Sanitary system for a vehicle including a removable holding tank
View Patent ↗A sanitary system for a motor vehicle includes a bowl assembly, a base coupled to the bowl assembly and a mobile holding tank removably coupled to the toilet for receiving waste from the toilet and stowable within a storage area defined by the base. The sanitary system further includes a pumping arrangement having a first portion carried by the base and a cooperating second portion carried by the mobile holding tank. The first portion engages the second portion when the mobile holding tank is positioned within the storage area so as to define a fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage tank for pumping of waste from the mobile holding tank to the remote waste storage tank.
1. A sanitary system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
a bowl assembly;
a toilet base supporting the bowl assembly, the bowl assembly coupled to the toilet base;
a mobile holding tank removably coupled to the bowl assembly for receiving waste from the bowl assembly and stowable within a storage area defined by the toilet base, the mobile holding tank including a top surface enclosing the mobile holding tank upon removal from the bowl assembly; and
a pumping arrangement including a first portion carried by the toilet base and a cooperating second portion carried by the mobile holding tank, the first and second portions having cooperating structure for interconnecting together to define a fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage for the pumping of waste from the mobile holding tank;
wherein movement of the mobile holding tank into the storage area both automatically couples the mobile holding tank to the bowl assembly and automatically slidably engages the first portion with the second portion so as to define the fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage tank, and further wherein movement of the mobile holding tank out of the storage area both automatically decouples the mobile holding tank from the bowl assembly and decouples and the first portion from the second portion.
2. The sanitary system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion defines a first aperture in fluid communication with the pumping arrangement and the second portion defines a second aperture in fluid communication with the mobile holding tank.
3. The sanitary system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second apertures are closed prior to engagement between the first and second portions.
4. The sanitary system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second apertures is associated with a cover for selectively covering the at least one of the first and second apertures.
5. The sanitary system of claim 4 , wherein the cover is spring biased to a closed position.
6. The sanitary system of claim 1 , wherein the holding tank is slidably received within the storage area.
7. The sanitary system of claim 6 , wherein the holding tank is slidably received through a side opening in the toilet base.
8. The sanitary system of claim 1 , wherein the holding tank is a self-contained tank upon removable coupling from the remainder of the sanitary system.
9. The sanitary system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is disposed at an end of a tube, the tube downwardly extending into the mobile holding tank.
10. The sanitary system for a motor vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first portion includes a first cover for selectively covering an opening leading to the hose coupling and the second portion includes a second cover for selectively covering an opening leading to a cavity defined by the mobile holding tank, the first and second covers spring biased to closed positions and movable to open positions only when the mobile holding tank is installed in the storage area.
11. The sanitary system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is coupled to a rotatable tube.
12. The sanitary system for a motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first portion includes a hose coupling proximate the top surface of the mobile holding tank when the mobile holding tank is in the storage area.
13. A sanitary system for a motor vehicle, the sanitary system comprising:
a bowl assembly;
a toilet base supporting the bowl assembly, the bowl assembly coupled to the toilet base;
a self-contained, mobile holding tank for removable coupling to the bowl assembly for receiving waste from the bowl assembly, the holding tank slidably received within a storage area defined by the toilet base; and
a pumping arrangement including a first portion carried by the toilet base and a cooperating second portion carried by the holding tank, the first and second portions having cooperating structure for interconnecting together to define a fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage for the pumping of waste from the mobile holding tank, the first and second portions adapted to slidably engage one another upon sliding introduction of the holding tank into the storage area and thereby establish the fluid path from the holding tank to the remote waste storage.
14. The sanitary system of claim 13 , wherein the holding tank can be alternatively emptied by removing the holding tank from the remainder of the sanitation system.
15. The sanitary system of claim 13 , wherein the second portion is disposed at an end of a tube, the tube downwardly extending into the mobile holding tank.
16. The sanitary system for a motor vehicle of claim 13 , the mobile holding tank including a top surface enclosing the mobile holding tank upon removal from the bowl assembly, the mobile holding tank automatically coupled to and disconnected from the bowl assembly in response to movement of the holding tank into and out of the storage area, respectively.
17. The sanitary system for a motor vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first portion includes a hose coupling proximate a top surface of the mobile holding tank when the mobile holding tank is in the storage area.
18. The sanitary system for a motor vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the first portion includes a first cover for selectively covering an opening leading to the hose coupling and the second portion includes a second cover for selectively covering an opening leading to a cavity defined by the mobile holding tank, the first and second covers spring biased to closed positions and movable to open positions only when the mobile holding tank is installed in the storage area.
19. A sanitary system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
a bowl assembly;
a toilet base supporting the bowl assembly, the bowl assembly coupled to the toilet base and defining a storage area;
a self-contained, mobile holding tank removably coupled to the bowl assembly for receiving waste from the bowl assembly and stowable within the storage area, the mobile holding tank including a top surface enclosing the mobile holding tank upon removal from the bowl assembly, the mobile holding tank automatically coupled to and disconnected from the bowl assembly in response to movement of the holding tank into and out of the storage area, respectively; and
a pumping arrangement including a first portion and a cooperating second portion, the first and second portions having cooperating structure for interconnecting together to define a fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage for the pumping of waste from the mobile holding tank, the first portion coupled to the base and defining an aperture, the second portion slidably receiving the first portion as the mobile holding tank is positioned within the storage area, the second portion coupled to a tube, the tube downwardly extending into the mobile holding tank, the tube adapted to align with the aperture so as to define fluid path from the mobile holding tank to a remote waste storage.
20. The sanitary system of claim 19 , wherein the tube is rotatably connected to the second portion.