Patent Number: 054105765
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection and more particularly pertains to disposing of low level radioactive waste through specially configured containers adapted to detect its presence therewithin. 2. Description of the Prior Art The use of containers is known in the prior art. More specifically, containers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of supporting waste to be disposed are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 244,393 to Collica discloses a waste container for radioactive material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,139 to Janberg discloses a radioactive waste container with leak monitor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,268 to Noe discloses a container for low or medium activity radioactive waste. U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,550 to Baatz discloses a shielded radioactive waste container. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,019 to Catalayoud discloses a storage container for radioactive waste. In this respect, the containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection according to the present invention substantially depart from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provide an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of disposing of low level radioactive waste through specially configured containers adapted to detect its presence therewithin. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which can be used for disposing of low level radioactive waste through specially configured containers adapted to detect its presence therewithin. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of containers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved container for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a new and improved container for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection comprising a container having a cylindrical side wall of an enlarged diameter and an enlarged height. The container has a bottom wall with its exterior periphery coupled to the lower edge of the side wall. The container also has a recess through the center of the base plate with an upwardly extending cylindrical support of a reduced diameter and shortened height extending upwardly from the aperture of the base plate. A liner is formed of a flexible material. The liner is configured to fit interiorly of the side wall with its upper edges extending over the upper edge thereof. The liner has a lower face adapted to be positioned on the interior face of the base plate. The liner also has an upwardly extending cylindrical extension adapted to be positioned over the upwardly extending interior cylinder of the container. A holder having a base, side walls and a cut-out in the exterior wall positioned on the exterior surface of the side wall adjacent the lower extent thereof for holding a meter. The meter is of the type having a probe for radioactive material positionable upwardly through the aperture of the base plate into the interior cylinder. A lid is provided in a circular configuration with a downwardly extending flange positionable over the exterior periphery of the container at its upper edge. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent of legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which have all the advantages of the prior art containers and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is further object of the present invention to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which are of durable and reliable constructions. An even further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which are susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly are then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection economically available to the buying public. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection which provide in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. Still another object of the present invention is to dispose of low level radioactive waste through specially configured containers adapted to detect its presence therewithin. Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved containers for disposing of low level radioactive waste and its detection comprising a container having a cylindrical side wall of an enlarged diameter and an enlarged height. The container has a bottom wall with its exterior periphery coupled to the lower edge of the side wall. The container also has an aperture through the center of the bottom wall with an upwardly extending cylindrical support of a reduced diameter and shortened height extending upwardly from the aperture of the bottom wall. A liner is formed of a flexible material. The liner is configured to fit interiorly of the side wall with its upper edges extends over the upper edge thereof. The liner has a lower face adapted to be positioned on the interior face of the bottom wall. The liner also has an upwardly extending cylindrical extension adapted to be positioned over the upwardly extending interior cylinder of the container. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.