Sharps disposal container with a pivoted closure door

Details Sharps disposal container with a pivoted closure door Sharps disposal container with a pivoted closure door

1993-05-18

1994-09-13

Shoap, Allan N.

Receptacles

Closures

Secondary closure within parameter of primary closure

220281, 220282, 220307, 220908, 206364, 232 44, B65D 5118

Patent

active

053460863

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
In a hospital environment, for example, there is a need for the safe disposal of sharps, particularly syringe needles, in such a way that the user will not be in danger of coming into contact with the items disposed of which could cause injury or the inadvertent spread of disease. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a container which will enable sharps to be disposed of safely.
According to the present invention there is provided a sharps disposal container having a closed lid with a pivotally arranged door in the top surface of the lid, the door being rotatable about the pivot to raise a wall depending from the door above the lid surface, whilst downwardly projecting skirts from the lid and from the door maintain the closed integrity of the container during pivoting of the door, the only access to the interior of the container being an opening in the wall for receipt of sharps when that wall is raised.
With such a container, when the door is retracted into the lid of a container the contents will be totally contained and inaccessible. When the door is raised to expose the opening in the wall of the door, the contents are still safely retained within the container but the exposed opening allows further sharps to be inserted.
In the preferred arrangement the opening in the wall is keyhole shaped, ideally of stepped form for receipt of needles of differing sizes.
The wall is best provided at one end of the pivoting door. It is much preferred that the door should incorporate a releasable sprung flange for biasing the door into a closed position. This will ensure that the door does not open inadvertently when the closed container is being carried around. In this arrangement the flange is ideally at one end of a double hinged flexible plate forming part of the door top surface.
The container design may advantageously be modified such that a flap is pivotally attached to the lower end of said wall and acts as an auxiliary internal closure member for the opening in which the door is located. Ideally stop members on the skirt depending from the lid limit the extent of opening of the flap and cause the flap to be pressed against the under face of the door to close the communication between said opening and the interior of the container, when the door is closed.
For ease of assembly, the container will be formed with a base part and a lid part, the lid of the container being interlocked by rim flanges to the base of the container to create a liquid tight seal.
The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a sharps disposal container of this invention in the closed and open conditions respectively;
FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the base of the container;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan and vertical sections respectively through the lid portion of the container;
FIGS. 6 to 9 are plan, side, vertical section and end views respectively of a door part of the container; and
FIGS. 10 and 11 are vertical sections through an alternative form of door for a container in the open and closed conditions respectively.
The container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a base part 1 onto which is fitted a lid 2 by means of interlocking rim portions 3 and 4 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Within the lid 2 is door 5 which is pivotally mounted so that when pressure is applied to a flange 6 the door 5 will pivot to expose an end wall 7 incorporating a keyhole slot 8 for receipt of needles of varying sizes from hypodermic syringes.
The door construction is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 to 9 of the drawings. As can be seen from FIG. 5 in particular a pivot receipt slot 9 is formed at the end of a tapered pivot guide 10. Extending down from the pivot slot 9 is a finger guard defined by walls 11 and 12 which receives the one end of the door 5 which incorporates the flange 6. A skirt 13 also extends down at the other side of the opening in the lid to prevent needles within the containe

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