Abstract:
A container ( 10 ) for receiving contaminated clothing from an industrial environment such as a radiation work area is provided. The container ( 10 ) provides for a telescopic handle ( 30 ) and a spaced frame ( 20 ) extending around the container ( 10 ) which workers can grasp to maintain balance while changing into and out of protective clothing. The container ( 10 ) is preferably made of a metal which provides sufficient stability and rigidity for workers to brace themselves. The container ( 10 ) has a fittable lid ( 14 ) which provides for a telescopic handle ( 30 ) which can be used to pivot the lid ( 14 ) as well as providing a handheld support for workers.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/872,189, filed on 1 Dec. 2006, and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-AC0996-SR18500 awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in the invention. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention is directed towards a container for receiving contaminated clothing for use at Step Off Pad areas. In many industrial environments, such as a radiation area, workers must exit at a Step Off Pad (SOP) to remove any protective clothing and place it into a clothing container. Any contaminated waste other than clothing should also be directed into a separate waste container. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Contaminated clothing containers for use at SOPs are commercial trash containers upon which a laundry bag or waste bag is placed for the receipt of clothing or other waste. The prior art containers do not lend themselves to providing any assistance to workers who need to remove contaminated clothing. The conventional handles and lids on such containers are also not well suited for the unique demands of a SOP within a radiologically contaminated area. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is one aspect of at least one of the present embodiments to provide a sturdy and stable container for holding removed protective clothing that helps workers maintain their balance while changing out of protective clothing. 
         [0007]    It is a further aspect of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a protective clothing receptacle which is portable, weather proof, and easy to decontaminate. 
         [0008]    It is a further aspect of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide for a receptacle for receiving used protective clothing which can be easily transported by a single user, can be used to steady a worker while changing clothes, has a lid with a stop mechanism to facilitate easy closure, has dimensions that are compatible with standard size commercial laundry bags and has sufficient dimensions and capacity such that a single operator can easily and safely move the wheeled container when fully loaded with contaminated clothing. 
         [0009]    These and other aspects of the invention are provided by a container for receiving contaminated clothing comprising: a compartment defining an interior volume; a lid adapted for engaging the compartment, the lid capable of being operatively disposed between a closed position and an open position relative to the compartment; a frame, supported by the compartment and extending around an exterior of the compartment, the frame having at least one rear portion positioned a spaced distance from a rear of the lid and the compartment; at least one hinge connecting at least one rear portion of the frame to the lid; a handle attached to the lid, the handle extending outwardly from the lid at least about 30 cm from an edge of the lid; a pair of wheels positioned along a rear of the compartment; and wherein the lid, when in an open position, will engage a portion of a rear wall of the compartment, thereby preventing the lid from further movement in a rear direction; and, wherein the at least one hinge further defines a stop member for limiting movement of the lid beyond about a 90° angle relative to the compartment and the at least one rear portion of the frame extends above the horizontal plane of the lid when the lid is in a closed position. 
         [0010]    Further, the handle is a telescopic handle and is attached to an upper surface of the lid or to a front portion of the lid and the compartment nests within a cavity defined by an undersurface of the lid and the frame defines a rear portion which extends a spaced distance from a rear of the lid and a rear wall of the compartment. 
         [0011]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    A fully enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying drawings. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  and showing additional details in partial section. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary constructions. 
         [0016]    In describing the various figures herein, the same reference numbers are used throughout to describe the same material, apparatus, or process pathway. To avoid redundancy, detailed descriptions of much of the apparatus once described in relation to a figure is not repeated in the descriptions of subsequent figures, although such apparatus or process is labeled with the same reference numbers. 
         [0017]    Conventional containers used for receiving used radiological protective clothing make use of modified commercial trash containers. Such trash containers provide no support mechanism to assist workers in the removal of protective clothing. In addition, the free swinging lids on such commercial embodiments can frequently unbalance an empty or near empty container. Likewise, closing a free swinging lid can be difficult when there is no counter balancing load within the interior of the commercial trash container. 
         [0018]    As best seen in reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the container  10  comprises a compartment  12  having an upper lid  14 , lid  14  having slightly greater dimensions than compartment  12 . A lower surface of lid  14  defines a flange  16  which projects downwardly and extends around a perimeter of lid  14 . In this manner, the upper rim of compartment  12  nests within flange  16  and lid  14 . Attached to compartment  12  is a frame  20  having a front portion  26  and a rear portion  24  each of which extend slightly above the container  10  and lid  14  when lid  14  is in a closed configuration as seen in  FIG. 1 . Lid  14  is attached by a pair of hinges  22  to the portion of rear frame  24 . Preferably hinges  22  are connected to flange  16  along opposite sides of lid  14 . Frame  20  can be attached to the compartment  12  via any conventional mounting hardware suitable for the respective materials. Such attachments may include the use of threaded fasteners  28  or welding of the frame  20  to the compartment  12 . 
         [0019]    Lid  14  and compartment  12  may be provided from stainless steel. The use of stainless steel provides for a sturdy construction that may be easily cleaned and decontaminated while maintaining a weight that still permits easy portability of the container. On a lower rear of compartment  12 , there are a pair of wheels provided which are connected by an axle  42  which, as illustrated, extends along an exterior of compartment  12 . A pair of mounting brackets  44  are used to attach and support the axle  42  and wheel  40  to the compartment  12 . 
         [0020]    An upper surface of lid  14  supports thereon a handle  30  which comprises a handle tube  34 , an extension  36 , a terminal end of extension  36  defining a grip  32 . The interplay between extension  36  and handle tube  34  is such that member  36  may telescope in and out of the interior of the handle tube  34 . The telescopic nature of the handle  30  allows for the telescopic end of extension  36  to extend outwardly along the side of the container. When so extended, the handle provides a gripping surface  32  that an individual can grasp and use to steady, himself while removing contaminated clothing. Preferably, handle  30 , handle tube  34 , and extension  36  are made of an inert metal, such as stainless steel. 
         [0021]    As seen in reference to  FIG. 2 , lid  14  may be pivoted freely to at least a 90° angle to provide for access to the interior  13  of compartment  12 . Preferably, hinges  22  may be attached to the flange  16  of lid  14  in which the attachment site of lid  14  provides a detent, stop member, or other blocking mechanism that will retain lid  14  in the illustrated open, upright configuration. As further seen in reference to  FIG. 2 , by providing a limited amount of spacing between the lid and the rear wall of the compartment  12 , the engagement between the rear container wall and bottom rear edge of the raised lid can also limit the range of motion the lid can travel. As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rear edge of lid  14  extends beyond the rear compartment wall to facilitate the interengagement of the rear container wall and the bottom rear edge of lid  14 . Alternatively, lid  14  may rest against a portion of rear frame  24  which may also serve as a stop member to prevent the lid from free swinging on the container. Providing some type of stop member or other blocking mechanism with respect to the lid prevents the container from becoming unbalanced by a free swinging lid and also allows the handle  30  to be engaged while the lid is in an open configuration. As such, workers removing contaminated clothing can be supported by grasping handle  30  as well as front frame  26  and rear frame  24 . 
         [0022]    While the overall size, shape, and dimensions of the container  10  and compartment  12  are not critical, it is advantageous to conform the dimensions to accommodate standard size commercial laundry bags. Such laundry bags can be attached to or suspended within the interior volume  13  of compartment  12  by any conventional means including clips, hooks, or other hardware (not illustrated). As seen in  FIG. 2 , when lid  14  is in an upright, open position, there is sufficient clearance between the lid and the upper rim of compartment  12  such that placement of a laundry bag or liner along the rim of compartment  12  may be accomplished. While a rectangular container  10  is illustrated, other shapes, including round containers may be used. 
         [0023]    The container  10  may be fabricated from a number of different materials. A stainless steel container, for instance, may be constructed having a weight of about 15 to 20 kilograms which provides stability when workers are using the various handles and bars to assist when removing protective clothing. While stainless steel is extremely durable and can be easily decontaminated, it is also recognized that other materials including fiberglass, plastic, other metals, or similar materials may be used to construct a waste container for protective clothing according to the details and disclosures set forth herein. One advantage of stainless steel or other metal is that the weight of the container is sufficient to resist being blown over by wind gusts for applications where the SOP may be outdoors. 
         [0024]    While protective clothing removal occurs at contaminated radiation areas, the container also has advantages at other work sites where contaminated clothing must be removed and processed. For instance, surgical suites in hospitals, chemical processing facilities, food processing facilities, industrial waste collection, industrial cleaning, and bulk chemical transfer and handling operations are all representative environments where protective clothing is typically worn and must be collected from workers as they exit the work site. Many employers in industrial fields of technology provide protective uniforms, coveralls, and other protective outer wear for which the company is responsible for cleaning and maintaining. Providing the clothing receptacle as set forth herein at convenient locations for workers facilitates the collection of clothing and does so in a manner that allows the workers to safely remove the clothing and do so in a more expedient and efficient manner. 
         [0025]    An additional advantage of a stainless steel or other heavy duty construction material is that a clean/decontaminated container can be used to transport protective clothing to a work area. For instance, a metal bracket suspended across the opening of compartment  12  can be used to hang protective gear. Subsequently, at the end of a shift, the same container can be used to receive the contaminated clothing. 
         [0026]    The present invention can also be used in the hotel/motel industry as a safer alternative to conventional laundry carts. The waste container is easily transported and can be used to collect and transport soiled bedding, used towels, and other items that require laundering. Safety guidelines for the safe handling of used linens and towels dictate that workers need to protect themselves from such items using protective gear. The present invention allows for the materials to be received in the container and easily transported without exposure to other workers, hotel guests, etc. The present invention is also conducive to a laundry receptacle for the entertainment industry at locations such as pools and health clubs. Such facilities frequently provide towels for use by their patrons and guests which are returned to designated receptacles. The present invention provides a receptacle that is easy to use, holds a generous supply of soiled items, and may be transported to an onsite location if desired without additional worker or patron exposure to the soiled items. 
         [0027]    Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, devices, and methods, such description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used are words of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.