Trailer mounted portable lavatory

Abstract

A towed trailer mounted portable sanitary facility for use in the field by workmen that has a longer period between servicing due to large volume on-board fresh water and waste collection tanks, respective pumps and controls for operating the pumps associated with each of the tanks, and a rechargeable battery system for controlling the pumps so that the trailer can be maintained and operated for lengthy periods without the need for a service vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a self-contained portable lavatory which has separate tanks, a fresh water storage tank and waste collection tank, contained within and beneath the wheeled relocatable unit. The portable lavatory is mounted onto the upper portion of a flatbed trailer and the waste collection and fresh water storage tanks are mounted onto the under portion of the flatbed trailer. The fresh water tank is used for storing fresh water until needed to flush and clean the sanitary facility and then re-supplying fresh water to the portable lavatory utilizing an on-board rechargeable power source for controlling the flushing and re-supply.[0002]Portable lavatories are well known. These devices are capable of being set up and maintained in a variety of outdoor locations, including sporting events, construction sites, concert arenas, and the like. Transportation is frequently achieved by flatbed trucks, which may include hydraulic or electrical lifts ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The present invention is a mobile or self-portable sanitary system mounted onto a wheeled flatbed trailer that has a hitch for connecting to another vehicle for towing from any location to a worksite, or from worksite to worksite, or from one location within a worksite to another. The sanitary system includes at least one toilet facility mounted to the flatbed trailer with a combined fresh water and waste collection tank, having separate portions for containing fresh water and collected waste, mounted laterally across the underside of the flatbed trailer. The sanitary system also includes an on-board electrically operated pump for transferring fresh water from the fresh water portion of the combined tank to replenish the flush capacity of the toilet facility and on-board circuitry, including a rechargeable battery, for controlling the pump means and for controlling the recharging of the battery.

[0015]The mobile sanitary system has a self-contained electrical switch and control circuitry including a multi-source electrical recharging circuit accommodating external 120 volt ac or 12 volt dc currents to recharge the on-board battery and to control the pump or pumps for providing fresh water for toilet flush replenishment or for cleaning purposes through a retractable hose line and valve. Alternatively, the sanitary system may be operated by being connected to a vehicle 12 volt output, a converted 120 volt ac power source, or a generator as the source of the dc power to operate the pump facilitating the flushing and re-filling of the sanitary facilities.

[0016]The mobile sanitary system may also include a fresh water reservoir for hand washing within the toilet facility that is also capable of replenishment from the on-board pump means. The mobile sanitary system can accommodate additional on-board pumps with an individual fluid pump for each combined fresh water waste collection tank mounted to the flatbed trailer. In this manner, the time between required maintenance service is extended and there is no need for a portable toilet company to come to a worksite to relocate a portable toilet, or for that company to pick-up the portable toilet and transport it to a different worksite.

Problems solved by technology

Neither of the devices of Porter or Elkins is capable of flushing with the liquid waste collected by gravity feed into a tank below, nor do they describe an onboard clean water tank.

The Julian system does not address any onboard tank to be used for cleaning and replenishing both the hand washing and sanitary facilities without the need for external maintenance of the facilities.

Lobertmann does not disclose use of the portable restroom with a hand washing station or any additional tank systems for carrying clean water for use in the sanitary facility that would lengthen the time between required maintenance of the sanitary facility.

None of the existing systems contain a separate fresh water and a waste collecting tank which are large in size and attached to the under portion of a flatbed connected to a toilet located above which is capable of being flushed and replenished from the fresh water tank.

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