A control circuit for the motor of an electric marine toilet which, effectively, causes the toilet to flush. A conventional D.C. source of potential is employed with a conventional marine toilet including a motor, a pump driven by the motor and a macerator driven by the motor. The lid of the toilet operates a normally open switch. An advantage of the invention is that the lid-operated switch prevents injury to the operator. Moreover, the lid-operated switch provides a motor control override. That is, the motor can be turned off whenever the lid is lifted. A control circuit is provided between the source and the motor to control the motor, the lid operating, for example, by a magnet, a reed switch in the control circuit. The flush cycle may extend over any period. However, a three-second flush cycle is typical. The control circuit includes a momentary contact push button to operate the motor for a three-second interval timed by the control circuit. If the push button is held down for more than three seconds, there is a timing override which causes a flushing action that continues indefinitely until the push button is no longer held down. The structure disclosed has several advantages, one of which is that it is not, in the hazardous location on board a small boat, subject to breakage or corrosion. Further, its useful life far exceeds prior control devices for timing the flush cycle of an electric marine toilet. The structure disclosed also operates within small timing tolerances, and the timing thereof is independent of the D.C. input voltage magnitude impressed thereupon. Still further, the control circuit disclosed has an extremely small leakage current and power loss when the push button is not depressed. For example, the total leakage current may be 50 microamperes through a silicon controlled rectifier T1C45. This current may cause a power loss through a relay coil, the said silicon controlled rectifier and a resistor, all being connected in series, where the resistor may have a resistance of 0 ohms, 40 ohms or 75 ohms. If the lid is raised, there is no leakage current and there is no power loss. The timing is accomplished by applying a negative spike at an appropriate instant in time to the anode of the silicon controlled rectifier.
There is disclosed an automated flush system which senses the approach and departure of an object or person and produces control signals indicative of said approach and departure, respectively. A discriminator unit receives and decodes the approach and departure signals to produce a flush control signal which controls a flush valve in the flush system as a result of the occurrence of the departure signal following the occurrence of the approach signal.
A plumbing system for flushing a toilet bowl is provided having one or more high pressure nozzles disposed about the rim of the bowl so that the discharge from the nozzles will impinge upon all of the interior surfaces of the bowl; the nozzles are each connected to a common pressure chamber through a flush valve; the pressure chamber contains an air pocket which will be compressed when liquid under main pressure accumulates in the pressure chamber; liquid from a water main is supplied to the pressure chamber through an adjustable flow restrictor so that, when the flush valve is open and water from the pressure chamber is discharged under pressure through the nozzles, a subsequent flushing cycle will be delayed until a predetermined line pressure builds up in the pressure chamber; a reservoir tank is connected to the bowl drain and is adapted to collect water from other utility stations until a predetermined quantity of liquid is present in the reservoir; control means are provided to discharge liquid from the reservoir to flush the drain conduit when the predetermined liquid level in the reservoir is reached.
