System for producing reduced pressure on board of an aircraft

• US 5,372,710 A
• Filed: 03/14/1994
• Issued: 12/13/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimlerchrysler North America Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH
• Inventors: Frank, Helge
• Primary Examiner(s): Hruskoci, Peter A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): POPOVICS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US08/213,167
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 4/431, 4/432, 4/433, 4/321, 210/117, 210/120, 210/136, 210/167, 210/194, 210/195.1, 210/252, 210/257.1, 210/258, 210/259, 210/188, 210/416.1, 210/532.2
• US Class Current: 210/117
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/02 Toilet fittings of general application A47K
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A system for producing reduced pressure on board of an aircraft cooperates with at least one vacuum toilet for flushing the toilet. A reduced pressure is generated by a pump for transporting of refuse including water waste into a collection tank without using any pressure difference between the pressure in the aircraft cabin and the pressure outside the cabin. The suction inlet of the pump is connected through a filter to the collection tank and the pressure side of the pump is connected to a nozzle in an ejector, the suction inlet of which is connected to the toilet. A funnel-shaped ejector discharge port is connected through a return conduit to the collection tank, preferably through a water separator. A closed water circulating circuit is formed by the pump, the tank, the filter, and the ejector so that refuse and waste water pass directly through the ejector into the tank. A water separator is connected through a waste air discharge pipe or conduit either to a filter for returning the air into the cabin or to a discharge valve through the wall of the aircraft body.

Claims

1. A system for producing reduced pressure for operating a toilet on board of an aircraft, comprising a toilet, a refuse collection tank, a water pump for transporting refuse from said toilet into said collection tank by suction produced by a water flow caused to circulate by said water pump, a suction conduit connecting a suction inlet of said water pump to said collection tank, a waste filter positioned in said collection tank so that waste water from said tank must flow through said waste filter into said suction conduit for preventing refuse from entering into said water pump, a compression pipe connected to a pressure outlet of said water pump, an ejector comprising a suction inlet connected to said toilet, a jet nozzle inlet connected to said compression pipe of said water pump, and a discharge port, a water return conduit connecting said discharge port of said ejector to said collection tank to form a water circulation closed circuit in which said ejector is connected in series with said nozzle inlet and with said discharge port, said ejector driven by said water pump producing a suction for generating at said suction inlet of said ejector a reduced pressure, sufficient for transporting of said refuse from said toilet through said ejector into said collection tank, a water-air separator connected to said refuse tank, and an air exhaust duct connected to said water-air separator for discharging waste air from said collection tank, wherein said water pump is adapted for maintaining a closed circuit water flow for generating said suction in said ejector and for passing waste water through said waste filter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said suction inlet of said ejector is directly connected to a plurality of toilets.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said suction conduit is connected to a space inside said waste filter in said collection tank, so that water must pass through said waste filter into said water pump.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air filter connected to said air exhaust duct for filtering said waste air, said air filter having a clean air discharge port.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said clean air discharge port is leading into a cabin on board of said aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an aircraft body with a wall and an air opening in said wall, an air discharge valve connected to said wall opening, and a venting pipe connecting said discharge valve to said collection tank for discharging air from said collection tank to the outside.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a valve chamber connected to said venting pipe and a non-return valve in said valve chamber for preventing air from entering into said system from the outside.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said water return conduit connecting said discharge port of said ejector to said collection tank is connected through said water-air separator to said collection tank.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said waste filter is positioned in said waste tank in alignment with said water-air separator so that waste water is discharged from said water air separator directly onto said waste filter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said waste filter is an elongated multiple tube filter having a longitudinal axis extending below said water-air separator and in axial alignment with said water-air separator so that waste water discharged axially onto an upper end of said multiple tube filter must flow downwardly along sides of said multiple tube filter into said tank.