Portable Toilet Flushing and Separation for Sanitary Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable toilets are considered unsanitary due to the lack of clean water flushing mechanisms, odor buildup, and microbial contamination on high-touch surfaces, making them undesirable for many applications.
Innovation Solution
A flushing mechanism with a clean water holding tank, pump, pressure tank, actuator, and foot-activated pedals for toilet and urinal flushing, combined with a solid/liquid separation system and a door opening mechanism to enhance sanitation and reduce user contact with contaminated surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional portable toilet design is used, then portability and simplicity are maintained, but sanitation quality deteriorates due to lack of flushing mechanisms and exposure to waste
Solution Approach 1:
The portable toilet is divided into separate functional modules: a shell portion containing user facilities, a waste holding tank portion for waste storage, and a flushing mechanism with separate water supply. This segmentation allows the addition of sanitation features while maintaining the portability of individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
Clean water is pre-stored in the flushing mechanism reservoir before use. When the dump valve is activated, this pre-positioned clean water immediately flushes the toilet bowl, preventing waste contact and odor buildup before they can affect the user environment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual operation of door and flushing controls is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but microbial contamination increases on high-touch surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
A foot-activated pedal serves as an intermediary control mechanism. Users can operate the dump valve and flushing system using their feet, eliminating the need to touch contaminated hand-operated controls with clean hands, thereby reducing microbial transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual hand-operated valve controls are replaced with a foot-activated mechanical linkage system. This substitution allows users to control waste discharge and flushing without direct hand contact with potential contamination points.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If waste is held in tank with direct exposure to shell interior, then system simplicity is maintained, but odor buildup increases in the shell
Solution Approach 1:
The waste holding tank is extracted and separated from the shell interior, positioned as a distinct module. This physical separation prevents waste odors from directly permeating into the user space, while the tank can be independently sealed and managed.
Solution Approach 2:
The dump valve mechanism is pre-positioned to enable rapid discharge of waste from the holding tank into the toilet bowl, which is then immediately flushed. This preliminary positioning of the discharge mechanism prevents waste from lingering in the shell interior where it could generate odors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a more sanitary user experience by eliminating the need for hand contact with surfaces and allowing for the separation and recycling of waste liquids, reducing odor and microbial buildup.
Implementation Method 1
The pump may be an electrically activated pump
Implementation Method 2
a pressure tank, an actuator
Implementation Method 3
The actuator may be mechanically connected to the first foot activated pedal
Data Source
AI summary
An improved portable toilet comprises one or more of a flushing mechanism, a urinal flushing mechanism, a solid/liquid separation system, and/or a door opening mechanism.