Zero gravity toilet

A toilet, particularly adapted for handling liquid and solid bodily waste in a zero gravity environment, including a housing with a main wall having a central waste-receiving opening therein, and a plurality of toroidal elements in close stacked relationship in a coaxial array that extends inwardly of the housing from the central opening, and a flexible, resilient inner wall of each element being inwardly expandable and retractable, and air compression and suction means in flow communication with each element for pneumatically expanding and contracting the flexible wall of each element. A flexible bag has an open end that mounts about the central opening, an elongated neck portion that is embraced by the toroidal elements, and another portion for accumulating waste material. The bag is porous to gases and impervious to solids and liquids. Spray means can inject a water spray at the central opening, and housing exhaust means can cause airflow into the open end of the bag and out through its porous walls. Control means for the air pressure and vacuum sources cause the elements of the toroidal array to contract sequentially across the neck of the bag in an inwardly moving peristaltic-like wave.

BACKGROUND 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to toilets adapted for use under zero gravity 
conditions, and more particularly a toilet of the above type for handling 
liquid and solid waste material. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The problem of collecting and handling human waste material in zero gravity 
is a unique one, and one which must be properly addressed since without a 
reliable and effective waste handling system the success of a space 
mission will be in jeopardy. Escaping waste in zero gravity will float 
within a spacecraft, and can spread throughout the living environment. 
This would result in contamination of physical structure and could damage 
equipment, as well as subjecting the occupants to a health hazard. In 
addition, the unsanitary and annoying conditions of a toilet spill can be 
highly stressful, and can affect the morale of the spacecraft occupants. 
Proposed zero gravity toilets are presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,340,544 and 
3,405,409. The present invention, however, represents a different 
development and solution, and has attributes that are reflected in the 
following objects. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing it is a general object of the present invention to 
provide an effective system for collecting and handling bodily wastes in a 
zero gravity environment. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a zero gravity toilet 
that handles both liquid and solid wastes. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a zero gravity 
toilet system that lends itself to using a disposable collection bag. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a toilet for use in zero 
gravity conditions, including housing having rigid walls including a main 
wall with a central, waste-passing opening therein and a flexible bag with 
walls that are porous to gases and impervious to liquids and solid waste 
material, and having an open end that attaches about the central opening, 
and which bag has an elongated neck portion extending inwardly of the 
housing from the central opening, and another portion for collecting and 
holding waste materials. 
The invention also features a plurality of toroidal-shaped elements closely 
stacked in a coaxial array extending into the housing from a position 
adjacent the central opening, with the neck portion of the bag extending 
along the central portion of the toroidal array, and embraced thereby. The 
radially inner portion of each toroidal element has a flexible, resilient, 
and expandable member that can be pneumatically driven to greatly contract 
and then expand the central core of each toroidal element, each element of 
which is pneumatically connected to an air pressure and a vacuum source. 
The invention includes exhaust means for creating a negative pressure zone 
at the exterior of the bag, and to establish an air flow in through the 
bag opening and out through the walls of the bag. A spray manifold has 
nozzles that circumscribe the central opening, and is connected to a 
source of water under pressure. Finally, there is control means for the 
sources of compressed air and vacuum, for inflating and deflating the 
inflatable toroidal member according to a pre-determined sequence so as to 
generate an inwardly moving peristaltic wave effective upon the neck of 
the bag, and its contents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows that a preferred embodiment of 
a toilet 11, according to the invention, includes housing 13 of 
lightweight rigid construction including outer wall 15 and side walls 17, 
by which the housing 13 is anchored to a spacecraft main structure (not 
shown). Outer wall 15 supports a circular manifold 35, to be described, 
which is provided with a circular, central waste-receiving opening at 19. 
Affixed in position just inwardly of opening 19 is an array 21 of toroidal 
elements, closely stacked and aligned about a common axis 23, and 
including a plurality of rigid toroidal shaped supports 25 which are 
rigidly supported in the position shown by attachment to housing 13 by 
support structure, not shown for the sake of clarity. Note that the 
central opening 19 also lies about the axis 23. Each closely stacked 
toroidal support 25 is opened on its radially inner side so as to support 
all sides except the radially inner side of an inflatable bladder 27. Each 
bladder 27 is connected in pneumatic communication by way of air lines 29 
with valve 31 and with a source of pressurized air and vacuum which is 
indicated by the reference numeral 33. 
The enlarged view of FIG. 2 shows that the unrestrained inner wall of the 
inflatable bladder 27 has a first position as indicated by reference 
numeral 27a. When fully inflated, the bladder in a wall has the 
configuration indicated by reference numeral 27e. When bladder 27 has been 
inflated to this position, the toroidal opening provided by bladder 27 in 
its first configuration is closed or substantially narrowed. It is 
preferable that the inner portion of a bladder 27 be adapted to enlarge in 
an asymmetrical fashion as inflation progresses, with progressive 
configurations as illustrated by reference numerals 27a through 27e. A 
preferred method for achieving this effect is to provide graded elasticity 
across the active portion of bladder 27. This may be provided by having 
several annular portions, each with a differing coefficient of elasticity, 
with the most elastic portion at the axially upper side as viewed in FIG. 
2. 
The invention also includes an annular-shaped spray manifold 35 shown in 
FIG. 4, and constructed of lightweight metal or polymeric material, and 
having nozzles 37, housing 39 and a connecting water supply line 41. 
Manifold 35 is firmly attached to the housing outer wall 15, and provides 
the central opening 19. The view of FIG. 3 shows that the spray manifold 
35 has a number of supply channels 43 which supply the nozzles 37. 
The invention includes a waste-collection bag 43 with an open-ended 
elongated neck portion 45 with its upper end, as shown in FIG. 1, 
releasably attached about the periphery of opening 19 to a retaining ring 
49, and an enlarged lower end 47 for collecting waste material. The bag 
neck portion 45 lies between toroidal elements 21 and is embraceable by 
the inner walls of each inflatable bladder 27, in a pre-determined 
sequential manner to be described hereinafter. The walls of collection bag 
43 are provided with micro pores so as to render them porous to gases yet 
impermeable to solids and liquids. It will be seen that this porosity will 
allow an air draft to be established to flow in the open end of the bag 
and out through its walls, in a manner to be described later. 
FIG. 1 shows schematically an exhaust pump by reference numeral 51, for 
withdrawing air from within the walls of housing 13 and thus establishing 
a relatively negative pressure effective about the lower end 47 of the 
collection bag 43. 
Finally, this is computere means for controlling the valve mechanism 31 to 
produce as required sequence of expansions and contractions of bladders 27 
which generates a downwardly progressing peristaltic-like wave, acting 
upon the bag neck portion 45. FIG. 1 further illustrates the narrowing and 
expanding effect of a bladder 27 upon a section of the bag neck portion 
45. In one preferred sequence, when an upper bladder is fully expanded, it 
will remain in that configuration until the lower adjacent bladder is also 
expanded to that position. The firstly expanded bladder may then be 
released to an open position, and so on with the array 21 of toroidal 
elements. 
In operation of the device 11, exhaust fan 51 is energized to establish an 
air-flow into bag 43 via the central opening 19. Water may then be fed to 
manifold 35 by way of inlet line 41 to affect the spray of water through 
nozzles 37. The pre-established airflow will entrain the injected water to 
cause a flushing inflow of water. Solid waste material deposited at 
opening 19 will be entrained by and moved inwardly by the watery inflow. 
With the toroidal elements 21 being pneumatically activated, the 
above-mentioned waste material will be engaged by the inner walls of the 
bag neck portion 45, and will be carried downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1, 
by the peristaltic-wave motion induced therein. In this manner solid waste 
and liquid are carried to the enlarged lower end 47 of the bag 43, and 
retained therein by the bag walls. 
Referring again to the operation of an individual toroidal element, as 
shown in FIG. 2, the elastically-graded active wall of bladder 27 will 
first make constricting engagement in an uppermost region 55 and move to a 
lowermost region indicated by reference numeral 57. 
When a bag 43 is filled with waste material it may be removed from toilet 
housing 13 by disengaging and tying off its upper end. Access to housing 
13, for removal of bag 43, may be provided by a conventionally constructed 
doorway (not shown) in the wall of housing 13. 
A preferred embodiment has been described and it shall be appreciated by 
those with ordinary skill in the art, that within the scope of the 
invention, various changes may be made. For example, the invention can 
include inflatable members that are differently configured yet 
functionally equivalent to the toroidal bladders 27. Thus it is aimed to 
cover all changes in its modifications as fall within the true spirit and 
scope of the invention.