Patent Publication Number: US-2023135147-A1

Title: Medical waste container transport device and system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/274,291 filed Nov. 1, 2021, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to devices and systems for transporting filled medical waste (e.g., sharps) containers. Current devices and systems include single-use bags and boxes. Preparation, loading, and disposal of these current products can be cumbersome and time-consuming. There is also waste generated from the single-use packaging in that the bags, closure tape, and boxes must be destroyed and/or recycled. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the disclosure provides a transport device configured to removably receive a medical waste container for transport of the medical waste container. The transport device includes a body having a base wall with at least one opening for receiving a medical waste container. A portion of the base wall that defines the at least one opening is configured to engage and completely surround an exterior of the medical waste container. The body further includes a side wall extending from the base wall, the base wall and side wall together defining a cavity. A cover is movably coupled to the side wall and is movable between a closed position, in which the cover cooperates with the side wall to close a top of the cavity, and an open position, in which the cavity is open at the top. 
     In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of using the transport device and includes placing the transport device on a support surface with the base wall on the support surface, moving the cover to the open position such that the cavity is open at the top, placing the medical waste container through the open top of the cavity into the cavity so that a bottom of the medical waste container is positioned in the at least one opening and on the support surface, moving the transport device relative to the medical waste container toward a top of the medical waste container until an exterior of the medical waste container engages a portion of the base wall defining the at least one opening, and moving the cover to the closed position so that an upper end of the medical waste container is enclosed within the closed cavity of the transport device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a transport device for use in transporting medical waste containers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a side perspective view of the transport device of  FIG.  1   , with the cover in the open position. 
         FIG.  3    is a top perspective view of the transport device of  FIG.  1   , with the cover in the open position. 
         FIG.  3 A  is an enlarged partial end view of one side of the cover in an open position looking downward at the free end of the one side of the cover and into the open transport cavity, and illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a lock. 
         FIG.  3 B  is a section view showing two containers supported within the transport device of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3 C  is a perspective view of the transport device of  FIG.  1    having optional cover indicia. 
         FIG.  3 D  is a partial section view illustrating the lock. 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view illustrating a plurality of transport devices nested together. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates the transport device of  FIG.  1    loaded with medical waste containers and being carried by a service technician. 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective view of an alternative transport device having six openings for receiving six medical waste containers. 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of an alternative transport device having two openings for receiving two medical waste containers. 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view showing multiple transport devices containing medical waste containers and stacked on a transport dolly. 
         FIGS.  9 - 13    illustrate the method of loading the transport device of  FIG.  1    with medical waste containers. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. Use of relative terms such as “upward,” “downward,” “up,” “down,” “top,” and “bottom,” as well as derivatives of such terms (e.g., “downwardly” and “upwardly”) should be construed to refer to an exemplary orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
     Sharp medical devices are used on patients in invasive procedures, necessitating strict requirements for post-use handling and disposal. Used medical devices are unclean, often having been in contact with blood or other bodily fluids of a patient, but are still sharp. Indeed, many of these medical devices have a point or edge sharp enough to penetrate containers designated for common waste. Single-use medical devices are thus commonly disposed after use in a “sharps” container. Sharps containers are well known to those who work in medical care facilities and are intended to be used to collect potentially dangerous, used sharp medical devices that are capable of cutting or penetrating skin or penetrating a conventional waste package container. Sharps containers may contain used syringes, needles, and broken glass. These containers are periodically picked up from a medical care facility by a regulated waste collector and transported to an off-site disposal location. In some cases, the medical care facility may purchase sharps containers outright and, when filled, contract a service to remove the permanently sealed containers, which are then completely destroyed (e.g., via comminution and/or incineration) along with the contents thereof. In other cases, medical care facilities rent reusable sharps containers. When these containers are filled, they are transported to a disposal site where they are opened, emptied, and then cleaned and disinfected before being returned to the same or other medical care facility for reuse. 
       FIG.  1   -3D illustrate a transport device  10  designed to securely contain one or more (e.g., four) medical waste containers or sharps containers  14  (see  FIG.  3 B ). The illustrated device  10  can be made from a durable plastic material and is thus re-usable to transport filled sharp containers  14  from the medical care facilities to an off-site disposal facility. The device includes a body  18  having a base wall  22  (see  FIG.  3   ) and a side wall  26  extending from the base wall  22  in an upward direction as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 3  and  3 B . The base wall  22 , which in the illustrated orientation defines the bottom of the body  18 , includes at least one opening  30  for receiving a sharps container  14  as will be described further below. As illustrated in  FIGS.  1 - 3   , the base wall  22  includes four openings  30  configured to each support a sharps container  14 , such that the transport device  10  can contain and support a total of four sharps containers  14  at one time. 
     The openings  30  can be formed into the base wall  22  during a forming (e.g., molding) process of the body  18 , or alternatively can be die cut into the base wall  22  after the body  18  is initially formed. If formed during molding, different mold inserts can be substituted into the mold to create the desired configuration of openings. By using the die-cutting process, a single mold for the body  18  can be used, and multiple opening configurations can be selectively cut/punched/formed after the molding operation to obtain the desired opening configuration depending upon the size and shape of the various sharps containers  14  to be transported. For example,  FIG.  6    illustrates an alternative transport device  10 ′ that includes six openings  30 ′ in the base wall  22 ′ and  FIG.  7    illustrates another alternative transport device  10 ″ that includes two openings  30 ″ in the base wall  22 ″. Other than the different number and configurations of openings  30 ,  30 ′,  30 ″, the transport devices  10 ,  10 ′, and  10 ″ are identical. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  3  and  3 B , each opening  30  is defined by a portion of the base wall  22  that defines a perimeter or outer boundary of the opening  30 . Specifically, each opening  30  is defined by an edge or boundary portion  34  of the base wall  22  that circumscribes the opening  30 . The boundary portions  34  can have a height or thickness corresponding to the thickness of the base wall  22  (as would be the case where the openings  30  are formed by die cutting the base wall  22 ), or can be thicker than a remainder of the base wall  22  if desired (as could be the case where the openings  30  are formed during the molding process - see  FIG.  3 B ). The geometry of the boundary portions  34  is designed to substantially correspond to the geometry of an exterior surface of the specific sharps container  14  to be received in the opening  30  such that, when the container  14  is inserted into the opening  30 , the device  10  can be manipulated relative to the container  14  (as will be described below) so that the much or all of the boundary portion  34  engages the exterior surface of the container  14 . The openings  30  are configured so that when the containers  14  are engaged with the boundary portions  34 , the containers  14  will fit snugly therein and are substantially constrained against movement in any direction lying in the same plane as the base wall  22  (i.e., horizontally, that is, to the right or left or into or out of the page in  FIG.  2   ). In other words, each boundary portion  34  completely surrounds the container  14  on all sides so that the container cannot move horizontally in any direction. 
     The containers  14  are typically tapered from a narrower dimension at the lower end to a wider dimension at the upper end. With that in mind, the boundary portion  34  can be configured so that engagement between the boundary portion  34  and the exterior of the container  14  will occur at some desired location between the lower and upper ends of the container  14 . Thus, with reference to  FIGS.  3 B and  5   , the engagement between the boundary portion  34  and the exterior of the container  14  will act to limit movement of the container  14  in a downward direction (in the orientation shown in  FIG.  5   ) relative to the base wall  22 . In this manner, the boundary portion  34  in conjunction with the configuration of the container  14  dictates how much of the container  14  extends downwardly from the bottom of the base wall  22  and provides a limit to the movement of the container  14  relative to the device  10  in the downward direction when the container  14  is received in the opening  30 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the boundary portions  34  grip the tapered exterior walls of the respective containers  14  such that the frictional engagement between the boundary portions  34  and the exterior walls of the containers  14  is the limiting feature that prevents further downward motion of the containers  14  relative to the base wall  22 . While it may appear in  FIG.  3 B  that the lids of the containers  14  could be acting as stops or limiting features, this is not the case in the illustrated embodiment. However, in other embodiments, the exterior walls of the containers  14  could include shoulders, bosses, projections, or other features that could act as limiting structural features in engagement with the base wall  22 . In further embodiments, a portion of the container lids could also act as limiting structural features in engagement with the base wall  22 . 
     The base wall  22  may further include one or more ribs  38  (see  FIG.  3   ) configured to add strength and rigidity to the base wall  22 . 
     The illustrated side wall  26  extends upwardly from the base wall  22  about the periphery of the base wall  22  to define a cavity  42  within the confines of the side wall  26  and in the space above the base wall  22 . The illustrated side wall  26  is rectangular in shape having a first side wall portion  46 , a second side wall portion  50  opposite to the first side wall portion  46  across the cavity  42 , a third side wall portion  54 , and a fourth side wall portion  58  opposite to the third side wall portion  54  across the cavity  42 . The illustrated side wall  26  is formed with a draft angle (e.g., 2-5 degrees) such that the cavity  42  tapers from a narrower dimension adjacent the base wall  22  to a wider dimension adjacent the top or upper end of the cavity  42 . In addition to facilitating molding, the draft angle enables multiple transport devices  10  to be nested within one another as shown in  FIG.  4    for efficient storage and transport. The side wall  26  may also include ribbing  62  on an interior surface  66  of the side wall  26  defining the cavity  42 . This ribbing  62  can increase the strength and rigidity of the side wall  26 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the upper end of the side wall  26  (i.e., the end spaced from the base wall  22 ) includes a flange or rim  70  that defines an uppermost edge of the side wall  26  and an uppermost edge of the cavity  42 . A downwardly extending lip  74  (see  FIGS.  2  and  3 B ) extends from an outermost periphery of the flange  70  back toward the base wall  22 . The lip  74  provides strength and rigidity to the flange  70 . Furthermore, the flange  70  and lip  74  are configured to engage with a cover arrangement of the transport device  10 , as will be described further below. 
     The transport device  10  further includes a cover  78 , which in the illustrated embodiment includes a first cover portion  78   a  and a second cover portion  78   b . The first cover portion  78   a  is movably coupled to the side wall  26 , and more specifically, is pivotably coupled to the first side wall portion  46 . As illustrated, a hinge  82  has a first hinge half  82   a  coupled to the first cover portion  78   a  and a second hinge half  82   b  coupled to the flange  70  on the first side wall portion  46 . Fasteners  86  (e.g., rivets) can be used to secure the hinge halves  82   a ,  82   b  to each of the first cover portion  78   a  and the flange  70 . Alternatively, the transport device  10  could be formed such that the first cover portion  78   a  is integrally formed with the first side wall portion  46  and joined thereto at a living hinge. 
     The second cover portion  78   b  is movably coupled to the side wall  26 , and more specifically is pivotably coupled to the second side wall portion  50 . As illustrated, a hinge  82  has a first hinge half  82   a  coupled to the second cover portion  78   b  and a second hinge half  82   b  coupled to the flange  70  on the second side wall portion  50 . Fasteners  86  (e.g., rivets) can be used to secure the hinge halves  82   a ,  82   b  to each of the second cover portion  78   b  and the flange  70 . Alternatively, the transport device  10  could be formed such that the second cover portion  78   b  is integrally formed with the first side wall portion  46  and joined thereto at a living hinge. 
     The first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  can move or pivot between the closed position shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3 B  and the open position shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   . In the closed position, the cavity  42  is closed at its upper end by the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b . In the open position, the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  do not cover the cavity  42 , but instead extend away from the body  18  in opposite directions. As seen in  FIGS.  2 ,  3 , and  4   , when the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  are opened, they can extend at or beyond 180 degrees relative to the plane defined by the flange  70  so as to minimize the overall height of the transport device  10  when placed on the ground or on another support surface and when nested with other transport devices  10 . The first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  cooperate with one another to define a cover  78  that can completely close off the upper end of the cavity  42 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the cover  78  could be formed as a single piece sized to close the entire upper end of the cavity  42 . That single-piece cover could be hingedly connected to the side wall  26  in a similar manner as shown for each of the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  in the figures. In yet another alternative embodiment, the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  could be slidably coupled with the upper end of the side wall  26  to move between the open and closed positions. A single-piece cover could likewise be slidably coupled in this manner. In yet another alternative embodiment, a single-piece cover could be a separate part that could be movably coupled or uncoupled from the side wall  26  to close or open the top of the cavity  42 . 
       FIG.  3 A  illustrates an enlarged partial end view of the first cover portion  78   a . Each cover portion  78   a ,  78   b  includes an edge profile configured to mate with the flange  70  and the lip  74  along the respective third and fourth side wall portions  54 ,  58 . As best seen in  FIG.  3 A , each edge profile includes flange-engaging portion  90  that is configured to engage the upper surface of the flange  70  when the cover portion  78   a  is in the closed position, and a skirt portion  94  extending downwardly from the flange-engaging portion  90 . The skirt portion  94  is configured to engage with an outer surface of the lip  74  when the cover portion  78   a  is in the closed position. The skirt portion  94  includes a plurality of inwardly extending projections  98  configured to engage a distal end of the lip  74  to secure the cover portion  78   a  in the closed position. In other words, as the cover portion  78   a  moves to the closed position, the projections  98  abut and slide along the outwardly-facing surface of the lip  74  on the side wall  26 . There is some interference in the dimensions between the lip  74  and the projections  98  such that there is a resilient deflection of the skirt portion  94  relative to the lip  74  until the projections  98  pass by the distal end of the lip  74  and then catch or latch underneath the distal end of the lip  74 . This arrangement of the projections  98  catching in place under the distal end of the lip  74  helps to secure and releasably maintain the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  in the closed position. 
     The illustrated cover  78  further includes one or more locks, latches, or securing devices  102  (hereinafter referred to as locks), which as shown in  FIG.  3 D , can take the form of an expanding pivot lock. The illustrated exemplary lock  102  in  FIG.  3 D  is of a known arrangement. The lock  102  is positioned to remain secured to the first cover portion  78   a , and includes an expandable bumper  146 , a shaft  150  that is coupled at one end to the bumper  146 , and a pivoting latch member  154 . The pivoting latch member  154  is pivotally coupled to the end of the shaft  150  that is opposite to the end of the shaft  150  received in the bumper  146 . The bumper  146  is in a collapsed or retracted state when the latch member  154  is pivoted to align axially with the shaft  150 , and is in an expanded state when the latch member  154  is pivoted to be generally perpendicular to the shaft  150 , as shown in  FIG.  3 D . 
     The lock  102  is coupled to the first cover portion  78   a  by pushing the bumper  146  through an aperture  112  in the first cover portion, which aperture  112  is smaller in diameter than the bumper  146  even in the collapsed state. Resilient deformation of the bumper  146  occurs to allow the bumper  146  to pass through the aperture  112 . Once installed in this manner, the lock  102  should remain coupled with the first cover portion  78   a . To close and secure the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b , the user closes the second cover portion  78   b  first. Next, the first cover portion  78   a  is closed, taking care to have the bumper  146  extend into and pass through an aperture  158  in the second cover portion  78   b . Some manipulation of the lock  102  may be needed to align the bumper  146  with, and insert it into, the aperture  158  in the second cover portion  78   b . To lock the covers closed, the latch member  154  is pivoted to an orientation that is generally perpendicular to the shaft  150  as seen in  FIG.  3 D . In this orientation, the bumper  146  expands to fill the aperture  158  and create an interference fit therewith. A portion of the expanded bumper  146  also extends through the aperture  158  and engages an underside of the second cover  78   b . This locking arrangement secures or locks the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  together and therefore, in a locked, closed condition. 
     Other types of locks  102  can also be used. For example, as shown in  FIG.  3 A , the lock  102  can alternatively take the form of a rotatable lock or twist lock  102 ′. A knob  106  is positioned on a top surface of the first cover portion  78   a . A shaft portion  110  extends from the knob  106 , through an aperture  112  (see  FIG.  1   ) in the first cover portion  78   a , and terminates at a latch portion  114 . Rotation of the knob  106  by a user, rotates the shaft portion  110 , and moves the latch portion  114  so that the latch portion  114  can rotate into engagement with an underside of the second cover portion  78   b . With this lock  102 ′, the second cover portion  78   b  can include notches or cutouts configured to receive the latch portion  114 . This latching engagement secures or locks the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  together and therefore, in a locked, closed condition. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , in the illustrated embodiment, the first cover portion  78   a  at least partially overlies the second cover portion  78   b  when the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  are in the closed position. The first cover portion  78   a  therefore includes an overlapping portion  122  that has a slightly larger overall dimension than the abutting underlapping portion  126  (see  FIG.  3   ) of the second cover portion  78   b . In other embodiments, different abutting and/or overlapping arrangements could be used between the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b . 
     With continued reference to  FIG.  1   , the cover  78 , and more specifically each of the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b , includes a rib  130  that defines a receiving area  134  on an upper surface of each respective cover portion  78   a ,  78   b . This receiving area  134  is configured to receive a bottom of at least one medical waste container  14  stacked or positioned thereon. For example,  FIG.  8    illustrates a plurality of transport devices  10 , loaded with containers  14 , and stacked for transport on a dolly  138 . The rib  130  and the associated receiving area  134  operate to position and retain the bottom of a container  14  stacked on the supporting cover portion. The rib  130  defines a raised perimeter that limits movement of the bottom of a stacked container  14 . 
     The illustrated transport device  10  further includes optional handles  162  configured to facilitate lifting and carrying the transport device  10  when loaded with containers  14 . While various handle designs can be used, in the illustrated embodiment, each handle  162  includes a flexible strap  166  fastened at its ends to spaced-apart locations of the side wall  26 . Fasteners  170  (see  FIG.  1   ), which can include a nut  174  and bolt  178  as shown in  FIG.  3 A , or any other suitable fastener, pass through and secure the ends of the flexible strap  66  to the side wall  26 . As best seen in  FIG.  3 C , the ends of the flexible strap  166  extend through respective apertures  182  in the flange  70  of the side wall  26 . Cutouts  186  are provided in the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  to enable the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  to pivot freely without being inhibited by the handles  162 . A tubular hand-hold  190  is positioned on the flexible strap  166  to provide a comfortable grip for the user. The hand-hold  190  can be made of a soft, resilient material, providing a more comfortable grip than if the user were to grab the flexible strap  166  alone. While the flange  70  and lip  74  can provide a good gripping feature around the entire periphery of the device  10 , the optional handles  162  improve the ease with which the device  10  can be lifted and transported. 
     When medical waste containers  14  are full and pickup is desired at a medical facility, a service technician can take one or more transport devices  10  to the medical facility. As shown in  FIG.  4   , a stack of transport devices  10  can be taken to the medical facility.  FIGS.  9 - 13    illustrate the method of loading the transport device  10  for the transport of filled medical waste containers  14 . With the filled waste containers  14  at hand, a single transport device  10  having the appropriate opening configuration for the particular filled containers  14  is selected and placed on the ground or a support surface (e.g., a table, or desk, or box). The cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  are opened so that the top of the cavity  42  is accessible for the insertion of the containers  14  (see  FIG.  9   ). Next, the technician positions the bottom of each container  14  into a respective opening  30  in the base wall  22 . The bottom of the containers  14  will actually be resting on the support surface, but the bottom of the containers  14  will be surrounded by the boundary portions  34  that define the openings  30  (see  FIG.  10   ). 
     Next, the technician will move the transport device  10  upwardly relative to the containers  14  as shown in  FIG.  11   . This can be done by grasping and lifting the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b . Alternatively, the technician could lift the body  18  (e.g., at the flange  70 , etc.) or the handles  162 . The body  18  will move upwardly relative to the containers  14  until the respective boundary portions  34  engage the exterior surfaces of the respective containers  14 . At this point, further upward movement of the transfer device  10  will result in the containers  14  being lifted off of the support surface as shown in  FIG.  11   . One or more quick upward thrusts of the transfer device  10  can facilitate obtaining a snug fit between the exterior of the containers  14  and the respective boundary portion  34 . 
     The technician can then set the transport device  10  and loaded containers  14  back on the support surface and close the first and second cover portions  78   a ,  78   b   (see  FIG.  12   ). In the illustrated embodiment, the second cover portion  78   b  will be closed first and the first cover portion  78   a  will be closed second, due to the configurations of the overlapping and underlapping portions  122 ,  126  and the lock  102 , to arrive at the closed position shown in  FIGS.  1  and  13   . The cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  can include indicia  142  thereon (see  FIG.  3 C  — e.g., a number “1” and a number “2”, or a letter “A” and a letter “B”) to assist the technician in knowing which cover portion to close first and which to close second. The indicia can be configured and located to be highly visible on the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b . As shown in  FIGS.  3  and  3 C , the indicia  142  can be molded directly into the plastic and are oriented in the proper viewing orientation when the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  are in the open position, and are therefore in the backward or mirror orientation when the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  are in the closed position. 
     The projections  98  will all snap into place under the lip  74 , and the lock(s)  102  can be manipulated to the secured/locked position. With the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  closed and locked (i.e., secured closed) in this manner, the cavity  42  is completely closed in that the cover portions  78   a ,  78   b  close the top of the cavity  42  while the containers  14  plug or close off the openings  30 . Access to the upper end of the containers  14 , which contain the access points into the containers  14  and the closures or lids for those access points, is restricted because the upper ends of the containers  14  are completely enclosed within the cavity  42 . In this condition, the transport device  10  is ready to be lifted and transported as shown in  FIGS.  13 ,  5 , and  8   . The handles  162  facilitate the lifting and transportation. Alternatively, the flange  70  and lip  74  provide a good gripping feature around the entire periphery of the device  10 . 
     The device  10  complies with the Department of Transportation’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR:  49  CFR Parts  171 - 180 ) relating to enclosures for transporting medical waste containers, and qualifies as an “overpack” under §173.25, including the package marking and label visibility requirements. The device  10  ensures that while the containers  14  are loaded into the device  10  with the cover  78  closed, the individual sharps containers  14  remain fully closed and lidded. The individual containers  14  are prevented from tipping over and spilling in transit. As such, the device  10  may be used to transport sharps containers  14 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, at least seventy-five percent of the container’s height extends from the underside of the transport device  10  so as to remain visible during transport. In other embodiments, and depending on the size of the containers  14 , the percentage of exposed height of the containers can range from fifty percent to ninety-five percent. As such, the requisite markings and labels on the containers  14  remain visible during transport. This means that no markings or labels need be applied to the transport device  10  itself. As shown in  FIG.  3 B , approximately ¾ of the overall height of the lidded container extends from the underside of the device  10 , while approximately ¼ of the overall height of the lidded container is fully enclosed within the device  10 . This ratio can vary depending on the containers  14 , however in each case, more of the overall container height is exposed outside of the device  10  than is enclosed within the device  10 . 
     Removing the loaded containers  14  from the transfer device  10  occurs in the reverse manner. If the snug engagement between the boundary portions  34  and the exteriors of the containers  14  is tight, one or more quick downward thrusts of the body  18  when the containers are supported on a support surface and the cover  78  is open will release the containers  14  from within the openings  30 . The body  18  can then be dropped downwardly to the supporting surface. The containers  14  can then be removed from within the cavity  42  for emptying and recycling. The transport device  10  is then ready for its next use and/or cleaning. 
     Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.