US3070810A - Portable toilet - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 1,11963 H. H. JONES ,07

PORTABLE TOILET Filed July 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 i5 RUMBLE INVENTOR. Hard/cg y Jbnes Y wflwjm WM aiia H. H. JONES PORTABLE! TOILET Jan. 1,. 1963 Filed July 27, 1959 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Horace If. fines b flwdfil Patented Jan. 1, 1953 3,7ll,8l0 PORTABLE TQTLET Horace H. Jones, 834 Pearl St., Aurora, Ill. Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,835 6 Claims. (Cl. 4l14) This invention relates to a portable toilet and particularly to a toilet for use in an automobile, boat, airplane or other vehicle.

It is an object of this invention to provide a portable toilet particularly for use in vehicles, which contains an inexpensive and disposable waste bag that may be removed and disposed of Without objectionable exposure to the waste material.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable toilet that is almost completely free from accidental discharge of its contents.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable toilet that may be used without venting, and that has a completely sealed waste compartment that gives off no objectionable odors to the surrounding atmosphere.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable toilet that is specially adapted to fit beneath a vehicle seat and which is provided with means to restrain movement of the toilet due to vehicle motion but to still render it manually removable.

These objects are accomplished by the portable toilet of this invention which comprises a rigid, protective container and a soft, collapsible, moisture-proof bag or liner for the container. The container comprises an opentopped case which is capable of containing liquids, a cover for the open top and means for restraining the case against inertia, vibration or other vehicular motion. Either the case, the cover or both are provided with a slot intersecting the edge thereof to provide an opening from the interior of the container to the exterior.

The soft collapsible waterproof liner or bag comprises an enlarged bag portion of a size and shape to conform with the shape of the interior of the container. This enlarged bag portion has integral therewith an elongated hose and the hose is positioned, and the slot or slots are positioned so that all are in register and the hose may pass from the interior of the container through the slot or slots when the entire device is assembled.

The details of the various elements as well as the mode of using them will be readily understood with reference to the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-part exploded view of the elements of the portable toilet;

PEG. 2 is a bottom view of the case portion of the container assembly;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the assembled portable toilet;

FIG. 4 is an elevation partially sectioned view of the hose and adaptor;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a suitable adaptor; and

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a snap ring useful as hereinafter described.

The portable toilet of this invention consists of a container assembly and a bag assembly as essential elements. The container assembly comprises a case it) and a cover or lid ill. The case 19 is a shallow box which is constructed of metal, plastic, ceramic or other material which is capable of containing a liquid in case of accidental rupture of the waste bag. Thecase 10 is provided with magnets 12 embedded in the bottom or other portion thereof to restrain it against motion due to vehicular motion. The case shown in this embodiment is also provided with aslot 13 and acarrying handle 14. The lid 11 is constructed to fit over the case and may be provided with a latch or lock means to hold it firmly on the case. The lid as herein shown contains aslot 15 and aspring clip 16 positioned on the top surface of the lid and in the vicinity of theslot 15. Theslot 15 in the lid and theslot 13 in the case are positioned so that when the lid is installed on the case the slots will be in register forming an opening or passageway into the assembled container.

The bag orliner assembly 17 comprises an enlarged enclosed waterproof bag portion 18 which is herein illustrated in inflated form but which, in a preferred embodiment, is collapsed and evacuated of air. The bag assembly also includes anelongated hose 26 which is sealed intobag 18 at one end thereof and terminates in a beading 21 at the other end thereof. Thehose 26 is sealed intobag 18 to position it in alignment with the opening formed byslots 13 and 15.

When in use the case and lid form an enclosed hard container of small vertical dimension surrounding the waterproof bag and suitable for installation, for example, beneath the seat of a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, when not in use thehose 20 extends out of the assembled container and preferably extends downward from the opening and through a reverse bend upwardly Where it is again folded back on itself and held with aclip 16. A small quantity ofwater 22 placed in the U-bend forms a complete liquid seal and since the collapsed bag is capable of expanding as it is filled, there is no need for venting this device during use. As a result the portable toilet of this invention is completely sealed from the surrounding atmosphere and therefore is sanitary and odorless avoiding the objectionable features of portable toilets heretofore employed. In addition, it is placed out of the way and firmly held in place thereby obviating accidental discharge of its contents.

To improve the utility of the device of this invention, anadaptor 23 made of metal, plastic or other material that is rigid enough to maintain its shape is employed. Preferably the adaptor will have a longnarrow funnel portion 24 and acircular conduit portion 25. The adaptor may be employed by sliding the beaded end portion of hose 26) overconduit 25 and holding it there by such means as a splitcircular spring 26 as best shown in FIG. 6. The split circular spring preferably constitutes a ring of metal or plastic capable of resiliently closing after being spread and having a slightly smaller normal diameter than the diameter ofconduit 25. When installed asillustrated in FIG. 4, the spring will hold hose 29 ontoconduit 25 both by the spring pressure againstconduit 25 and by mechanically engaging thebead 21.

By maintaining the dimensions, that is the diameter of hose 2t andconduit 25, fairly small, for example less than 1% inches, the device of this invention may be flushed after use with a small quantity of water which will not only Wash the interior of conduit 2% and hose 2%, but which will, in addition, provide the sealingliquid 22 in the reverse bend of the hose. It is highly desirable to constructconduit 25 at least 4 inches or longer so that the interior of the folded-back portion ofhose 20 underspring clip 16 is dry.

To use the toilet of this invention, it is initially installed beneath a vehicle seat, adjacent a wall or in some other place for which it may or may not be specially shaped. Before its first use there is no need to seal the interior. When it is desired to use this device, the hose Ztl is fitted with the adaptor and extended, preferably with an unobstructed path to the interior ofbag 18. After use the hose and adaptor may be flushed with a small quantity of water, if water is available, and a liquid seal placed in a reverse bend of the hose. The liquid seal is a perfect seal and represents a preferred use of this invention; how- I ever, by sharply folding and holding hose 2%, a satisfactory mechanical seal may be provided as, for example, the doubly folded hose underclip 16 as pictured in FIG. 3.

The toilet may be used and re-sealed any number of times as described and when its capacity is reached, or upon termination of the use of the vehicle, the device may be emptied. Emptying is accomplished first by removing the container from its place in the vehicle and, remote from the vehicle, removing the lid. It may be convenient at this time to seal the tube with a clothes pin, paper clip, spring clip or other clamping means. The collapsible bag, which may still be in the open-topped case, may then be taken to a point of disposal. During the entire emptying operation, there is never exposure to the contents of the bag.

There may be many variations in the shape, size, manner of fastening and relationship of the parts of the toilet within the scope of this invention. By Way of example, the case or lid may be firmly locked together and may be attached to the vehicle with clips, hooks, nesting in recesses, bolts, etc. The bag may be of rubber, rubberized fabric, plastic sheet material or other material that is water-proof, scalable and inexpensive enough to be disposable.

This invention provides a portable toilet that is compact and concealable, that is unaffected by vehicular motion and accidental spilling and one that may be installed, used, carried and finally disposed of Without exposing the user to the unsanitary and unpleasant Waste material therein.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A vehicle toilet comprising in combination a container assembly including an open-topped case, a remov able lid for the open top and means on the lower portions of the open-topped case for restraining the assembly against movement caused by the motion of the vehicle, a slot in the edge of at least one of said case and said lid providing an opening into said container; a liner assembly including an enclosed moisture-proof bag contained within said case, an elongated filling hose for receiving human liquid wastes integral with and opening into said bag and passing through said slot, said hose having releasably connected thereto a funnel-shaped adaptor for directing said human liquid wastes, and means on said lid for repeatedly removably holding and facilitating closing of said hose.

2. The toilet as described in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for holding said hose comprises a spring clip.

3. The toilet as described in claim 1 further characterized in that both the case and the lid are $10 ted to be in register when the container is assembled to provide an opening for said hose near the uppcr surface of said container assembly.

4. The toilet as described in claim 1 further characterized in that said hose terminates at one end in said bag and at the other end in a beading.

5. A vehicle toilet comprising in combination a container assembly including an open-topped case, a removable lid for said case and magnetic feet attached to and supporting said case, the vertical height of said container assembly being less than about 4 inches, a slot in the edge of at least one of said case and said lid; a liner assembly including a collapsed moisture-proof bag contained within said case, an elongated filling hose for receiving human liquid Wastes integral with and opening into said bag with said hose passing through said slot and means on said lid for repeatedly removably holding and facilitating closing of said hose.

6. A vehicle toilet comprising in combination a container assembly including an open-topped case, a removable lid for the open top and means on the lower portions of the open-topped case for restraining the assembly against movement caused by the motion of the vehicle, a slot in the edge of at least one of said case and said lid providing an opening into said container; a liner assembly including an enclosed moisture-proof bag contained within said case, an elongated filling hose for receiving human liquid wastes integral with and opening into said bag and passing through said slot and having a heading at its free end, a split circular spring and a substantially funnel-shaped adaptor cooperatively arranged with said hose with a cylindrical projecting duct extending from said adaptor into the end of said hose and said split circular spring engaging said beading and holding said hose against the adaptor duct with spring pressure, and means on the lid for removably holding and facilitating closing of said hose.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,721,832 Porter July 23, 1929 l,95l,871 Judah Mar. 20, 1934 2,685,385 Kuss Aug. 3, 1954 2,756,895 Enders July 31, 1956 2,861,718 Winzen Nov. 25, 1958

Claims (1)

1. A VEHICLE TOILET COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN OPEN-TOPPED CASE, A REMOVABLE LID FOR THE OPEN TOP AND MEANS ON THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE OPEN-TOPPED CASE FOR RESTRAINING THE ASSEMBLY AGAINST MOVEMENT CAUSED BY THE MOTION OF THE VEHICLE, A SLOT IN THE EDGE OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CASE AND SAID LID PROVIDING AN OPENING INTO SAID CONTAINER; A LINER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ENCLOSED MOISTURE-PROOF BAG CONTAINED WITHIN SAID CASE, AN ELONGATED FILLING HOSE FOR RECEIVING HUMAN LIQUID WASTES INTEGRAL WITH AND OPENING INTO SAID BAG AND PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOT, SAID HOSE HAVING RELEASABLY CONNECTED THERETO A FUNNEL-SHAPED ADAPTOR FOR DIRECTING SAID HUMAN LIQUID WASTES, AND MEANS ON SAID LID FOR REPEATEDLY REMOVABLY HOLDING AND FACILITATING CLOSING OF SAID HOSE.

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