Portable toilet system

• US 6,546,569 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Dwayne Figueras
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Dwayne Figueras
• Inventors: Figueras, Kenneth Dwayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/901,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 447/9, 448/3, 448/4, 446/0, 444/9, 297/188.09, 297/188.1, 297/29, 297/17, 297/43, 297/44, 297/183.5, 297/440.1, 108/152, 182/187, 182/188
• US Class Current: 4/483
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 11/02 Dry closets, e.g. incinerator closets
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 13/005 Auxiliary or portable seats for children A47K13/06
• 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 outdoor toilet system configured to be suspended from an object to support the toilet system above the ground is provided. The toilet system comprises a toilet seat having a front portion and a back portion, and a suspension system configured to be coupled to the object to suspend the toilet seat above the ground. The suspension system includes at least one tensile support member coupled to the toilet seat between the front portion and the back portion of the toilet seat. The tensile support member extends upwardly from the toilet seat toward the object to support the toilet seat from a location above the toilet seat. The suspension system also includes a securing device coupled to the tensile support member to secure the toilet system to the object.

Claims

1. A portable outdoor toilet system adapted to be suspended from a trunk of a tree without the use of a leg to support the toilet system against the ground, the toilet system comprising:

a frame configured to at least partially support the toilet system against the trunk of the tree;

a toilet seat coupled to the frame, the toilet seat having a front portion and a back portion; and

a suspension system coupled to the frame for suspending the toilet seat from the tree, the suspension system including a strap coupled to the toilet seat between the front portion and the back portion of the toilet seat, a securing device coupled to the frame for securing the toilet system to the tree, the securing device being configured to be coupled to the tree at a location higher on the trunk of the tree than the toilet seat, and a buckle positioned along the strap to allow adjustment of the strap length.

2. The portable toilet system of claim 1, the frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the strap is coupled to the upper portion of the frame, and wherein the back portion of the toilet seat is coupled to the lower portion of the frame.

3. The portable toilet system of claim 2, wherein the toilet seat is pivotally coupled to the lower portion of the frame so that the seat may be pivoted between an open position and a closed position relative to the frame.

4. The portable toilet system of claim 1, wherein the frame is the tree-contacting portion.

5. The portable toilet system of claim 1, wherein the strap of the suspension system is a first strap, and wherein the securing device includes a second strap.

6. The portable toilet system of claim 5, wherein the second strap has a buckle to allow the securing device to be adjusted to accommodate tree trunks of various sizes.

7. The portable toilet system of claim 5, wherein the second strap includes a first end with a first fastener and a second end with a second fastener such that the second strap is secured around the tree by extending the first end and second end in opposite directions around the tree and connecting the first fastener to the second fastener.

8. The portable toilet system of claim 7, wherein the first fastener is a hook, and the second fastener is a loop configured to accept insertion of the hook.

9. The portable toilet system of claim 1, wherein the frame includes an anchor for coupling the strap to the frame, and wherein the anchor includes a channel through which the strap is threaded to couple the strap to the frame.

10. The portable toilet of claim 9, the frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the anchor is disposed on the upper portion of the frame, and wherein a seat mount to which the toilet seat is mounted is disposed on the lower portion of the frame.

11. The portable toilet of claim 1, wherein the toilet seat is pivotally mounted to the frame such that the toilet seat may be pivoted between a folded position and an unfolded position relative to the frame.

12. The portable toilet system of claim 1, further comprising a waste receptacle coupled to the toilet seat.

13. The portable toilet system of claim 12, the toilet seat having a bottom side, wherein the waste receptacle is coupled to the bottom side of the toilet seat.

14. The portable toilet system of claim 13, further comprising at least one tab coupled to the bottom side of the toilet seat for attaching the waste receptacle.