Container for collecting and transporting special waste
A container for collecting and transporting special waste, such as hospital waste and diagnostic samples, is provided with an outer box of cardboard, an inner box of cardboard, which can be placed in the outer box, and a plastic bag positioned between the outer box and the inner box. The outer box and the inner box each have a closed bottom and an open upper side. A cover can be pressed onto the container in a closure position for closing the container. The plastic bag is folded outwards or inwards over the upper edge of the outer box or the inner box and lies against the upper part of the wall of the outer box or the inner box. The cover has a peripheral edge, which encloses the upper part of the outer wall of the outer box in the closure position. An adhesive strip is provided on the inner side of said peripheral edge, in which the upper edges of the outer box and the inner box are accommodated when the cover is pressed on the container in the closure position.
Latest Ecama Holding B.V. Patents:
The invention relates to a container for collecting and transporting special waste, such as hospital waste and diagnostic samples, which container comprises an outer box of cardboard, an inner box of cardboard, which can be placed in the outer box, a plastic bag positioned between the outer box and the inner box, which outer box and inner box each have a closed bottom and an open upper side, and a cover that can be pressed onto the container in a closure position for closing the outer box.
Such a container is known from EP-A-1 472 987, for example. It has been found from experiments with this known container that improvement is possible as regards the closure of the container. Furthermore, the closing edge of said known container is relatively complicated to manufacture.
SUMMARYAccording to one aspect of the invention, the plastic bag is folded outwards or inwards over the upper edge of the outer box or the inner box and lies against the upper part of the wall of the outer box or the inner box, with the cover having a peripheral edge, which encloses the upper part of the outer wall of the outer box in the closure position and which is provided with an adhesive strip on the inner side, in which the upper edges of the outer box and the inner box are accommodated when the cover is pressed on the container in the closure position.
In this way a container is obtained in which a very strong bond between the upper edges of the inner box and the outer box and the adhesive strip in the cover is realised. In this way a hermetic seal of the container is obtained in the situation in which the cover is pressed onto the container. In addition, the upper edge of the outer box or the inner box that is covered by the plastic bag is easy to manufacture.
Aspects of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which shows in a very schematic way some embodiments of the container.
The outer box 1 and the inner box 2 of the container as described includes a water resistant, solid cardboard, in particular a solid, water resistant glued cardboard with a plastic coating of polyethylene, for example. In one embodiment, at least 600 g/m2 cardboard can be used. The thickness of the material of the solid cardboard of the outer box 1 and of the inner box 2 preferably meets the standards as regards resistance to puncture by sharp objects of, for example, British Standard BS7320 (1990).
Upon manufacture of the container, the inner box 2 is placed into the plastic bag 3 and the inner box 2 with the plastic bag is inserted into the outer box 1. The dimensions of the outer box 1 and the inner box 2 have been selected so that when the inner box 2 rests on the bottom of the outer box 1, the upper edges 5 and 6 of the outer box 1 and the inner box 2 lie at least substantially in the same plane. Then the projecting part of about 4 cm of the plastic bag 3 is folded down outwards and the container is subjected to a heat treatment. As a result, the part of the plastic bag 3 that abuts against the upper part of the outer wall of the outer box 1 contracts tightly around the outer wall of the outer box 1. In practice the material of the plastic bag 3 will also bond firmly to the plastic coating of the outer box 1, as a result of which a smoothly finished surface is obtained in particular at the upper edge 5 so as to provide a water-tight and airtight seal of the container by means of a cover 7 as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 7 comprises an outer cover 8 with a peripheral edge 9. Said peripheral edge 9 is in one piece with the upper surface 10 of the outer cover 8 and has been formed together with the upper surface 10 of a blank without any cuts. An inner cover 11 is fitted in the outer cover 8, so that a channel 13 is formed between the peripheral edge 9 and an inner edge 12 of the inner cover 11. An adhesive strip 14 is provided in said channel 13, which adhesive strip preferably can be of a flexible hot melt adhesive, for example a hot melt with a base of a synthetic polymer. Said hot melt adhesive may or may not be foamed. The cover 7 is made of the same material as the outer box 1 and the inner box 2.
In
As is shown in
According to an alternative embodiment, the outer box 1 may not be provided with the top flaps 16 or with top flaps that do not cover the handle openings. The connecting lips 17 are retained between the side walls of the outer box 1 and the side walls of the inner box 2 in that case. The advantage of retaining the connecting lips between two box parts, i.e. the top flaps and the side walls of the outer box and the side walls of the outer box and the inner box, respectively, in the variants described herein is that in case of an excess pressure in the container relative to the environment the connecting lips will be wedged against the side walls of the outer box 1, with the wedging force increasing as the excess pressure increases. It is also possible, of course, not to configure the openings 15 as handle openings, in which case the openings only function as locking openings for receiving the connecting lips 17. It is noted that the locking engagement of the cover 7 on the container as described can also be used with containers of a type different from that of the containers that are described herein. The container may comprise an inner box, an outer box and a cover made of different materials.
It is noted that it will suffice, if desired, to provide two opposite side walls 4 and parts of the peripheral edge 9 of the cover 7 with handle openings 15 and connecting lips 17 respectively. Furthermore it is possible to use two or more handle openings and connecting lips on one side.
As is shown schematically in
Alternatively, the projecting part of the plastic bag 3 can also be folded down inwards, so that the plastic material will come to lie against the inner side of the wall of the inner box 2. After the heat treatment a smoothly finished surface of the upper edge 6 of the inner box is obtained. In this variant of the inner box 2, the heat treatment can be carried out before the top flaps 18 are folded inwards. As a result, the plastic bag is pulled tightly over the top flaps 18 and the plastic material will adhere to the coating of the top flaps 18. After the heat treatment, the upper flaps 18 are folded inwards together with the plastic material of the plastic bag 3 adhering thereto, as a result of which the plastic material is pulled tightly over the upper edge 6 of the inner box 2.
The part of the plastic bag 3 present between the two boxes 1 and 2 is more or less freely positioned between the two boxes. As a result, air is retained within the plastic bag 3 when the container is closed with the cover 7, which air has a damping effect when the container is subjected to shock loads. The airtight closure of the plastic bag 3 is ensured in that the plastic bag encloses the upper edge 5 of the outer box 1 or the upper edge 6 of the inner box 2 and is pressed into the adhesive strip 14 when the cover 7 is placed on the container.
It is noted that the plastic bag 3 may also comprise of a plastic material other than a shrink foil. In that case the upper end of the plastic bag 3 can be folded over the top flaps 18 of the inner box 2, for example, and be folded inwards together with the top flaps 18, as a result of which the plastic material is pulled tightly around the upper edge 6 of the inner box.
An amount of absorption material may be present in the container, if desired, which material is capable of absorbing any moisture that may be present in the waste. The dimensions (l×w×h) of the outer box are 40×30×50 cm, for example.
An advantage of the container as described herein is that a hermetic seal of the outer box 1 and the inner box 2 by the cover 7 can be effected by using relatively simple means. The container meets the usual standards as regards puncture resistance and falling resistance for containers of hospital waste. Another advantage of the container as described herein is that when more stringent requirements are to be met, this can be done by using a heavier type of cardboard. The cardboard container as described herein furthermore has this advantage that the dimensions can readily be changed, without any costly investments in new molds being required, as is the case with containers of plastic material.
The container can readily be extended in a modular fashion in those cases in which very stringent requirements are to be met, for example when UN packing instruction P620 applies. A possible variant is shown in
In addition, the cover 29 can easily be placed in a temporary supported position on the outer box 1 and the inner box 2, as is shown in sectional view in
For the sake of completeness it is noted that in those cases in which the cover 7 or 29 is not provided with an inner cover, this single cover may be made of a heavier type of cardboard so as to obtain the required puncture resistance.
According to another variant of the container, it is also possible to place a container of a plastic material provided with a cover of its own into the container that is shown in
Although the invention has been described herein by means of embodiments of containers for collecting and transporting special waste, the containers described may also be used for collecting and transporting other materials. Another application is the packing and shipping of diagnostic samples.
The invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above, which can be varied in several ways, for example in the shape of the boxes and corresponding covers, without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition, aspects of the container(s) as described in European Patent Application 06110144.0, published Aug. 23, 2006 as EP1693020A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, can be adopted, if desired.
Claims
1. A container for collecting and transporting special waste, such as hospital waste and diagnostic samples, which container comprises an outer box of cardboard, an inner box of cardboard, which can be placed in the outer box, a plastic bag positioned between the outer box and the inner box, which outer box and inner box each have a closed bottom and an open upper side, and a cover that can be pressed onto the container in a closure position for closing the container, wherein the plastic bag is folded outwards or inwards over the upper edge of the outer box or the inner box and lies against the upper part of the wall of the outer box or the inner box, with the cover having a peripheral edge, which encloses the upper part of the outer wall of the outer box in the closure position and which is provided with an adhesive strip on the inner side, in which the upper edges of the outer box and the inner box are accommodated when the cover is pressed on the container in the closure position.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the outer box and the inner box and the cover are made of a water-resistant, solid cardboard, preferably with a coating of polyethylene.
3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a channel on the inner side of the peripheral edge, the outer side of which channel is bounded by the peripheral edge and the inner side is bounded by an inner edge, in which channel the adhesive strip is present.
4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the inner edge of the channel is configured as a guide edge for the upper edge of the inner box.
5. A container according to claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a cover edge joining the peripheral edge, which covers the adhesive strip, which cover edge is movable between a supported position, in which the cover can be placed on the upper edge of the outer box in such a manner as to be removable therefrom, and an operative position, in which the cover can be pressed onto the container in the closure position.
6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the cover edge is in one piece with the peripheral edge, wherein the cover edge is aligned with the peripheral edge in the operative position and extends between the peripheral edge and the inner side of the cover in the supported position.
7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the outer box is provided with a handle opening in at least two opposite side walls and with a top flap that lies against the inner side of the outer wall, thereby covering the handle opening.
8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the cover and the outer box are provided with interacting connecting means which can be interconnected in the closure position of the cover.
9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the handle openings form the connecting means of the outer box and wherein the peripheral edge or the cover edge of the cover is provided with connecting lips which can be accommodated in the handle openings in the closure position.
10. A container according to claim 9, wherein all four side walls of the outer box are provided with a handle opening and a top flap, which top flaps are folded inwards, thereby covering the associated handle opening, wherein the peripheral edge or the cover edge of the cover is provided with a connecting lip for each handle opening, which connecting lip can be accommodated in the associated handle opening in the closure position.
11. A container according to claim 1, wherein the inner box is provided with top flaps that lie against the inner side of the outer wall.
12. A container according claim 1, wherein the upper part of the plastic bag abuts tightly against the wall of the outer box or the inner box, whilst the remaining part of the plastic bag is contained between the outer box and the inner box with some play.
13. A container according to claim 1, wherein a second plastic bag is present between the outer box and the inner box, wherein the first plastic bag is folded inwards over the upper edge of the inner box and wherein the second plastic bag is folded down outwards over the upper edge of the outer box.
14. A container according to claim 1, comprising at least one second inner box and a second plastic bag which is folded over the upper edge of the first or the second inner box and which abuts tightly against the upper part of the wall of said inner box.
15. A container according to claim 1, comprising an inner container of plastic material provided with a cover of plastic material.
16. A container according to claim 1, wherein at least the folded part of the plastic bag tightly encloses the upper edge and the upper part of the wall of the outer box or the inner box.
17. A container for collecting and transporting special waste, such as hospital waste and diagnostic samples, which container is provided with an outer box, an inner box, which can be placed in the outer box, and a cover that can be pressed onto the container in a closure position for closing the container, wherein at least one locking opening is provided in two or more side walls of the outer box, which locking opening is closed at the inner side by a box part of the container, wherein the cover bears a locking lip at the location of each locking opening, which locking lip can be pushed into the locking opening between the box part and the side wall of the outer box.
18. A method for manufacturing a container for collecting and transporting special waste, such as hospital waste and diagnostic samples, wherein an inner box of a water resistant, solid cardboard having a closed bottom and upright side walls is placed into a plastic bag and the inner box with the plastic bag is placed into an outer box of a water resistant, solid cardboard having a closed bottom and upright side walls, wherein the plastic bag is folded down outwards or inwards over the upper edge of the outer box or the inner box and wherein at least the folded part of the plastic bag is pulled tightly around the upper part of the outer wall of the outer box.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the inner box is provided with top flaps and the plastic bag also encloses the upright top flaps, wherein the part of the plastic bag that encloses the top flaps is pulled around the top flaps of the inner box, after which the top flaps are folded inwards against the inner side of the wall of the inner box together with the abutting part of the plastic bag.
20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the plastic bag comprises a shrink foil and wherein the shrink foil is pulled tightly around the inner box and the outer box by using a heat treatment.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 25, 2006
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Applicant: Ecama Holding B.V. (Nijkerk)
Inventor: Evert Cornelis Antonie Versluis (Nijkerk)
Application Number: 11/586,442
International Classification: B65D 77/00 (20060101); B65D 25/14 (20060101);