GB2310188A - Collapsible container - Google Patents

Description

linrovements relatina to Storaae Containers There is a need, in hospital environments in particular, for a storage container for holding waste materials in such a way that the possibility of spillage is minimised.

Containers incorporating hospital waste normally have to be disposed of in a secure manner, such as by incineration and it is important therefore that the container should be sufficiently robust for transportation. Nevertheless because the container will be used once only and then destroyed it is equally important that it should be manufactured using minimal amounts of material.

According to the present invention there is provided a collapsible container comprising a cylinder defined by four walls hinged together at their respective adjoining edges so that the walls can be stored in a flat condition, and an end cap for closing at least one of the two ends of the container.

Such a container can be formed from relatively lightweight plastics materials. Because it is collapsible this aids in transportation of the container prior to use and thus is an important factor where it is envisaged that large quantities of containers, with a continuous throughput, will be required. It is particularly preferred that the container walls should be formed as a honeycomb or fluted construction. Ideally the cylinder will be formed as an extrusion from plastics materials to create live hinges at the adjoining edges.

It is further preferred that the cylinder should be formed in such a way that it is biassed into the flat condition. Thus it will maintain a flat condition during initial transportation to the operating site. It can then be opened up and held in the cylindrical state by the insertion of the end cap. When it has been filled a further end cap will be placed over the other end to close the container. Ideally each end cap will incorporate a groove to receive the free ends of the cylinder walls. With advantage this groove will incorporate a cold-setting adhesive to join the end cap to the cylinder walls. Further means of ensuring that the end cap is retained in place is to provide that the groove has barb formations to grip the sides of the cylinder walls.

Projecting support feet can be formed on each of the end caps. Ideally these will be offset from one side to the other so that the containers can be stacked one upon the other with the support feet nestling within one another.

Ribs can be formed on one of the cylinder walls into which the base of each end cap can be slid for storage purposes.

A further highly advantageous feature for the container is to provide handle formations down two opposed corners of the container. These aid in the lifting of the container, particularly for stacking purposes. The handle formations can incorporate strengthening and grip ribs down their free edges. In order to keep the amount of material and the weight of the container down these ribs can be of hollow construction. Ideally cut-away openings are defined in the handle formations to allow for secure gripping by the user.

These openings can be formed towards the two ends of each handle formation, and a third opening is preferably formed between the other two.

By this means the container can be lifted by gripping the two handles at a desired height.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cylinder portion of a collapsible container of this invention in an expanded state; Figure 2 is a plan view of the opened cylinder; Figure 3 shows the cylinder in a collapsed state; Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the container of Figure 1 in two stages of use; Figure 6 is a cross-section through an end cap for the container, and Figure 7 illustrates a manner of stacking of two containers.

The container shown in the drawings comprises a cylinder portion 1 together with a pair of end caps 2 (both of which are shown in Figure 5). The cylinder 1 is formed from plastics material as an extrusion to create fluted side walls 3 with fluted handle extensions 4 projecting from two corners. The extrusion process creates live hinges 5 at the four corners and the natural stress of the material, as created in the extrusion process, will tend to cause the container to adopt a flattened condition as shown in Figure 3. This means that the container body will lie flat for transportation purposes, particularly when several of these are laid one upon the other. When the container is to be made ready for use the cylinder member 1 is opened out into the state as shown in Figure 1 and an end cap 2 is pressed onto the bottom end (as shown in Figure 4).The end cap has a groove 6 around the outer edge which fits around the top edge of the walls 3. A cold setting adhesive body 7 at the base of the groove 6 will act to grip the end cap on to the ends of the walls 3. Also barbs 8 within the end cap will create a further gripping effect to hold the end cap securely in place.

The container in its collapsed state will be supplied together with two end caps 2, the end caps being stored temporarily by means of retaining ribs 9 down the side of one wall 3 of the cylinder portion. A lip 10 is formed around the rim of each end cap 2 to slide within the ribs 9.

As shown in Figure 4 one of the end caps can be retained in position until the container has been filled and will then be removed for placement around the top end of the cylinder portion 1 to close off the container securely. The end caps incorporate supporting feet 11. As can be seen from Figure 5 these are displaced from one side to the other so that, during stacking, they can be made to nestle within one another. The containers can thus be stacked one upon the other in a secure way, as shown in Figure 7.

In order to assist in the handling of the container the cylinder portion 1 is provided with the handle formations 4 at two opposed corners. At their outer edges these formations incorporate a hollow or fluted gripping and strengthening rib 12. Also openings 13 are cut into the handle formations to allow the user to grasp the handles readily at a variety of height locations. This is particularly helpful when attempting to stack containers one upon the other.

The plastics material used can be of various types and in particular reconstituted plastics material may be employed either as an ingredient or as the whole material.

Ideally a plasticiser or rubber modifier will be incorporated to give the container suitable impact resistance.

Whilst the cylinder member 1 has been shown as being formed with fluted walls it could be formed with solid walls if desired. Furthermore the fluting could be of triangular form (or other cross-sectional shapes) rather than the square flutings illustrated. Whilst it is preferred to form the cylinder portion 1 from a single extrusion, it is possible to form it from two sheets (with integral hinges) each of which defines two walls 3 and the two handles 4.

The handles 4 of the two sheets will then be overlapped and secured together, such as be gluing. The ribs 12 could then be sleeves pressed over the free edges of each overlapped pair of sheets forming a handle 4.

Claims (15)

1. A collapsible container comprising a cylinder defined by four walls hinged together at their respective adjoining edges so that the walls can be stored in a flat condition, and an end cap for closing at least one of the two ends of the container.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein handle formations are defined down two opposed corners of the container.

3. A container according to Claim 2, wherein the handle formations incorporate strengthening and grip ribs down their free edges.

4. A container according to Claim 3, wherein the ribs are of hollow construction.

5. A container according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein cut-away openings are defined in the handle formations to allow for secure gripping by the user.

6. A container according to Claim 5, wherein openings are formed towards the two ends of each handle formation, and a third opening is preferably formed between the other two.

7. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the container walls are formed as a honeycomb or fluted construction.

8. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the cylinder is formed as an extrusion from plastics materials to create live hinges at the adjoining edges.

9. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the cylinder is formed such that it is biassed into the flat condition.

10. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein each end cap incorporates a groove to receive the free ends of the cylinder walls.

11. A container according to Claim 10, wherein the groove incorporates a cold-setting adhesive to join the end cap to the cylinder walls.

12. A container according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein the groove has barb formations to grip the sides of the cylinder walls.

13. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein projecting support feet are formed on each end cap.

14. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, wherein retaining ribs are formed on one of the cylinder walls into which the base of each end cap can be slid for storage purposes.

15. A collapsible container substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompany drawings.