Self-contained oil flush toilet unit and sewage treatment system for separating and pre-treating waste

Abstract

A self-contained, oil flush medium toilet system is provided having a largely rectangular enclosure that separates the flush medium from collected waste and preprocesses the waste for subsequent removal. The device requires no connection to sewage or water lines, and can be installed with only electrical connections for continual operation. Waste is first received through a toilet bowl, whereafter it is consumed by the oil and falls under the surface thereof. The waste is then circulated below the oil, whereby it is continually aerated to promote aerobic digestion of the waste until it reaches a certain volume, where the processed waste exits the enclosure for further processing or storage. The oil flush medium is pumped through a particulate and carbon filter to maintain its condition, wherein the oil is immiscible with the waste to first consume it and remain above the waste within the enclosure during operation.

Claims

1. A sewage treatment system for separating and pre-treating waste, comprising: a separating tank for receiving toilet waste; said separating tank having a non-aqueous liquid flush medium having a specific gravity less than water; said separating tank further comprising a toilet bowl, a flush medium circulation pump, a flush medium and waste divider wall, and a waste aerator means; said divider wall for dividing said separating tank into a flush medium side and a waste side, wherein waste is received through said toilet bowl on said flush medium side, whereafter said waste sinks below said flush medium and is circulated through apertures in said divider wall to said waste side; said waste aerator means located within said waste side for aerating said waste; wherein said waste aerator means drives said waste over a dam wall disposed within said waste side; said flush medium circulation pump submerged within said flush medium within said flush medium side for circulating said flush medium through at least one filter to maintain said flush medium and depositing said flush medium into said toilet bowl thereafter; a waste outlet port along said waste side to allow waste to exit said separating tank for further processing or collection.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a flush means for cleaning said toilet bowl with a volume said flush medium.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said flush means further comprises a secondary flush pump immersed in said flush medium for pumping a volume of flush medium into said toilet bowl.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said flush means further comprises a solenoid switch for diverting said flush medium from said flush medium circulation pump into said toilet bowl.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said aerator means further comprises an aerator tube, an air pump, and apertures in said aerator tube to permit air bubbles to enter said waste side.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one flush medium filter further comprises a particulate filter and carbon filter.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said waste outlet further connects to a waste conduit that is positioned at a height such that said waste in said waste side is maintained at a desired level.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said waste conduit is positioned at the level of waste in said waste side.

9. A sewage treatment system for separating and pre-treating waste, comprising: a separating tank for receiving toilet waste; said separating tank having a non-aqueous liquid flush medium having a specific gravity less than water; said separating tank further comprising a toilet bowl, a flush medium circulation pump, a flush medium and waste divider wall, and a waste aerator means; said divider wall for dividing said separating tank into a flush medium side and a waste side, wherein waste is received through said toilet bowl on said flush medium side, whereafter said waste sinks below said flush medium and is circulated through apertures in said divider wall to said waste side; said waste aerator means located within said waste side for aerating said waste; wherein said waste aerator means drives said waste over a dam wall disposed within said waste side; said flush medium circulation pump submerged within said flush medium within said flush medium side for circulating said flush medium through at least one filter to maintain said flush medium and depositing said flush medium into said toilet bowl thereafter; a waste outlet port along said waste side to allow waste to exit said separating tank for further processing or collection; wherein said sewage treatment system is a self-contained unit that is adapted to function without external sewer lines or flush fluid provider lines connected thereto.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a flush means for cleaning said toilet bowl with a volume said flush medium.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said flush means further comprises a secondary flush pump immersed in said flush medium for pumping a volume of flush medium into said toilet bowl.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said flush means further comprises a solenoid switch for diverting said flush medium from said flush medium circulation pump into said toilet bowl.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein said aerator means further comprises an aerator tube, an air pump, and apertures in said aerator tube to permit air bubbles to enter said waste side.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein said at least one flush medium filter further comprises a particulate filter and carbon filter.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein said waste outlet further connects to a waste conduit that is positioned at a height such that said waste in said waste side is maintained at a desired level.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said waste conduit is positioned at the level of waste in said waste side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an overhead perspective view of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cut-away view of the present invention and the relative heights of, partitioning between, and flow of the oil and wastewater.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a front view of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a front view highlighting the relative heights of the oil and wastewater.

(7) FIG. 6a shows a system diagram of the present invention, wherein a single pump is utilized for both oil circulation and for flushing the toilet bowl.

(8) FIG. 6b shows a second system diagram of the present invention, wherein a second pump is deployed that is dedicated to flushing operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the self-contained oil flush toilet system. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for utilizing oil as a flush medium in a stand-along toilet structure requiring no sewer line connections, wherein wastewater is pretreated and can be removed for further processing on a given interval. The device requires no water or sewage line connections, and can work in rural areas, in high rise buildings, or in other locations where such infrastructure is not readily available. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an overhead perspective view of the present invention. The device comprises an enclosure 11 having upstanding sidewalls forming a largely rectangular structure. The enclosure interior volume is secured closed by way of a removable top closure 45 that shrouds the internal components of the unit while in operation. A toilet seat 19 and toilet lid are positioned therealong above a toilet opening that allows access to the underlying toilet bowl 18. The top closure 45 may be lifted and removed during periods of maintenance or when inspecting the enclosure interior. The enclosure is one that accepts human waste therein through the toilet bowl 18 from either a standing or seated user, wherein the waste is funneled through a toilet bowl 18 and into the interior of the device for aerobic digestion and preprocessing for subsequent removal. From the exterior, the device is adapted to appear as if it were a normal commode or toilet unit, however the interior components eliminate the need for traditional water flush medium or sewage connection for processing of waste material.

(11) The flush medium is a non-aqueous mineral oil with a specific gravity less than water, wherein urine, waste, and other excreta are rapidly consumed within the oil and sink below its surface. The walls of the toilet bowl 18 are coated with a continual stream of oil that returns 44 from a filtration process, whereby the stream in the toilet bowl prevents waste from sticking thereto. Shortened intervals of higher oil flow into the toilet bowl 18 are provided to flush the received waste from a user. Several embodiments are contemplated for accomplishing the flushing process, and include a dedicated flush pump to pump a high volume burst of oil into the toilet bowl, a baffled oil pan around the toilet bowl upper that relies on user weight close the baffle and accumulate a large volume of oil to be released when the user gets up, or finally a valve 41 that transitions the oil circulation pump 40 into a momentary flush pump. These embodiments will be discussed below in due course.

(12) Within the interior of the enclosure 11 is a divider wall having a lower portion 10, an angled middle portion 13 and an upstanding upper portion 46. The divider separates the enclosure into a forward section 48 and a rear section 15. The forward section 48 includes a volume of oil flush medium and an oil circulation pump 40 submerged within the volume of oil. The forward section 48 also includes the flush medium/waste interface 17 that defines the separation between the flush medium and the received and in-process waste. The divided enclosure therefore operates as a waste and oil separating tank and waste preprocessing system. The oil and wastewater interface is located at the intersection between the angled middle portion 13 and the lower portion 10 of the divider wall, and is determined based on the relative levels oil flush medium utilized and the rear waste outlet port 16 along the rear of the enclosure. Along this interface is a coarse filter that readily allows the oil flush medium from the toilet bowl 18 to percolate therethrough, while blocking solid debris from floating into the upper portion of the enclosure forward section 48 (and thus comingle with the oil therein). This filter may comprise a synthetic or natural filter spanning the entire flush medium and wastewater interface 17.

(13) Within the two peripheral sides of the divider lower portion 10 is a first 12a and second 12b cut-out aperture that allows the wastewater to flow therethrough. Based on the circulating action of the system, the wastewater naturally flows into the second cut-out aperture 12b and into the rear section 15 of the enclosure for aeration and subsequent circulation back into the forward portion of the enclosure by way of the first cut-out aperture 12a. An aerator tube 25 provides a means to aerate the wastewater and drive it over a dam wall 20 along the rear portion 15 of the enclosure, whereafter it naturally circulates through the first opening 12a and towards the second opening 12b. This continual motion of the wastewater and aeration (described in FIGS. 2-3) causes a continual biodegradation of the waste, whereby the waste is preprocessed before being removed to a treatment or disposal unit outside of the enclosure. As more waste is received, this rear section 15 of the enclosure 11 gradually fills until the waste.

(14) A rear outlet port 16 is provided along the rear walls of the rear section 15 to remove solid, heavy waste from the base of the wastewater side through a waste conduit 49. The waste conduit 49 is positioned above the outlet port 16 to define the level of waste maintained within the rear section 15 of the enclosure 11, whereby its height is the same at which the height of the waste will be maintained within the enclosure. As the level rises, the waste is forced into the outlet 16 and through the conduit 49. The rear outlet 16 is the waste exit point in which the preprocessed waste is gathered into another enclosure or drawn into a biological incinerator, digester/evaporator, or similar final processing or storage means. The conduit 49 may be mounted externally or internally within the enclosure as desired, wherein the outlet port 16 may be positioned within the interior of the enclosure and waste travels out of the enclosure by way of the conduit 49. If internal, there is no penetration through the enclosure below the wastewater line and thus no risk of spillage therefrom.

(15) To maintain the quality of the oil flush medium during the life of the unit, it must be continually cleaned and filtered to prevent it from breaking down or reacting with the wastewater (i.e. maintain its immiscibility therewith). To accomplish this, electrical power drives the oil circulation pump 40, which draws oil from the forward section 48 of the enclosure 11 into an oil line 42, wherein the oil passes first through a particulate filter 30 and then a carbon filter 31 before entering a return line 44 to be placed into an oil pan along the top closure 45. The filters remove surface active agents that prevent the oil from building up contaminants that would otherwise reduce its water immiscible properties. Further provided along the upper portion of the enclosure is an access door 39 along the oil side of the device, wherein chlorine tablets may be placed into the oil within the forward section 48 of the enclosure. The chlorine tablet mixes with the oil and creates a biocide to further maintain the oil operating properties. Oil from the filters 30, 31 enters back into the enclosure through a return line 44 and into an oil pan (not shown) or directly into the toilet bowl 18, whereafter the cleaned oil is deposited into the enclosure interior. The interface between the oil and wastewater can be visualized from the front of the unit 11 through a viewing window 29, which allows servicemen and technicians to inspect the quality of the oil/waste separation within the unit to the know exactly where the interface is positioned relative to the base of the unit.

(16) Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there are shown views of the enclosure interior that highlight the positioning of the oil and wastewater interface 17 and the relative heights of both the oil 200 and wastewater 100 within the different sections of the enclosure 11. As shown, the oil circulation pump 40 is submerged within the oil 200 in the forward section, wherein the oil level 70 is above the pump intake. The oil/wastewater interface 17 is also shown along the base of the toilet bowl 18. The wastewater 100 enters the second opening 12b in the divider wall and is aerated by the aerator tube 25, which is a pressurized air line having a plurality of apertures therealong the send a stream of air bubbles 26 through the waste along the rear dam wall 20. The air initiates the digestion of the waste and percolates the waste over the dam wall 20. The rear waste outlet port 16 and waste conduit 49 level maintains the waste level 71 along the rear of the enclosure and allows the preprocessed and digested waste to exit the enclosure as the level of waste reaches the conduit 49 position.

(17) In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the oil circulation pump is also utilized as a momentary flush pump, wherein oil is diverted by way of a solenoid valve 41 into a flush tube 43 and into the toilet bowl 18 when a user requests a flush of the toilet bowl 18. This is but one embodiment of the flush system.

(18) The flush fluid pump 40 pumps the flush fluid 200 on a continuous or intermittent basis through the particulate filter and the carbon filter thereby maintaining the flush fluid in a clean and immiscible state with water. The fluid flows through the filters and back into a collection pan 34 around the toilet or directly into the toilet bowl 18. The fluid flowing into the pan is directed to flow down the toilet bowl to maintain a coating of mineral oil on the surface of the toilet bowl 18 which aids in keeping the toilet bowl free of sticking waste. In another embodiment of the flush mechanism, a baffled toilet seat device is utilized to create a dammed volume of oil that is initiated when the user sits on the toilet seat 19 and releases when the user gets up from sitting on the seat 19. When a user of the toilet sits on the seat 19, his or her weight forces a baffle to seal against the bottom of pan 34 causing fluid to stop flowing down the toilet bowl 18, thereby causing a collection of flush fluid within the pan 34. The baffle is held in the up position by springs which return the baffle to the up or flow position when the user lifts his weight from the toilet seat. The collected fluid is released beneath the baffle and causes a rush of fluid down the toilet bowl 18 forcing the waste out of the toilet bowl 18 and into the waste stream located at the lower level of cavity 14. The collection of the fluid in the pan located directly below the toilet seat is controlled by an overflow device which allows the user to sit on the seat for as long as desired without concern for collecting too much flush fluid.

(19) As the waste increment builds in the enclosure 11, the chamber level rises in both the waste 100 and the oil 200 side. The outlet 16 for the waste to be discharged to a disposal means is located in the waste side to drain off excess fluid. This air stream from the aerator 25 promotes a vigorous boiling of the waste, breaking up the feces, toilet paper and other organic objects that can be biodegraded, and causes the fluid to flow over the top of the dam 20 to the other side of the dam, thereby creating a circular flow of waste through the unit. This circulation therefore transports the human waste 100 from under the toilet bowl 18 and through the second opening 12b and into the vigorously bubbling air stream 26 where the waste is broken up and oxygen is added to the waste stream to promote aerobic digestion. Waste is repeatedly circulated until through a combination of biodegradation and agitation it is reduced to a waste slurry that will pass out to a final treatment or collection source through the rear outlet 16. The air used to aerate the waste is removed from the enclosure 11 by the use of a vent blower that removes an excess of air from the toilet room, which causes the removal of any odors which may be inherent in the process of agitating and biodegrading the waste products.

(20) Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are shown two frontal views of the present toilet unit, along with the relative fluid levels and interfaces therebetween while in operation. During operation, the waste is continually in motion and is being circulated and eventually passed through the rear outlet 16. The relative height of the oil and waste, and their interface remains static if the oil is being cleaned and the unit is functioning properly. In FIG. 5, the waste level 71 is shown, which is regulated by the height of the waste conduit height connected to the rear outlet 16. The oil level 70 is also maintained along the forward section of the enclosure, while the oil and waste interface 17 is maintained along the forward section below the oil. The forward viewing window 29 provides a means to monitor this interface 17 during operation.

(21) Only waste is located on rear section of the enclosure while the oil flush fluid is located in the forward section. The waste is located at the lower level, where the oil is lighter than the waste and the two mediums are immiscible with one another. The flush fluid pump 40 is submersed in the oil and pumps the flush fluid through the particulate filter 30 and the carbon filter 31 through the oil line 42 and back into the oil pan through the return line 44, thereby maintaining the flush fluid in a clean and immiscible state with water. This cleaned oil which exits the filters flows down the surface of the toilet bowl to continuously clean and wet the bowl surface which reduces the opportunity of feces or other water based substances to stick to the toilet bowl.

(22) An air pump is required to provide aeration to the waste through the aerator tube 25. This pump can be located near to the container or in another room. Should a low-pressure compressed air source be available it may be used. The air that escapes into the unit is removed from the room with a low pressure vent blower which not only removes the airlift pump exhaust but creates a low pressure inside the container and removes the toilet smells from the room. This blower will exhaust to the outside or to an existing vent pipe or through a filter that will absorb odors.

(23) An electrical switch panel containing on/off switches and fuses is also to be located nearby the toilet unit to provide power to the fluid pump 40, the vent blower and the air pump. There are no electrical control circuitry or control devices necessary to operate the system, making the system simple for maintenance and for continued operation. The fluid maintenance system (i.e. the filtering) is provided to maintain the flush fluid in a clean sanitary condition and to remove surface active agents from the oil. The fluid pump is submersed in the mineral oil with an on off switch located on the electrical panel. Flush fluid is pumped through the filter system at all times or intermittently if desired.

(24) Referring finally to FIGS. 6a and 6b, there are shown two embodiments of the oil circulation system, whereby one embodiment (FIG. 6a) contemplates a single oil pump 40 for oil circulation and for toilet bowl 18 flushing. In this embodiment, the pump 40 operates normally by circulating the flush fluid through an oil line 42 to a particulate 30 and carbon 31 filter, and then through the oil return line 44 and into the toilet bowl 18. The oil then enters the forward portion 14 of the enclosure while waste is consumed by the oil and passed through the enclosure rear section 15 for processing. A solenoid valve 90 is provided to operate the motor as a flush pump, wherein the oil is diverted directly into the toilet bowl 18 for flushing waste from a user therefrom for a shortened period of time. Several hand valves 91 are provided along the lines to regulate or adjust the pressure in the lines, while water developed as a byproduct from the filters is drained through drain valves 92 and deposited into the toilet bowl. In a second embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 6b, a dedicated and secondary flush pump 400 is deployed that is user activated. The flush pump 400 only operates to provide a burst of oil from the forward section 14 of the enclosure into the toilet bowl 18 to draw waste therefrom. All other portions of the oil circulation system remain largely the same as in the first embodiment.

(25) Overall, the present invention provides a system and apparatus that can replace a conventional water-flush toilet with one that utilizes an oil flush medium and an internal processing means that does not require external sewage lines to vacate waste as it is deposited. The device comprises a self-contained toilet that does not require an external sewerage connection, utilizing an oil pump, a biological aerating process and an enclosure that preprocesses waste for subsequent removal. The removed waste can be taken to a waste processing means, such as a biological incinerator, digestor/evaporator, storage tank, or similar processing means external to the disclosed unit. A user can install the present toilet unit where there is no central wastewater treatment connection line, or where there is no sewage collection system already in existence. An office, industrial facility, apartment complex, a seagoing vessel, or remote, rural or developing location can utilize the device for collecting human waste.

(26) It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

(27) Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.