Plastic portable toilet assembly

• US 5,251,342 A
• Filed: 11/07/1991
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synergy World, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synergy World, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Olson, Ronald D., Sansom, Clyde B., Keeling, David C., Wolfe, Michael J., Wilken, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US07/789,069
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 4/144.1, 4/321, 4/322, 4/323, 4/449, 4/459, 4/460, 4/461, 4/462, 4/463, 4/476, 4/477, 4/478, 4/309, 220/480, 220/4.13, 264/545
• US Class Current: 4/462
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 11/02 Dry closets, e.g. incinerator closets
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 11/12 Urinals without flushing portable urinating aids A61F5/4556; urinals for bed-ridden persons A61G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

A portable toilet assembly has a twin-sheet thermoformed toilet tank, base, and urinal. The toilet tank has an upper thermoplastic sheet which is fused to a lower thermoplastic sheet. The toilet tank sheets are each coextruded from two thermoplastic materials of different colors, such that the toilet tank interior is a dark color and the exterior is a lighter color. Portions of the fused sheets extend outwardly from the tank and define flanges which can be used to attach the toilet tank to the toilet base and to the walls of a cabana. The toilet tank lower sheet has a downwardly extending pyramidal sump in which waste can accumulate. The base has a hole for receiving the toilet tank, a platform with downwardly extending sidewalls with outwardly extending ledges, and channels which extend through the sidewalls and ledges which allow flow of liquids from within the cabana and ventilation of noxious odors. The lower portion of the base has axle bearings in which an axle can be placed which runs parallel to the front and rear sides of the base. A urinal is attached to the toilet tank. The urinal has an interior surface with projections which contain and hold a solid deodorant.

Claims

1. A twin-sheet thermoformed plastic toilet tank comprising:

a) a thermoplastic tank upper sheet, having portions defining a tank opening; and

b) a thermoplastic tank lower sheet, wherein portions of the lower sheet are fused to the upper sheet to form a hollow cavity for receiving and containing human waste introduced through the tank opening, and the upper and lower sheets each have first and second coextensive thermoplastic layers, and the first layer is of a different color than the second layer, such that the first layers of the two sheets oppose one another and define the cavity such that the cavity formed by the fused sheets is substantially one color and the exterior of the tank is substantially another color; and

wherein portions of the fused upper and lower sheets protrude from the tank exterior to form at least one flange adapted for attachment to a supporting surface and the flange has portions which define a hole adapted to receive a fastener.

2. The toilet tank of claim 1 wherein the tank lower sheet has downwardly descending portions defining an inverted pyramidal depression within the cavity which acts as a sump for retaining solid wastes.

3. A twin-sheet thermoformed toilet tank comprising:

a) a thermoplastic tank upper sheet, having portions defining a generally horizontal top with a tank opening formed therein; and

b) a thermoplastic tank lower sheet extending beneath the tank upper sheet, wherein portions of the lower sheet are fused to the upper sheet to form a hollow cavity for receiving and containing human waste introduced through the tank opening, and wherein a plurality of flanges are formed by the fused portions and the flanges extend upwardly from the toilet tank top and receive fasteners therethrough for attachment of the tank.

4. The toilet tank of claim 3 wherein the tank lower sheet has downwardly descending portions defining a depression within the cavity which narrows as it extends downwardly, the depression serving as a sump for retaining and breaking up solid waste deposited within the tank cavity.

5. The toilet tank of claim 3 wherein the tank upper sheet and the tank lower sheet each have first and second coextensive colored layers and the first layer is a darker color than the second layer, wherein the first layers of the upper and lower sheets are opposed and define the tank cavity, and the second layers define the tank exterior, such that the tank cavity is a darker color than the tank exterior.

6. The toilet tank of claim 3 further comprising:

a) portions of the upper sheet which define a urinal discharge opening;

b) a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic urinal having a bottom adapted to receive urine and inclined towards a discharge tube extending from the bottom into the tank urinal discharge opening; and

c) protrusions extending upwardly from the bottom, the protrusions being adapted to restrain the movement towards the discharge tube of a urinal deodorant puck placed on the urinal bottom.

7. A twin-sheet thermoformed plastic toilet tank comprising:

a) a thermoplastic tank upper sheet, the upper sheet defining a tank top having portions defining an opening for the entry of human waste, and a front wall which extends downwardly from the tank top; and

b) a thermoplastic tank lower sheet defining a tank bottom generally parallel to and spaced below the tank top and a tank rear wall which extends upwardly from the tank bottom, wherein portions of the lower sheet are fused to the upper sheet along a parting line and wherein the tank has left and right sides which are formed of portions which extend downwardly from the first sheet top which are fused along the parting line to portions which extend upwardly from the lower sheet bottom, the parting line on each side extending from a point on the bottom to a point on the tank top, the top, bottom, front wall, rear wall, left side, and right side defining a hollow cavity for receiving and containing human waste introduced through the tank opening, and wherein portions of the fused upper and lower sheets protrude from the tank exterior to form at least one flange adapted for attachment to a supporting surface and the flange has portions which define a hole adapted to receive a fastener.

8. The toilet tank of claim 7 wherein the tank lower sheet has downwardly descending portions defining a depression within the cavity which narrows as it extends downwardly, the depression serving as a sump for retaining and breaking up solid waste deposited within the tank cavity.

9. The toilet tank of claim 7 wherein the tank upper sheet and the tank lower sheet each have first and second coextensive colored layers and the first layer is a darker color than the second layer, wherein the first layers of the upper and lower sheets are opposed and define the tank cavity, and the second layers define the tank exterior, such that the tank cavity is a darker color than the tank exterior.

10. The toilet tank of claim 7 further comprising:

a) portions of the upper sheet which define a urinal discharge opening;

b) a twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic urinal having a bottom adapted to receive urine and inclined towards a discharge tube extending from the bottom into the tank urinal discharge opening; and

c) protrusions extending upwardly from the bottom, the protrusions being adapted to restrain the movement towards the discharge tube of a urinal deodorant puck placed on the urinal bottom.

11. A twin-sheet thermoformed thermoplastic toilet tank comprising:

a) thermoplastic tank upper sheet, having portions defining a generally horizontal top with a tank opening formed therein; and

b) a thermoplastic tank lower sheet extending beneath the tank upper sheet, wherein portions of the lower sheet are fused to the upper sheet to form a hollow cavity for receiving and containing human waste introduced through the tank opening, and wherein a plurality of flanges are formed by the fused portions and the flanges extend outwardly from a front of the toilet tank and receive fasteners therethrough for attachment of the tank.