Apparatus for controlling a toilet system

• US 9,951,504 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoang, Thao, Buniak, Bradley J., Niznik, Stephen M., Pedersen, William, Pondelick, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SKUBINNA, CHRISTINE J
• Application Number:
  US15/084,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160289938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 42521, 4434
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/02 Toilet fittings of general application A47K
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/13 Parts or details of bowls; Special adaptations of pipe joints or couplings for use with bowls , e.g. provisions in bowl construction preventing backflow of waste-water from the bowl in the flushing pipe or cistern, provisions for a secondary flushing, for noise-reducing
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/135 Supports for bowls
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/16 Means for connecting the bowl to the floor, e.g. to a floor outlet
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/012 combined with movable closure elements in the bowl outlet bowls with closure elements between bottom or outlet and outlet pipe E03D11/10
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/02 operated mechanically or hydraulically E03D5/01, E03D5/12 take precedence(or pneumatically) also details such as push buttons, levers and pull-card therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/10 operated electrically E03D5/01, E03D5/12 take precedence, e.g. by a photo-cell; also combined with devices for opening or closing shutters in the bowl outlet and/or with devices for raising/or lowering seat and cover and/or for swiveling the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/00 Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/006 Pneumatic sewage disposal systems; accessories specially adapted therefore
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/04 with pivoted closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/047 characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means F16K31/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/465 by flexible transmission means, e.g. cable, chain, bowden wire

Abstract

A toilet system configured for operation on-board an aircraft includes, according to an implementation, a toilet bowl, a left side support bracket supporting the toilet bowl, a right side support bracket supporting the toilet bowl, a control box including a first set of pins, and a harness connector configured to electrically couple the toilet to the aircraft. The harness connector includes a set of pins, where the first set of pins of the control box are configured to be connected to the set of pins included in the harness connector, and the control box is configured to determine a platform of the aircraft based on the presence or absence of a pin in the set of pins included in the harness connector.

Claims

1. A toilet system configured for operation on-board an aircraft comprising:

a toilet bowl;

a left side support bracket supporting the toilet bowl;

a right side support bracket supporting the toilet bowl;

a control box including a first set of pins; and

a harness connector configured to electrically couple the toilet system to the aircraft, the harness connector including a set of pins;

wherein

the first set of pins of the control box are configured to be connected to the set of pins included in the harness connector; and

the control box is configured to determine a platform of the aircraft based on presence or absence of a pin in the set of pins included in the harness connector.

2. The toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the left side support bracket and the right side support bracket each contain a respective cut out portion.

3. The toilet system according to claim 2, wherein

the control box is mounted on one of the left side support bracket and the right side support bracket, and

the harness connector is disposed within the cut out portion of the other of the left side support bracket and the right side support bracket.

4. The toilet system according to claim 1, further comprising

a motor configured to control a door to a waste outlet of the toilet bowl;

wherein

the control box includes a second set of pins configured to electrically control the motor via a cable.

5. The toilet system according to claim 2, wherein the left side support bracket is identical to the right side support bracket.

6. The toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the control box is configured to transmit at least one of a flush count, a total number of operational hours, and flush valve time to open/close, to the aircraft via the harness connector.

7. The toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the control box is disposed in a casing.

8. The toilet system according to claim 7, wherein the casing is formed of an electromagnetic interference resistant engineered polymer.

9. The toilet system according to claim 7, wherein the casing is formed of a nickel-impregnated polyethyleneimine (PEI) housing.

10. The toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the control box is configured to provide at least one of diagnostic and fault information to the aircraft.

11. The toilet system according to claim 3, wherein the control box is mounted on one of the left side support bracket and the right side support bracket via a plurality of screws.