TEMPORARY SANITARY WASTE REMOVAL SYSTEM AND METHOD USEFUL FOR APPLICATION TO CONSTRUCTION SITES

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional sanitary waste removal application for construction sites includes mobile temporary toilet assemblies that must be physically removed from the building to pump sanitary waste from integral tanks. This method requires extensive labor and use of vertical access devices, such as a temporary elevator or crane, to remove and replace the toilet assemblies.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention provides a new gravity based sanitary waste removal system and method that is more efficient than the conventional use of mobile temporary toilets, which must be moved out of a building for servicing and pumping, saving both time and costs. Also reduced is the requirement to utilize vertical access devices, such as a temporary elevator or crane, which can be utilized instead for construction/production related activities. The subject invention also eliminates exposure to sanitary waste by evacuating sanitary waste directly out of the building via gravity, thereby improving health and safety on the construction project.

The disclosed exemplary embodiments provide a system that efficiently provides the sanitary waste removal service on a temporary basis, adjustable to different elevations as a multi-floor building elevation increases during construction, with the components also having the potential to be removed and utilized in other buildings at other construction sites once the building's permanent waste removal system is installed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the gravity-based sanitary waste removal system.

FIG. 2 is a front section cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of the gravity-based sanitary waste removal system.

FIG. 3 is a side section cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of the gravity-based sanitary waste removal system.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, the system according to the teachings for this application in the form of a sanitary system and related methods will be described by the embodiments. When the term “about” is used herein, in conjunction with a numerical value, it is understood that the value can be in a range of 90% of the value to 110% of the value, i.e. the value can be +/−10% of the stated value. For example, “about 1 foot” means from 0.90 of a foot to 1.1 feet.

An exemplary embodiment of the system 200 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The system 200 comprises an enclosure 201 with a tankless gravity flush toilet 203 and access 202. Access 202 is preferably through a hinged door, but, also could be through a slidable door, a slidable/foldable stacking door, a curtain, or other such alternative access means as is well known in the art. The optional toilet extended base 204 within the enclosure and the subfloor 205 provides adequate space for plumbing piping to the tankless gravity flush toilet 203. Also included are the sanitary riser stack 206 and waste lateral 216. Sanitary riser stack 206 ties into a sanitary sewer system below, allowing the gravity sanitary waste removal from toilet 203 through waste lateral 216 into sanitary riser stack 206 and down to the sewer system. A temporary water supply riser 207 is preferably installed parallel to the sanitary riser stack 206.

A front cutaway view of the exemplary embodiment of the system 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The system 200 according to this embodiment includes the enclosure 201 with a tankless gravity flush toilet 203 and the optional toilet extended base 204 and the subfloor 205 to provide adequate space for plumbing piping to the tankless gravity flush toilet 203.

A side cutaway view of the exemplary embodiment of the system 200 is illustrated in FIG. 3. The system 200 according to this embodiment includes the enclosure 201 with the optional toilet extended base 204 within the enclosure and the subfloor 205 to provide adequate space for plumbing piping, such as the elevated inlet end 226 of lateral 216 and vertical toilet drain 213, to the tankless gravity flush toilet 203. Also included are the sanitary riser stack 206 and waste lateral 216 that ties into the sanitary sewer system below, allowing the gravity sanitary waste removal, with the temporary water supply riser 207 and water lateral 217 installed preferably parallel to the sanitary riser stack 206 outside of the building floor 208.

Waste lateral 216 includes elevated inlet end 226 and lower outlet end 236 so that water supplied by water supply riser 207 and flowing through water lateral 217 and any accompanying waste will flow from tankless gravity flush toilet 203 through toilet drain 213 into lateral inlet end 226 through waste lateral 216 and lateral outlet end 236, down sanitary riser stack 206 and ideally into a sanitary riser system, or if a sanitary sewer system is unavailable, the sanitary riser stack can connect to a single collection container as an alternative. The tankless gravity flush toilet according to the subject invention does not include a water tank or an internal P-trap like conventional toilets, and so does not have issues with overflowing due to clogs.

Materials and Methods

Although the preferred materials and methods of construction are disclosed herein, alternative suitable materials and methods are known and used regularly by those of ordinary skill in the art. The materials, examples, and exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

The gravity-based sanitary waste removal system enclosure preferably includes a 3″ diameter PVC sanitary drain pipe 213, which is increased to a 4″ diameter PVC drain pipe through a PVC reducer coupler at lateral inlet end 226 before being tied into a 4″ diameter PVC sanitary riser 206. The riser 206 preferably includes a SOVENT single stack sanitary drainage assembly 246 at each location where a lateral outlet end 236 of waste lateral 216 ties into sanitary riser stack 206 that provides for venting the PVC sanitary riser system.

The water supply preferably includes 2″ PVC piping for the water supply riser 207 with a separate PVC supply line lateral 217 at each gravity-based sanitary waste removal system enclosure 201. The lateral 217 also includes a PRV (pressure reducing valve) at each lateral to regulate the water pressure. The system can also include a domestic water booster pump located on the first floor (or a higher floor, as needed) to provide adequate water pressure for the upper floors.

The foregoing riser components are added to both riser assemblies, respectively, progressively as needed as the building structure is built. Accordingly, the sanitary riser 206 and the water riser 207 can each comprise a plurality of respective riser segments connected in series in fluid connection, the number of riser segments increasing as needed as the system is extended upwards in increasing elevation.

The riser assemblies are increased in height to match the building structure progressively. As soon as the concrete structure is built, the riser components are added to both riser assemblies, respectively, to service and connect to the gravity-based sanitary removal assembly enclosures 201, which are also added progressively as the structure is completed. In this manner a plurality of tankless gravity flush toilets 203 can be effectively connected in series, in increasing elevation, by having laterals 217 and 216 extending from each enclosure 201 connected to single risers 207 and 206, respectively. Typically, in a system 200 comprising two or more gravity flush toilets 203 connected in series, in increasing elevation, there would preferably be between 4 feet and 40 feet, or between 4 feet and 100 feet, of riser 206 between a connection of the lateral outlet end 236 of a bottom-most or lower lateral 216 to riser 206 and the connection of the lateral outlet end 236 of a next, vertically adjacent lateral 216 to the same riser 206. Accordingly, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, in the subject temporary sanitary waste removal system 2 to 20 or more gravity flush toilets 203 can be fluidly connected to a same sanitary riser 206 as desired and as the needs of the construction project dictate. When the system is no longer needed or desired at a certain construction project, the system can easily be dismantled and reassembled at another construction site.

It should be understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and the scope of the appended claims. In addition, any elements or limitations of any invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein can be combined with any and/or all other elements or limitations (individually or in any combination) or any other invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein, and all such combinations are contemplated with the scope of the invention without limitation thereto.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1. A temporary sanitary waste removal system, comprising:

• • a tankless gravity flush toilet including a toilet drain;
  • a water supply riser with a water lateral in fluid connection with both the water supply riser and the gravity flush toilet; and
  • a sanitary riser stack with a waste lateral in fluid connection at an inlet end with the toilet drain and at an outlet end with the sanitary riser stack.

Embodiment 2. The system of embodiment 1, wherein the water supply riser comprises a plurality of riser segments in fluid connection.

Embodiment 3. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the sanitary riser stack comprises a plurality of riser segments in fluid connection.

Embodiment 4. The system of any preceding embodiment, comprising first and second tankless gravity flush toilets connected, in series, to a same water supply riser by respective first and second water laterals, and to a same sanitary riser stack by respective first and second waste laterals.

Embodiment 5. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein an elevation distance between a connection of the first waste lateral to the sanitary riser stack and a connection of the second waste lateral to the sanitary riser stack is in a range of about 4 feet to about 100 feet.

Embodiment 6. The system of any preceding embodiment, comprising a third tankless gravity flush toilet connected, in series, to the same sanitary riser stack.

Embodiment 7. The system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the tankless gravity flush toilet is without an internal P-trap.

Embodiment 8. A method of providing for sanitary waste removal, the method comprising:

• • obtaining a tankless gravity flush toilet including a toilet drain;
  • providing a water supply riser and connecting the gravity flush toilet to the water supply riser via a water lateral in fluid connection with both the water supply riser and the gravity flush toilet;
  • providing a sanitary riser stack and connecting the gravity flush toilet to the sanitary riser stack via a waste lateral in fluid connection at an inlet end with the toilet drain and at an outlet end with the sanitary riser stack; and
  • connecting a lower end of the sanitary riser stack to a sewer system or a waste collection container.

Embodiment 9. A method of providing for sanitary waste removal, the method comprising:

• • providing a temporary sanitary waste removal system according to any preceding embodiment at a building construction site;
  • extending the water supply riser to a higher elevation by attaching a water riser extension segment to a top end of the water supply riser;
  • extending the sanitary waste riser stack to a higher elevation by attaching a waste riser stack extension segment to a top end of the waste riser stack;
  • connecting a second tankless gravity flush toilet to the sanitary waste riser via a second waste lateral in fluid connection at an inlet end with a toilet drain of the second tankless gravity flush toilet and at an outlet end with the waste riser stack extension segment; and
  • connecting the second tankless gravity flush toilet to the water supply riser via a second water lateral in fluid connection with both the second tankless gravity flush toilet and the water riser extension segment.

Embodiment 10. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising:

• • connecting a third tankless gravity flush toilet to the sanitary waste riser via a third waste lateral in fluid connection at an inlet end with a toilet drain of the third tankless gravity flush toilet and at an outlet end with the waste riser stack extension segment; and
  • connecting the third tankless gravity flush toilet to the water supply riser via a third water lateral in fluid connection with both the third tankless gravity flush toilet and the water riser extension segment

Embodiment 11. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising disassembling the temporary sanitary waste removal system and removing it from the building construction site.