GB2294036A - Apertured container lid with sliding flap - Google Patents

Abstract

A closure device, particularly for a sharps bin, comprises an apertured lid 1 with an integral flap slidably mounted for opening and closing the lid aperture 2. Sliding of a first portion 3a of the flap is permitted by the flexing of a second portion of the flap near the integral connection 4 of the flap with the lid. The second portion preferably consists of intermediate panels 3b, 3c, and 3d connected together by living hinges, the panel 3d also being connected to the lid by a living hinge 4. In the open configuration two of the panels 3b and 3c project out of the plane of sliding, meeting at a small angle. As the sliding proceeds towards closure the angled panels move towards coplanarity. A final overcentring action renders them coplanar and locks the closure device in its closed configuration. The lid may provide lateral guides for guiding the first portion 3a of the flap. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER CLX)SURE DEVICE This invention relates to a closure device for a container, and to a container incorporating the closure device. The device is of particular, although not exclusive, use for containers for storing and/or disposing of medical products, for instance "sharps" such as syringes and the like. Thus the container may be a "sharps bin".

Various closure devices, usually in the form of lids, are known for containers. In particular where a container is used to store and/or dispose of medical or other potentially harmful products, its closure device must be efficiently sealable against escape of its contents into the environment. The closure device is preferably lockable for additional security, and more preferably incorporates some form of anti-spill mechanism, to prevent undue loss of contents if the open container should be knocked over.

One known type of container lid includes an aperture to allow access to the inside of the container. A separate covering flap is then provided by which the aperture may be opened and closed whilst the lid remains in place on the container. The flap may be attached to the body of the lid, in such a way as to allow movement between them.

However, where such closure devices have been used in the past, they have either been of a relatively complex design or else lacked a sufficient degree of security against contamination and against unauthorised access to, or leakage from, the container.

The present invention aims to provide an alternative, and preferably improved, closure device for a container, for use especially in relatively high security situations.

The invention aims to provide a device which has at least some of the advantages of a relatively low production cost, simple assembly and ease of operation, as well as the preferred properties described above.

Broadly, in a first aspect the present invention provides a container closure device comprising a lid securable to the container so as to cover an open end of the container; an aperture in the lid through which access may be gained to the inside of the container in use; a covering flap movable to a position in which it closes the aperture, the covering flap being integral with the lid; and an integral hinge between the lid and the flap to allow relative movement between them.

In a preferred type of embodiment, the invention provides a container closure device for connectionsto a container to close off an opening, said device having a closure wall portion in which an access aperture is defined, and a flap assembly which is formed integrally with the closure wall portion; a first portion of the flap assembly being slidably engaged or engageable with the wall portion so as to be slidable between 'closed' and 'open' configurations in which it does or does not close off the access aperture; a further portion of the flap assembly being flexible and connecting the first portion to the wall portion, the flexing of the further portion permitting the sliding of the first portion.

A device embodying the invention may consist essentially of a single-piece construction in which the lid, the covering flap and the hinge between them are all integral with one another. This makes for ease of assembly, relatively low tooling and other production costs and, due to the low number of parts in the finished device, simplicity of use and durability.

The device is conveniently made from a moulded plastics material, for instance of the polypropylene type. The hinge between the lid and the covering flap may then be of the "living" type, i.e. formed from a relatively thin portion of the plastics material having sufficient resilience to allow relative movement between the lid and the flap.

The covering flap is preferably slidable, relative to the lid, between a closed position in which it closes the aperture and an open position in which it does not. The device preferably includes locking means by which the flap may be locked, desirably permanently, into its closed position; this makes the device ideal for closing containers which are used to store and/or dispose of medical or harmful items. The locking means preferably provides a liquid-tight seal, across the aperture, between the inside of the container and the environment.

The covering flap is thus preferably movable, about the hinge, into a position relative to the lid from which it may be slid between its closed and its open positions and ultimately locked into its closed position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking means is provided by the structure of the covering flap itself. The flap comprises a number of sections, having between them integral hinges (eg.

"living" hinges) which allow the sections to fold together, out of the plane of the remainder of the flap. The sections, and the hinges between them, are so shaped (preferably moulded) that certain of the sections can fold together to reduce the apparent length of the flap, whereas when the sections are urged back towards the plane of the remainder of the flap, the apparent flap length is increased to allow it to extend across the aperture. When the sections are made to lie in substantially the same plane as one another, the flap is of sufficient length as to be locked into position relative to the lid and the aperture, for instance by means of engagement of the free end of the flap with a cooperating recess provided in the lid.

This embodiment of the invention is of particular use in closing containers for medical equipment such as, for example, used syringes. During use of the device on a container, the covering flap may be slid open and shut across the aperture, allowing the user to discard objects into the container and yet preventing easy access to any contaminated surfaces. Once the container is full, or simply finished with, the flap can be locked into its closed position to prevent further access to, or escape of, the materials stored inside. When locked shut, the flap provides a good seal across the aperture in the lid, and contaminated surfaces and objects inside the container are then inaccessible from the outside.

The hinges of the closure device may be flexed during moulding so as to orientate the plastics material from which the device is made, and hence increase the hinge lifetimes.

The device is preferably provided with an anti-spill mechanism in association with the aperture. Such mechanisms are known - for instance, they may be of the type used in an ink well, in which a flange projects, around the mouth of the aperture, into the inside of the container, creating spaces in which materials may collect rather than escaping through the aperture should the container be knocked over whilst the aperture is open to the environment.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a container in combination with a closure device according to the first aspect. The lid of the device may be secured over an open end of the container, either temporarily or permanently, by conventional means, preferably in such a way as to give a liquid tight seal between the two.

The invention also provides, according to third and fourth aspects, a method of producing a closure device according to the first aspect (by moulding from a plastics material a single piece device including the lid, the hinge and the covering flap) and a method of using the device to close an open end of a container.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a closure device embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the closure device of Figure 1, shown in an alternative configuration (ie. its moulding position); Figure 3A-3D are longitudinal cross-sections taken through the closure device of Figures 1 and 2, showing the device in four alternative configurations; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a container-closure device combination embodying the second aspect of the invention.

The closure device shown in Figures 1-3 may be used to close any type of container, in particular a container used to store and/or dispose of medical products such as used syringes and the like. It takes the form of a lid 1, only relevant parts of which are shown in the figures, which may be secured either temporarily or permanently across an open end of the container. (In Figure 1, part of ca container wall 112 is shown schematically, with the lid 1 secured to it).

The lid has in it an aperture 2, by which access may be gained to the inside of the container, for instance in order to dispose of products into the container. The aperture 2 is closable by means of a slidable covering flap 3, which is integral with the lid 1 and linked thereto via an integral living hinge 4. Figure 2 shows the hinge 4 in its open configuration, the flap 3 (only part of which is shown) not covering the aperture 2.

Figure 1 shows the hinge in its closed configuration, the flap 3 having been pivoted through 1800 about the hinge 4 and now able to extend across the aperture 2. From the Figure 1 position, the flap is slidable in the direction shown by the arrow so as to close the aperture fully.

A knob 5 is provided on the flap 3, by which a user may more easily slide the flap open and shut across the aperture 2.

The flap 3 comprises four sections, labelled 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d in the figures. The flap is made from a single piece of moulded polypropylene, in such a way that the four sections are separated by relatively thin portions of the polypropylene which act as hinges 3e. This can best be seen in Figure 3A, which shows the device in its moulding configuration, the hinge 4 open as in Figure 2.

Note that section 3b is narrower than the three other sections.

Claims (9)

1. A container closure device for connection to a container to close off an opening, said device having a closure wall portion in which an access aperture is defined, and a flap assembly which is formed integrally with the closure wall portion; a first portion of the flap assembly being slidably engaged or engageable with the wall portion so as to be slidable between 'closed' and 'open' configurations in which it does or does not close off the access aperture; a further portion of the flap assembly being flexible and connecting the first portion to the wall portion, the flexing of the further portion permitting the sliding of the first portion.

2. A container closure device according to any preceding claim wherein the wall portion provides lateral guides for guiding the sliding of the first flap portion.

3. A closure device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said further portion of the flap assembly comprises a first panel hingedly connected to the first portion and a second panel hingedly connected at one side to the first panel and hingedly connected at the opposite side to a further part of the device so that the sliding of the first panel portion entails said panels hinging relative to each other, to the front flap portion and to the further part of the device.

4. A closure device according to claim 3 wherein said further part of the device is a third panel hingedly connected at one side to the second panel and hingedly connected at the opposite side to the wall portion and which, in use, is hinged relative to the wall portion so as to overlie it.

5. A closure device according to claim 3 or 4 wherein when the first flap portion slides from the 'open' towards the 'closed' configuration, the first and second panels project outwardly, and the angle of their mutual hinge increases towards 1800; there being an abutment which the first flap portion engages when it reaches its 'closed' configuration at which stage the first and second panels are still projecting; downward force on the projecting panels causing an over-centering action tending to lock the flap assembly with the first flap portion in its closed configuration.

6. A closure device according to claim 5 wherein the wall portion has an elongate recess in which the opening is provided, and in which the first flap portion slides, edges of the recess guiding the sliding; and wherein the over-centering action causes the first and second panels also to be snugly in the recess so that their edges are shielded.

7. A closure device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A container assembly comprising a container having an open end and a closure device according to any preceding claim secured to the open end.

9. A sharps bin comprising a container having an open end and a closure device according to any of claims 1-7 secured to the open end.