GB2369109A

GB2369109A - Closure having an indicator

Info

Publication number: GB2369109A
Application number: GB0127342A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Scarrow
Original assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Amcor Flexibles Winterbourne Ltd
Priority date: 2000-11-14
Filing date: 2001-11-14
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2021-11-14
Also published as: GB2369109B; GB0027788D0; GB0127342D0

Abstract

A closure (10) particularly for a sharps bin comprises a closure web (18) which is displaceable from an open configuration to a closed configuration in which an access aperture (14) in an underlying web (12) is blocked. There may be a reversibly closed configuration and also an irreversibly closed, locked configuration. One web (18) provides an indicator region (44) and the other provides a viewing region (24) at which the indicator region is visible and provides an indication of the configuration. The viewing region may be an aperture (24) through which differently coloured portions of the underlying web may be seen. A pop-up element (52) may project when the locked configuration is reached.

Description

CLOSURE The present invention relates to a closure for a container which provides a visual indication of its closure state. It particularly relates to a closure having a"locked"state and an"unlocked"state. It particularly relates to closures for sharps bins, e. g. for medical waste. In another aspect the invention relates to a container including such a closure.

A known type of closure used on some sharps bins has a first web portion in which there is an access aperture, and a second web portion which lies on or adjacent to the first web portion and is displaceable relative to it between a first or"open"configuration in which the aperture is at least partially unobstructed, and a second or"closed"configuration in which the aperture is obstructed. The second web portion is typically rotationally mounted, and the displacement is rotary.

Alternatively the displacement may involve linear or other movement. Particularly in the case of sharps bins, it is desirable that the closure can be locked in the closed configuration. It can be arranged that this happens automatically when the second web portion is displaced to the second configuration. For example there

may be blocking elements associated with the two elements shaped so they can be forced past one another in one direction but cannot be returned. Thus they may have sloping cam surfaces such that one can slide over the other, and steeply angled abutment faces. Preferably there is an intermediate configuration in which the aperture is obstructed, but locking has not occurred.

It would be advantageous to provide a closure which could give a visual indication of its closure state. It may be useful to have a visual indication that the closure is locked. If it also has a"closed but not locked"state, a distinguishable indication of this would also be useful.

In one aspect the invention provides a closure which has a first web portion in which there is an access aperture, and a second web portion which lies on or adjacently to the first web portion and is displaceable relative to it between a first or"open"configuration in which the aperture is at least partially unobstructed, and a second or"closed"configuration in which the aperture is obstructed; wherein one portion has an indicator portion which is normally concealed by the other portion but which is revealed when relative displacement to a predetermined configuration occurs.

The other portion may have a viewing aperture window through which the indicator portion is revealed. The indicator portion may comprise a region of contrasting colour. This may be provided by a separately formed element mounted in an aperture. This can provide a permanent coloured marker in a component which is basically moulded of a single colour plastic.

The indicator portion may comprise an element which is displaceable so that, when relative displacement to the predetermined configuration occurs, it is displaced to project through an aperture in the other portion.

Preferably this element is of a contrasting colour.

Preferably the closure also has a"closed but not locked"state. In this state, a different visual indication may be given. For example, a separately formed element constituting the indicator portion may have portions of different colours, e. g. a displaceable first portion that projects through an aperture in the locked configuration, and a second portion that is

visible through the aperture in the'closed but not locked'configuration. The second portion may be provided by a housing for the first portion.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to company drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic top plan view of part of a container including a closure embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section on II-II in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 with the closure in a different configuration; and Fig. 4 is a detail of a plan view corresponding to the region within the chain-dotted line in Fig. 1, but corresponding to the configuration shown in Fig. 3.

The drawings relate to a sharps bin which is, in many respects, of a known type. A lid 10, which is adapted to be removably connected to the body of a bin, has a circular upstanding central region 12 in which there is a large access aperture 14 having formations 16 for use in detaching needles from hypodermic syringes. A closure member 18 (shown in phantom) has the form of an inverted cup with an outer radial flange 20 around its mouth. This fits rotatably over the upstanding region 12, and the mouth engages in an annular channel 21 in the lid 10, around the base of the upstanding region 12. In the base of the cup member, there is a large aperture 22

which is shaped and dimensioned so that it can be placed in register with the access aperture 14 and then allows full access to and through that aperture. The rest of the base of the"cup"is a continuous plastic web, apart from a small indicator aperture 24. The closure member 18 can be rotated, between a configuration in which the apertures 14,22 are aligned (the open configuration), and a configuration in which they are out of alignment, so that the access aperture 14 is closed. Since the access aperture extends over substantially less than half of a revolution, there is in fact a range of closed configurations. The closure member 18 cannot be rotated through a complete revolution because a pair of radially projecting stops 30,32 provided on the lid and on the closure member, respectively, come into abutment in one particular closed configuration. This is also a locking configuration. There are various ways in which locking can be achieved. In the example, the lid and the closure have respective wedge-shaped cam formations 34,36. As the closure member 18 is rotated from the open configuration into the range of closed configurations, eventually the cam formations come into contact (see Fig.

4). This can be felt as a resistance to further turning.

This lets the user know that the access aperture is

closed, but can be opened again ; whereas further turning will lead to the locking state. If further turning is performed, the sloping or wedge face of one cam starts to ride up wedge face of the other. An increasing amount of distortion of the closure and/or lid is required as the thicker part of one cam approaches the thicker part of the other. Finally, one cam"falls off"the back of the other, giving a feeling of snap-engagement. Further rotation in the same direction is prevented by the stops 30,32. Displacement back towards the open configuration is prevented by abutment of the steep end faces 38 of the wedge-shaped cams.

As previously mentioned, the closure has an indicator aperture 24. Through this, it is normally possible to see a corresponding small area of the lid.

One or more coloured areas may be provided on the lid, so that the colour seen through the indicator aperture 24 indicates the configuration. In most positions, this may just show the colour of the body of the lid. There may be a different colour (e. g. red) that is revealed in the locking state. For ease of manufacture, this may be provided by a separate element, e. g. a coloured plug mounted in an aperture in the lid. It is also possible

to provide a different colour to indicate that the closure is in a"closed but not locked"state.

The drawings show a more sophisticated form of indication. The top face of the circular upstanding region 12 has an aperture 42 in which is mounted a cup member 44 having a cylindrical body portion 46 with a base 48, and a radial flange around its mouth. This is of a contrasting colour to the main body of the lid 12.

A plunger 52 has a cylindrical body 54 dimensioned to slide within the cylinder 46, and an upstanding indicator pin portion 56. A compression spring 58 within the cylinder 46 urges the indicator element 52 upwardly. (It may be formed integrally with the plunger. ) Normally, the plunger is held down by abutment of the pin 56 with the underside of the closure element 18. For most of the time, the cup member 44 and plunger 52 are invisible, being concealed by the base 21 of the closure member.

However when the closure member is turned until the cam members 34,36 first meet, as shown in Fig. 4, then the flange 50 is visible through the indicator aperture 24.

This provides a clear indication that the closure is in the"closed but openable"configuration. Continued rotation of the closure to the locked state enables the indicator pin 56 to pop up and project through the

indicator aperture 24. It will generally be of a colour which contrasts both with the colour of the closure member and with the colour of the flange 50 that was visible in the"closed but openable"configuration. This provides a very clear visual indication that the closure is in its locked state.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A closure which has a first web portion in which there is an access aperture and a second web portion which lies on or adjacent to the first web portion and is displaceable relative to it between a first configuration in which the aperture is at least partially unobstructed, and a second configuration in which the aperture is obstructed; wherein one of the portions provides an indicator region and the other portion provides a viewing region at which the indicator region is visible in at least one of the configurations, relative displacement between said configurations resulting in a different appearance at the viewing region.

2. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the indicator region comprises a region whose colour contrasts with adjacent regions of said one portion which are viewable via the viewing region in other configurations.

3. A closure according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the indicator region is provided at least in part by a separately formed element mounted in an aperture.

4. A closure according to any preceding claim wherein the indicator region comprises an element which is displaceable so that, when relative displacement to the second configuration occurs, it is displaced to project through an aperture in the other web portion.

5. A closure according to claim 4 wherein the displaceable element is normally resiliently urged against the other web portion, and relative displacement to the second configuration enables the resiliently urged element to project through the aperture.

6. A closure according to any preceding claim which has locking means which engage when displacement to said second configuration is effected, to prevent return to the first configuration and to maintain the aperture obstructed.

7. A closure according to claim 6 also having a third configuration in which the aperture is obstructed but the locking means are not engaged so that return to the first configuration is permitted ; and wherein the indicator region is such that it provides at the viewing region a different visual indication from those observable in the first and second configurations.

8. A closure according to any preceding claim wherein the displacement of the web portions involves one portion sliding over the other.

9. A closure according to any preceding claim wherein the displacement of the web portions involves one portion rotating relative to the other.

10. A closure substantially as herein described with'reference to and as illustrated in the accompanied drawings.

11. A container including a closure according to any preceding claim.

0

12. A sharps bin including a closure according to any of claims 1 to 10.