Portable restroom toilet chemical charging system

Abstract

A portable toilet chemical additive charging system comprises a restroom cabana containing a toilet bowl which opens into a waste-holding tank. A water source, such as a separate water tank, is connected by a conduit to the toilet bowl for delivering flush water to the bowl when a flush pump, that is connected to the conduit, is actuated. The flush water passes through a control valve in the conduit. A chemical additive container is removably positioned near the toilet bowl and is connected by a tube to the control valve. The control valve injects a pre-determined amount of additive to the flush water when flush water is flowed through the control valve to the bowl. Preferably, the container is shaped to closely fit within a space between a vent pipe extending upwardly from the waste-holding tank and the adjacent interior surface of a wall of the cabana. A portion of the container is substantially transparent and exposed so that an observer may view the level of additive content in the container, while the remainder of the container is substantially concealed by the vent pipe.

1 . In a portable toilet system having a toilet bowl located above and opening into a waste-holding tank, a flushing system for flushing waste from the bowl into the tank and a vent pipe extending upwardly from the waste-holding tank, the improvement comprising: 
 a container for holding a chemical additive and a conduit extending from the container and through a control valve to the flushing system for inserting a measured quantity of additive from the container into the bowl;    said container being located adjacent the vent pipe and having a wall portion formed with a depression shaped for closely receiving an adjacent portion of the vent pipe, with a portion of the container being exposed along a side of the pipe so that its contents are visible to an observer, and with the visible portion of the container being sufficiently transparent to expose to the view of an observer the level of additive within the container;    and a normally closed filler opening formed in the container for manually refilling additive in the container when needed.    
   
   
       2 . A container as defined in  claim 1 , and said waste-holding tank having an upper horizontal portion adjacent the vent pipe, and with the container adapted to be normally supported upon said horizontal portion in close proximity to the vent pipe.  
   
   
       3 . A construction as defined in  claim 2  and said waste-holding tank being fitted within a toilet cabana having vertical walls; 
 said waste-holding tank horizontal portion being adjacent at least one of said walls and the vent pipe being connected to, and extending upwardly from said tank at a location between said one wall and the toilet bowl so that the container is normally located between the vent pipe and wall and is substantially concealed from view by the vent pipe except for the visible portion of the container, whereby the level of additive can be observed by an observer located in front of the toilet bowl and tank.    
   
   
       4 . In a portable chemical toilet system having a toilet bowl provided with a front end and a back end, and which opens into a waste-receiving member through a normally closed toilet-flushing member which is operable for flushing the contents of the bowl into the waste-receiving member, and the waste-receiving member having an associated pipe connected thereto, the improvement comprising: 
 a container normally holding a chemical additive and communicating through a conduit and a control valve with the system for delivering a measured amount of chemical additive into the bowl when the flushing member is operated;    said container being shaped for engaging an adjacent portion of said pipe and being at least partially concealed by the pipe from observation by an observer located at the front end of the toilet bowl;    said container having a substantially transparent wall portion through which an observer may see a level of additive within the container and which transparent wall portion is exposed, relative to the pipe so that it is visible by an observer from the front end of the toilet.    
   
   
       5 . A construction as defined in  claim 4  and said container having a vertical wall portion and a vertically arranged channel formed in said vertical wall portion, which channel receives an adjacent portion of the pipe for facilitating holding the container in operable position upon a support surface near the toilet bowl.  
   
   
       6 . A construction as defined in  claim 4  and said container having a wall portion shaped to receive and engage an adjacent portion of the pipe for holding the container in operable position upon a support surface adjacent the toilet bowl.  
   
   
       7 . A construction as defined in  claim 4 , and with said container having a vertically-arranged channel formed therein for receiving and engaging an adjacent portion of the pipe, and with the container being substantially concealed by the pipe from view by an observer located in front of the toilet bowl, except for said transparent wall portion of the container extending vertically along a side of the pipe and being visible to an observer who may thereby see the level of additive within the container through the transparent portion thereof.  
   
   
       8 . A portable toilet chemical additive charging system comprising: 
 a waste-receiving tank with a toilet bowl opening into said tank and a flushing system including a source of water;    a water conduit communicating with the water source, the toilet bowl and the waste-receiving tank;    a flush pump connected to said conduit for pumping flush water from the water source to said toilet bowl.    a control valve connected into said water conduit through which pumped water passes for flushing the toilet bowl;    a refillable additive container removably positioned on the tank for containing a quantity of a liquid chemical additive, and an additive feed tube extending from the additive container to said control valve; said control valve including a fluid measurement control device which passes a pre-determined amount of additive through the control valve into the water pumped through the control valve;    whereby the pump may be manually actuated for pumping water from the water source through the control valve and additive may flow into the water passing through the control valve so that the mixture of water and additive enter into and flush the toilet bowl when said pump is actuated.    
   
   
       9 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 8 , and said container being positioned near, and above the upper level of the toilet bowl, and being manually moveable when desired for replacement or refilling when needed.  
   
   
       10 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 9 , and said container being formed of a bottle-like shape which may be rested upon a support located adjacent the toilet bowl and above the level of the toilet bowl for manually positioning and removing the container when desired.  
   
   
       11 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 10 , and with at least a portion of the container being visible by an observer for viewing the level of the contents of the bowl.  
   
   
       12 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 8 , and said portable chemical toilet including a cabana enclosure within which the waste tank and toilet are mounted; 
 the cabana having at least one vertical wall portion adjacent the waste tank;    said container being located upon the waste tank closely adjacent the wall.    
   
   
       13 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 12 , and including an upwardly extending projection from the waste tank spaced from the wall, and said container being positioned between the projection and the wall for supporting the container against unwanted dislodgment from its position.  
   
   
       14 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 13 , and said container having a forward face shaped to engage the projection and a rear face portion adjacent the wall portion for maintaining the container in position upon the waste tank.  
   
   
       15 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 13 , and said projection comprising a vent pipe extending upwardly from the waste tank; 
 said container having a face formed with a vertically extending, open groove of a size and shape for receiving the adjacent portion of the vent pipe.    
   
   
       16 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 15 , and said cabana having an interior corner portion defined by said wall and an adjacent wall; 
 said container having a face portion shaped to closely fit adjacent the interior corner portion;    whereby the container is removably positioned between the vent pipe and the corner portion from which position the container may be manually removed and replaced.    
   
   
       17 . A portable toilet as defined in  claim 16 , and said container having a vertical portion adjacent the vent pipe which is unconcealed by the vent pipe and is visible to an observer standing by the waste tank and which is sufficiently transparent for visually observing the level of additive within the container, with a substantial portion of the container being otherwise substantially concealed from such visual observation by the vent pipe.