Patent Abstract:
A pump assembly includes a housing defining a working chamber, a water pump chamber and a waste pump chamber. A first diaphragm separates the water pump chamber and the working chamber. A second diaphragm separates the waste pump chamber and the working chamber. A common driver member interconnects the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm. Movement of the driven member to a first position creates a positive pressure in the water pump chamber and a negative pressure in the waste pump chamber. Movement of the driven member to a second position creates a negative pressure in the water pump chamber and a positive pressure in the waste pump chamber.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/978,578, filed on Oct. 9, 2007. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present teachings generally relate to dual diaphragm assemblies. More particularly, the present teachings relate to a dual diaphragm assembly for a sanitation system. Additionally, the present teachings relate to a diaphragm assembly for a sanitation system having a waste chamber that drains toward an outlet. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A flush toilet basically operates to deliver a source of flush water to a bowl and transfer waste from the bowl to a remote location. Various types of systems are known, ranging from toilets that rely exclusively on flushing water for the transfer of waste to the remote location to vacuum system for assisting in the transfer of waste. While known systems have proven to be generally acceptable for their intended uses, a continuous need remains for improvement in the pertinent art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to one particular aspect, the present teachings may provide a sanitary system includes a toilet, a source of flush water in fluid communication with the toilet, and a dual diaphragm pump assembly. The pump assembly includes a housing defining a working chamber, a water pump chamber and a waste pump chamber. A first diaphragm is disposed in the housing. The first diaphragm separates the water pump chamber and the working chamber. A second diaphragm is disposed in the housing. The second diaphragm separates the waste pump chamber and the working chamber. A common driver member interconnects the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm. A water inlet at least partially defines a water inlet path between a source of flush water and the water pump chamber. A water outlet at least partially defines a water outlet path between the water pump chamber and a bowl of the toilet. A waste inlet at least partially defines a waste inlet path between the bowl of the toilet and the waste pump chamber. A waste outlet is in fluid communication with the waste chamber. Movement of the driven member to a first position creates a positive pressure in the water pump chamber and a negative pressure in the waste pump chamber. Movement of the driven member to a second position creates a negative pressure in the water pump chamber and a positive pressure in the waste pump chamber. 
         [0005]    According to another aspect, the present teachings may provide a waste pump for a sanitary system. The waste pump includes a housing defining a working chamber and a waste chamber. The waste chamber has a horizontally extending portion and a vertically extending portion. A waste diaphragm is disposed in the housing. The waste diaphragm separates the waste chamber and the working chamber. A driver member is disposed in the housing and is interconnected to the waste diaphragm. A waste inlet is in fluid communication with the vertically extending portion of the waste chamber. A waste outlet is in fluid communication with the vertically extending portion of the waste chamber. Movement of the driven member to a first position creates a negative pressure in the waste pump chamber and movement of the driven member to a second position creates a positive pressure in the waste pump chamber. 
         [0006]    Further areas of applicability of the present teachings will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The present teachings will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which the disclosed subject matter is drawn to scale, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a sanitation system in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a pump assembly and associated shroud in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is another perspective view of a pump assembly and associated shroud in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a pump assembly in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a pump assembly in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating the driven member in a first position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating the driven member in a second position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a top view of a pump assembly in accordance with the present teachings. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a sanitation in accordance with the present teachings. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The following description of various aspects of the present teachings is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application or uses. 
         [0020]    With initial reference to the environmental view of  FIG. 1 , a sanitation system including a pump assembly  10  constructed according to the teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated. The sanitation system is generally illustrated to include a flush toilet  11  and generally identified at reference character  10 . The particular toilet  11  shown in the drawings will be understood to be merely exemplary. In this regard, it will be appreciated the teachings of the present disclosure are not limited to any particular toilet. 
         [0021]    With continued reference to  FIG. 1  and additional reference to  FIGS. 2 through 9 , the pump assembly  10  will be further described. In one particular application the pump assembly may be a dual diaphragm pump assembly  10  that is operative for delivering a source of flush water  13  to the toilet  11  and further operative for pumping waste water from the toilet  11 . The pump assembly  10  may include a housing  12 . As perhaps best shown in the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the housing  12  may define a plurality of chambers. The plurality of chambers may include a first chamber  14 , a second chamber  16  and a third chamber  18 . The first chamber may be a working chamber  14 . The second chamber may be a water chamber  16 . The third chamber may be a waste chamber  18 . 
         [0022]    The working chamber  14  is disposed between the water chamber  16  and the waste chamber  18 . In the embodiment illustrated, the chambers  14 - 18  are horizontally arranged with the water chamber  16  above the working chamber  14  and the waste chamber  18  below the working chamber  14 . In other embodiments, water chamber  16  may be disposed below the working chamber  14  and the waste chamber  18  above the working chamber  14 . In still other embodiments, the chambers  14 - 18  may be vertically arranged. 
         [0023]    A first membrane or diaphragm  20  may be disposed within the housing  12  to separate the working chamber  14  from the first chamber  16 . A second membrane or diaphragm  22  may be disposed within the housing  12  to separate the working chamber  14  from the second chamber  16 . The diaphragms  20  and  22  may be constructed of EPDM, other rubber or other suitable material. As will be addressed below, the diaphragms  20 ,  22  may be constructed to cooperate with the housing  12  to retain the diaphragms  20 ,  22  relative to the housing  12 . 
         [0024]    The housing  12  may include a plurality of sections. The sections may be generally cylindrical or of other suitable shape. As illustrated, the housing  12  may include a first or upper section  24 , a second or intermediate section  26  and a third or lower section  28 . The first diaphragm  20  may be peripherally captured between the first and second sections  24  and  26  of the housing  12 . The second diaphragm  22  may be peripherally captured between the second and third sections  26  and  28  of the housing  12 . The sections of the housing  24 ,  26  and  28  may be constructed of polypropylene or other suitable material. 
         [0025]    As shown, the adjacent sections of the housing  12  may be integrally formed to include cooperating peripheral flanges for capturing the respective diaphragms  20 ,  22 . The diaphragms  20 ,  22  may be formed to include upper and lower peripheral beads. As shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, the radially outermost portion of the diaphragms  20 ,  22  may have a generally t-shaped cross section. The peripheral beads of the diaphragms  20 ,  22  may be received in corresponding peripheral grooves of the adjacent housing sections. 
         [0026]    The upper section  24  of the housing  12  may define an upper cavity  25 . The upper cavity  25  may receive a switch  25  for controlling actuation of the pump assembly  10 . Operation of the switch  25  will be understood to be conventional insofar as the present teachings are concerned. 
         [0027]    The third section  28  may be integrally or otherwise formed to include a base portion  33  suitable for mounting the pump assembly  10  to a floor or other rigid surface with fasteners or the like. As perhaps most particularly shown in  FIG. 7 , the third section  28  may be further formed to include a chamber floor  29 . The chamber floor  29  may be oriented generally horizontally and upwardly spaced from the base portion  33 . 
         [0028]    The configuration of the waste chamber  18  allows the pump assembly  10  to more effectively move water and sewage given a lack of air within the chamber  18 . This is because water is incompressible as opposed to air. With a lack of air in the waste chamber  18  and a negative pressure created by the diaphragm  22 , water/sewage will substantially fill the waste chamber  18 . Then, with a positive pressure created by the diaphragm  20 , the waste chamber  18  near completely empties the water/sewage to more effectively draw in the most amount of water/sewage possible in the next movement of the diaphragm  22 . The waste chamber  18  is also particularly designed to drain completely toward the outlet  46  when the pump is off assembly  10 , such drainage reducing the amount of sewage left in the pump assembly  10 , thereby reducing the odor permeating from the toilet  11 . 
         [0029]    The first and second sections  24  and  26  may be coupled to one another with a clamp arrangement  30  that circumferentially surrounds the housing  12 . Similarly, the second and third sections  26  and  28  may be coupled to one another with a substantially identical clamp arrangement  30  that circumferentially surrounds the housing  12 . The clamp arrangements  30  may include first and second components  32  and  34  coupled to one other with fasteners or in any manner well known in the art. The clamp arrangements  30  may define a circumferential groove for receiving the cooperating flanges of the adjacent housing sections. The clamp arrangements  30  may be constructed of acetal, polyoxymethylene, other plastic, or other suitable material. 
         [0030]    A driven member or shaft  36  may be disposed in the housing  12  for reciprocal movement and may interconnect the first and second diaphragms  20  and  22  between a first position and a second position. The driven member  36  may include disc-shaped upper and lower members  37  and  39  coupled by an intermediate member  41 . The driven member  36  may be coupled to the respective diaphragms  20  and  22  with fasteners  38 , for example. Washers may be positioned on the side of the diaphragms  20  and  22  opposite the respective disc-shaped members  37  and  39 . The fasteners  38  may pass through the washers and the respective diaphragm  20  or  22  and threadably engage the respective upper or lower member  37  or  39 . 
         [0031]    The driven member  36  is illustrated throughout the drawings in a neutral position between the first position and the second position. With reference to the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 5 and 7 , for example, the first position is upwardly displaced from that illustrated within the limits defined by the diaphragms  20  and  22 . Conversely and again with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the second position is downwardly displaced from that illustrated within the limits defined by the diaphragms  20  and  22 . 
         [0032]    A water inlet  40  may at least partially define a water inlet path between the source of flush water  13  and the water chamber  16 . A water outlet  42  may at least partially define a water outlet path between the water chamber  16  and a bowl of the toilet (not shown). A waste inlet  44  may at least partially define a waste inlet path between the bowl of the toilet and the waste chamber  18 . A waste outlet  46  may be in fluid communication with the waste chamber  18 . The waste outlet  46  may be disposed proximate the bottom of the waste chamber  18  to facilitate drainage of the waste chamber  18 . Valves  50  may be disposed in each of the water inlet path, the water outlet path, the waste inlet path and the waste outlet path for controlling the flow of water and waste. The valves may be one-way valves  50 . 
         [0033]    A rotatable motor arm  52  may be coupled to the shaft  36  for reciprocating the shaft  36  between the first and second position. When the motor arm  52  is rotated about its axis, a crank arm  54  may turn inside a slot  56  (see  FIG. 5 , for example) in the shaft  36 . Due to an offset of the crank arm  54 , the shaft  36  is reciprocally driven in opposition vertical directions, thereby displacing both diaphragms  20  and  22  in vertical directions. The motor associated with the motor arm  52  may be an electrical motor. The switch  37  carried at the top of the pump assembly  10  may actuate the electrical motor. 
         [0034]    In response to actuation by the switch  37 , the driven member  36  is reciprocated between the first and second positions. The diaphragms  20  and  22  simultaneously cooperate with the associated one-way valves  50  operate to create a negative pressure to draw fluid into each pump and then a positive pressure to push fluid out of each pump. More particularly, when the driven member  36  moves the first position (up in  FIG. 5 , water is drawn from the flush water source  13  and pumped to the toilet  11 . When the driven member  36  moves to the second position (down in  FIG. 5 ) waste is drawn from the toilet  11  and pumped to a remote area  43 . The remote area  43  may be a holding tank, a sewer or other receptacle. 
         [0035]    The waste chamber  18  is particularly adapted to pump water/sewage out of the toilet  11  and into a holding tank assembly  10 , sewer, or overboard in addition to being mounted to the floor and support the pump in a vertical orientation. The work chamber  14  includes a horizontally extending portion  18 A in communication with a vertically extending portion  18 B. The horizontally extending portion  18 A is sized and positioned such that upon downward translation of the shaft  36 , contents within the horizontally extending portion  18 A are near completely displaced. 
         [0036]    The sanitation system may further include shroud for substantially concealing the pump assembly  10 . The shroud may be secured to the pump assembly  10  in any manner well known in the art. The shroud provides a neat appearance and a surface that is easy cleaned. 
         [0037]    It will now be appreciated that a pump assembly  10  is provided potentially having a lower cost, quieter operation and a more reliable mechanism. In this regard, the dual diaphragm arrangement of the present teachings compares favorably with conventionally pumping mechanism incorporating a hard plastic impeller for evacuating waste from a bowl and a flexible rubber impeller that supplies fresh water to the bowl. Such conventional structures are loud and experience significant wear when run dry. The dual diaphragm arrangement of the present teachings greatly reduces noise associated with the pump assembly  10  and has the ability to run dry for extended periods of time without undue wear. 
         [0038]    As shown in the drawings, the present teachings may be used to provide a common unit for both waste and water pumping. The flexibility of the present teachings anticipates additional applications. In this regard, the present teachings may be used as a single waste pump by eliminating the water pump or a single water pump by eliminating the waste pump. Additionally, the present teachings may be adapted for use with a dual waste pump where the water pump is replaced with a second waste pump or a dual water pump where the waste pump is replaced with a second water pump. 
         [0039]    The description of the present teachings is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention has been described with reference to two particular embodiments having many common and some distinct features. One skilled in the art will recognize that these features may be used singularly or in any combination based on the requirements and specifications of a given application or design.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5