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PRIORITY INFORMATION 
       [0001]    This application claims foreign priority benefits under U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to UK0903881.1, filed Mar. 6, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to devices for reducing fibrous products. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to macerators for reducing soiled paper pulp bedpans, urine bottles and the like to small particles, to enable them to be discharged into a sewer. 
         [0003]    In the healthcare industry, there are increasing moves towards providing each patient with an individual room having all of the necessary facilities such as toilet, wash basin, shower and the like. Not only is this desirable from a privacy and treatment point of view, but the reduction in shared facilities significantly reduces the incidence of cross infection. 
         [0004]    The use of moulded paper pulp bedpans, urine bottles and the like has been known for many years. After use, the soiled article is disposed of in a macerator. A typical macerator takes the form of a generally cylindrical, upright drum having a rotatable cutting blade disposed at its base and rotatable by means of an electric motor. In use, an article to be macerated is placed in the drum and a lid closes off the aperture. During the operation cycle, water is fed into the container and the motor is operated, causing the blade to rotate. The articles within the macerator are reduced to small particles, at a size which allows them to be discharged into a sewer. 
         [0005]    It would be extremely convenient if individual patient rooms could be provided with their own macerator, since this would avoid the need for the soiled article to be taken to a sluice room, where the macerator is normally located, and in addition would also assist in preventing cross-infection. However, the size of typical macerators makes this impractical in most circumstances. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, there is a clinical desired to determine the weight of the contents of the soiled container. Whilst it is possible to weigh soiled containers at the moment, this is often not practical since the weighing apparatus would normally be located in a sluice room, in the vicinity of the macerator, which is normally remote from the patient and his or her records. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, an outlet located at a level below the opening and spray means for directing a directional jet of pressurised fluid into the container, the spray means being controllable to vary the direction of the jet of pressurised fluid. 
         [0008]    In contrast to the prior art macerators, in which the article is reduced by means of a rotating blade, in the present invention the article is reduced by the impacts of pressurised fluid, e.g. water, directly onto the article. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the spray means is movably mounted with respect to the housing and wherein the macerator further comprises powered means for moving the spray means. More preferably, the spray means is rotatably mounted with respect to the housing. 
         [0010]    In a preferred embodiment the spray means produces a linear jet of pressurised fluid and wherein the axis of rotation of the spray means is not aligned with the direction of the jet of pressurised fluid. The axis of rotation of the spray means is inclined to the direction of the jet of pressurised fluid. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the spray means directs the jet of pressurised fluid downwardly. 
         [0012]    The macerator preferably comprises a plurality of spray means. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the outlet is continuously open. 
         [0014]    The macerator may further comprising a toilet. 
         [0015]    There may be sensor means which determine whether the toilet is deemed to be in use and control means for inhibiting the macerating function of the macerator in the event that the toilet is deemed to be in use. 
         [0016]    The macerator may further comprise a contactless switch for initiating the macerating function. 
         [0017]    The macerator may further comprise weighing means for weighing an article to be reduced. 
         [0018]    The macerator may also comprise means for identifying an article to be reduced. 
         [0019]    In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, an outlet located at a level below the opening, reduction means within the housing for reducing a maceratable article and weighing means for weighing an article to be reduced. 
         [0020]    By incorporating a weighing means within the macerator, it is much more convenience to weigh the soiled article, particularly if the macerator is located in an individual patient&#39;s room. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the weighing means is located within the housing. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the weighing means comprises a support plate. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the support plate is located within the housing. 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment, the support plate is displaceable from an article support position to a position in which the article is not supported and is allowed to fall towards the area where it is to be reduced. 
         [0025]    Preferably, the article support position of the support plate is substantially horizontal. 
         [0026]    Preferably, the support plate is pivotally mounted, preferably by means of an electric motor. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment, the weighing means comprises scale means, e.g. electronic scale means. 
         [0028]    Preferably, the opening is releasably closable. 
         [0029]    The macerator may further comprising means for identifying the article to be macerated. 
         [0030]    Preferably, the weight of the identified article is subtracted from the total weight of the weighed article, to give the weight of its contents. 
         [0031]    The means for identifying an article to be macerated may comprise a scanner for reading a bar code associated with the article to be macerated. 
         [0032]    The means for identifying an article to be macerated may comprise means for reading information from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or barcode on the article to be macerated. 
         [0033]    In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, an outlet located at level below the opening, reduction means within the housing for reducing maceratable articles and means for identifying an article to be macerated. 
         [0034]    By providing means for identifying the article to be macerated, the likelihood of an article which cannot be macerated being placed in to the macerator is greatly reduced. In addition, if the nature of the article is identified, it is possible to monitor the usage, and stocks of, the articles in question. 
         [0035]    In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, a macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, an outlet located at a level below the housing, reduction means within the housing for reducing macerated articles, reduction means within the housing for reducing maceratable articles and toilet means located externally of the housing. 
         [0036]    By providing a combined toilet and macerator, the space required is greatly reduced, which therefore allows the macerator to be fitted into more individual patients&#39; rooms. 
         [0037]    The macerator may further comprise sensor means which determine whether the toilet is deemed to be in use and control means for inhibiting the macerating function of the macerator in the event that the toilet is deemed to be in use. 
         [0038]    Preferably the products from the outlet of the housing and from the toilet are discharged into a common outlet. 
         [0039]    In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, the macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, reduction means within the housing for reducing macerated articles and an outlet at a level below the opening, the outlet being continuously open. 
         [0040]    By having a continuously open outlet, the operation and control of the macerator is simplified, which reduces the size and cost of the macerator. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0041]    By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:— 
           [0042]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of macerator in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the macerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the macerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of the macerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0046]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a macerating unit housed within the macerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0047]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are vertical cross-sections through the macerating unit of  FIG. 5 , looking in the direction of arrows VI-VI and VII-VII respectively; 
           [0048]      FIG. 8  is a detailed perspective view of a spray head of the macerating unit of  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0049]      FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the macerating unit shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0050]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a disposal unit comprises a macerator generally indicated at  10 , from the lower front portion of which a toilet bowl  12  projects. The macerator  10  is supported by a frame comprising two straight parallel upright frame members  14  and a cross member  16  extending horizontally between the upper ends of the upright members  14 . The upright members  14  are mounted on a support plinth  18 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the outlet  20  from the macerator  10  and the outlet  22  from the toilet bowl  12  are connected to a common outlet pipe  24 , which is connected in a conventional manner to a normal drain. 
         [0051]    The macerator  10  comprises a cabinet  30  mounted above the level of the toilet bowl  12 . The cabinet  30  is formed from pressed sheet metal and comprises a rectangular front wall  32  which is hingedly mounted along one vertically-arranged edge  34 . The front wall  32  is normally locked in the closed position by means of a lock  36  but may be opened to afford access to the interior of the cabinet  30 , if desired. The cabinet  30  further comprises two planar side walls  38  extending generally perpendicularly from the closed front wall  32 , a rear rectangular wall  40  (having a rectangular access aperture  41  therein) extending parallel to the closed front wall  32  between the vertical rear edges of the side walls  38  and a rectangular top wall  42  extending perpendicularly to the closed front wall  32 , the side walls  38  and the rear wall  40 . 
         [0052]    The front wall  32  is provided with a rectangular aperture  44  located approximately ⅓ of the way down. The rectangular aperture  44  receives a complementarily-shaped hingedly mounted hopper door  46  which forms part of a macerator unit  50  located within the macerator housing  10 . 
         [0053]    A touch-screen display  47  is located on the front wall  32  above the hinged door  46  and a bar-code scanner  48  is located between the hinged door  46  and the touch-screen display  47 . A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag detector  49  is also located around the periphery of the aperture  44 , on the rear face of the front wall  32 . An electronic control unit ECU ( FIG. 3 ) which controls the operation of the macerator is located immediately behind the display  47 . 
         [0054]    The macerator unit  50  is illustrated in more detail in  FIGS. 5 to 9 . The macerator unit  50  comprises a stainless steel hopper  52  comprising a central macerating portion  54  having a loading portion  56  mounted at its upper end and a tapered discharge portion  58  mounted at its lower end. The discharge pipe  20  described previously is connected to the lower end of the discharge portion  58 . 
         [0055]    As best seen in  FIGS. 5 to 9 , the macerating portion  54  is generally rectangular in cross section and is provided with a releasably mountable front access door  60  to allow access to the interior of the macerator unit  50  by authorised personnel, if desired. The front access door  60  is formed from inner and outer leaves  60   a ,  60   b  and is held in place by a plurality of wing nuts  64  around its periphery. A mounting bracket  70  is also securely attached to each side of the macerating portion  54  and is provided with apertures  72  for attaching the macerator to the upright members  14  of the supporting frame. 
         [0056]    As explained previously, the upper loading portion  56  of the macerating unit  50  comprises an access door  46  (comprising front and rear door sheets  46   a ,  46   b ) which is hingedly mounted along its lower edge. The access door  46  is pivotable downwardly from the position shown in full lines in  FIG. 5  through 90° to the position shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 5 , in which it projects forwardly through the rectangular aperture  44  in the front wall  32  of the housing into a horizontal position. The door is pivoted by means of an electric motor  74  controlled by the electronic control unit ECU arranged adjacent to one upright edge of the access door  46 . The motor is mounted on a mounting bracket  76  which is secured to the outer face of the loading portion  56  of the macerator unit  50 . The output of the motor  74  is rotational, and is connected to a worm drive  78  which transmits rotational motion to a gear  80  mounted on the access door axle  82  via two transmission gears  84 . The motor  74  is a reversible motor and is adapted to pivot the access door  46  from the closed position, shown in full lines in  FIG. 5 , through 90° to the open position, shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 5 , upon actuation of the proximity sensor  86  located in the front wall  32  of the macerator housing  30  immediately below the access door  46 . 
         [0057]    The interface between the loading portion  56  and the macerating portion  54  of the macerating unit  52  is defined by an upper, pivotally mounted rectangular weighing plate  88 . The weighing plate  88  is pivotable by means of an electric actuating motor  90 , controlled by the electronic control unit ECU, between a horizontal position shown in full lines  FIG. 6  and a vertical position shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 6 . The weighing plate  88  is formed from upper and lower leaves  88   a ,  88   b , mounted on either side of an axle  92  which passes through mounting holes  94  located on either side of, and immediately behind, the access door  46 , and an electronic scale  88   c , which outputs a signal to the electronic control unit ECU, sandwiched between the upper and lower leaves  88   a ,  88   b . The actuating motor  90  mounted on a mounting bracket  96  located on the opposite side of the loading portion to the access door motor  74 . As for the access door motor  74 , the output of the motor  92  is rotational and is transmitted via an integral worm drive  97  to a gear  98  which is rotationally fixed with respect to the weighing plate mounting axle. Consequently, actuation of the motor  90  causes the weighing plate  88  to pivot between the horizontal position (in which it is level with the open access door  46 ) and a vertical position. 
         [0058]    The upper portions of the side walls of the macerating portion  54  are formed into two shoulders  96  located one on either side of the macerating unit. Only one shoulder  96  is visible in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , but the two shoulders are mirror images of each other. Each of the shoulder portions is provided with a circular aperture  98  which receives a rotatable high pressure spray head  100  is adapted to inject a highly-directional jet of high pressure water into the macerating portion  54  below the weighing plate  88  in order to reduce soiled paper pulp articles into particles which are sufficiently small to be discharged into the normal drainage system, as will be explained. 
         [0059]    Each of the high pressure spray heads  100  is rotatably mounted within the circular aperture  98 . Each spray head  100  is received in a spray head grommet diaphragm  102  which allows the spray head  100  to rotate and simultaneously change their axis of orientation, as will be explained. 
         [0060]    Each spray head  100  is mounted on a mounting bracket  104  which is in turn secured to a rotary gear  106 . A high pressure swivel fitting  108  is secured to, and is rotatable with, the rotary gear  106  and supplies pressurised water to the spray head  100  via an angled spray tube  109 . The spray head rotary gear  106  is rotatably mounted by means of a mounting bracket  110  secured to the outer face of the loading portion  56  of the macerator unit  50 . 
         [0061]    Each spray head rotary gear  106  is rotatable through a 140° arc by means of a low voltage reversible drive motor  112 , controlled by the electronic control unit ECU via a worm gear  114  which is engaged with the spray head rotary gear  106 . Actuation of the motors  112  therefore causes the spray heads  100  to be displaced rotationally to and fro through a 140° displacement. The connection of the high pressure swivel fittings  108  allows the spray heads  100  to be supplied with high pressure water irrespective of their position and during rotation. 
         [0062]    However, each spray head  100  is mounted on its mounting bracket  104  connected to the rotary gear  106  such that the direction of the jet of water produced by the spray head is inclined to the rotational axis of the rotary gear  106  to which it is fixed and with which it rotates. 
         [0063]    Consequently, as the rotary gear  106  rotates by operation of the motor  112 , the spray head as it rotates delivers high pressure water in a helical pattern into the macerating portion  54  of the macerating unit  50  below the weighing plate  22 . Consequently, high pressure water, as will be explained, is directed to all areas of the interior of the macerating unit  50 . 
         [0064]    As explained previously, the spray head grommet diaphragms  102  seal the spray heads  100  with respect to the apertures  98  in the outwardly projecting shoulders  46  but simultaneously allow rotation of, and change in the inclination of, the spray heads  110  with respect to the macerator unit. 
         [0065]    A first fixed rinsing spray head  114  is mounted on the upper wall of the macerator loading portion  56  and is arranged to produce a downwardly-directed divergent spray of water over the inner walls of the loading portion  56 . A second fixed rinsing spray head  115  is mounted at the junction of the macerating portion  56  and the discharge portion  58  and is arranged to produce an upwardly-directed divergent spray of water over the inner walls of the macerating portion  54 . 
         [0066]    As best seen in  FIGS. 6 to 8 , the lowermost end of the discharge portion  58  of the macerator unit  30  is formed into a mounting flange  116  which receives a mesh filter  118  retained between upper and lower filter mounting rings  120  and by retaining clips  121 . 
         [0067]    It should also be noted that the undersurface of the hingedly-mounted toilet seat  122  of the toilet bowl  12  is provided with a pressure sensor (not visible) which, as will explained, prevents operation of the macerator  10  if the pressure detected by the sensor indicates that a person is sitting on the toilet seat, which indicates that the toilet is in use. Similarly, if the pressure sensor detects no pressure, it is an indication that the toilet seat  122  has been lifted and that consequently the toilet may be in use, and again operation of the macerator is prevented. 
         [0068]    The toilet  12  can be used in an entirely conventional manner. A proximity sensor  114  comprising an infrared emitter  114   a  and infrared detector  114   b  is provided in the lower part of the front wall  32  of the macerator unit to flush the toilet automatically after use. 
         [0069]    However, the unit can also be used to dispose of soiled paper pulp bedpans, urine bottles, sputum bowls and the like when desired. In order to use the macerator function of the unit, an operator approaches the unit with the soiled article to be disposed of. The operator passes his or her hand over the motion sensor  84  located on the front of the macerator below the access door  46 . This results in actuation of the motor  74  controlling pivoting of the access door  46  which causes the door to pivot downwardly into the open, horizontal position, unless the toilet seat sensor indicates that the toilet is use (either by means of an increased pressure, indicating the presence of a person seating on the toilet seat or a reduced pressure, indicating that the toilet seat has been lifted). 
         [0070]    Opening of the access door  46  also actuates the bar code scanner  48 . If the article to be macerated bears a bar code, the code is scanned, which identifies the type and weight of the article when unsoiled. If the article has no bar code or if it is not possible to read the bar code, the details of the article can be input manually (from a list of possible articles) suing the touch-screen display  46 . The control means of the macerator will then be able to determine the weight of the article when unsoiled. 
         [0071]    Alternatively, if the article to be macerated is fitted with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the article can be identified as it is passed through the open access door  46 . 
         [0072]    The soiled article is then placed into the loading portion  56  of the macerator unit  50 , whereupon it rests upon the weighing plate  88  which is at that stage in the horizontal position. The weight of the soiled article is then determined by the electronic scale  88   c  which outputs a signal corresponding to the weight to the electronic control unit ECU. The electronic control unit ECU subtracts the dry weight of the utensil, giving the weight of its contents. The weight of the contents is displayed on the screen and is stored into the memory of the control unit. 
         [0073]    The access door  46  then closes after a predetermined period (e.g. 5 seconds) and when the door is closed the weighing plate  88  is pivoted by actuation of its actuating motor, which allows the soiled article to fall into the macerating part  54  of the macerator unit  50 , where it comes to rest against the inner face of the enclosing walls. The weighing plate  88  is then returned to the horizontal position, at which point the electronic control unit ECU controls a pump P and valves (not shown) to connect a high pressure water supply to the spray nozzles  100  is switched on and simultaneously the actuating motors  112  are operated to cause the spray heads  100  to move back and forth, as described previously, which delivers high pressure water in a helical pattern downwardly towards the article within the macerating portion  54 . The interaction of the high pressure water jets with the article reduces the article to particles of a size which can pass through the filter  118  of the discharge plate  58  and thereby pass out of the macerating unit, into the outlet pipe  20  and the common drain  24 . 
         [0074]    After a predetermined period, the water supply to the spray hoods  100  ceases and the actuating motors stop. Rinsing water is then supplied to the rinsing spray heads  114 ,  115  to rinse the interior of the macerator unit. The macerator is then ready for re-use. 
         [0075]    The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment.

Summary:
A macerator comprises a housing, an opening in the housing providing access to its interior, an outlet located at a level below the opening and spray means for directing a directional jet of pressurised fluid into the container The spray means is controllable to vary the direction of the jet of pressurised fluid.