Recreational vehicle sanitary sewer connector

A connector assembly for a sewer pipe system of a recreational vehicle having a holding tank for waste and/or waste water and a discharge pipe having an outlet end through which waste and/or waste water is discharged from the holding tank utilizes an adapter body having a passageway therethrough and a closure member which is connected to the adapter body for movement across the passageway between closed and open positions. The adapter body is connectable to the discharge pipe of the sewer pipe system and also includes a cavity disposed to one side of the passageway so that the interior of the cavity is in communication with the interior of the passageway. Movement of the closure member between its open and closed positions moves the closure member at least partially into and out of the cavity. In addition, the body of the adapter defines an abutment surface which encircles the passageway therein and is arranged so as to face the closure member when the closure member is in its closed position, and the assembly includes a movable member which biases the closure member toward the abutment surface when the closure member is in its closed position to thereby seal the passageway of the adapter body.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
 This invention relates generally to recreational vehicles and relates, more
 particularly, to the means and methods facilitating the dumping of
 recreational vehicle holding tanks containing sanitary sewage and/or gray
 water waste into a public sewer system.
 Recreational vehicles, such as motor homes and travel camper units, are
 often equipped with holding tanks for waste and waste water and a sanitary
 sewer system enabling the holding tanks to be drained into a public sewer.
 For purposes of draining the holding tanks, the sanitary sewer system of
 the recreational vehicle can be connected (and, if desired, remain
 connected) by way of suitable hoses to the public sewer system. However,
 in order for the recreational vehicle to be moved from place to place, the
 sanitary sewer system must be disconnected from the public sewer and
 capped to prevent spillage of waste that may linger within the pipes of
 the system.
 Commonly, the sanitary sewer system of the recreational vehicle is equipped
 with a discharge pipe having an outlet end through which the contents of
 the holding tanks are drained, and this outlet end is normally capped with
 an end cap and an attending sealing gasket. When it becomes necessary to
 dump the contents of the holding tanks or it becomes desirable to
 reconnect the outlet end to a public sewer, the end cap is removed, and a
 coupling accessory is connected to the outlet end for hook-up to a hose
 which leads to the public sewer. In some instances, such a hose is
 equipped with a suitable coupling accessory and the opposite end of the
 hose is insertable into an opening in the public sewer for drainage.
 The removal of the end cap from the outlet end of the discharge pipe for
 connection to a hose and/or hose coupling accessory and the disconnection
 of the hose and/or hose coupling accessory from the discharge pipe
 commonly involves spillage of sewage waste or waste water from the
 sanitary sewer system. In particular, the sewage waste or waste water
 which is likely to spill from the sanitary sewer system is comprised of
 sewage waste or waste water which lingers within the piping of the
 sanitary sewer system during a tank-draining operation or seeps through
 worn valves associated with the holding tanks. Consequently, when the end
 cap or the hose and/or hose coupling accessory is removed (normally with
 the hands) from the outlet end of the discharge pipe, it is common for the
 unsanitary spillage to come into contact with the hands or fall onto the
 ground. It would be desirable to provide a means for preventing damage or
 harm which could result from spillage of the sewage waste or waste water
 during the connection or disconnection between the discharge pipe and a
 hose and/or hose coupling accessory.
 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and
 improved means for eliminating the spillage of waste or waste water when
 removing the cap from the outlet end of the discharge pipe for connection
 to a hose and/or hose coupling accessory or when disconnecting the hose
 and/or hose coupling accessory from the discharge pipe.
 Another object of the present invention is to provide such a means which is
 easily and conveniently attached to the sewer pipe system of a
 recreational vehicle.
 Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a means
 which is uncomplicated in structure yet effective in operation.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 This invention resides in a connector assembly for a sewer pipe system of a
 recreational vehicle having a holding tank for waste and/or waste water
 and a discharge pipe having an outlet end through which waste and/or waste
 water is discharged from the holding tank.
 The connector assembly includes an adapter body which is connectable to the
 discharge pipe of a sewer pipe system of a recreational vehicle and
 wherein the body includes a passageway through which waste and/or waste
 water can be conducted from the outlet end of the discharge pipe. The
 adapter body also includes a cavity disposed to one side of the passageway
 so that the interior of the cavity is in communication with the interior
 of the passageway. A closure member is connected to the body of the
 adapter for movement relative thereto between a closed position at which
 the passageway of the body is closed by the closure member and an open
 position at which The passageway of the body is open and the closure
 member is at least partially disposed within the cavity of the
 cavity-defining means. In addition, the body of the adapter defines an
 abutment surface which encircles the passageway therein and is arranged so
 as to face the closure member when the closure member is in its closed
 position. The assembly also includes means for biasing the closure member
 toward the abutment surface when the closure member is in its closed
 position to thereby seal the passageway of the adapter body.
 In one embodiment of the assembly, the biasing means includes a movable
 member which is attached to the adapter body for movement toward and away
 from a side of the closure member opposite the abutment surface between a
 first condition at which the closure member is permitted to move between
 its open and closed positions unobstructed by the movable member and a
 second condition at which the movable member is positioned closer to the
 abutment surface. Therefore, when the closure member is positioned in its
 first position and the movable member is thereafter moved to its second
 condition, the closure member is urged by the movable member toward the
 abutment surface to thereby seal the passageway of the adapter body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
 FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the present invention Connector
 Assembly, generally indicated 10. The operating lever 12 for moving the
 closure from closed to opened positions is indicated on FIG. 1. Materials
 for manufacture are primarily of durable molded materials except for
 gaskets, o-ring seats and mounting screws as required for assembly.
 FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric assembly drawing of the present invention
 Connector Assembly 10 showing all major components. The upper housing 14
 can be permanently attached to the outlet end 16 of the recreational
 vehicle (RV) sewer outlet pipe 18 with a solvent welded coupling. The
 outlet pipe 18 is normally capped with an end cap and a sealing gasket,
 but the use of the depicted connector assembly 10 obviates the need for
 such an end cap and gasket. A lower housing 20 is attached to the upper
 housing 14 with mounting bolts 22 and nuts 24. The upper housing 14 and
 lower housing are sealed together by a gasket 26 placed between the upper
 and lower housings. Installed between the upper housing 14 and lower
 housing 20 is a closure member 28 which can be moved between opened and
 closed positions by grasping and moving an external handle 12. The closure
 can be held in the opened or closed positions by handle detents 30 molded
 into the lower housing 20. To provide a seal with closure member 28 in the
 closed position, an internal sealing member 32 will be installed against
 an abutment surface 13 in the upper housing 14. Closure member 28 will
 then be pressed against the internal sealing member 32 which will provide
 a sealing pressure at abutment surface 13. The closure member 28 will be
 operated by the movement of handle 12, which is connected to shaft 34. The
 shaft 34 passes through closure member 28 and is keyed to the closure by a
 key 36 installed on shaft 34 and inserted in keyway 38 formed in closure
 member 28. The shaft 34 is sealed in the lower housing 20 by two o-rings
 40. The adapter body, generally indicated 11, includes the assembled
 components of the upper housing 12, lower housing 20 and associated bolts,
 nuts, gaskets and o-rings.
 A transition member 42 will be installed through the lower housing 20 as a
 vehicle to apply pressure on the closure member 28 to effect a tight seal
 when the closure member 28 is in the closed position. The transition
 member 42 also provides a point of connection for a flexible hose at the
 lower orifice 44 of the transition member for completion of the connection
 to the public sewer or dump station. Four protrusions 46 are molded on the
 transition coupling 42 to provide for attachment of bayonet type flexible
 hose connectors as presently manufactured and used as a standard of the
 recreational vehicle industry. The transition member 42 will have two
 o-rings 48 installed in o-ring depressions 50 on the portion fitting into
 the lower housing to effect a water tight seal between the two components.
 The transition member 42 will have four rectangular detents 52 molded on
 the exterior which will fit into guides 54 on the lower housing to hold
 the transition member in a fixed position to prevent rotational movement.
 The guides 54 on the lower housing will also permit movement of the
 transition member 42 along the cylindrical axis of the lower housing 20.
 A movable member 56 threaded on the inside will screw on to the threaded
 portion of the lower housing 20. A flange 58 on the transition member 42
 will mount against a lower flange 60 on the movable member 56 and be held
 in place by two cover brackets 62 which in turn are held in place by four
 bolts 64 and four nuts 66. With the cover brackets 62 mounted over the
 transition member flange 58, the movable member can be turned in a
 clockwise direction to advance the transition member 42 against closure
 member 28 with increasing pressure applied on closure member 28 as the
 lock bushing is turned. Increasing pressure applied to closure member 28
 will transmit a sealing pressure of the closure member against the sealing
 member 32 and abutment surface 13 for a watertight seal. If the movable
 member 56 is turned in a counter clockwise direction, pressure against
 closure member 28 and subsequently against sealing member 32 is reduced to
 permit opening of closure member 28.
 DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION
 The manner of using the Recreational Vehicle Sanitary Sewer Connector to
 control the dumping of sewer wastes is predicated on Assembly 10 (FIG. 1)
 being permanently attached to the outlet end of the RV sewer pipe. When
 traveling or otherwise disconnected from a dump station or public sewer
 access, closure member 28 (FIG. 3A) would be in the closed and sealed
 position. At such time as it is desired to dump the RV sewage holding
 tanks at a dump station or public sewer access point, a flexible hose with
 standard coupling would be attached to the outlet end 44 (FIG. 2) of the
 transition member. After the flexible hose is attached, the movable member
 56 would be turned in a counter-clockwise direction to relieve sealing
 pressure against closure member 28 by the transition member 42. After
 turning the movable member to relieve pressure on the closure member,
 handle 12 would be turned in a clockwise direction to move the closure
 member 28 from a closed position to an open position as shown on FIG. 3B.
 In the open position, closure member 28 would be held in the cavity
 between the upper housing 14 and the lower housing 20. With the closure
 member 28 in the open position, sewage would flow freely from the
 recreational vehicle holding tanks through the Sanitary Sewer Connector
 and on through the flexible sewer hose to the dumping station or public
 sewer system. When the RV holding tanks have been emptied, handle 12 can
 be turned in a counter-clockwise direction to place the closure member 28
 in the closed position (FIG. 3A). With the closure member 28 in the closed
 position, the movable member 56 can then be turned in a clockwise
 direction which will apply pressure on the closure member 28 which in turn
 will apply additional pressure on the sealing member 32 (FIG. 2). With the
 closure member 28 in the closed position and sealed against abutment
 surface 13, the flexible hose can be disconnected from the transition
 coupling 42 and stored in the appropriate storage compartment of the
 recreational vehicle.
 CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE
 Accordingly, the reader will see that the Sewer Connector Assembly of this
 invention can be used as an improved means for connecting to and draining
 the contents of recreational vehicle sewer systems. By using this
 invention, an RV owner will be able to connect his/her unit to a public
 sewer or dump station without having to remove a cap from the outlet end
 of his/her sewer line before connecting a sewer hose to the RV unit. The
 operation of opening and closing of the sewer drain cap (closure) is done
 using an external lever to prevent spillage of sewer contents on the
 ground or on the person operating the assembly. Furthermore, the Sewer
 Connector Assembly has the additional advantages that:
 it can be easily installed on the sewer outlet end of any recreational
 vehicle unit;
 it provides a sealed closure at the outlet end of the recreational vehicle
 while traveling;
 it can be manufactured of durable plastics or other materials for an
 extended service life;
 it can be disassembled at any time so that parts subject to wear such as
 seals or o-rings can be easily replaced;
 it provides an additional measure of environmental protection by preventing
 excess spillage of sewer contents on the ground while connecting to and
 disconnecting from public sewer/dump stations;
 it provides a sewer connector that can be universally adapted to all
 existing and new recreational vehicles.
 Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be
 construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing
 illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this
 invention. For example, the closure could be operated by a different type
 lever system, which could also be operated from the outside of the
 assembly.
 Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims
 and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.