Patent Publication Number: US-2010108675-A1

Title: Medical waste container

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/111,613 which was filed on Nov. 5, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure generally relates to a lid and a base for a medical waste disposal container. 
     Many types of containers have been used to store medical waste and protect the patient or health care professional from the waste product stored inside the container. The waste product may include biological material, medical devices, or other similar materials. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one example of the present invention, a medical waste container assembly includes a container having a base portion and an upper edge and a secondary lid located adjacent the upper edge of the container having a door hingeably attached to the secondary lid with the door being trimmed from a portion of the secondary lid. 
     In another particular example shown, the container assembly includes a container with a base portion and an upper. A secondary lid is located adjacent the upper edge of the container having a door hingeably attached to the secondary lid and an activation member that engages the door. 
     The lid and base member may be formed by trimming a first member to produce a lid member and trimming a second member to produce a base member. 
     A lid for the container is formed by trimming a member to form a door and a lid. The door is rotated relative to the lid and attached to the lid. 
     In another example, the lid includes a lid member and a door pivotably attached to the lid member, wherein the door is trimmed from a portion of the lid member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a medical waste container system with a first container. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the medical waste container system with a second container. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the medical waste container system with a door on a secondary lid in an open position. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an enlarged cross sectional view of the door and the secondary lid. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the container. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid with an activation rod. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid and activation rod with the door in the open position. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid and activation rod located on the container. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid and activation rod located on the container with the door in an open position. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of an alternative lid and activation rod located on a container. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a front view of the alternative lid and activation rod of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a side view of the alternative lid and activation rod of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a perspective view of another example medical waste container system. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a perspective view of the medical waste container system of  FIG. 14  with a door in an open position. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the medical waste container system of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a perspective view of a universal member. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a secondary lid of the medical waste container system of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a perspective view of the secondary lid of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  illustrates a top view of the secondary lid of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 21  illustrates a bottom view of the secondary lid of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 22  illustrates a front view of the secondary lid of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 23  illustrates a side view of the secondary lid of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 24  illustrates a perspective view of the door on the secondary lid of  FIG. 18  in the open position. 
         FIG. 25  illustrates a side view of the door and secondary lid of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 26  illustrates a front view of the door and secondary lid of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 27  illustrates a top view of the door and secondary lid of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 28  illustrates a cross sectional view of the door and secondary lid of  FIG. 24  taken along line C-C of  FIG. 27 . 
         FIG. 29  illustrates a perspective view of a base member of the medical waste container system of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 30  illustrates a front view of the base member of  FIG. 29 . 
         FIG. 31  illustrates a side view of the base member of  FIG. 29 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A medical waste container system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  including a secondary lid  12  on a known attached lid container  14 , optionally supported on a base  16 , optionally having casters  17 . The medical waste could include biological material, medical devices, or other medical waste materials. The container  14  includes side walls  18  and end walls  20  and a pair of lids  22  hingeably secured to upper ends of the side walls  18 . Handles  24  are formed on the end walls  20 . It is known to provide some secondary lid on an existing attached lid container  14  when a bag or liner is placed in an open container  14 , so the attached lids  22  do not have to be closed. However, the present invention provides several novel features in the secondary lid  12  and base  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the secondary lid  12  and base  16  can also be used with a different sized container  14   a  as part of a larger system. 
     The secondary lid  12  may be injection molded or thermo-formed. As shown, the secondary lid  12  simply rests on the upper edges of the container  14 , but could alternatively snap-fit to the upper edges of the container  14  or otherwise be removably secured. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the secondary lid  12  with the door  30  open, pivoting on a living hinge  32 . In the embodiment shown, the door  30  includes an outer peripheral edge of the secondary lid  12 ; however, optionally, the door  30  could be formed entirely within the outer edge of the secondary lid  12 . Referring to  FIG. 4  as well as  FIG. 3 , the door  30  is preferably formed in the secondary lid  12  by forming a peripheral raised portion  34 , which includes a vertical wall portion  36 . After molding or thermo-forming the secondary lid  12 , a cut is made through the vertical wall portion  36  to separate the door  30  from the remainder of the secondary lid  12 . Because the cut is made in the vertical wall portion  36 , the material removed from the secondary lid  12 , from the vertical wall portion  36  will not leave a gap between the door  30  and the rest of the secondary lid  12 . Rather, the door  30  will simply pivot downward to close the gap, such that the door  30  rests on the remainder of the secondary lid  12 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the bottom of the container  14 . The base  40  of the container  14  includes a rib pattern including a central, annular rib  42  and a plurality of radial ribs  44  extending outwardly therefrom. The particular configuration is not critical other than it could be complementary to a pattern of recesses in the top of the secondary lid  12 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . A raised portion  50  in the secondary lid  12  includes an annular recess  52  having radial recesses  54  extending outwardly therefrom. The pattern permits interlocking of the ribs  42 ,  44  with the recesses  52 ,  54  and permits the ribs  42 ,  44  to be provided on different sized containers  14  and  14   a.    
     As also shown in  FIG. 6 , end edges of the secondary lid  12  include raised portions  56  having a raised semi-cylindrical portion  58  toward a front of the secondary lid  12 . A semi-cylindrical recess  60  is formed toward the rear of secondary the lid  12  behind the raised portions  56 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , this allows for an optional hands-free activation member  66 . The activation member  66  includes a lower horizontal portion  68  from which two forward portions  70  extend upwardly to a pivot pin  72  that is received in an opening formed in the raised portion  56  (in particular, the semi-cylindrical portion  58 ) of the secondary lid  12 . Rearward portions  74  extend rearwardly from the pivot pin  72  to a pair of inwardly directed portions  76  received in the recesses  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , by pivoting the rod  66  inward, the pivot pin  72  pivots in the secondary lid  12 , causing the inwardly directed portions  76  to lift out of the recesses  60  and lift the door  70 . 
     Thus, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the secondary lid  12  and rod  66  can provide hands-free activation of the door  30  without any modification to the container  14 . No holes need be formed in the container  14  itself in order to provide the hands-free activation. Further, the hands-free activation of the door  30  can be provided to existing containers  14  without modification. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the container  14  and secondary lid  12  with the rod  66  moved toward the side wall  18 , thus activating the door  30 . 
     An alternative lid assembly  80  and activation member  92  is shown in  FIGS. 11-13  provided on the same container  14  (or optionally, container  14   a ). The lid assembly  80  includes a secondary lid  82  that sits or snap fits on the upper edges of the container  14 . A door  84  is pivotably secured to the secondary lid  82  at pivot points  90  and includes a forward portion  86  and a rearward portion  88 . The forward portion  86  is wider than the rearward portion  88 , but may be balanced by making the rearward portion  88  thicker. An activation member  92  may be used to pivot the door  84  relative to the secondary lid  82 . The activation member includes a lower horizontal portion  94 , which can include an offset portion  96  centrally disposed between two side portions  98 . The offset portion  96  provides a recess matching the shape of the container  14 . The activation member  92  further includes two forward portions  100  extending upwardly having inwardly directed portions  101  ( FIG. 12 ). The inwardly directed portions  101  connect to the rearward portion  88  of the door  84  at a pivoting point  102 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 13 , in use, a user can push down on the offset portion  96  with their foot, thereby causing the rearward portion  88  of the door  84  to pivot downwardly while the forward portion  86  of the door  84  pivots upwardly, thereby providing an opening to the interior of the container  14 . Upon releasing the activation member  92 , the weight of the forward portion  86  of the door  84  returns the door  84  to the closed position. 
     Another example medical waste container system  110  is shown in  FIG. 14  including a secondary lid  112  on the same container  14  (or optionally container  14   a ). The medical waste container system  110  is optionally supported on a base member  116  with optional casters  117 . The secondary lid  112  and the base member  116  may be injection molded or thermo-formed. As shown, the secondary lid  112  snap-fits to the upper edges of the container  14  but could alternatively be compression fit, friction fit, simply rest, or otherwise be removably secured on the upper edges of the container  14 . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates the secondary lid  112  with a door  130  in an open position. The door  130  pivots on a hinge pin  142 . The door includes a raised hinge portion  132   a  and a raised handle portion  138 . In this embodiment, the door  130  is entirely within the outer edge of the secondary lid  112 . 
       FIG. 16  illustrates at least one protrusion  150  extending from an upper surface of the base member  116  to engage a recess  46  ( FIG. 5 ) on a lower portion of the container  14  to further secure the base member  116  to the container  14 . The secondary lid  112  includes a flange  139  that surrounds a perimeter of the secondary lid. 
       FIG. 17  illustrates a universal member  111 . The universal member  111  can be made into either the base member  116  or the secondary lid  112  by trimming or cutting different portions of the universal member  111 . 
       FIG. 18  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the door  130 , the hinge pin  142 , and the secondary lid  112 . The door  130  is trimmed from an interior portion of the universal member  111  ( FIG. 17 ) and flipped about an axis parallel to the hinge portion  132   a  to attach to the secondary lid  112 . The door  130  is attached to the secondary lid  112  by the hinge pin  142 . Hinge pin openings  144  extend through the hinge portion  132   a  on the door  130  and the hinge members  132   b  on the secondary lid  112 . The hinge openings  144  may be formed during molding or drilled in the universal member  111  or the secondary lid  112  and the door  130 . A retention device such as a nut, cap, pin, or weld may be applied to the hinge pin  142  to prevent the hinge pin from unintentionally releasing the door  130  from the secondary lid  112 . Alternatively, the hinge pin  142  could include a flange at one or both distal ends that would allow the hinge pin  142  to enter the hinge pin openings  144  in a first direction and prevent the hinge pin  142  from exiting the hinge pin openings  144  in a second direction. 
       FIG. 19  illustrates a top perspective view of the door  130  hingeably attached to the secondary lid  112  in a closed position. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates a top view of the secondary lid  112  and the door  130 . The width A of the handle portion  138  is greater than the width B of the hinge portion  132   a . Therefore, when the door  130  is trimmed from the universal member  111  ( FIG. 17 ) and flipped to attach to the secondary lid  112 , the handle portion  138  will not pass through the opening formed by trimming the hinge portion  132   a  from the universal member. Additionally, since the width of the handle portion  138  is greater than the hinge portion  132   a , the hinge portion  132   a  will fit between the hinge members  132   b.    
       FIG. 21  illustrates a bottom view of the secondary lid  112  and the door  130 . The secondary lid  112  includes a channel  140  formed by the flange  139 .  FIG. 22  illustrates a front view of the secondary lid  112  and the door  130 .  FIG. 23  illustrates a side view of the secondary lid  112  and the door  130 . 
       FIG. 24  illustrates a perspective view of the door  130  and the secondary lid  112  with the door  130  in the open position.  FIG. 25  illustrates a side view of the door  130  and the secondary lid  112  of  FIG. 24 .  FIG. 26  illustrates a front view of the door  130  and the secondary lid  112  of  FIG. 24 .  FIG. 27  illustrates a top view of the door  130  and the secondary lid  112  of  FIG. 24 .  FIG. 28  illustrates a cross sectional view of the secondary lid  112  and the door  130  taken along line C-C of  FIG. 27 . 
       FIG. 29  illustrates the base member  116 . The base member  116  includes at least one protrusion  150  and a rim  148  extending upwardly from a perimeter of at least three sides of the base member  116 . The rim  148  and the at least one protrusion  150  secure the container  14  to the base member  116  and prevent the container  14  from shifting laterally relative to the base member  116 . The base member  116  is produced from the universal member  111  ( FIG. 17 ) by trimming or cutting the flange  139  ( FIG. 17 ) from the universal member  111 . Alternatively, the universal member  111  could be used as the base member  116  without any trimming or cutting. 
       FIG. 30  illustrates a rear view of the base member  116 .  FIG. 31  illustrates a side view of the base member  116 . 
     The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure.