Vacuum waste system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629486-B2
Application number	US-202117371505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A waste system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the waste system includes a vacuum cell, a flexible waste container, and a vacuum source. The flexible waste container may have at least one flexible membrane at an interface between the flexible waste container and the vacuum cell. The vacuum source may be configured to suction air out of the vacuum cell to generate a negative pressure in the vacuum cell. The vacuum source discharge is generally odorless as it is separated from the waste. This odorless discharge can enter occupied aircraft compartments. The negative pressure in the vacuum cell acts on the flexible waste container to generate a (second) negative pressure in the flexible waste container. The negative pressure in the flexible waste container acts on an interface between a toilet and the flexible waste container to pull waste from the toilet into the flexible waste container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waste system, comprising:
a vacuum cell;
a flexible waste container with at least one flexible membrane at an interface between the flexible waste container and the vacuum cell;
a vacuum source configured to suction air out of the vacuum cell to generate a negative pressure in the vacuum cell, wherein the negative pressure acts on the flexible waste container to generate a second negative pressure in the flexible waste container, and the second negative pressure acts on an interface between a toilet and the flexible waste container to pull waste from the toilet into the flexible waste container; and
a vacuum valve between the vacuum cell and the vacuum source, the vacuum valve configured to open when the vacuum source is suctioning air out of the vacuum cell and configured to close after the vacuum source has suctioned air out of the vacuum cell.

2. The waste system of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum source is a pump.

3. The waste system of claim 2 , wherein the pump is a pulsating pump.

4. The waste system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a discharge valve between the pump and a discharge vent, the discharge valve configured to open so that at least a portion of the air suctioned out of the vacuum cell is discharged through the discharge vent.

5. The waste system of claim 2 , wherein the pump is configured to pump air back into the vacuum cell to remove the negative pressure from the vacuum cell.

6. The waste system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vent valve between the vacuum cell and an air intake vent, the vent valve configured to open so that air enters the vacuum cell through the air intake vent and removes the negative pressure from the vacuum cell.

7. The waste system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a discharge valve between the flexible waste container and a discharge vent, the discharge valve configured to open so that excess air is discharged from the flexible waste container through the discharge vent.

8. The waste system of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cell, the flexible waste container, and the vacuum source are integrated into a modular unit.

9. The waste system of claim 8 , wherein the modular unit includes a common support structure for the vacuum cell, the flexible waste container, and the vacuum source.

10. The waste system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switch; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the switch, the vacuum source, and one or more valves, the controller configured to operate the vacuum source and the one or more valves in response to a signal from the switch.

11. A waste system, comprising:
a waste container;
a vacuum cell having a rigid portion and a flexible portion;
a vacuum source configured to suction air out of the vacuum cell to generate a negative pressure in the vacuum cell, wherein the negative pressure acts on the flexible cell to generate a second negative pressure in the flexible cell, the second negative pressure acts on the waste container to generate a third negative pressure in the waste container, and the third negative pressure acts on an interface between a toilet and the waste container to pull waste from the toilet into the waste container; and
a vacuum valve between the vacuum cell and the vacuum source, the vacuum valve configured to open when the vacuum source is suctioning air out of the vacuum cell and configured to close after the vacuum source has suctioned air out of the vacuum cell.

12. The waste system of claim 11 , wherein the vacuum source is a pump.

13. The waste system of claim 12 , wherein the pump is configured to pump air back into the vacuum cell to remove the negative pressure from the vacuum cell.

14. The waste system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a vent valve between the vacuum cell and an air intake vent, the vent valve configured to open so that air enters the vacuum cell through the air intake vent and removes the negative pressure from the vacuum cell.

15. The waste system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a discharge valve between the waste container and a discharge vent, the discharge valve configured to open so that excess air is discharged from the waste container through the discharge vent.

16. The waste system of claim 11 , wherein the waste container, the vacuum cell, the flexible cell, and the vacuum source are integrated into a modular unit.

17. The waste system of claim 11 , wherein the modular unit includes a common support structure for the waste container, the vacuum cell, the flexible cell, and the vacuum source.

18. The waste system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a switch; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the switch, the vacuum source, and one or more valves, the controller configured to operate the vacuum source and the one or more valves in response to a signal from the switch.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Forster Charles F
• Hashberger Frank E

Classifications

• E03D5/016 Primary

  with recirculation of bowl-cleaning fluid · CPC title

• E03F1/006 Primary

  Pneumatic sewage disposal systems; accessories specially adapted therefore · CPC title

• B64D11/02

  Toilet fittings · CPC title