Apparatus for controlling a toilet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951504-B2
Application number	US-201615084257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

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.

First claim

We claim:

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.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Hoang Thao
• Buniak Bradley J
• Niznik Stephen M
• Pedersen William
• Pondelick Mark A

Classifications

• F16K31/465

  by flexible transmission means, e.g. cable, chain, bowden wire · CPC title

• F16K31/047

  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 title

• F16K3/04

  with pivoted closure members · CPC title

• E03D11/135

  Supports for bowls · CPC title

• E03D11/13

  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 title