Motorised functional unit for a toilet installation and toilet installation comprising such a unit

Abstract

A motorized functional unit ( 20 ) for toilets, includes: a motor ( 22 ), a self-starting pump ( 24 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable of drawing in water via an inlet ( 24 a ) and delivering it via an outlet ( 24 b ) when the motor is controlled so as to rotate in a first rotation direction, and a comminutor turbine ( 28 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable of drawing in, via an inlet ( 28 a ), waste water and solid waste, of comminuting the waste and of discharging the waste water and the comminuted waste via an outlet ( 28 b ) when the motor is controlled so as to rotate in a second rotation direction counter to the first rotation direction.

1 . Motorised functional unit ( 20 ;  54 ) for toilets, comprising:
 a motor ( 22 ;  52 ),   a self-starting pump ( 24 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable of drawing in water via an inlet ( 24   a ) and delivering the water drawn in via an outlet ( 24   b ) when the motor rotates in a first rotation direction,   a comminutor turbine ( 28 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable, on the one hand, of drawing in, via an inlet ( 28   a ), waste water and solid waste and of comminuting the waste which has been drawn in and, on the other hand, of discharging the waste water and the comminuted waste via an outlet ( 28   b ) when the motor rotates in a second rotation direction counter to the first rotation direction,   at least one member ( 30 ) for controlling the motor which, when activated by a user, can assume at least two possible control states, that is to say, a first state in which the motor is controlled so as to rotate in the first rotation direction and a second state in which the motor is controlled so as to rotate in the second rotation direction.   
     
     
         2 . Functional unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-starting pump ( 24 ) is provided at an outlet ( 24   b ) with a non-return valve system ( 24   f ). 
     
     
         3 . Functional unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-starting pump is a pump ( 24 ) having deformable blades. 
     
     
         4 . Functional unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) comprises comminutor blades ( 38 ) which are configured, in the second rotation direction of the motor, to draw in the waste water and solid waste via the inlet ( 28   a ) thereof and to comminute the waste which has been drawn in. 
     
     
         5 . Functional unit according to  claim 4 , wherein the comminutor turbine provided with the comminutor blades ( 38 ) thereof has a diameter between 8 and 12 cm, the diameter being that of a circle which is tangent to the outer peripheral edge of the blades. 
     
     
         6 . Functional unit according to  claim 4 , wherein the outlet ( 28   b ,  42   a ) of the comminutor turbine is arranged tangentially to the chamber ( 40 ) in which the comminutor turbine is accommodated in order to promote the discharge of the waste water and comminuted waste when the motor rotates in the first rotation direction. 
     
     
         7 . Functional unit according to  claim 4 , wherein the outlet ( 28   b ,  42   a ) of the comminutor turbine extends to the outer side in a bent or curved manner in order to make it difficult to draw in water via the outlet when the motor rotates in the first rotation direction. 
     
     
         8 . Functional unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the motor ( 22 ), the self-starting pump ( 24 ) and the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) are arranged in a rectilinear configuration. 
     
     
         9 . Functional unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the self-starting pump ( 24 ) is arranged between the motor ( 22 ) and the comminutor turbine ( 28 ). 
     
     
         10 . Functional unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the motor ( 52 ) is arranged between the self-starting pump ( 24 ) and the comminutor turbine ( 28 ). 
     
     
         11 . Toilet installation ( 10 ), comprising:
 a toilet bowl ( 12 ) which comprises a filling water inlet ( 14 ) in order to supply the water to the bowl and a discharge ( 16 ) in order to discharge the waste water and the solid waste from the bowl,   a motorised functional unit ( 20 ;  54 ) for toilets according to  claim 1  and in which:   the inlet ( 24   a ) of the self-starting pump ( 24 ) is connected to a source ( 26 ) of filling water and the outlet ( 24   b ) is connected to the water inlet ( 14 ) of the bowl,   the inlet ( 28   a ) of the comminutor turbine is connected to the discharge ( 16 ) of the bowl.   
     
     
         12 . Toilet installation ( 10 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) comprises comminutor blades ( 38 ) which are configured, in the second rotation direction of the motor, to draw in the waste water and solid waste via the inlet ( 28   a ) thereof and to comminute the waste which has been drawn in, the turbine has a diameter which is at least equal to the inner diameter of the connection ( 29 ) between the inlet ( 28   a ) of the turbine and the discharge ( 16 ) of the bowl, the diameter being that of a circle which is tangent to the outer peripheral edge of the blades. 
     
     
         13 . The motorised functional unit for toilets according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit is on board a maritime craft. 
     
     
         14 . Method for implementing a motorised functional unit ( 20 ;  54 ) for toilets, wherein the functional unit comprises:
 a motor ( 22 ;  52 ),   a self-starting pump ( 24 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable of drawing in water via an inlet ( 24   a ) and delivering the water drawn in via an outlet ( 24   b ) when the motor rotates in a first rotation direction,   a comminutor turbine ( 28 ) which is connected to the motor and which is capable, on the one hand, of drawing in, via an inlet ( 28   a ), waste water and solid waste and of comminuting the waste which has been drawn in and, on the other hand, of discharging the waste water and the comminuted waste via an outlet ( 28   b ) when the motor rotates in a second rotation direction counter to the first rotation direction,   the method comprising the following successive steps:   controlling the motor ( 22 ;  52 ) in the first rotation direction so that the self-starting pump ( 24 ) draws in water via the inlet thereof and delivers it via the outlet thereof,   controlling the motor ( 22 ;  52 ) in the second rotation direction so that the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) draws in waste water and solid waste via the inlet thereof, comminutes them and discharges the waste water and the comminuted waste via the outlet thereof.   
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein the outlet of the self-starting pump ( 24 ) is blocked in order to prevent it from drawing in via said outlet. 
     
     
         16 . Functional unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the self-starting pump is a pump ( 24 ) having deformable blades. 
     
     
         17 . Functional unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) comprises comminutor blades ( 38 ) which are configured, in the second rotation direction of the motor, to draw in the waste water and solid waste via the inlet ( 28   a ) thereof and to comminute the waste which has been drawn in   
     
     
         18 . Functional unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the comminutor turbine ( 28 ) comprises comminutor blades ( 38 ) which are configured, in the second rotation direction of the motor, to draw in the waste water and solid waste via the inlet ( 28   a ) thereof and to comminute the waste which has been drawn in   
     
     
         19 . Functional unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the outlet ( 28   b ,  42   a ) of the comminutor turbine is arranged tangentially to the chamber ( 40 ) in which the comminutor turbine is accommodated in order to promote the discharge of the waste water and comminuted waste when the motor rotates in the first rotation direction.