Closure and hinge system for waste-containing cases and implement for inspection opening

A closure for a waste container, which has a lid having a covering surface for covering the mouth of the container, a peripheral first groove in the circumference of the lid, the first groove being open in a direction away from the covering surface and defining an inner peripheral wall having an outer free end, and an outer peripheral wall having an outer free end with peripherally spaced lockable detent projections at the outer free end, the inner and outer peripheral walls being substantially perpendicular to the covering surface, a sealing gasket within the first groove for contacting the mouth when the lid is tightly closed, a lateral extension at the periphery of the lid outwardly of the first groove and forming a second groove in the extension, wherein the second groove being open in a direction that is opposed to the direction of the opening in the first groove, the second groove accommodating a hinge pin attached to the container for attaching the lid to the container mouth, a peripheral lateral extension formed on the container adjacent to its mouth and extending horizontally outwardly therefrom, the extension having an upper and a lower surface, and peripherally spaced openings therein, whereby, upon closing the lid over the container mouth for firmly locking it in place, the peripherally spaced locking detent projections enter the peripherally spaced openings and the detent projections firmly lock the lid in place by the detent projections engaging the lower surface of the horizontal extension.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to generally to a closure and hinge system 
for waste-containing containers and particularly the means with which the 
lid of a case is provided for mounting it in an articulated manner on the 
mouth of the container, and for sealing the lid. The present invention 
also relates to an implement permitting disengaging the lid from the body 
once the case is closed, and the case to be opened when contents have to 
be inspected. 
BACKGROUND 
Some waste-containing containers require a sealing system and a closure so 
that once the lid is closed it can be locked to prevent not only its 
opening, but also all manipulation that would open the lid. 
Containers of this kind are intended to store special kinds of waste, such 
as sanitary waste from hospitals or other medical sources, which may be 
contaminating or result in accidents or injuries, for instance syringes, 
sanitary materials, chemical products used in medicine, and in general 
waste of any other kind all of which require the container to be sealed, 
because of bad smell or the risk of contamination or accident, to rule out 
any chance of the container of the waste being inadvertently opened. 
European patent No. 168,877 describes a container with a closure with the 
periphery of its lid being provided with a skirt with outwardly arcuate 
and resilient deformable grooves at the top mouth of the container, so 
that as the lid flanges extend beyond the grooves of the container, they 
are retained due to their resiliency and there is no chance of their 
opening. 
The closure system described in European Patent No. 168,877 does not 
provide for attachment of the lid enabling it to be opened and not closed 
until the container is full with waste products. Furthermore, the flanges 
for locking the lid after it is closed can be manipulated and the lid can 
be opened by manual resilient deformation. 
Although the lid of European patent No. 168,877 can provide a seal, and the 
closure achieved can be considered as effective against potential attempts 
to open it, its drawback is that it cannot be movably attached to the 
container enabling the lid to be opened and closed to insert the waste, 
before it is closed, nor indeed are there suitable means to preventing 
manipulation and attempted opening of the lid after it is closed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention a lid is provided for attaching a 
lid for certain waste products. In particular the lid is provided with a 
system hinging it to the waste container, enabling the lid to be opened as 
many times as desired before it is definitely locked. The hinge system 
permits the lid to be opened and closed, even if the closure is of a 
temporary nature, since the lid will fit on the mouth of the case without 
being closed and locked unless the operator so desires. 
In the closure system of the present invention the circumference of the lid 
has a skirt provided with a pair of extensions arranged parallel to one 
another and having a deep groove in which a bolt is positioned across the 
groove and provided in the container, the bolt is arranged between the two 
brackets that project perpendicularly from the lateral surface of the 
case, close to its mouth. 
The means for mounting and hinging the lid, is provided with a number of 
flanges formed on the peripheral skirt. The flanges have a sloped 
projection that allows them to be easily inserted in windows provided in a 
side of the container, and being locked when the projections extend beyond 
the grooves, although when they do not extend beyond the grooves, the lid 
can be opened and closed without being locked. 
The peripheral extension in the side of the container contains the grooves 
for locking the flanges on the peripheral skirt of the lid, has an upward 
and downward expansion which defines an upright sector perpendicular to 
the horizontal sector in which the grooves are provided, so that the 
upright sector constitutes means preventing the insertion of tools that 
could pry open the lid. 
Right above the wing of the container, the wall of the container is 
substantially weakened on its inner surface as the container is deformed, 
specifically its mouth is radially contracted as the lid is engaged and 
until such engagement is definitely achieved. This deformation of the 
mouth of the container is intermittent, at each of the flanges on the lid, 
since in addition to an inner weakening of the mouth of the container, 
strengthening ribs are located on its outside around the grooves on the 
side wing of the container body. 
The present invention also relates to an implement that permits the 
container to be opened once it has been firmly closed so that it contents 
be inspected. That implement has a ring of the shape and size of which are 
matched to the periphery of the body, close to the side wing of the body. 
The ring has a plurality of teeth, their number and position matching 
those of the grooves on the side wing, each tooth defining an inner 
inclined plane to internally deform the flanges on the lid, and inner 
ledge for it to be axially displaced with respect to the body.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE 
The closure and hinge system of the present invention is applicable to a 
container 1 for containing certain wastes that must be closed with a lid 2 
when its full. The closure should firmly seal the opening of the container 
so that it cannot be opened by undue manipulation. 
The hinge system comprises a pair of lateral extensions 3 on the lid 2, the 
extensions having a deep groove 4 in which a bolt 5 is positioned, located 
across both extensions 3 provided on the container 1. The bolt 5 is 
suitably located, e.g. between a pair of brackets 6 on the side of the 
container 1. The bolt 5 is arranged close to the mouth of the container 1. 
That mouth has a pair of ledges 7 and 8. The first ledge 7 is an inner 
ledge, and the second ledge 8 is an outer ledge, their function to be 
explained hereinafter. 
The lateral surface close to the top edge of the mouth of the container 1 
has a extension 9 provided with openings 10. The extension 9 reaching into 
another extension 11 that is perpendicular thereto. This will result in 
the extension 11 becoming an outer upright stiffening portion with the 
extension being an inner horizontal portion where the openings 10 are 
precisely provided. 
The lid 2 has a peripheral skirt 12 defining with another inner skirt 2' a 
groove 13 between the skirts. With the lid 2 closed the groove 13 
positions the top of the mouth of the container 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 
3. The extension 12 has arcuate flanges 12' having a claw-like detent 
projection 15 and the flanges 12' are provided on their interior with 
strengthening ribs 14. The detent 15 defines a sloping portion and a 
hooking ledge to enable insertion and locking of the peripheral extension 
9 of the container 1 in the openings 10. A sealing gasket 16 is provided 
on the bottom of the groove 13. 
The arcuate configuration of the edge of the flanges 12' at the ends of the 
peripheral skirt 12 of the lid brings about a self-centering effect when 
the lid 2 is closed over the mouth of the container 1. 
The deep groove 4 for positioning the bolt 5 that is the hinge pin of the 
lid 2, has two distinct areas, one between the bottom 17 of the groove 4, 
and another one being an area 18 close to the opening of the groove 4. 
Thus a stable mounting is provided for the lid upon being mounted on the 
bolt or hinge pin (5) in either of the areas 17 and 18, due to their 
configuration. 
In accordance with the characteristics described above, as shown in FIG. 2, 
the open lid 2 will be located with the bolt 5 being in the deepest area 
17 of the groove 4 of lateral extension 3 of the lid 2. This position 
allows the lid 2 to be mounted and swung over the container 1, and opened 
and closed without the closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, being firmly 
established wherein the top of the mouth of the container is only partly 
positioned in the groove 13 and the detent projections 15 of the flanges 
12' will therefore not enter the opening 10 and there will be no locking. 
Thereby waste can be placed in the container 1 until it is full. 
Tight closure of the lid is made when the container 1 is full, or otherwise 
when desired. In that case from the provisionally closed position shown in 
FIG. 2, the lid 2 is pushed down, so that the bolt 5 moves up to the 
position in the area 18 of the groove 4 of the lateral extensions 3 
forming part of the hinge system. In this position the flanges 12' on the 
lid 2 are lowered and the projections or heels 15 will range into the 
openings 10 and locked by the ledge defined externally on each of the 
detent projections 15, whereupon the lid 2 becomes firmly closed and 
cannot be opened, for not even the flanges 12' can be manipulated, since 
this is prevented by the vertical extension 11 emerging perpendicularly to 
the horizontal extension 9 in which the opening housing the locking detent 
15 are provided. 
This operation takes place due to a resilient deformation of the mouth of 
the container body 1, as shown particularly in the operative sequence of 
FIG. 6, at which the mouth of the container body 1 is weakened above the 
inner ledge 7 providing thereby for a lesser wall thickness that allows 
the resilient deformation of the container mouth. This takes place 
specifically at each of the flanges 12' on the lid, since the mouth of the 
container body 1 in this weakened sector is stiffened by ribs 19, as can 
be clearly seen in FIG. 5, around the opening 10. 
In its firmly closed position, the top edge of the mouth of the container 1 
pushes against the sealing gasket 16 in the bottom of the groove 13, as 
shown in FIG. 3, thereby establishing a total seal to prevent the exit of 
smells from the full container. 
The double ledge 7 and 8 on the inside and the outside of the container 1, 
allows the lid to be self-centered in the groove 13, the inner skirt 2 on 
the lid assisting this, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
Although the container is designed so that, once it is firmly sealed, it 
cannot be opened. If its contents should eventually need to be inspected, 
it may be opened with the assistance of the opener implement shown in 
FIGS. 7 and 8, which can be made to act as shown in FIG. 9. 
The opener implement comprises a ring 20 for receiving therein the 
container body 1 when the ring 20 is moved axially from the bottom of the 
container upward towards its mouth. The ring has a plurality of teeth 21, 
their number and position matching that of the openings 10 where the 
flanges 12 are locked. Each of said teeth 21 is provided with an outer 
inclined plane 22 designed to contact the vertical extension 11 at the 
mouth of the container body 1 to internally deform the flanges 12 and 
thereby allow the detent projections 15 to be released from the peripheral 
extensions 9, as the front 23 of the teeth 21 pushes against the inclined 
plane of the detent 15, pushing them inward, and finally an inner ledge 24 
on the teeth 21 pushes the tip of the flanges 12' to disengage the lid 
from the container body 1. 
The materials, shape, size and layout of the elements may be altered 
provided that this entails no modification of the essential features of 
the invention, as claimed.