EP1080021A1

EP1080021A1 - Container for toxic product

Info

Publication number: EP1080021A1
Application number: EP99920891A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Serge German
Original assignee: Aventis CropScience SA
Current assignee: Bayer CropScience SA
Priority date: 1998-05-20
Filing date: 1999-05-20
Publication date: 2001-03-07
Also published as: WO1999059892A1; FR2778894B1; FR2778894A1; AU3829999A

Abstract

The invention concerns a container for products capable of flowing by gravity and constituting a risk for security if they are inhaled, touched or ingested by mammals, characterised in that it comprises: a) a disposable primary container (1) containing said products and provided with means for discharging said products outside said primary container and outside a secondary container; b) a re-usable secondary container (2) incorporating the primary container and provided with means for discharging said products outside the first and second containers; c) a device (5) for opening and closing said discharging means (4); and further comprising d) a device (7) for closing the secondary container, independent of the device for opening the discharging means, for setting the first container in the secondary container and removing it therefrom.

Description

CONTAINER FOR TOXIC PRODUCT

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a new type of container for products presenting a safety risk by inhalation, contact or ingestion for mammals and / or a risk for the environment.

State of the art

In many fields of activity, there are today more and more products presenting a risk for the environment and / or for mammals, whether by inhalation, contact, or even ingestion. The expression “product presenting a risk”, as used in the present invention, designates any industrial, agrochemical or phytosanitary chemical compound which, if released accidentally, may cause damage to the environment and / or be harmful in contact, inhalation and ingestion by mammals.

Currently, most products presenting a risk to mammals and / or the environment are stored and transported in metal or plastic containers.

Usually, liquid products are packaged in rigid metallic and / or plastic packaging, such as dry products (granules, powders) in rigid cardboard or flexible plastic packaging. These risks are particularly significant when these products are stored, transported, packaged and used. In fact, the containers usually used today have, when stored, risks of corrosion by the said products or by atmospheric conditions. These products can in particular be corrosive to the material of which the containers are made and cause leakage or breakage of these containers. In addition when these containers are stacked for storage, they can undergo, under the effect of crushing, deformations up to deterioration. In these two cases, the product presenting a risk can then run off and cause serious damage both for the environment and for mammals likely to be close to or in contact with the products. The transport of products presenting a risk, whether by road, rail, air or sea, can also be a source of risk. In addition to the storage problems described above and which are found in transport, incidents related to shocks or falls of the containers can also lead to deterioration of these containers which can go as far as the leaking of the products. This type of deterioration can occur as a result of collisions between containers, with other containers, or with the constituent elements of the means of transport used, but also as a result of impacts caused by the products inside the containers . Finally, most of the containers usually used today present handling difficulties on the part of the people who have to package or use these products, and do not offer sufficient and required safety conditions with regard to these products. Such containers are often poorly designed to provide adequate gripping and handling conditions; they rarely have the appropriate means to allow the packaging or disposal of products, without risk to the environment and the user. Indeed, the containers known ones often have a single opening on the top, which allows easy packaging. On the other hand, this single opening on the top is also the only one which makes it possible to empty the container of its contents. The user must then return the said container, which is inconvenient and can lead to risks of the container falling and of accidental contact and / or inhalation of the product by the user.

In addition, this opening is often of a reduced flow surface. This is penalizing for the user because the flow is reduced, and is dangerous because it causes splashes or "gurgling" dangerous for the user in the case of toxic products.

Another aspect is the fate of the containers after their use. Currently, the management of "packaging waste" (that is to say after their first use) is difficult and expensive. The current containers have not been defined to facilitate this requirement. In fact, the accumulation of the above-mentioned constraints generates containers made up of a large quantity of raw material (plastic, aluminum, etc.) relative to the quantity of product contained. Thus, after their first use, they retain excellent mechanical properties which are often able to assume the required stresses again. However, usually the containers are destroyed, since the sealing requirements cannot be met with the same level of requirement as a new container. The same applies to the chemical requirements linked to the risk generated when the same container is, after a first use, reused to contain a different product. There can thus be "contamination" of the product of the second use of the container by the product that the same container contained during its first use. Thus the risk generated by the mixture of two chemical substances is for example chemical reaction, increase in toxicity, or phytotoxicity. In addition, the product residues remaining in the container after its first use require, when one wants to reuse the same container, a control of the degradation over time caused by the chemical on the container. These various problems mean that, after their first use, these containers are usually destroyed for small volumes and are sometimes reused with great care for containers of large volume.

All these facts show that it is difficult today to find containers for products presenting risks, and capable of minimizing these risks for the environment and / or for mammals, in particular during storage, transport, packaging and from the use of these products. By way of example, French patent application 2 362 768 describes a container on a pallet in which a plastic container is inserted in a metal frame for the purpose of protection against impact. This type of container has the disadvantage of an interior plastic container that is not interchangeable with the drawbacks set out above. Patent application EP 0 628 488 describes a pressurizable container with a double envelope. Although it is indicated that the external envelope is removable to allow the replacement of the internal container, this type of container does not solve the problems described above either. In fact, intended to be pressurized, the internal container is a technologically advanced part, in the sense that it is made of several parts welded together, made of fluoropolymer, and reinforced by composite materials. This internal container is therefore not intended for only one use and its degradability after many uses will be delicate and will lead to a significant amount of waste.

Finally, German patent 195 37 490 proposes a reusable plastic container, protected by a wire mesh. This type of protection is unfortunately insufficient for disposable containers after use, in particular for containers containing products presenting risks. The protective mesh leaves too much visible and accessible internal container area and can therefore easily be damaged.

An object of the present invention is precisely to solve the problems encountered with the containers usually used for the transport, storage and handling of products presenting risks. Another object of the present invention is to provide containers for products presenting a risk to the environment and / or mammals and providing appropriate safety conditions for the storage, transport, packaging and use of said products. Another object of the present invention is to provide containers which are resistant to storage conditions, particularly resistant to corrosion of the products, to atmospheric conditions, and to crushing. Another object of the present invention consists of containers allowing the safe transport of products presenting a risk. Another object of the present invention is to provide containers for easy handling and allowing packaging and use of the products they contain without risk to the environment and / or mammals.

Another object is to provide a container allowing reuse while significantly reducing the volume of packaging destroyed and eliminating any chemical risk for mammals and / or the environment by the very nature of the products.

The objectives described above can be achieved in whole or in part by the containers of the present invention. Other objectives of the present invention, if they are not described above, will appear clearly in the description which follows.

Brief description of the invention

The present invention relates to containers for products liable to flow by gravity and presenting a risk to the environment and / or to safety by inhalation, contact or ingestion for mammals, comprising: a) a primary container containing the said products and provided with means for the flow of said products towards the outside of said primary container and the outside of a secondary container, b) a secondary container including the primary container and provided with means for flow of said products towards the exterior of the primary and secondary containers, c) a device for opening and closing said flow means, and further comprising d) a device for opening and closing the secondary container, independent of the device for opening flow means, allowing the establishment and removal of the primary container in the secondary container.

Detailed description of the invention The containers according to the present invention therefore comprise a primary container, intended to receive the products, inserted partially or entirely in a secondary container. The products are therefore exclusively and only in contact with the walls of the primary container, the secondary container serving as a double envelope for said primary container.

In addition, the container according to the invention is such that the primary container, when it is inserted into the secondary container, is blocked and cannot move during its transport and / or handling and / or use. For example, the shape and size of the primary container is such that it is held firmly inside the secondary container; the purpose of this characteristic is to avoid any unwanted movement of the primary container in the secondary container during transport, handling or use of the container according to the invention. This could lead to deterioration of the primary container and consequently to leakage of the product it contains. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the shape and size of the primary container are such that it completely matches the interior shape and size of the secondary container. Other means for holding the primary container in the secondary container are also possible and will be chosen from the means known to those skilled in the art.

In general, the material of the primary container is chosen so that it can safely contain the products, that is to say that is to say that the material is sufficiently inert with respect to the products that it must contain so as not to be damaged by them. In addition, the primary container is made of easily degradable material, this primary container can be disposable after use. That is to say, this primary container is generally reserved for a single use and therefore is generally not refilled a second time when it has been emptied of its content. By easily degradable material is meant a material whose destruction is easy, producing little or no toxic products for the environment during its degradation; after destruction, the amount of waste is substantially small. The material is thus advantageously made of plastics. Advantageously, the container will be made of a single plastic material for reasons of ease of destruction. For low destruction quantities, the plastics will advantageously be chosen from those which offer the greatest possible solidity for the lowest possible density. In other words, the material of the primary container will be chosen so that the empty weight of the primary container is less than 50 grams per liter of product that it can contain. Preferably, the empty weight of the primary container is less than 25 grams per liter of product that it can contain, more preferably less than 15 g per liter. In general, the plastics are chosen from those which comprise homopolymers and / or copolymers, and for example those comprising polyolefinic, styrenic polymers, polyamides, polyesters and their associations. Biodegradable materials can also be considered for this type of container. Of course, any other type of material suitable for such uses can be used. As described above, the primary container is partially or fully enclosed in a secondary container.

This secondary container has a shape and a size suitable for the uses for which it is intended. In general, the external shape of the container can be of any type, such as for example cubic, parallelepiped, cylindrical, etc. and more generally, of any type known in this field. More particularly, the shape of the container is such that it allows the easy handling required for the type of product it contains. The secondary container can also be equipped with one or more gripping means, such as for example handles which can be of all types, for example protruding or tuck-in, folding or removable, or fixed on the container or forming an integral part of the container. . According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the container is provided with a fixed handle fixed thereon. The secondary container can also be provided with legs so as to ensure, for example, improved stability in a determined position during storage and / or use of containers according to the invention.

The constituent material of the secondary container is of any suitable type is known to those skilled in the art for this type of packaging. The constituent material of the secondary container can be identical or different from the constituent material of the primary container. Generally, the material of the secondary container is different from the material of the primary container. In addition, and unlike the primary container, the secondary container must be strong enough to be reusable, that is to say that it can serve as a container for several successive and possibly different primary containers. According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, this constituent material will be chosen from those which offer the best resistance to weathering, impact and crushing (storage and transport). This constituent material will for example be made of thermoplastic or thermosetting material or wood, or metal or cardboard, or the like.

It goes without saying that the primary and secondary containers may consist of one or more of the materials described above and that they may, where appropriate, be provided with reinforcements (to avoid their deformation and / or deterioration in the event of falls or shock). These reinforcements can also be included in the very structure of the container, for example by using composite materials. The shape of the container can also be reinforced by any means known in this field, for example rounded shapes, bosses, ribs, etc.

As described above, the secondary container partially or entirely includes the primary container. In order to gain access to the primary container, the secondary container includes an opening system allowing the primary container to be placed and removed therein.

In general, the secondary container has for example a cover, a bottom or a removable side, whether or not integral with said secondary container. When the removable part is secured to the secondary container, this indicates that the removable part is connected to the secondary container by one or more hinges, hinges, or rivet or any other known means of articulation. According to another embodiment of the containers according to the invention, the secondary container comprises two parts, integral or disjoint, which close one over the other to contain the primary container in its entirety. When the two parts are integral, this indicates that the removable part is connected to the secondary container by one or more hinges, or hinges or any other known means of articulation.

The device for opening and closing the secondary container, whether it comprises a cover, a bottom or a removable side, or whether it is in two parts, is of the type known to those skilled in the art. In general, the opening and closing device is of the hook, pin, screw type (with or without nuts, horn screws, etc.), latches, etc., or by force snap-fastening.

As already mentioned, all known opening and closing devices can be used; for containers according to the invention, devices are preferred which allow multiple openings and closings, that is to say that the secondary container must be able to be opened and closed several times, in particular each time the primary container is empty must be refilled. Also preferred devices are those which provide sufficient impact resistance during transport or handling; in particular, the secondary container must not open accidentally (for example when the user is carrying the container) and withstand the constraints defined by the transport of hazardous materials approval, and consequently the devices will be chosen from those for which the opening is the result of a mechanical action on the part of the user. Thus, preferably, the opening and closing device is a device well known force snap; this type of device is particularly suitable when the secondary container is made of plastic.

The primary container is furthermore provided with means for flowing the products towards the outside of said primary container and of the secondary container. Likewise, the secondary container is provided with means for flowing products towards the outside of the primary container and of the said secondary container. These primary and secondary container flow means are arranged relative to each other so as to simultaneously allow the flow of said products or simultaneously prevent the same flow of said products.

Thus, the primary container has for example an orifice through which the products which it contains can flow by gravity outside the said primary container, this orifice also allowing the products to flow also and simultaneously with the outside of secondary container. These means are intended to soil neither the outside nor the inside of the secondary container. In addition, the flow means of the secondary container includes the flow means of the primary container, so that these are not exposed or visible from the outside. For example, the orifice of the primary container can be extended by a cylinder (tube, pipe, etc.), the end of which is situated outside the secondary container, the said cylinder being included in a homologous cylinder constituting the means of flow from the secondary container. The size and shape of the flow means must be adapted to the type of products that they make it possible to evacuate, and in particular when the products are solids in the form of particles of heterogeneous size. The flow of products to the outside of the containers according to the invention is controlled by an opening and closing device of the flow means defined above. This opening and closing device is known and of the type that is suitable for controlling the flow of products flowing by gravity. In general, the device for opening and closing the flow means is of the valve type, screw tap, with single or multiple light, with carrot, ferrule and more generally by any type allowing partial or total openings, and repeated closings of said flow means. A device allowing partial opening means that the flow rate of the products is variable. According to a very particularly preferred aspect of the invention, the device for opening and closing the flow means is of the rotary disc distributor type with total opening and closing (all or nothing operation).

The container according to the invention is of a size suitable for handling by a user. Thus, the container has a sufficient size for a capacity of 500 g to 50 kg, preferably from 1 kg to 25 kg of product presenting a risk. Even more preferably, the container can contain between 1 kg and 10 kg of product. It is however understood that all container sizes are included in the scope of the present invention and that they are a function of the particular use that is made of said containers or of said products that they contain.

The containers for products presenting a risk according to the invention can, if desired, serve as a support for labels, notices, etc. which are physically associated with said containers, for example by direct printing thereon, or by gluing, stapling, retraction, etc. These indications can for example be used advantageously to describe the type of product being in the container, but also all the characteristics of said product, and, if necessary, its mode of use.

In addition, the containers according to the present invention can optionally be provided with means for controlling the quantity of product that they contain. These means are those of known and commonly used type when it is desired to know the level of filling of all receptacles, tanks, containers, etc. Preferably, the control of the filling level of the containers according to the invention is carried out visually, that is to say that the containers are equipped with windows, skylights, etc., made of transparent or translucent material. According to another preferred embodiment, the containers according to the invention comprise primary and secondary containers made with transparent or translucent materials so as to allow visual control of their content.

These products presenting a risk and contained in the containers according to the invention are for example chemical, phytosanitary or agrochemical products presenting a risk for the environment and / or mammals, whether by contact, ingestion and / or inhalation. These products are, for example, detergents, fertilizers, pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, rodenticides, as well as all products intended to destroy pests), cleaning products, etc. The containers according to the invention are particularly suitable for phytosanitary and agrochemical compounds. Preferably, the containers according to the invention are intended for agrochemicals, such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides. Although the containers according to the invention are particularly suitable for products presenting a risk, such as those described above, their use can also extend to all types of products which must be stored, transported

According to the present invention, the containers are used for products presenting a risk, said products being liable to flow by gravity. Thus the products for which the containers according to the invention are intended are more particularly in the form of more or less viscous liquids but also liquids containing suspended solids, such as milks, latex, etc., or in the form of solids more or less finely divided, such as powders, granules, crystals, beads, tablets, briquettes, tablets, etc.

The purpose of the following example is to illustrate the present invention without limiting its scope in any way.

This example refers to Figure 1 attached to the present description, a figure which is also given by way of illustration and which should therefore not be interpreted in a limiting sense.

Example

A primary container 1 is produced by molding in a single piece of polyolefin plastic material of parallelepiped shape of dimension 250 x 300 x 370 mm comprising at its base an orifice with a diameter of 30 mm extending by a cylinder 3, allowing the evacuation of products, and with a length of 50 mm. The primary container is turned upside down (evacuation device up) in order to be filled with 10 kg of an agrochemical composition in the form of granules. A secondary container 2 is also produced by molding the two parts 2a (cover) and 2b (bottom). The size and shape of these two parts are such that the primary container can be inserted completely and completely in the secondary container 2. The bottom 2b is provided with an orifice extending by a cylinder 4, allowing the evacuation of products, with a diameter slightly greater than 30 mm and a length slightly greater than 50 mm.

The base of the evacuation cylinder 4 is equipped with a valve 5 allowing the complete opening or the complete closing of the evacuation cylinder.

The base 2b of the secondary container also has legs 6 molded in one piece with the base 2b.

The container 1 is inserted, with its opening downwards, into the primary container 2b, then the part 2a of the primary container is embedded on this assembly and locked.

The assembly thus obtained is a container 2, resting on legs 6, provided with discharge means 4 comprising a valve 5, the primary container 1 being completely invisible and completely isolated from the outside.

The granules contained in the container 1 can thus be delivered in complete safety for the user by opening the valve 5.

Claims

s 1. Container for products liable to flow by gravity and presenting a safety risk by inhalation, contact or ingestion for mammals, characterized in that it comprises: a) a disposable primary container after use containing the said products and provided with means for the flow of said products towards the exterior of said primary container and the exterior of a secondary container, said container having an empty weight of less than 50 grams per liter of product that it can contain, preferably less than 25 grams per liter, more preferably less than 15 g per liter, b) a reusable secondary container including the primary container and 5 provided with means for flowing said products out of the primary containers and secondary, c) a device for opening and closing said flow means, and further comprising d) a device for opening and closing the secondary container, independent 0 ant of the device for opening the flow means, enabling the primary container to be placed in and removed from the secondary container.

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of flow of the primary and secondary containers are arranged with respect to each other so as to simultaneously allow the flow of said products or to simultaneously prevent this same flow of said products.

3. Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the device for opening and closing the flow means is of the valve type, screw tap, single or multiple light, carrot, ferrule or of the rotary disc distributor type.

4. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device for opening and closing the flow means is of the rotary disc distributor type, with total opening and closing.

5. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the primary container, when it is inserted in the secondary container, is blocked and cannot move during its transport and / or handling and / or use.

6. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary container has a cover, a bottom or a removable side, integral or not with the secondary container.

7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary container can be opened or closed several times, in particular each time that the empty primary container must be refilled.

8. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the size and the shape of the means flow allow the flow by gravity of the products it contains.

9. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flow of the products takes place by gravity.

10. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a sufficient size to contain from 500 g to 50 kg of product. 0

11. Container according to claim 12, characterized in that it has a sufficient size to contain from 1 kg to 25 kg of product.

12. Container according to one of the preceding claims, 5 characterized in that labels or notices are physically associated with it, by direct printing, gluing, stapling, or retraction.

13. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that they further comprise means for controlling the amount of product it contains.

14. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains chemical, phytosanitary or agrochemical products presenting a risk to the environment and / or to mammals whether by contact, ingestion and / or inhalation.

15. Container according to claim 14 wherein the products are detergents, fertilizers, cleaning products or pesticides.

16. Container according to one of claims 14 or 15 in which the products are herbicides, fungicides, insecticides or products intended to destroy pests.

17. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the products it contains are in the form of 0 more or less viscous liquids, milks, or more or less finely divided solids.

18. Container according to claim 17 in which the products are powders or granules. 5

19. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is also equipped with one or more gripping means.

0 20. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with legs.