DEVICE FOR PLACING AND CONTAINING SOILED OBJECTS THEREIN

Abstract

The device (1) comprises a container (2) and a cover (3), said cover including a hollow tubular element (7) open at at least one end (5, 6), in which a body (8) capable of reciprocating motion is provided, said cover being pivotable with respect to the container between a first position, in which an object can be placed into the tubular element, and a second position, in which the body can move downwards in the tubular element under the influence of the force of gravity to push the object into the container. The device further comprises sleeve (18) of a flexible material arranged within the tubular element, the body being connected to the sleeve near the closed end of the sleeve and the sleeve being attached to the tubular element along its circumferential edge.

Description

The invention relates to a device for placing and containing objects therein, in particular soiled objects such as soiled diapers, comprising a container and a cover, said cover including a hollow tubular element that is open at at least one end, in which a body capable of reciprocating motion is provided, said cover being pivotable with respect to the container between a first position, in which an object can be placed into the tubular element from the outside, and a second position, in which the body can move downwards in the tubular element under the influence of the force of gravity in order to push the object into the container. It is noted that the term diapers is understood to mean not only baby diapers but also incontinence diapers, in particular for adults.

Such a device is known from European patent No. 0 776 305 to the present Applicant. In the known device, the cover forms a one-way valve, in which the tubular element is configured as a cylinder and the body is configured as a piston capable of reciprocating sliding movement therein. When the cover of the known device is in the first position, objects can be placed into the cylinder, whereupon the cover can be pivoted to the second position. During said pivoting, the piston moves downwards under the force of gravity in order to push the objects into the container. The cover described in the aforesaid European patent specification has two open ends, so that objects can be placed into the cylinder both in the first position and in the second position. Rubber O-rings provide an odour-tight and liquid-tight seal.

A drawback that the device known from the aforesaid European patent specification is felt to have in practice is that in some cases the piston and the cylinder are difficult to clean. The piston and the cylinder may come into direct contact with objects and, as already said before, cleaning is difficult in some cases because of the precise fit of the piston in the cylinder.

The object of the invention is to improve a device as known from the prior art and in order to accomplish that object a device of the kind referred to in the introductory paragraph is characterised in that the device comprises a sleeve of a flexible material arranged within the tubular element, which sleeve is closed near a first end thereof, the body being connected to the sleeve near the closed end of the sleeve and the sleeve being attached to the tubular element along its circumferential edge near a second end. The use of a flexible sleeve has the advantage that it can be easily cleaned by hand from the inside, in particular if the flexible material used for the sleeve is an easily cleanable material, for example a plastic material, such as nylon. The body is in particular connected to the sleeve on a side of the closed end remote from an open end of the sleeve, so that the body cannot be fouled by soiled objects. Although the body may in principle have any desired shape, it is essential for the body to have a mass that enables it to move down under the influence of the force of gravity.

In a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the body is detachably connected to the sleeve. This makes it possible to clean, replace or repair the body separately, if necessary, with the sleeve possibly remaining in place within the cylinder.

In another preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the sleeve comprises a compartment near its closed end, in which the body is accommodated. After the body has been placed in the compartment, the compartment can be closed by means of a zipper or Velcro, for example, and subsequently be opened again, if desired.

In another preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the body is made up of a disc capable of reciprocating motion within the tubular element that is configured as a cylinder. Said disc may be weighted.

In another preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the sleeve is detachably attached to the tubular element. This makes it possible to design the sleeve as a replaceable item, i.e. a product that can be separately purchased to replace a sleeve already being in use after some time has passed. The sleeve in particular includes a spring ring at the location of its circumferential edge. The term spring ring as used herein is understood to be a ring of a springing material that can be moved from a starting position, in which the ring has a first circumferential edge, to a pressed-together position, in which the ring has a second, smaller circumferential edge, and vice versa. By pressing the ring together and thus reducing the dimension of the circumferential edge, the sleeve can readily be inserted into the tubular element. When the ring is subsequently released again, it can spring back to its starting position and lock itself in place within the cylinder. Preferably, the ring is configured as a flexible, rubber ring fitted in the sleeve, which can be pressed together.

In another preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the sleeve is attached to the tubular element on an inner side thereof. Preferably, the tubular element is provided with a circumferential groove on the inside for receiving the circumferential edge of the sleeve. If the sleeve is provided with a spring ring, as explained above, said ring will fit in the circumferential groove.

In another preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, the container comprises at least two detachably interconnected segments arranged one on top of the other, the lower segment of which also comprises a bottom of the container. This facilitates transportation, while the user can selectively reduce or enlarge the device.

The invention also relates to a separate sleeve suitable for use in a device according to the invention, which sleeve is detachably attached to the tubular element.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a preferred variant of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 in disassembled condition;

FIGS. 3a-3c show the operation of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 in steps;

FIG. 4 is a schematic, perspective view of a part of the device of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; and

FIGS. 5a-5c correspond to FIGS. 3a-3c, but in this case they relate to another variant of the device that is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 of plastic material for placing and containing soiled objects (not shown) therein, in particular soiled incontinence diapers for adults, said device comprising a container 2 and a cover 3. The container 2 is made up of four segments 4a,4b,4c,4d arranged one on top of the other, with the lowermost segment 4d also forming the bottom of the container 2. The cover 3 is provided with a hollow cylinder 7 that is open on two sides 5, 6, in which a disc 8 can slide up and down, as will be explained in more detail yet hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The cover can be manually pivoted about a pivot axis 10 with respect to the container 2 by means of a handle 9 from a first position, in which a soiled incontinence diaper can be deposited into the cylinder 7, to a second position, in which the disc 8 can slide down in the cylinder 7 under the influence of the force of gravity, and vice versa, for pushing the soiled incontinence diaper into the container 2.

With reference to FIG. 2, the segment 4b of the container 2 is configured as a support for a bag 11 of a flexible material, such as a refuse bag or a pedal bin liner for containing soiled incontinence diapers: The bag 11 can be exchanged after some time by pivoting the segment 4a about a pivot axis 12 with respect to the segment 4b to an open position as shown in FIG. 2. After the bag 11 has been exchanged, the segment 4a can be pivoted about the pivot axis 12 to a closed position again, with a lip 13 of the segment 4a snapping into a correspondingly shaped rectangular opening 14 in the segment 4b. The lip 13 is unlocked again via a pushbutton 15. On both sides the cover 3 is provided with laterally extending projections 16, which can be inserted into correspondingly shaped recesses 17 in the uppermost segment 4a of the container 2. The projections 16 form bearings, as it were, that make it possible to pivot the cover 3 between the aforesaid first and second positions. As FIG. 2 shows, the cylinder 7 is provided with a flexible sleeve 18 on the inner side, Parts that correspond to parts shown in FIG. 1 are indicated by the same numerals.

FIGS. 3a-3c, in which the container 2 and the cover 3 are partially shown in cross-sectional view for the sake of clarity, show steps of the operation of the device 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2. As FIGS. 3a-3c show, the flexible sleeve 18 is provided on the inner side of the cylinder 7. The sleeve 18 is closed by the disc 8 at one end, which disc is to that end accommodated in a compartment or chamber of 19 of the sleeve 18. The disc 8 is retained in the compartment 19, therefore. At the free end of the sleeve 18, the sleeve 18 is provided with a spring ring 21 at the location of its circumferential edge 20, which ring fits in a circumferential groove 22 at the inner side of the cylinder 7. By pressing the ring 21 together, thereby reducing the dimension of its circumferential edge, the ring 21 can readily be moved into and out of the cylinder 7 together with the sleeve 18. The ring 21 will spring back to its starting position upon being released. In FIG. 3a the cover 3 is shown in the aforesaid first position, i.e. the position in which a soiled incontinence diaper can be deposited into the cylinder 7 via the open end 5 thereof. The cover 3 can be pivoted about the pivot axis 10 with respect to the container 2 (FIG. 3b) by means of the handle 9 that is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. During said pivoting, the disc 8 slides down on account of its mass and the force of gravity in order to push the soiled incontinence diaper into the container 2 via the open end 6 of the cylinder 7. Since the cylinder 7 has two open ends 5, 6, the cover 3 is immediately ready for receiving soiled incontinence diapers again in the second position.

It is noted that the sleeve 18 is detachably attached to the cylinder 7 by means of the spring ring 21. That is, after the sleeve 18 has been detached from the cylinder 7 and the disc 8 has been removed from the compartment 19, the sleeve 18 can either be cleaned separately or be disposed of as a disposable article and be exchanged for a new one.

FIG. 4 is a schematic, perspective view of the sleeve 18, in which parts that correspond to parts shown in the preceding figures are indicated by the same numerals. A flexible ring may be used instead of the spring ring 21. As FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show, the two ends 5, 6 of the cover 3 are provided with a sealing ring 23, preferably made of rubber.

FIGS. 5a-5c correspond to FIGS. 3a-3c, with this difference that the hollow cylinder 7 is open only at one end 6 and that consequently the end 5 is closed, and that the sleeve 18 is not provided halfway the inner side of the cylinder 7 but near the end thereof. In another preferred variant, the sleeve 18 is provided even closer to said end 6. Parts that correspond to parts shown in FIGS. 3a-3c are indicated by the same numerals. Also in this case, the cover 3 can be manually pivoted with respect to the container 2 by means of the handle 9 from a first position, in which a soiled incontinence diaper can be deposited in the cylinder 7 (FIG. 5c), to a second position, in which the disc 8 can slide down in the cylinder 7 under the influence of the force of gravity, and vice versa, for pushing the soiled incontinence diaper into the container 2 (FIG. 5b and FIG. 5a, respectively).

The invention is not limited to the embodiment as shown herein, but it also extends to other preferred variants that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for placing and containing objects therein, in particular soiled objects such as soiled diapers, comprising a container and a cover, said cover including a hollow tubular element that is open at at least one end, in which a body capable of reciprocating motion is provided, said cover being pivotable with respect to the container between a first position, in which an object can be placed into the tubular element from the outside, and a second position, in which the body can move downwards in the tubular element under the influence of the force of gravity in order to push the object into the container, characterized in that the device comprises a sleeve of flexible material arranged within the tubular element, which sleeve is closed near a first end thereof, the body being connected to the sleeve near the closed end of the sleeve and the sleeve being attached to the tubular element along its circumferential edge near a second end.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the body is detachably connected to the sleeve.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a compartment near its closed end, in which the body is accommodated.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the body is made up of a disc capable of reciprocating motion within the tubular element that is configured as a cylinder.

5. A device according to claim 1 4, wherein the sleeve is detachably attached to the tubular element.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the sleeve includes a spring ring at the location of its circumferential edge.

7. A device according to claim 1 6, wherein the sleeve is attached to the tubular element on an inner side thereof.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the tubular element is provided with a circumferential groove on the inside for receiving the circumferential edge of the sleeve.

9. A device according to claim 1 8, wherein the container comprises at least two detachably interconnected segments arranged one on top of the other, the lower segment of which also comprises a bottom of the container.

10. A sleeve suitable for use in a device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is detachably attached to the tubular element.