Patent Publication Number: US-10315799-B2

Title: Palletized integrated box

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention in general relates to packaging; and in particular to a box integrated to a pallet formed entirely of corrugated materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader, or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies. Goods or shipping containers are often placed on a pallet secured with strapping, stretch wrap or shrink wrap and shipped. Pallets have dramatically supplanted older forms of crating like the wooden box and the wooden barrel, as pallets work well with modern packaging like cardboard boxes and intermodal containers commonly used for bulk shipping. 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical wooden pallet  10  with a series of top deckboards  12  secured with nails  14  to the top surface of stringers or runners  16 . The bottom surface of the stringers or runners  16  are further secured to lower deckboards  18  with nails as well. A common application of pallets, or a variation of the pallet called a skid, is to be joined with a bulk box or bulk bin, where the bulk box/bin is often made of corrugated fiberboard that is either doublewall or triplewall. The combination of the bulk box/bin with a pallet or skid is commonly referred to as a gaylord, which derives the name from the Gaylord Container Company that originated the combination.  FIG. 2  is a prior art gaylord  20  with an octagonal shaped box  22  with a corresponding lid  24  positioned on a wooden skid  26  formed with a top board  28  attached to the top surface of stringers or runners  16 . 
     Infectious medical waste is generated in the research, diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals and has been, or is likely to have been contaminated by organisms capable of causing disease. Infectious medical waste includes items such as: cultures and stocks of microorganisms and biologicals; blood and blood products; pathological wastes; radiological contrast agents, syringe needles; animal carcasses, body parts, bedding and related wastes; isolation wastes; any residue resulting from a spill cleanup; and any waste mixed with or contaminated by infectious medical waste. Facilities which generate infectious medical waste include: hospitals, doctors offices, dentists, clinics, laboratories, research facilities, veterinarians, ambulance squads, and emergency medical service providers, etc. Infectious medical waste is even generated in homes by home health care providers and individuals, such as diabetics, who receive injections at home. 
     Before infectious medical waste can be disposed of the waste must be sterilized. Traditional sterilization methods include: incineration; steam treatment or autoclaving; and liquid waste may be disposed of in approved sanitary sewers. More recent methods that have been developed include microwave irradiation and use of various chemical washes. 
     Transforming waste from a liability to an asset is a high global priority. Currently employed technologies that rely on incineration to dispose of carbonaceous waste with useable quantities of heat being generated while requiring scrubbers and other pollution controls to limit gaseous and particulate pollutants from entering the environment. Incomplete combustion associated with conventional incinerators and the complexities of operation in compliance with regulatory requirements often mean that waste which would otherwise have value through processing is instead sent to a landfill or incinerated off-site at considerable expense. As medical waste often contains appreciable quantities of synthetic polymers including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), incineration of medical waste is often accompanied by release of chlorine, ClO x , SO x , and NO x  air pollutants that must be scrubbed from the emitted gases. Alternatives to incineration have met with limited success owing to complexity of design and operation outweighing the value of the byproducts from waste streams. 
     While there have been many advances in the treatment and disposal of infectious waste, the use of wooden pallets that are fastened together with nails to transport waste are in general hard to grind and shred. The construction of the wooden pallets may disrupt the operation of the grinder and shredders in the treatment facility. Thus, there exists a need for improved high strength packaging solutions that allow for safe transport of the waste to a disposal location, and where the packaging is compatible with automated systems and methods for treatment of infectious and hazardous waste. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An integrated container includes a pallet made entirely of corrugated materials, and a box made entirely of the corrugated materials joined to the pallet. The pallet further includes a corrugated top platform, a series of corrugated spacers, and a corrugated bottom platform, where an inner surface of the top platform attaches to the series of corrugated spacers that rest on and are attached to an upper surface of the corrugated bottom platform. 
     A system is provided for treatment and destruction of hazardous and infectious waste, where the waste is delivered in integrated containers each formed of a pallet joined to box both made entirely of corrugated materials. The system includes a computer server with a database connected to a network, and a first reader to record identifying information about each of a set of the integrated containers into inventory, the set of containers holding hazardous and infectious waste delivered for disposal, where the first reader is connected via the network to the computer server. The system further includes waste processing line with a process control computer that controls the waste processing line and is connected to the network. The waste processing line further includes a second reader to record the set of integrated containers as the integrated containers are moved from inventory into the waste processing line, the second reader in electrical communication with the process control computer, a sealed enclosure, a shredder within the sealed enclosure, a belt conveyor to supply the set of waste, the belt conveyor running from an exterior of the sealed enclosure to the shredder; an oxidizer in fluid communication with the sealed enclosure adapted to destroy airborne infectious matter from the sealed enclosure, a feed conveyor for transfer of shredded material from the shredder to a carbonizer, the carbonizer having a chain belt to move shredded material through the carbonizer; and an analyzer that provides analysis of remaining non-useable outputted waste, the analyzer in electrical communication with the process control computer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical prior art pallet; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a typical prior art gaylord with an octagonal shaped box and cover; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a gaylord with a rectangular corrugated box and cover attached to a corrugated pallet in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the wall construction of various embodiments of the corrugated material used in embodiments of the invention; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are a perspective view and a side view, respectively of the corrugated pallet of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5C  is an exploded view of the corrugated pallet of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a press fit securement for joining layers of the corrugated pallet in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is a front perspective view of a plastic lined medical waste collection container for use with the corrugated pallet of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is a top view of the box cover of the waste collection container of  FIG. 7A  illustrating the pull up lid formed in the cover in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 7C  is a perspective view illustrating different sized medical collection containers in relation to the corrugated pallet of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of an overall system for auditable infectious waste treatment incorporating the use of the corrugated pallets integrated to boxes for transport of the infectious waste according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram of a prior art infectious waste treatment system for use with the corrugated pallets integrated to boxes according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a side section view depicting a prior art encapsulated shredding and infectious matter escape prevention sub-system for use with the corrugated pallets integrated to boxes according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a prior art oxidizer adapted for use with embodiments of the invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a block diagram of a prior art top loaded infectious waste treatment system compatible with according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has utility as an integrated container with a box and pallet made entirely of corrugated materials that is fully compatible with automated systems and methods for the safe collection, transfer, and treatment of infectious and hazardous waste. The use of wooden pallets that are fastened together with nails to transport waste are in general hard to grind and shred. Furthermore, the construction of the wooden pallets may disrupt the operation of the grinder and shredders in the treatment facility. The use of embodiments of the inventive integrated box and pallet made entirely of corrugated materials provides an improved high strength packaging solution that allows for safe transport of the waste to a disposal location, and where the packaging is compatible with automated systems and methods for treatment of infectious and hazardous waste. The corrugated pallet and integrated box are compatible with shredders and does not require metal fasteners. Embodiments of the corrugated pallet and box are completely recyclable, and may be made of a cardboard or of plastic. 
     Referring now to the figures,  FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of an integrated container  30  with a box  22 ′, lid cover  24 ′, and pallet  32  that are made entirely of corrugated materials (cardboard or plastic) to form a completely corrugated gaylord  30 . It is appreciated that while a square gaylord is depicted in  FIG. 1 , alternative shapes illustratively including rectangles, octagons, and cylinders may be used for the container portion of the integrated box and corrugated pallet. The container portion or box  22 ′ may be single walled, double walled, or triple walled as shown in cross section in  FIG. 4 . A plastic liner may be included in the box  22 ′ to contain liquids or moisture. Embodiments of the corrugated pallet  32  may have a square or rectangular shape that is conducive for use with loading equipment and for stacking. The components that form the corrugated pallet may be double walled, triple walled, or even more layers depending on the load to be carried. Unlike the wavy flutes shown in  FIG. 4 , a honeycomb pattern may be used between the cardboard or plastic walls of each layer. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are a perspective view and a side view, respectively of the corrugated pallet  32  of  FIG. 3  As best shown in the exploded view of  FIG. 5C , the corrugated pallet  32  has a corrugated top platform  34  that attaches to the box  22 ′. The inner surface of the top platform  34  attaches to a series of corrugated spacers  36  that rest on and are attached to the upper surface of a corrugated bottom platform  38 . The spacers  36  are positioned to allow a forklift or other lifting device to insert lifting arms beneath the top platform  34 . It is appreciated that the spacers  36  are shown as a pattern of nine individual spacers  36  to allow forklift engagement access from any side of the four sides of the corrugated pallet  32 , however the spacers  36  may be configured as shown for the continuous stringers or runners  16  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  that only allow forklift engagement access from two opposing sides of the corrugated pallet  32 . As shown in  FIG. 5B  the top layer  34  is formed by a series of cardboard sheets bonded together, while the corrugated bottom platform  38  has a honeycomb pattern between the outer layers of the corrugated bottom platform  38 . Also, visible in  FIG. 5B  the spacers  36  are formed by a series of corrugated cardboard sheets bonded together. The layers of the corrugated pallet  32  formed by the top platform  34 , spacers  36 , bottom platform  38  may be joined to each other by adhesives, tapes, staples, or other securements including barbed plastic press fits  40  as shown in  FIG. 6  that insert through the layers for attachment via the top platform  34  and the bottom platform  38 . In embodiments where the corrugated pallet  32  is formed with plastics, spot welding may be used to fuse the layers together 
       FIG. 7A  is a front perspective view of a plastic lined medical waste collection container  42  for use with the integrated container  30  of  FIG. 3 . The waste collection container  42  may be made of cardboard or recyclable plastic, and come in varying sizes as shown in  FIG. 7C  as  42  and  42 ′ and are designed to be placed or nested within the integrated container  30 . It is appreciated that the waste collection containers ( 42 ,  42 ′) may come in additional sizes and shapes then shown, and are designed to fit into the larger corrugated pallet  30 . The waste collection container  42  has a cover  44  and a plastic liner  46  to contain fluids within the box  48  portion of the waste collection container  42 . The plastic liner  46  may have a draw string or double-sided draw string to close an interior bag formed from the plastic liner  46 .  FIG. 7B  illustrates the box cover  44  with a pull up lid  45  formed in the cover  44 . In practice, separate waste collection containers  42  may be individually positioned in various examining and operating rooms in a medical facility, and are then collected when full and placed in the integrated container  30  for offsite disposal. 
     Embodiments of inventive corrugated integrated box and pallet may be used with a medical waste handling and shredding sub-system, as disclosed in co-pending applications PCT/US16/13067 “Infectious Waste Disposal” filed Jan. 12, 2016, PCT/US16/22061 “Integrated Collection of Infectious Waste and Disposal Thereof” filed Mar. 11, 2016, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/292,516 “Auditable Infectious and Hazardous Waste Disposal” filed Oct. 13, 2016 all of which are included by reference in their entirety herein, that feeds partially processed waste to an oxidizer to eliminate potential airborne infectious waste prior to transforming the medical waste into useful co-products. In accordance with the present invention, medical waste in the inventive corrugated containers is transformed into value added products including hydrocarbon based gases, hydrocarbon-based liquids, carbonized material, and recovered precious metals and rare earth materials in a system having as its transformative element an anerobic, negative pressure, or carbonization system. With medical waste as a feedstock for the production of valuable products, the present invention provides an economically viable and environmentally more responsible alternative to traditional methods of medical waste treatment. 
     Embodiments of inventive integrated container  30  formed with corrugated box  22 ′ and pallet  32  are shown as being delivered on a truck  52  in  FIG. 8  of a block diagram of an overall system  50  for auditable infectious waste treatment. Each of the individual integrated corrugated containers  30  may be identified with at least one of a machine-readable indicia  54  or a radio frequency identification tag  56  (RFID). The machine-readable indicia  54  may illustratively include barcodes and quick response (QR) codes. Upon delivery of the waste to be processed, the indicia  54  are read or the RFID  56  are scanned with the reader  58 . If the containers  30  are coded with RFID tags  56 , the truck  52  may be driven through an overhead gantry that holds the reader  58  to read the contents of the truck. The scanned integrated corrugated containers  30  of waste may be placed in a warehouse  60  as inventory or sent directly to a waste processing line (WPL). If the waste is warehoused, the containers  30  are rescanned with reader  62  as the containers of waste are removed from inventory and introduced to the waste processing line (WPL). The scanned identifying information from the containers  30  are sent via a network  64  to a computer server  66  that maintains a database  68 . In a specific embodiment, the database  68  is based on enterprise resource planning (ERP), which is a category of business-management software—typically a suite of integrated applications—that an organization can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from many business activities, including: product planning, purchasing, manufacturing, or service delivery. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 8 , the waste is processed using a waste processing line (WPL) that is described in further detail in  FIGS. 9-12 . Processing may be tracked in units of time referred to as a “time fence” which is an allowable processing window. A process control computer system  101  in  FIG. 9  produces a log of various processing parameters. Processing parameters may illustratively include derivative thermogravimetric (DTG), conveyor line speed, and carbonizer temperature by zone. Thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA) is a method of thermal analysis in which changes in physical and chemical properties of materials are measured as a function of increasing temperature (with constant heating rate), or as a function of time (with constant temperature and/or constant mass loss). TGA can provide information about physical phenomena, such as second-order phase transitions, including vaporization, sublimation, absorption, adsorption, and desorption. Likewise, TGA can provide information about chemical phenomena including chemisorptions, desolvation (especially dehydration), decomposition, and solid-gas reactions (e.g., oxidation or reduction). TGA may be used to determine selected characteristics of materials that exhibit either mass loss or gain due to decomposition, oxidation, or loss of volatiles. The analysis may be conducted with analyzer  105  with the information sent with the network interface controller  103  via network  64 . The network  64  may be a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the Internet. Information may be sent via wired or wireless mediums. In a specific inventive embodiment, the collected information from the auditable waste processing system is in a standardized format that allows for electronic data interchange (EDI). EDI allows computer to computer information transfer without human intervention. The an EDI listener  70  shown in the computer server  66  “listens” for EDI protocols and accepts data that is sent in acceptable formats to be included in the database  68 . Waste process information may be retrieved from the database  68  by the computer  66  to generate reports and conduct audits that are made available to clients and regulatory agencies  72 . 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram of an infectious waste treatment system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. An encapsulated shredding and infectious matter escape prevention sub-system  104  encloses a shredder in a negative pressure sealed environment that acts to contain residue and contaminants from escaping into the environment during the shredding operation of the integrated corrugated containers  30  with infectious waste. The integrated corrugated containers  30  with infectious waste are loaded into the sub-system  104  via belt conveyor  102 . The belt conveyor  102  introduces the infectious or contaminated waste in integrated containers  30  that are scanned with reader  58  as the integrated containers  30  of waste are introduced into the subsystem  104 . An oxidizer  130  destroys any airborne infectious matter that exits through hood  128  at the top of the sub-system  104 . 
     As used herein an oxidizer is defined to also include a thermal oxidizer and catalytic oxidizer; such systems are commercially available and in widespread usage. 
     Feed conveyor  126  transfers the shredded material from the sub-system  104  to the carbonizer  142 . It is appreciated that feed conveyor  126  also includes augers, shuttle bins, and other conventional devices to transit shredded material. The analyzer  105  may be used to analyze the outputted waste, illustratively including thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA). Physical samples—aliquots of the outputted treated waste may be taken, packaged and labeled with lot information, and saved by the analyzer  105 . The process control computer  101  controls the operating parameters of the system  100 , and the network interface  103  provides formatted information to the network  64 . 
       FIG. 10  is a side section view depicting the encapsulated shredding and infectious matter escape prevention sub-system  104 . The dotted lines represent the containment walls  106  that enclose the shredder  116 . The enclosure of the sub-system  104  is maintained at a negative pressure to draw in air (as opposed to expelling air) as represented by the arrows into the vents  114 , as well as into the exterior flap  108  that permits containerized waste to enter the sub-system  104  via the belt conveyor  102 , and other openings such as for the feed conveyor  126  and service door  112 . The exterior flap  108  is readily formed of rubberized materials, polymeric sheeting, as well as metals. Service door  112  is provided in some inventive embodiments to allow service workers to enter the enclosure. It is appreciated that a service person may be required to wear protective clothing and a filter mask. In a specific embodiment, the service door  112  may be a double door airlock, where only one door is open at a time to minimize the escape of contaminants into the environment. In still other embodiments, the air handling system modifies operation during opening of the service door  112  to maintain a negative pressure during opening to inhibit airborne escape of potential pathogens. Hopper flap  110  acts to allow containerized waste to enter the hopper  118  of the shredder  116 , while also acting as a seal around the belt conveyor  102 . The hopper flap  110  is readily formed of rubberized materials, polymeric sheeting, as well as metals. At the bottom of the hopper  118 , an auger  122  that is driven by one or more motors  120  shreds the waste. In an embodiment, the motors  120  may be variable frequency drive (VFD) motors. The shredded material is accumulated in a process airlock  125  that supplies material to a feed conveyor  126 . Levels and presence of material within the hopper  118  and the process airlock  125  are controlled via sensors  124 . In a specific embodiment, the sensors  124  are through beam sensors (TBS). Feed conveyor  126  is sealed to the process airlock  125 , and transports the shredded material from the sub-system  104  to the carbonizer  142 . Hood  128  collects airborne contaminants for introduction into the oxidizer (TO)  130 . 
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram of an oxidizer  130  adapted for use with embodiments of the invention that acts as a fume incinerator for the containment room of sub-system  104 . Large particle screener  132  filters out particles from the exhaust stream of airborne contaminants. A filter differential sensor may be employed to detect when a filter is clogged and requires replacement. A blower  134  draws in the exhaust stream and blows the exhaust stream into the combustion tube  138 . A gas supply  136  supplies fuel for burners in the combustion tube  138 . In specific embodiments, the oxidizer  130  is run on a mixture of natural gas and reaction-produced carbonization process gases re-circulated to transform the heat through the use of either conventional steam boilers or to Organic Rankin Cycle strategies to operate electrical turbine generators, or in the alternative, to reciprocating engine driven generators, and thereby generate the heat needed to produce power while also operating the carbonization process in the carbonizer  142 . This heat capture produces more waste heat than is used to heat water and generate steam for turbines or steam reciprocating engines. This heat in some inventive embodiments is used to preheat feedstock or for other larger process purposes. The pre-processing heating system preheats feedstock material prior to entering the reactor tube to both reduce moisture and improve overall system yield. Roof exhaust stack  140  vents cleaned exhaust to the environment. 
     An apparatus for anaerobic thermal transformation processing as carbonizer  142  to convert waste into bio-gas; bio-oil; carbonized materials; non-organic ash is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,801,904; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a block diagram of a shredder feed system  200  for treatment and recovery of usable products from waste feedstock illustratively including medical and infectious waste, where the carbonizer  142  is that described with respect to the aforementioned drawings. The feed system  200  utilizes conveyers  204  to feed and transport integrated corrugated containers  30  of waste into and through the pre-shred air-lock tunnel  210  and into a shred feed hopper  216 . The reader  58  reads the indicia or RFID tag on each of the containers  30  prior to entry into the pre-shred air-lock tunnel  210 . The pre-shred air-lock tunnel  210  has an airtight open and close inlet valve (door)  206  and an outlet valve (door)  212  to the shred feed hopper  216 . The pre-shred air-lock tunnel  210  may have nitrogen inputted at valve  208  to provide an inert atmosphere in the air-lock tunnel  210 . In a specific embodiment, the waste may be treated with a wet scrubber  214 . Medical waste that contains appreciable quantities of synthetic polymers including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), when incinerated is often accompanied by release of chlorine, ClO x , SO x , and NO x  air pollutants that are preferably scrubbed from the emitted gases to limit air pollution. The wet scrubber  214  facilitates a reaction with chloride gas to yield a resultant hydrochloric acid (HCl) product. In order to withstand corrosion caused by HCl, and other byproducts produced in operation of an inventive system, system components are readily formed of solid-solution-strengthened, high-temperature corrosion-resistant alloys that are generally rich in nickel and chromium/cobalt as major constituents with illustratively include 37Ni-29Co-28Cr-2Fe-2.75Si-0.5Mn-0.5Ti-0.05C-1W-1Mo-1Cb, S13Cr, 316L (S31603), 22 Cr duplex, 25 Cr duplex, 28 (N08028), 825 (N08825), 2550 (N06975), 625 (N06625) C-276 (N10276), where parentheticals correspond to the UNS numbers for a particular alloy. These alloys are resistant to the effects of HCl may be used in the construction of one or more of the wet scrubber  214 , shred feed hopper  216 , shredder  218 , and other components of the system  200  that may contact the corrosive HCl and chlorine, such as the sealed enclosure, the shredder, the belt conveyor, the oxidizer, or the feed conveyor. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 12 , the shredder  218  may be a two or four shaft shredder that is mounted so that all shredded waste material and liquids exit the bottom of the shredder  218  into a collection hopper  220  that meters and distributes the waste with a post-shred air-lock  222  directly into a carbonizer  142 . It is appreciated, precious metals and rare-earth materials for example associated with medical imaging may be obtained by burning off the carbon product to obtain carbon dioxide and the resultant metal materials. For example, contrast agents used for radiological procedures are a source of precious metals and rare earths. Gasses from the air-lock tunnel are managed with an oxygen sensor  226  and escaping particulate is filtered with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter  228 , and is the expelled through a blower  230  to an oxidizer illustratively including a thermal oxidizer. 
     As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention defined in the following claims.