Flush valve and vacuum generator for vacuum waste system

• US 8,607,370 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoang, Thao, Pondelick, Mark A., Hardwick, Christopher, Whitt, Robin, King, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKUBINNA, CHRISTINE J
• Application Number:
  US12/571,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 443/0, 443/1, 443/2, 443/4, 443/5, 442/2, 251/302
• US Class Current: 4/430
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/006 Pneumatic sewage disposal systems; accessories specially adapted therefore

Abstract

The apparatus and method of the invention provides for a flush valve for controlling the vacuum evacuation of waste from a receptacle. The flush valve comprises an inlet port for receiving the waste from the receptacle, an outlet port opposite the inlet port and in fluid communication therewith, a source of vacuum connected to the outlet port and a uniquely designed discharge disk disposed between the inlet and outlet ports for interrupting the flow of fluid therebetween. In the preferred embodiment the flush valve is integral with a latticed panel of the waste receptacle stand.

Claims

1. A vacuum toilet system that includes a waste receptacle stand comprising:

a panel that serves as a side of the stand, removably mounted in the stand;

a valve housing formed in the panel having a single outlet for connection to the vacuum source and a single inlet aligned with the outlet and in selectable fluid communication with the outlet;

a discharge disk mounted in the valve housing including a rotary section and a covering section, the disk being aperture-free except at the rotary section, the covering section being of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the single outlet, the rotary section being mounted to the housing for rotary movement between a closed position in which the covering section seals the outlet from fluid communication with the inlet and an open position in which the covering section is clear of the outlet;

a sleeve seal disposed in the valve housing between the outlet and the discharge disk, the sleeve seal abutting a perimeter of the outlet to seal the outlet when the discharge disk is in the closed position; and

gearing mounted on the panel for rotating the discharge disk in response to a driving force applied to the gearing.

2. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1 wherein the vacuum source is a vacuum generator in fluid communication with the outlet.

3. The vacuum toilet system of claim 2, wherein the vacuum generator is a single stage centrifugal vacuum generator having an impeller mounted directly on a motor shaft.

4. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1, wherein the discharge disk is of a shape selected from the group consisting of tear, round and paddle.

5. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1, wherein the discharge disk is tear-shaped, the rotary section is at the narrower trailing portion of the tear-shape, and the covering section is at the wider leading portion of the tear-shape.

6. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1, further comprising:

a drive assembly for rotating the discharge disk; and

a motor operatively connected to the drive assembly.

7. The vacuum toilet system of claim 6, further comprising an extension arm connected to the drive assembly to manually rotate the drive assembly to move the discharge disk between the opened and closed positions.

8. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1, wherein the range of rotary movement of the discharge disk is about 90 degrees.

9. The vacuum toilet system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor adapted to determine the position of the discharge disk.

10. The vacuum toilet system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a potentiometer attached to an actuator shaft for rotating the discharge disk to determine the rotational position of the actuator shaft.

11. A vacuum toilet system that includes a vacuum toilet waste receptacle supported by a waste receptacle stand comprising:

a waste receptacle stand;

a panel that serves as a side of the stand, removably mounted in the stand;

a valve housing formed in the panel having a single outlet for connection to the vacuum source and an inlet aligned with the outlet in selectable fluid communication with the outlet;

a discharge disk mounted in the valve housing including a rotary section and an outlet covering section, the covering section spaced apart from the rotary section, the disk being aperture-free except at the rotary section, the covering section being of a size and shape corresponding to a size and shape of the single outlet, the rotary section being mounted to the housing for rotary movement about the rotary section between a closed position in which the covering section seals the outlet from fluid communication with the inlet and an open position in which the discharge disk is clear of the outlet;

an actuator shaft mounted on the housing;

a follower gear mounted on the housing and adapted to rotate the discharge disk;

a driver gear mounted on the actuator shaft and adapted to rotate the follower gear; and

an extension arm integral with the driver gear for manually opening the flush valve.

12. A vacuum toilet system having an integral flush valve, the system comprising:

a vacuum toilet waste receptacle supported by a waste receptacle stand;

the stand having an integral flush valve panel, the panel serving as a side of the stand, removably mounted in the stand, the panel including a single outlet and a flush valve cover having an inlet aligned with the outlet and in fluid communication with the waste receptacle for receiving waste from the waste receptacle, the inlet in selectable fluid communication with the panel outlet;

a discharge disk including a rotary section and an outlet covering section, the covering section spaced apart from the rotary section, the disk being aperture-free except at the rotary section, the covering section being of a size and shape corresponding to a size and shape of the outlet, the rotary section being mounted to the panel for rotary movement about the rotary section between a closed position in which the covering section seals the outlet from fluid communication with the inlet and an open position in which the discharge disk is clear of the outlet;

gearing mounted on the panel for rotating the flush valve discharge disk in response to a driving force applied to the gearing; and

a vacuum generator in fluid communication with the panel outlet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the discharge disk is of a shape selected from the group consisting of tear, round and paddle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the vacuum generator is a single stage centrifugal vacuum generator.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the panel has an open lattice structure.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the vacuum generator includes a housing enclosing an impeller constructed from an engineered polymer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the impeller rotates at about 40,000 to 50,000 rpm.

18. The system of claim 12, in which the stand includes one of dovetails and dovetail receivers and the flush valve panel includes one of corresponding dovetail receivers and dovetails, wherein the flush valve panel is attached to the stand by interlocking the dovetails and dovetail receivers.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a sleeve seal disposed in the panel between the outlet and the discharge disk, the sleeve seal abutting a perimeter of the outlet to seal the outlet when the discharge disk is in the closed position.

19. A method for flushing a vacuum toilet system comprising:

providing a vacuum source in fluid communication with an outlet of a valve housing, the valve housing being formed in a panel, the panel serving as a side of a waste receptacle stand, removably mounted in the stand the valve housing having an inlet aligned with the outlet and in selectable fluid communication with the outlet on one side and in fluid communication with a vacuum toilet waste receptacle on an opposite side;

positioning a discharge disk within the valve housing in a closed position over the outlet, the discharge disk including a rotary section and a continuous outlet covering section spaced from the rotary section, the disk being aperture-free except at the rotary section, the covering section being of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the outlet, the positioning being such that a sleeve seal abutting the perimeter of the outlet and disposed in the housing between the outlet and the covering section of the discharge disk seals the outlet; and

rotating the rotary section of the discharge disk in a first direction from a closed position in which the covering section seals the outlet from fluid communication with the inlet to an open position in which the discharge disk is substantially clear of the outlet.