Abstract:
A multifunctional box for facilitating the safe transport of the box and a plurality of unused syringes therein. The box further facilitates the safe sequential dispensing of unused syringes from the box, with concurrent facilitation of the safe sequential feeding of used syringes into the box for safe storage therein. The box includes a container having an open top and an exit opening near the bottom sized to permit sequential withdrawal therethrough of either unused syringes and/or packets of syringes. A dividing tray is provided within the container which is used to collect used syringes while simultaneously to provide a blockage between the used syringes and the exit opening. A cover is attached to open top of the container and supports a used syringe feed means which has a first preselected position for receiving a used syringe, which then is moveable to a second preselected position for feeding used syringes into the tray for safe storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to syringes which have a variety of uses, a very common one being the use of the syringe to inject a preselected medication into a human. Syringes are used both in a professional setting such as at a hospital, clinic, or offices of doctors or other medical professionals, and also by individual users, e.g., a diabetic requiring frequent injections of insulin, this latter use being typically at the individual user&#39;s place of residence.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    The safe storage of syringes is extremely important; this is especially the case for a “used” syringe which may, after the needle thereof is removed from the tissue into which it had penetrated, be contaminated with a possible deadly bacteria or virus. For a number of years, partly because of an awareness of the possible transmittal of diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS, various boxes and other containers have been developed and provided for the professional settings safe storage of used syringes. Such containers are sometimes referred to as “sharps-boxes”. A typical sharps-box would be a container securely attached to the wall within the professional setting, with a locked cover or the like, and with an opening permitting sequential insertion of used syringes into the box. From time to time, trained staff empty the used syringes into, hopefully, a safe disposal means for handling medical waste.  
           [0005]    Individual users, on the other hand, have not typically had such “safe” storage arrangements. A more typical arrangement for an individual user would be to insert a used syringe into the mouth of an empty one-gallon plastic jug which, in practice, could hold a significant number of used syringes before it got full or otherwise required disposal. There are obvious risks associated with this type of storage. The user could inadvertently tip over the jug or otherwise cause one or more used syringes to come out of the container and into potential contact with the user and/or other people in that vicinity. Alternately, the user might put the filled or partly filled jug into the trash disposal system, which would create potential risk to others in society.  
           [0006]    The individual user of syringes typically purchases syringes at a retail outlet such as a drug store, or other retailing establishment. Syringes are frequently vended in flat-like packets containing a preselected number of syringes, e.g., ten; sometimes the syringes are vended individually in single or, more typically, in bulk quantities. The user transports the unused syringes to his or her place of residence.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention provides a multifunctional box for facilitating (i) the safe transport of the box and a plurality of unused syringes therein to a syringe user, (ii) the safe sequential dispensing of said unused syringes from said box, and (iii) the safe sequential feeding of used syringes into the box for safe storage therein. A typical usage of the invention would be for an individual to purchase the box (filled with unused syringes, either individual or in packets) at a vending establishment, to transport the box to his or her place of residence where the unused syringes would be withdrawn from the box as needed and the used syringes would be sequentially fed or inserted back into the box but, importantly, the used syringes would be hygienically separated from the unused syringes remaining in the box.  
           [0008]    More specifically, the invention provides a multifunctional box comprising a container having an open top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides integral therewith defining a preselected volume for storing a preselected number of unused syringes. The syringes may be individualized or may be in packets containing a preselected number, e.g., ten. The container additionally has an exit opening adjacent to the bottom thereof, the opening being sized to permit sequential withdrawal therethrough of unused syringes.  
           [0009]    The invention further provides a dividing tray having a bottom and a plurality of sides so as to provide a form of subcontainer. The tray is sized to fit in close but unrestricted relationship the sides of the main container. The tray is adapted to be rested upon and supported by either unused syringes positioned below, or by the bottom of the container. That is, the tray is adapted to be supported with the bottom thereof on top of a plurality of unused syringes in the container. Because the tray is not restricted from movement within the container, as unused syringes are withdrawn from the container through the aforesaid exit opening, the tray moves under the influence of gravity vertically downward towards the bottom of the container. The clearance between the sides of the container and the tray are selected to preclude the passage therebetween of a used syringe.  
           [0010]    The invention additionally provides a cover adapted to be attached to and locked to the open top of the container. Additionally, a used syringe feed means or mechanism is positioned within and supported by the cover, and has at least one used syringe receiving means having a first preselected position for receiving a used syringe, and then being moveable, e.g., rotated to a second preselected position for feeding used syringes into the tray for safe storage therein.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of my invention showing the top, a side, and an end thereof.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1A is a partial view of the container shown in FIG. 1, depicting an alternate usage, i.e., having individual unused syringes removed from the exit opening as contrasted with the FIG. 1 depiction of a packet of unused syringes being removed from the exit opening.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, as viewed along section lines  2 - 2  thereof and as viewed along section lines  2 - 2  of FIG. 3.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, as viewed along section lines  3 - 3  thereof and as viewed along section lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, as viewed along section lines  4 - 4  thereof and as viewed along section lines  4 - 4  of FIG. 3.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a view, partly in section, of a second embodiment of the cover as viewed along section lines  5 - 5  of FIG. 6.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5, as viewed along section lines  6 - 6  thereof.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the used syringe feed means depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring to FIG. 1, a multifunctional box AA comprises in part a container  10  shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2, 3, and  4 . The container  10  has an open top  10 OT, a bottom  10 B, and a plurality of sides  10 ′,  10 ″,  10 ′″, and  10 IV. As shown, the sides  10 ′ and  10 ′″ are of greater width than the sides  10 ″ and  10 IV. The sides of the container are preselected so as to efficiently accommodate a plurality of unused syringes S, such as is depicted in FIG. 1A, or a plurality of packets of unused syringes P, such as is shown in FIG. 1. Thus, sides  10 ′ and  10 ′″ are sufficiently long so as to accommodate the longitudinal length of the syringe S, FIG. 1A showing a plurality of unused syringes S being arranged lying in close side-by-side parallel relationship. Further, the sides  10 ″ and  10 IV are sufficiently wide in the transverse sense so as to permit the storage of a plurality of packets P stacked at the point of manufacture in side-by-side stacked relationship as is shown in FIG. 2. As can be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2, side  10 ″ of container  10  does not quite extend to the bottom  10 B; it terminates at  10 X to thus define an exit opening EO for the selective removal of packets P of syringes or individual unused syringes S by the user of box AA. Packets of syringes are typically sold by retail establishments to individual users, either as individual packets or in a larger container having a plurality of packets. The present invention contemplates that the individual user would purchase the entire container AA prefilled prior to purchase with either packets or individual unused syringes.  
         [0020]    The multifunctional box of the invention includes a cup-like dividing tray  20 , shown clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, having a bottom  20 B and a plurality of sides  20 ′,  20 ″,  20 ′″ and  20 IV, the bottom and sides being sized to fit in close but unrestricted relationship with the sides of the container  10 . The tray&#39;s initial position is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, up at the top of the container  10  and adapted to be resting upon either a plurality of stacked packets, or a plurality of unused syringes, depending upon which choice is made by the purchaser. As individual packets P or individual syringes S are withdrawn from the exit opening EO, the tray  20 , under the influence of gravity, will move downwardly or towards the bottom  10 B of the container, and also carrying used syringes therewith, as will be explained below. The tray has the potential to descend all the way, to be proximate to the bottom of the container  10  to a position depicted in phantom in FIG. 3, wherein the bottom  20 B of the tray is abutted against abutments  20 S and  20 S′ which are shoulders on the insides of sides  10 IV and  10 ″ of the container.  
         [0021]    The sides  20 ′ and  20 ′″ extend from the bottom  20 B to the top  20 T of the tray  20  as is clearly shown in FIG. 3. The other sides,  20 ″ and  20 IV are provided with semicircular cutouts  20 AA and  20 BB respectively, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cutouts  20 AA and  20 BB are provided so as to accommodate the used syringe feed means to be described below.  
         [0022]    The multifunctional box AA further includes a cover  30  adapted to be attached to and locked to the open top  10 OT of the container  10 . More specifically, the cover  30  is shown as an inverted elongated cup having sides  30 ′,  30 ″,  30 ′″ and  30 IV sized to fit over and be attached to the open top  10 OT of the container  10 . The attaching and locking means is shown as an outwardly extending shoulder  10 S at the outer periphery of the top of container  10 , and tapered inwardly toward the top as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A tapered inner surface  30 S on the inside lower periphery of cover  30  is sized to complement the tapered surface  10 S of the container. As indicated, the cover and the container are sized so as to fit snugly together and to be locked in place by a bottom latch  30 S′ which is integral with cover  30  so as to lock the cover to the container.  
         [0023]    The top  30 T of the cover has an opening  30 R for receiving used syringes US, the opening being defined by parallel, spaced apart curved edges  30 T′ and  30 T″ as is clearly shown in FIG. 3, edge  30 T′ being shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0024]    The cover  30  provides a moveable support, e.g., a rotatable support for a used syringe feed means to be described below. At the left end of cover  30  as shown in FIG. 2, such support comprises (i) semicircularly-shaped member  31  having a lip or shoulder  31 ′ and attached to the inside of the cover by vertically extending ribs  32  and  32 ′, and (ii) a curved surface  30  FS′. The support at the right end of cover  30  as shown in FIG. 2 is an almost complete circular shaped surface  30 FS in cover  30 , i.e., a circularly-shaped opening for journaling a cylindrically-shaped end  40 A of used syringe feed means  40 . The other end  40 B of used syringe feed means  40  is supported for rotation by the shoulder or lips  31 ′ of member  31 .  
         [0025]    The used syringe feed means  40  in general is an elongated barrel-shaped or generally-cylindrically-shaped member having two curved outer portions  40 AA and  40 BB as is clearly shown in FIG. 3; the member further having a pair of opposed used syringe receiving pockets  41  and  42  which respectively connect the outer curved sections  40 AA and  40 BB. Referring to FIG. 3, it is seen that pocket  41  is sized so as to receive a used syringe US via the opening  30 R.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 3, the used syringe US shown in phantom within the pocket recess  41  of the feed means  40  may be put within the container for safe storage easily by manual rotation of the barrel  40  in the direction of the arrow R after approximately 180 degrees of rotation of the barrel about its rotational axis, the used syringe then will be free to fail under the influence of gravity into the cup-like top of tray  20  where it will be safely stored and prevented by the invention from ever being available for exit through the exit opening EO. It will be understood that, initially, the tray  20  will be generally positioned near the top of the container  10 , on the assumption that container  10  will be substantially full of either unused individual syringes or packets of syringes. In any event, as unused syringes and packets are removed through the opening EO for use by the user, the tray, as indicated, will begin traveling downwardly under the influence of the weight of the tray per se and used syringes therein toward the bottom  10 B of the container. FIG. 3 shows, in phantom, a plurality of used syringes US within the tray (also shown in phantom) with the tray being at its lowermost or bottommost position, resting on the shoulders  10 S and  10 S′ of the container. It will be noted that when the tray  20  is in this position, it serves as a block between the used syringes and the exit opening EO. Thus, used syringes may not inadvertently or otherwise be removed from the container once they have been inserted into the container via the cover  30  and used syringe feed means  40 .  
         [0027]    As indicated, the clearance between the sides of tray  20  and container  10  prevents any passage therebetween of a syringe. Thus, the invention provides a safe storage of and dispensing of unused syringes; the safe storage is not compromised by used syringes being collected, as aforesaid, in cup-like tray  20 .  
         [0028]    It should be further understood that the feed means  40  does not permit, in normal usage thereof, any used syringe being somehow retransferred from within the container  10  out through the opening  30 R. To completely rule out such an occurrence, the apparatus shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and  7  has been provided, which will now be described in detail.  
         [0029]    A modified barrel  140  has a relatively small diameter central core  140 EE to which are integrally connected two sets of semicircularly-shaped segments, the first set  146 ,  147 , and  148  positioned on one side of the rotational axis, and a matching set  146 ′,  147 ′, and  148 ′ positioned on the opposite side of the rotational axis, with the aforesaid sets defining therebetween used syringe receiving recesses  149  and  150 , best shown in FIG. 6. The segments  146 - 148  and  146 ′- 148 ′ are spaced apart by slots YY and XX as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. Used syringe feed means  140  further includes at the right end as shown in FIG. 7 a cylindrically-shaped top  140 A′ having, within, a turning means  143 . At the left end, as shown in FIG. 7, is a hub-member  140 B which is adapted to be rotationally supported the lower bearing means  130 XX shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and at the top by a bearing means  130 X as is shown in FIG. 5. The portion  140 A′ of the used syringe feed means  140  is supported for rotation by an appropriate bore  130 Y provided in the cover  130 .  
         [0030]    A key feature of this modification or embodiment of the invention are a plurality of fingers  160 ,  161 , and  160 ′ and  161 ′ which are integral with the cover  130  and which curve downwardly as is shown in FIG. 6, i.e., within the slots or spaces XX and YY of the barrel  140 , the lower extremities of said fingers being in close proximity and/or in touching relationship with the central core  140 EE. The fingers  160 ,  161 ,  160 ′ and  161 ′ are all springlike, or resilient, so that they may be momentarily deflected sufficiently when the barrel  40  is rotated to permit the transfer of a used syringe from the receiving recess  149  (when the barrel is rotated) to be transferred to and/or deposited in the tray  20  within the container  10  positioned below the cover  130 . Thus, the spring fingers will permit such a transfer from the outside of the cover through the opening  130 R into the tray, as aforesaid, but the fingers will prevent any reverse transfer from within the container to the outside of the cover via opening  130 R.  
         [0031]    Additional features of the apparatus shown in FIGS.  5 - 7  include a pair of barrel side supports  154  and  155  shown in FIG. 6, which help stabilize the barrel. A plurality of ribs  130 M are provided, as is shown in FIG. 5, for providing a certain level of reinforcement or strength to the cover  30 .  
         [0032]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it will be understood that variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.