AP524A

AP524A - Toilet

Info

Publication number: AP524A
Application number: APAP/P/1994/000690A
Authority: AP
Inventors: Michael Craig Abraham
Original assignee: Enviro Options Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-10-30
Filing date: 1994-10-28
Publication date: 1996-09-05
Also published as: AP9400690A0

Abstract

An aerobic toilet

Description

TOILET¹¹

INTRODUCTION

This invention relates to a toilet and more C particularly to a toilet which provides for the dry θ digestion of human faeces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Self contained toilets are known for both aerobic 5 and anaerobic digestion of primary sewage and aerobic digestion using forced circulation of air

AP/P/ 9 5 / 0 07 6 7

BAD ORIGINAL (6) terminates below the perforated bottom (9) to the bin (7) .

There is a substantial vertically extending space between the grids (5) and (6).

A pair of air intake pipes (10) extend from ambient atmosphere through the side walls of the toilet r

down into chamber (3) so that their lower ends (11) open into the chamber below the ventilating rack.

Two outlet vents (12) extend into the chamber (3) and have a substantial length projecting from the chamber. These vents have a size at least equal to that of the sum of the two air inlets (10) so that all air passed into the chambers (3) can readily < escape through the vents (12).

c

The vents (12) are made from a suitable plastics material having high thermal conductivity and providing, or being coated with material providing corrosion resistance. The outer surface will be made to be of substantially black colour.

BAD ORIGINAL

0 5 2 4

Further features of this invention provide for the vent to be at least one pipe of substantial size, for the vent outlet to be fitted with a wind operated extractor unit and for the pipe to be made 5 of heat conductive plastic materials painted or pigmented black.

The invention still further provides for a large (

diameter air intake pipe to open adjacent the bottom of the chamber, for the first inclined grid θ to extend across the chamber downwardly from below the toilet seat and for there to be a second downwardly inclined grid below the first grid extending to the floor near the side of the chamber remote from the toilet seat.

r

A collection bin will be positioned across the

C chamber into which the lower end of the first grid will extend and this grid will preferably be a polyurethane mesh while the second grid will have a downwardly stepped construction.

->θ The invention also provides for the toilet to have a lid to seal it closed when not in use.

9 2 0 0 / 6 /d/dV

BAD ORIGINAL

Liquid and small particles of primary sewage as well as digested or partially digested compost will

	pass through	the	upper	grid	(5)	onto the lower
	ventilation	rack	(6)	with	the	liquid passing
5	through this	rack	to the	floor	of	the chamber. This

of the vents r

The induced satisfactory liquid will be evaporated and pass with the air out (12).

ventilation has been found to cause ^r aerobic digestion keeping the generation of foul odours to a minimum.

As and when necessary the accumulated compost from the primary sewage which will tend to move down the incline of the grids can be removed through the V-<

<

manhole door.

( ( 15 Figure 3 illustrates a modification to the embodiment described above and shows the inclusion of means for stirring the primary sewage and compost accumulated on the upper grid (5).

A rotatable shaft (14) is mounted above the grid -¹' (5) and carries a series of radially extending

BAD ORIGINAL

AP . Ο Ο 5 2 4

The toilet is provided with a ^1;d (4) which includes means to ensure that the toilet opening is sealed when the toilet is not in use.

The chamber (3) houses two inclined grids (5) and 5 (6) . The upper grid (5) has its higher end below the toilet seat (2) and extends from the front wall and is supported on the side walls of the chamber r

(3). The lower end extends approximately halfway along the length of the lower grid (6). The collection bin (7) extends across the width of the chamber (3). The grid (5) is preferably made of a plastic material mesh.

Above the bin (7) is a manhole through the wall of the chamber of sufficient size to enable the bin to < be withdrawn therethrough. The manhole cover (8) is ( preferably made of a black heat conductive plastics material to form a heat sink to heat the interior of the chamber when it is subjected to sunlight.

The lower grid (6) is made to a stepped 20 construction to form a ventilating rack. This grid

AP/P/95 / OO⁷⁶⁷

BAD ORIGINAL &

and movement of this material down and through the grid.

Other manually powered means can be used to rotate the shaft (5). A flywheel and clutch arrangement 5 can be included for example which could cause the shaft to rotate a plurality of times on each downward movement of the handle.

c

The invention may be varied from the particular embodiment described above without departing from the scope thereof. For example the wind operated extractor could be replaced by a venturi system to ^v *

facilitate extraction.

₍-s '

c		Sizes of components	will be	chosen	to maximise	the
	airflow through the	chamber	and	to	accommodate	the
c	1 5	volume of primary	sewage which	is	required to	be

digested.

⁶AD ORIGINAL $

Γιο

AP. Ο Ο 5 2 4

- 8 The outer ends of the vents (12) will be fitted with a wind operated extractor unit (13).

In use, the toilet assembly is erected at a convenient location and beds of compost suitable to generate aerobic digestion of primary sewage are positioned on the upper grid (5) and the toilet is then ready for use.

The vents (12) and manhole cover (8) will strongly absorb radiant heat and heat the gas contained in the vents and chamber. The gas will rise under convection and induce flow of fresh air through the inlet pipes (10) to replace the gas drawn from the chamber (3) . The fresh air and compost on the inclined grid (5) causes reaction with primary sewage deposited through the toilet seat to quickly stabilise the process of aeration which converts the primary sewage into compost.

The gas flow into, through and out of chamber (3) is indicated by the arrows shown in Fig 1 of the drawings.

L 91 0 β / ? 6 /d/dV

BAD original $

AP . Ο Ο 5 2 4

blades or	paddles (15). The	shaft is	shown	as
horizontal	and the series	of	paddles	are	of
increasing	length so that their	free	ends	are
located a	small distance above	the	grid (5)

It will be understood that a shaft mounted parallel to the grids can also be used.

r

The shaft (14) has suitable means for causing it to be rotatably connected to a pivotally supported handle (16) mounted on a pedestal (17) or to the wall of the toilet above the toilet seat (2). This means can conveniently incorporate an operating rod (18) suitably geared to the shaft (14) so that with the handle moved through about 90“ the shaft will rotate through about 360:

c

The handle will be spring biased to return to its normal horizontal position when released and this will cause a reverse rotation of the shaft (14) and paddles (15). This back and forth rotation of the paddles will agitate sewage and compost accumulated

-0 on the grid (5) assisting in the aerobic digestion

Claims

An aerobic toilet utilising a bed of compost for digestion which has a chamber below a toilet seat with an outlet vent from the chamber designed to generate radiant heat within the vent.

An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 1 in which the vent is at least one pipe of substantial size.

An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 2 in which the vent outlet is fitted with a wind operated extractor unit
4. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 2 in which the vent outlet is fitted with a venturi system to facilitate extraction.

15
5. An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the vent pipe is black and made of heat conductive plastics material.
6. An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of the

BAD ORIGINAL

- 13 preceding claims in which a manhole is provided into the chamber and fitted with a black cover of heat conductive plastics material.

5 7 . An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of the preceding < claims provided with at least one air intake pipe extending from outside the chamber to open adjacent the bottom of the chamber. * 10 8. An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of the

preceding claims including a first inclined grid extending downwardly across the chamber from below the toilet seat and a second inclined grid below the first grid extending downwardly from below the toilet seat substantially to the floor of the chamber near the side remote from the toilet seat.
9. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 8 in which the first grid is a grid of plastics material mesh.
10. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 8 or 9 in which the lower grid is a stepped construction to provide a ventilation rack.

BAD ORIGINAL £

AP. Ο Ο 5 2 4

- 14
11. An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 in which a collection bin extends around the lower ends of the grids below the manhole.
12. An aerobic toilet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which means for agitating the accumulated sewage and compost in the toilet is provided.
13. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 12 in

10 which the means for agitating the sewage and compost comprises a shaft carrying paddles to contact the material and having means for rotating the shaft connected between the shaft and an operating handle mounted in the toilet

15 adjacent the seat.

c
14. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 13 in which the means for rotating the shaft includes an operating rod and gearing and means for biasing the handle to its

20 inoperative position.

APfPl 95700767

BAD ORIGINAL dj)
15. An aerobic toilet as claimed in claim 13 in which the means for rotating the shaft is a flywheel and clutch arrangement linked to the operating handle.