
disclosure, moisture conditions are maintained by introducing sufficient
amounts of
water into the composting space 100 at zones B 125 and/or C 130 to maintain
the
necessary moisture levels and humidity for vermi-composting. In certain
embodiments,
the dampened zones may require covering with plastic or straw to maintain the
humidity essential for the earthworms.
[0055] The disclosures of all patents, patent applications, publications and
database
entries referenced in this specification are hereby specifically incorporated
by reference
in their entirety to the same extent as if each such individual patent, patent
application,
publication and database entry were specifically and individually indicated to
be
incorporated by reference.
[0056] Although the invention has been described with reference to certain
specific
embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled
in the art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such
modifications as
would be apparent to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within
the scope
of the following claims.
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