IMPROVED TOILET SYSTEM

Abstract

A portable toilet cubicle is disclosed. The cubicle comprises a frame, and lifting elements, preferably integral with the frame enabling the toilet cubicle to be lifted. The cubicle further comprises a plurality of panels fitted to the frame to form cubicle walls. A door movable between an open and a closed position, allows ingress and egress from the cubicle. A toilet system is included, comprising a toilet bowl and including a replaceable cassette to collect waste matter. The cassette is releasably sealably mounted within the toilet system, and further preferably configured to be removable through a sealingly replaceable section in a wall of the toilet cubicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved toilet cubicle. The toilet cubicle is particularly suited for incorporation into a wind turbine tower and can be retrofit into the required position.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The provision of toilet facilities on remote installations such as oil rigs and wind turbines is an important factor in the design. In the case of wind turbines, whether offshore or onshore, it is a feature which is often overlooked when designing the facility. This can lead to unsatisfactory solutions to the problem. First, using the area surrounding a wind turbine is unsanitary and, particular for offshore wind turbines, can also be dangerous given the location. The provision of a. floating vessel which goes to an offshore wind turbine as and when required is also unsatisfactory as sea conditions are often dangerous and transfer on and off a boat is a risky procedure even under benign conditions. Moreover, if toilet cubicles are used of the type well known at festivals and other outdoor gatherings, there is the problem of emptying the waste collection element of the toilet.

One problem which would need to be overcome is that of lifting a toilet cubicle from a vessel to the offshore wind turbine. Specially designed frames are known for toilet cubicles, but these tend to be supplier specific which would mean that a vessel provided to service and maintain the toilet cubicles would need to carry several different types of frame to enable them to deal with the particular type of toilet cubicle.

It is surprising therefore that wind turbines have not been designed to incorporate a suitable toilet facility. The present invention has as an aim to address the provision of a suitable toilet cubicle which can be installed safely, can be securely mounted in position and can be easily emptied and then readied for re-use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a portable toilet cubicle, the cubicle comprising: a frame, lifting elements, preferably integral with the frame enabling the toilet cubicle to be lifted, a plurality of panels fitted to the frame to form cubicle walls;

a door movable between an open and a closed position to allow ingress and egress from the cubicle;

a toilet system, said toilet system comprising a toilet howl and including a replaceable cassette to collect waste matter, the cassette being releasably sealably mounted within the toilet system.

Preferably, the toilet bowl has a seat surmounted thereto, said seat so mounted to swivel in a horizontal plane to enable a user to easily adjust, their position,

The toilet system is preferably secured to a panel by an air-tight seal, which seal further preferably comprises an air-filled rubber seal element.

The replaceable cassette is preferably configured to be removed through a sealingly replaceable section, such as a hatch, in a panel of a cubicle.

The cubicle is preferably supported on legs extending from the frame, wherein a leg further preferably incorporate a resilient element to absorb vibration.

The door is conveniently hingeably mounted to the frame.

Preferably, the edge of a door comprises a resilient sealing material, to sealingly engage a door surround on door closure.

The door is preferably secured in the closed position by means of a dog latch enabling a door to be opened from both the inside and the outside of the cubicle.

The cubicle preferably comprises an externally mounted container for fluid, which container is fluidly connected to the toilet system to enable flushing to occur.

The cubicle preferably comprises a floor element upwardly curved along its edges to form a fluid retaining volume to retain fluid in the event of a leakage. The floor element preferably includes drainage apertures, releasably sealable to aid in cleaning the cubicle.

The cubicle preferably includes one or more vents, housed within the panels to aerate the internal space of the cubicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only, one embodiment of a toilet cubicle. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet cubicle;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the rear surface of the toilet cubicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is revealed perspective view of the toilet cubicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a revealed partial perspective view of the toilet cubicle of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a revealed top view of the toilet cubicle of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

When designing and constructing a wind turbine or the like, then the provision of sanitary facilities for workers is often not foremost amongst the thoughts of the designers as wind turbines are designed primarily for unmanned use. Nevertheless, when a wind turbine needs to be repaired or serviced this can entail a worker spending many hours or days on-site. As many wind turbines are located in remote locations and very often offshore, this can cause problems for the worker. Even if a worker were prepared to make use of the natural surroundings this is both insanitary, uncomfortable, and would often be dangerous, especially in bad weather.

The provision of toilet facilities within the tower element of a wind turbine is therefore of advantage. This brings with it however its own problems, as the space within the tower is at a premium, Moreover, the ability to manoeuvre a conventional toilet cubicle is limited given the abovedescribed remote locations. Typically, a toilet cubicle requires specialist lifting frames such as that disclosed in 6131813894.0. Given the shortage of space and the difficult conditions often encountered at sea, this makes delivery and installation problematic. The toilet cubicle as described herein is designed to be suitable for use incorporated during the construction of a wind turbine and also to be retrofit to an already installed wind turbine. The cubicle is portable in the sense that the cubicle can be readily moved between locations using conventional, readily available, lifting apparatus.

The embodiment of toilet cubicle, generally referenced 10, shown in the Figures comprises a cubicle body 11, rectangular cuboid in shape. Housed within the cubicle body 11 is a toilet system 12. The cubicle body 11 has 3 side walls 13a-c, a roof panel 14 and a floor 15. The fourth side of the cubicle body 11 is a hingedly mounted door 16.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the cubicle body 11 has a support framework 20. The support framework 20 comprises a plurality of horizontally—21 and vertically—22 arrayed bars. The horizontally-arrayed bars 21 are secured at their ends to the vertically-arrayed bars 22 by conventional means known in the art such as bolts or by being welded together. A further horizontal bar 23 is secured across the top face of the cubicle body 11 to increase the strength of the cubicle body 11. This arrangement of bars provides a cubicle body 11 of greater rigidity and strength than corresponding features in prior art cubicles. In order to stabilise the toilet cubicle 12 in position when installed, the toilet cubicle 12 can be fixed to the wind turbine wall by means of a single bolt and also through a magnetic force from one or more magnets.

The greater strength and rigidity afforded to the cubicle body 11 allows the toilet cubicle to be lifted without the requirement of using an external lifting frame. This reduces the equipment required to carry out the lifting and also the space required in which to carry out the lifting. To aid the lifting process, lifting points 24a-24d are provided in the corners of the roof. The lifting points 24a-24d each comprise a triangular section 25 which rests on and is secured, for example by welding, to two of the topmost horizontal bars 26a-26d at their intersection. Extending perpendicularly from each triangular section 25 is a lifting element 27 which enables a rope, chain or the like to be secured thereto and for the toilet cubicle 10 then to be lifted between locations.

It is intended that the lifting points are certified to local standards such as LOLER standards and can be subject to third party inspection within set time periods such as every 6 months.

The vertically-arrayed bars 22 of the toilet cubicle 10 extend beyond the lowermost horizontal bars 28a-28d to form legs 29. The legs 29 act to raise the floor 15 above ground level. This both allows for easier cleaning beneath the toilet cubicle 10 and also, importantly, for a fork-lift truck to be used to move the toilet cubicle 10 between locations thus facilitating the logistics of storage, delivery and placement. At least on the base of each leg 29 is a resilient element such as a shock-absorbing rubber which aid in stabilisation of the toilet cubicle 10 and also minimise any vibrations in the structure in which the toilet cubicle 10 is located being transferred through the toilet cubicle 10.

To further protect users, and in particular where the cubicle is housed in a high voltage environment, the cubicle is preferably earthed. The earthing can be provided optionally by a brass earth boss, which is further optionally connected to a leg of the cubicle where present. In addition the cubicle is optionally separated from the floor by a material which is electrically insulating such as a rubber material. Such a non-conductor can be provided on the base of a leg in the form of a rounded cup and/or profiled to the shape of the foot of the cubicle.

In order to provide privacy to a user, a plurality of panels 40 are secured to the support framework 20. The panels 40 are fixed using conventional means known in the art to the horizontally- and vertically-arrayed bars 21, 22. Across the top of the framework 20 is a further panel 40. The panels 40 also serve to reinforce the overall stability of the support framework 20 as the panels 40 act to resist shearing forces acting on the toilet cubicle 10. The panels 40 can be formed for example, from 5 mm marine grade aluminium or other materials known in the art. In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, a single panel can be utilised for each side of the toilet cubicle 10. The use of a plurality of panels 40 enables simple replacement of a smaller section in the event of damage.

With regard to the hingedly mounted door 16, this can similarly be formed from 5 mm marine grade aluminium. The edge of the door 16 comprises a resilient material forming a watertight seal on closure of the door 16. The door 16 has a dog latch which can be opened from either or both of the inside and the outside.

Inside the cubicle is a manual flush, cassette toilet system 12. The toilet system 12 includes a toilet bowl 50 surmounted by a seat which in the preferred embodiment shown is mounted to swivel in a horizontal plane, allowing a user to adjust their position as required. The interface between the back of the toilet system 12 and the side 13a of the cubicle body 11 comprises a watertight seal, and preferably a rubber air-filed seal. To improve ease of servicing and maintenance, the toilet system 12 includes a replaceable cassette which collects the waste and flush water. The cassette can therefore be removed for disposal or cleaning, and replaced with a clean cassette.

To facilitate and to improve hygiene, the side wall 13a has an aperture, sealed by a replaceable hatch 52 which allows access to the toilet system 12, and in particular the cassette, enabling an operator to replace the cassette without having to work within the confined space of the cubicle body 11. The replaceable hatch 52 forms a water-tight seal with the side wall 13a, and is secured in position by means of 2 turn-buckles.

Water for flushing the toilet system after use and also for hand-washing is provided by a container externally mounted to a side wall. The water supply passes through the wall of the cubicle body 11 through an aperture in a side panel 13 with a rubber seal between a supply pipe and the wall preventing water leakage. Again, the external mounting of the container improves the ease of maintenance and refilling and also improves hygiene as the water remains entirely spatially separated from the toilet system 12. To further improve hygiene, a hand-sanitiser station is provided inside the cubicle body 11.

Due to the conditions where a toilet cubicle 10 is typically to be installed, which may well involve the risk of water from the environment being brought into the toilet cubicle 10, the floor 60 of the toilet cubicle 10 has a surface, such as button non-slip rubber flooring, which reduces the risk of a person slipping over and causing injury to thernself. To assist in removal of such water and also to aid drainage following cleaning of the cubicle, drain holes are provided in one or more of the corners of the floor. Preferably, a hole is provided in each corner so that any slope of the floor of the toilet cubicle 10 will still allow water to drain away. The drainage holes are conveniently sealable, so that in the event of a leakage from the toilet system, the leaked material remains within the toilet cubicle 10. The floor section can therefore also extend upwards at the sides to provide a bigger storage volume. Vents are provided through the cubicle body 11 to enable fresh air to circulate. Preferably, vents are provided in both the upper and lower portions of a wall 13 or the door 16 to improve the circulation.

Claims

1. A portable toilet cubicle (10), the cubicle (10) comprising:

a frame (20), lifting elements (27), preferably integral with the frame (20) enabling the toilet cubicle (10) to be lifted,

a plurality of panels (40) fitted to the frame (20) to form cubicle walls;

a door (16) movable between an open and a closed position to allow ingress and egress from the cubicle (10);

a toilet system (12), said toilet system (12) comprising a toilet bowl (50) and including a replaceable cassette to collect waste matter, the cassette being releasably sealably mounted within the toilet system (12).

2. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the toilet bowl has a seat (51) surmounted thereto, said seat (51) so mounted to swivel in a horizontal plane to enable a user to easily adjust their position.

3. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the toilet system (12) is secured to a panel by an air-tight seal.

4. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 3, wherein the seal comprises an air-filled rubber seal element.

5. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the replaceable cassette is configured to be removed through a sealingly replaceable section, such as a hatch, in a panel of a cubicle.

6. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cubicle is supported on legs extending from the frame.

7. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 6, wherein a leg incorporates a resilient element to absorb vibration.

8. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the door is hingeably mounted to the frame.

9. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the door comprises a resilient sealing material, to sealingly engage a door surround on door closure.

10. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the door is secured in the closed position by means of a dog latch.

11. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cubicle comprises an externally mounted container for fluid, which container is fluidly connected to the toilet system to enable flushing to occur.

12. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cubicle comprises a floor element upwardly curved along its edges to form a fluid-retaining volume.

13. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 12, wherein the floor element includes releasably sealable drainage apertures.

14. The portable toilet cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cubicle includes one or more vents, housed within the panels.