US-12624536-B1 - Dual-mode flush systems and methods thereof

US12624536B1US 12624536 B1US12624536 B1US 12624536B1US-12624536-B1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for waste management in recreational vehicles. A toilet bowl assembly of the system receives waste. A flushing mechanism of the system is operatively connected to the toilet bowl assembly. A plurality of user activation interfaces is coupled to the flushing mechanism, configured to activate a mode of operation of the system. The mode of operation includes a black tank mode and a residential mode such that based on an unavailability of an external sewer connection, the system operates in the black tank mode directing the waste to an integrated black tank and based on an availability of the external sewer connection, the system operates in the residential mode directing the waste directly to the external sewer connection, bypassing the integrated black tank.

Inventors

Eugene G. Stravinsky, II
Albert Mattiucci

Assignees

Eugene G. Stravinsky, II
Albert Mattiucci

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241126

Claims (18)

1 . A flush system in a recreational vehicle, comprising: a toilet bowl assembly to receive waste; a flushing mechanism operatively connected to the toilet bowl assembly; and a plurality of user activation interfaces coupled to the flushing mechanism, configured to activate a mode of operation of the flush system, wherein the mode of operation comprises one of: a black tank mode and a residential mode, wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a control module configured to automatically select the mode of operation further based on availability of an external sewer connection, and wherein the flush system comprises one or more sensors to detect the availability of the external sewer connection.
2 . The flush system of claim 1 , wherein in the black tank mode, the flushing mechanism is configured to direct the waste to an integrated black tank of the recreational vehicle when an external sewer connection is unavailable.
3 . The flush system of claim 2 , wherein in the residential mode, the flushing mechanism is configured to direct the waste directly to the external sewer connection, bypassing the integrated black tank.
4 . The flush system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user activation interfaces comprises a foot pedal to activate the black tank mode, and at least one of: a push button or a foot sensor to activate the residential mode.
5 . The flush system of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply unit configured to provide electrical power to the flush system.
6 . The flush system of claim 1 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a bypass valve, wherein in the black tank mode, a user input received via one of the plurality of user activation interfaces triggers the bypass valve to open to allow the waste to flow into a black tank, and wherein in the residential mode, the user input received via another one of the plurality of user activation interfaces triggers the bypass valve to close to allow the waste to flow into an external sewer connection.
7 . The flush system of claim 1 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a first floor flange and a second floor flange for use in the black tank mode and the residential mode, respectively.
8 . The flush system of claim 1 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a first floor flange and a discharge unit to direct the waste based on the mode of operation.
9 . The flush system of claim 8 , wherein the discharge unit comprises a rotating elbow fitting configured to direct the waste directly to an external sewer connection, bypassing a black tank in the residential mode.
10 . A method of managing waste in a recreational vehicle, comprising: receiving a user input via a plurality of user activation interfaces of a flush system; determining a mode of operation of the flush system based on the received user input, wherein the mode of operation comprises one of: a black tank mode, or a residential mode, wherein determining the mode of operation further comprises: detecting, via one or more sensors, an availability of an external sewer connection; determining the mode of operation as the black tank mode when the external sewer connection is unavailable; and determining the mode of operation as the residential mode when the external sewer connection is available; activating a flushing mechanism corresponding to the determined mode of operation; and operating the flush system to transport waste from a toilet bowl assembly through the activated flushing mechanism.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein in the black tank mode, the method comprises directing the waste, through the flushing mechanism, to an integrated black tank of the recreational vehicle.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein in the residential mode, the method comprises directing the waste, through the flushing mechanism, to an external sewer connection, bypassing the integrated black tank.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of user activation interfaces comprises a foot pedal, and at least one of: a push button or a foot sensor.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein when receiving the user input via the foot pedal, the method comprises determining the mode of operation as the black tank mode and directing the waste to an integrated black tank of the recreational vehicle through the flushing mechanism.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein when receiving the user input via at least one of the push buttons or the foot sensor, the method comprises determining the mode of operation as the residential mode and directing the waste to an external sewer connection through the flushing mechanism.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a bypass valve, wherein in the black tank mode, the method comprises triggering the bypass valve to open, when receiving the user input via one of the plurality of user activation interfaces, to allow the waste to flow into a black tank, and wherein in the residential mode, the method comprises triggering the bypass valve to close, when receiving the user input via another one of the plurality of user activation interfaces, to allow the waste to flow into an external sewer connection.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a first floor flange and a second floor flange, and wherein activating the flushing mechanism comprises activating the first floor flange in the black tank mode and the second floor flange in the residential mode.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flushing mechanism comprises a first floor flange and a discharge unit to transport the waste based on the mode of operation.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is related to co-pending commonly owned patent application Ser. No. 18/605,043 filed on Mar. 14, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to flush systems, and more particularly, to methods and systems for bypassing black tank and/or sewage, as and when required. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recreational vehicles, which includes a variety of campers, are widely used, and provide short-term or long-term living quarters. In this regard, a conventional recreational vehicle (RV) typically includes a toilet. Larger RVs typically include multiple toilets, and can produce several gallons of wastewater per day, which is typically stored on board and disposed of at regular intervals. Traditional RV toilet systems utilize a single waste disposal method, where waste is deposited into a black tank. These systems require manual intervention to switch between discharging waste into the black tank or directly into an external sewer line when such a connection is available. This manual process can be cumbersome and inconvenient, especially in varying travel scenarios where the availability of external sewer connections can change frequently. Further, conventional systems often do not offer flexibility in the method of user interaction, generally relying on single, manual flush mechanisms that do not adjust for different use cases or environmental conditions. Additionally, these systems are inefficient in terms of water usage and energy consumption, lacking advanced features that adapt operation based on the presence or absence of external infrastructure. Accordingly, there is a need for a solution to at least one of the aforementioned problems. For instance, there is an established need for a flush system for RVs or the like having toilets therein, which is more desirable, convenient, and efficient to use in terms of disposing off waste. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to bypass systems in recreational vehicles that enable users to dispose off waste to a black tank or directly to a sewer exit point as and when required. In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a flush system in a recreational vehicle, including a toilet bowl assembly to receive waste, a flushing mechanism operatively connected to the toilet bowl assembly, and a plurality of user activation interfaces coupled to the flushing mechanism, configured to activate a mode of operation of the flush system, wherein the mode of operation includes one of: a black tank mode and a residential mode. In an aspect, in the black tank mode, the flushing mechanism may be configured to direct the waste to an integrated black tank of the recreational vehicle when an external sewer connection is unavailable. In an aspect, in the residential mode, the flushing mechanism may be configured to direct the waste directly to the external sewer connection, bypassing the integrated black tank. In an aspect, the plurality of user activation interfaces may include a foot pedal to activate the black tank mode, and at least one of: a push button or a foot sensor to activate the residential mode. In an aspect, the flushing mechanism may include a control module configured to automatically select the mode of operation based on availability of an external sewer connection, wherein the flush system may include one or more sensors to detect the availability of the external sewer connection. In an aspect, the flush system may include a power supply unit configured to provide electrical power to the flush system. In an aspect, the flushing mechanism may include a bypass valve, wherein in the black tank mode, a user input received via one of the plurality of user activation interfaces may trigger the bypass valve to open to allow the waste to flow into a black tank, and wherein in the residential mode, the user input received via another one of the plurality of user activation interfaces may trigger the bypass valve to close to allow the waste to flow into an external sewer connection. In an aspect, the flushing mechanism may include a first floor flange and a second floor flange for use in the black tank mode and the residential mode, respectively. In an aspect, the flushing mechanism may include a first floor flange and a discharge unit to direct the waste based on the mode of operation. In an aspect, the discharge unit may include a rotating elbow fitting configured to direct the waste directly to an external sewer connection, bypassing the black tank in the residential mode. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method of managing waste in a recreational vehicle, including receiving a user input via a plurality of user activation interfaces of a flush system, determining a mode of operation of the flush system based on the received user input, wherein the mode of operation includes one of: a black t