EP0419339B1 - Toilet faulity for temporary use comprising an individual removable toilet cabin - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sanitary installation for temporary installation and of the type consisting of an individual, movable and removable cabin, equipped with effluent reception and storage members, allowing autonomous operation independently of any connection to a source of rinsing fluid or on a collective drain.

The invention will be particularly applicable to the realization of a park of sanitary cabins likely to be set up on a seasonal or temporary basis on the occasion of the grouping or of punctual concentration in time and in space of people, in circumstances and conditions which do not otherwise include any reception infrastructure.

It is therefore necessary, in order to meet the needs of people thus concentrated in a limited space, to provide them with equipment making it possible to comply with reception conditions comprising a minimum of hygiene and comfort.

The invention will be more particularly applicable in the context of gatherings or concentrations of people on the occasion of collective events, such as meetings, exhibitions, open-air concerts, country festivals, sports competitions, pilgrimages or public works sites, or still on the occasion of seasonal migrations comprising an accumulation, spread over a few weeks or months, of a large population, for example on holiday tourist spots, seashores, camping areas, or sports practice areas winter, ski slopes, rest areas on motorways or similar.

We already know from US Patent 2,999,247 a movable and removable sanitary installation, comprising an individual cabin, a member for receiving and discharging effluents, arranged in line with an opening in the upper wall of a tank. effluent storage tank, and a removable closure member cooperating with said opening, said tank-tank being capable of being removed after a determined period of use, this independently of the cabin for the establishment and in the position of operation of a new tank-tank, itself removable and interchangeable, connection means for connecting said opening of the tank with the receiving member, once the shutter member removed.

A first object of the invention is to allow the establishment of one or a plurality of individual sanitary cabins operating autonomously for a period of time corresponding to a cycle of use, thus meeting temporary needs without connection on an energy source, nor on a water supply or drainage network.

A second object of the invention is to allow relatively prolonged operation of such cabins with the possibility of ensuring the evacuation, without manipulation in the open air, of the effluents once the cabin is at the end of the cycle; so that a cabin at the end of the cycle can remain on site and be put in order for a new operating cycle, without however having to carry out unpleasant operations for the environment of transfer or transfer of effluents, handling operations being carried out in a simple and rapid manner.

To this end, the invention relates to a sanitary installation as mentioned in claim 1.

And more especially still, the removable obturation member alternately makes it possible to close the tank-tank for transport and storage during periods of non-use and to ensure, by its removal, the communication of the reception and delivery organs. evacuation of the cabin with the interior space of the tank view, when the tank-tank is in place in the cabin.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cabin comprises a set of fluid manipulations, such as a volume pump, connected downstream to the reception and evacuation organs with a view to supplying these organs with rinsing liquid. .

In this embodiment, said pump is connected upstream to said tank-reservoir by means of a connection socket allowing the rapid connection and / or separation of the pump from the tank.

More specifically still, said tank-reservoir comprises a filtration block immersed within the tank and connected to said connection socket, this filtration block enabling the pump to be supplied with a liquid phase withdrawn from said tank-tank.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the pump is provided of the diaphragm type and it includes a mechanical actuation pedal, the pedal being disposed substantially above the floor of the cabin and being associated with a return spring.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cabin and the tank comprise reciprocal and removable securing means alternately allowing the handling and the cabin and tank-tank assembly in the state of securing and handling the cabin on the one hand and of the tank on the other hand separately and being separated.

It is also possible, within the framework of the invention, to provide that the cabin on the one hand and the tank-tank on the other hand each comprise hooking or gripping means on lifting devices such as loops allowing the securing the cabin and / or the tank-tank respectively on lifting devices such as a lifting harness capable of being maneuvered by the arm of a crane.

According to another characteristic, the tank-tank includes a drain plug provided with a shutter inside said tank-tank and controlled by an operating rod vertically passing through the tank, the end of the rod subjected to manipulation being accessible from the tank top wall.

• On met en place une certaine quantité de cabines comportant une cuve-réservoir, laquelle contient initialement une faible quantité de liquide de rinçage correspondant à la quantité nécessaire pur les premières utilisations.
• On laisse les cabines en fonctionnement pendant un temps correspondant sensiblement au remplissage des cuves-réservoirs.
• On dépose au voisinage immédiat d'une cabine dont le réservoir est sensiblement plein, une nouvelle cuve-réservoir ne contenant que les quantités initiales de liquide de rinçage neuf, nécessaires aux preières utilisations.
• On désolidarise ladite cabine et la cuve-réservoir pleine associée à ladite cabine, notamment au niveau du raccordement de la pompe de la cabine sur la cuve-réservoir.
• On déplace la cabine en laissant sur place la cuve-réservoir pleine et on amène cette cabine (sans réservoir) en position voisine par rapport à la nouvelle cuve-réservoir, afin d'encastrer une nouvelle cuve-réservoir dans ledit logement de l'embase de la cabine, et on raccorde la pompe de ladite cabine sur ladite nouvelle cuve-réservoir, la cabine étant alors apte à un nouveau cycle de fonctionnement.
• On retire la cuve-réservoir pleine, après fermeture de cette dernière, en vue de son évacuation et de sa vidange.

The invention also relates to a method for managing a fleet of independent sanitary cabins produced according to the above characteristics, the cabins being set up temporarily or seasonally, and this procedure is characterized by the succession of the following operations:

• We set up a certain amount of cabins including a tank-tank, which initially contains a small amount of rinse aid corresponding to the quantity required for the first few uses.
• The cabins are left in operation for a time substantially corresponding to the filling of the tank-tanks.
• Is deposited in the immediate vicinity of a cabin whose tank is substantially full, a new tank-tank containing only the initial quantities of new rinsing liquid, necessary for the first uses.
• Said cabin is separated from the full tank-tank associated with said cabin, in particular at the level of the connection of the cabin pump to the tank-tank.
• The cabin is moved, leaving the full tank on site and this cabin (without tank) is brought into a position adjacent to the new tank, in order to fit a new tank in said housing of the base. of the cabin, and the pump of said cabin is connected to said new tank-tank, the cabin then being capable of a new operating cycle.
• The full tank is removed, after closing the latter, for its evacuation and its emptying.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows and which is given in relation to an embodiment presented by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the exterior of a cabin seen substantially from the front.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the same cabin substantially from its rear side.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the cabin substantially at floor level, the tank part, located under the floor, being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 shows a vertical sectional view of the lower part of the cabin along a median plane.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the tank part associated with the cabin.

While Figure 6 shows a vertical sectional view along a median plane of the tank as shown in the previous figure.

According to Figures 1 and 2, we see that the installation essentially comprises an individual cabin 2 made for example of polyester and forming a shell stiffened by curved walls.

This generally prismatic shell with square base 1 thus defines the body of the cabin 2 made opaque, the part 3 of the roof being made of translucent polyester.

The front panel has the door 4, the base of which is located at level 5 corresponding to the floor of the cabin 2 and accessible by the folding step 6.

The lower part or base 7 of the cabin, located below the level 5 corresponding to the floor, constitutes the part of the cabin 2 defining a central housing in which the removable tank-tank 14 is positioned, described below and shown in particular in Figures 5 and 6.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cabin 2 has at its base 1 two pads, for example made of wood forming a beam respectively 8 and 8 'and each lateral pad 8, 8' has at its ends lugs provided with lifting rings 9.

And in FIG. 2 we also see, between the lifting rings 9 located at the corners of the cabin and allowing the handling of the latter, the lifting loops 10 which belong to the tank-tank assembly 14.

As will be explained in the description of the operation of the system, the lifting rings 9 belonging to the cabin and the lifting loops 10 belonging to the tank-tank block 14 allow the independent lifting and handling of the cabin 2 and the tank-reservoir 14; while it is however possible to ensure the joint manipulation of the cabin 2 and the tank-tank 14 together, either that the cabin 2 and the tank-tank 14 have been previously secured, or that the lifting devices, for example harnesses suspended at the end of a crane arm, engage simultaneously on the lifting rings 9 of the cabin and the lifting loops 10 of the tank-block 14.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the floor 11 of the cabin 2, made up of panels of reinforced aluminum sheet steel, and leaning on a reinforced polyester frame integral with cabin 2, supports the ceramic bowl, which can be of the "English" or "Turkish" type as in the example represented in Figure 4 under the reference 12.

The base of the bowl 12 opens through the valve 13 in the interior volume of the tank-tank 14 which for this purpose has at its upper part an opening for receiving the outlet formed by the base of the bowl, opening 15 which is capable of '' be closed by a shutter hatch 16 when not in use, this shutter hatch 16 being capable of being positioned and secured in the standby position on the upper plane of the tank-tank 14, laterally with respect to opening 15.

The tank-tank assembly 14 forms a large capacity (for example of the order of 300 liters) and it is thus fitted inside the base 7 of the cabin 2.

The interior volume of the tank-tank includes a drain plug 17 associated with a shutter 18 and opening on the bottom of the tank-tank 14, the shutter 18 being capable of being maneuvered by the rod 19 controlled on the 'caliper 20 from the upper wall of the tank.

Furthermore, the interior space of the tank-tank 14 comprises a filtration unit 21 resting on the base of the tank-tank 14 and connected by the pipe 22 to the removable connection socket 23.

This connection socket is arranged near the notch 24 (Figure 5) formed on the body of the tank-tank 14 to allow the housing of the cylindrical pump 25 (Figure 3).

This pump 25 is connected for its downstream input by the pipe 26 to the quick connection socket 23.

The downstream outlet of the pump 25 ends up via the pipe 27 at a rinsing liquid spraying nozzle 28 located at the head of the bowl 12.

The pump 25 is of the membrane type and is operated by the pedal 29 mounted on the lever 30, and accessible at a level higher than the floor 11 of the cabin 2.

At the start, the assembly is set up on site with a reserve of rinsing liquid limited to a few liters and allowing the first uses.

Each actuation of the pump 25 allows the withdrawal from the tank-reservoir 14 of a quantity (approximately 3 liters) of rinsing liquid which allows the cleaning of the bowl possibly after several calls on the pump 25.

As and when subsequent uses the tank-tank 14 fills and receives the liquid and solid effluents corresponding to the use of the cabin 2.

The tank-tank 14 includes the addition of products making it possible to very strongly tint the accumulated liquid, for example in dark blue as well as products with disinfecting and / or deodorant action; so that each use the bowl can be cleaned by recovery and recycling of the liquid stored in the tank-tank 14, corresponding to the small amount of the initial liquid and the liquid effluents (urine) deposited during successive uses.

The additive is expected to self-degrade quickly over time so as to allow the evacuation of effluents in the wastewater absorbed and treated by the treatment plants.

Thus at the end of a normal use cycle, the tank-tank 14 being close to its maximum filling coefficient (which can possibly be detected from the outside by level measurement systems), it is possible to reactivate the cabin 2 by a simple exchange of the removable cartridge which constitutes the tank-reservoir 14.

For this purpose it suffices, a set of manipulations being brought to the site, for example a truck provided with a crane arm, to deposit in the immediate vicinity of the cabin 2 at the end of the cycle a tank-tank 14 new and substantially empty , but containing the initial quantity of rinsing liquid and the additive products, this tank-tank 14 being transported closed, the shutter hatch 16 being placed on its upper opening; after arriving on site the new tank-reservoir 14 is put into the active position by releasing the shutter hatch 16.

After which the lifting arm moves the neighboring cabin 2 at the end of the cycle, and whose full tank-tank 14 remains in place, which can be done easily after simple separation of the pump 25 at the connection socket 23; and the cabin 2 raised can be easily attached and brought into the embedding position relative to the new tank-tank 14 which is located immediately nearby, the connection of the pump 25 to the socket of this new tank-tank 14 sufficient to put the assembly in operating position.

The preceding tank-tank 14, which is therefore substantially filled, can then be closed by fitting its shutter hatch 16 and the assembly thus closed can be moved with a view to its evacuation onto the platform of the transport and handling.

It is thus possible to put a cabin 2 back into service at the end of the cycle by simple standard exchange of its tank-tank 14, avoiding the inconveniences of the traditional system causing the travel to the place of operation of the emptier, namely high cost for a small volume of effluent treated, regardless of noise and unpleasant odors, precisely in the middle of a concentration of people.

The sanitary installation according to the invention will therefore be applicable whenever it is desired to make available to a population, whatever its size, a minimum of sanitary comfort in places devoid of equipment, this installation can be carried out very quickly and left available on the site for the entire time necessary for the stay of the population served.

Claims (12)

1. Displaceable and removable toilet facility, comprising an individual cabin (2), a member (12) for receiving and evacuating the effluents, disposed at right angles to an opening in the upper wall (15) of a reservoir-tank (14) for storing the effluents, and a removable obturation member (16) cooperating with said opening, said reservoir-tank (14) being capable of being withdrawn after a determined period of use, this independently of the cabin (2) for positioning and placing a new reservoir-tank (14) into operation, itself removable and interchangeable, connecting means for connecting said opening (15) of the reservoir with the reception member (12), once the obturation member (16) is removed,
   characterized in that
   the cabin (2) comprises an upper part or body, a lower part or base (7), separated by a flat floor (11) on which is fixed the reception member (12), said base (7), defined in its upper part by said flat floor (11) and defining a downwardly open housing so that a lifting of the cabin (2) independently of the reservoir-tank (14) is possible and in which said reservoir-tank (14) is disposed, independently of the cabin (2); the installation further comprises means (9, 10) adapted to allow lifting either of the cabin (2) alone, of the reservoir tank (14) alone, once the cabin (2) is removed, or of the cabin/reservoir-tank assembly (2, 14).
2. Toilet facility according to Claim 1, characterized in that the reservoir-tank (14) forms a large-dimension capacity, of the order of 300 litres.
3. Toilet facility according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cabin is constituted by a shell of generally prismatic form, particularly with a square base, made of synthetic material such as polyester and whose body is rendered opaque, part (3) of the ceiling being translucent.
4. Toilet facility according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said removable obturation member (16) is adapted to close the reservoir-tank for transport and storage during period of non-use, and adapted, by its withdrawal, to ensure communication of the reception and evacuation members (12) such as a pan mounted on the floor of the cabin (2) with the interior space of the reservoir tank, when the reservoir tank is in place in the cabin.
5. Toilet facility according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cabin (2) comprises a fluid manipulation assembly, such as a metering pump (25) connected downstream to the reception and evacuation members (12) with a view to supplying these members with rinsing liquid.
6. Facility according to Claim 5, characterized in that said pump (25) is connected upstream to said reservoir-tank (14) via a connection (23) allowing rapid connection and/or disconnection of the pump with respect to the reservoir.
7. Facility according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, characterized in that said reservoir-tank (14) comprises a filtering unit (21) immersed within the reservoir-tank (14) and connected to said connection, this filtration unit allowing the supply of the pump (25) with a liquid phase taken from said reservoir-tank.
8. Facility according to one of Claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the pump (25) is associated with a mechanical actuation pedal (29), the pedal being disposed substantially above the floor (11) of the cabin and cooperating with a return spring.
9. Facility according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cabin (2) and the reservoir-tank (14) comprise reciprocal and removable connection means allowing alternately the manipulation of the cabin and reservoir-tank assembly in the state of connection and the manipulation of the cabin on the one hand and of the reservoir on the other hand separately and being disconnected.
10. Facility according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lifting means comprise hooking or holding means, such as loops (9, 10), allowing connection respectively of the cabin and/or of the reservoir-tank on lifting devices.
11. Facility according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the reservoir-tank (14) comprises a plug (17) for emptying provided with an obturator (18) inside said reservoir-tank and controlled by a manoeuvring rod (19) vertically traversing the reservoir, the end of the rod subjected to manipulation being accessible from the upper wall of the reservoir.
12. Process for managing a park of toilet cabins according to one of Claims 1 to 11 hereinabove and characterized by the following successive operations:

    - positioning a certain quantity of cabins comprising a reservoir-tank, which initially contains a small quantity of rinsing liquid corresponding to the quantity necessary for the first uses,

    - leaving the cabins (2) in operation for a period corresponding substantially to the filling of the reservoir-tanks (14),

    - depositing in the immediate vicinity of a cabin (2) whose reservoir-tank (14) is substantially full, a new reservoir-tank (14) containing only the initial quantities of fresh rinsing liquid necessary for the first uses,

    - disconnecting said cabin (2) on the one hand and the full reservoir-tank (14) associated with said cabin (2), particularly at the level of the connection of the pump (25) of the cabin on the reservoir-tank (14),

    - displacing the cabin (2), leaving in situ the full reservoir-tank (14) and bringing this cabin (2) without reservoir into adjacent position and with respect to the new reservoir-tank (14) in order to surround a new reservoir-tank (14) in said housing of the base (7) of the cabin (2), and connecting the pump (25) of said cabin (2) on said new reservoir-tank (14), the cabin (2) then being adapted for a new operational cycle,

    - withdrawing the full reservoir-tank (14), after closure thereof, with a view to evacuating and emptying it.

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