GB2441758A - Container for Transporting Fluorescent Lamps - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for transporting fluorescent lighting tubes 5, especially spent tubes 5, has a support matrix 1, located within it and arranged to support a plurality of tube containment sleeves 4 in a spaced apart and generally side-by-side relationship with one another. The containment sleeves 4 may be made from impact-absorbing material, such as corrugated card, to dissipate energy in the event of implosion of the tubes 5. The support matrix 1 is provided with a number of apertures 3, which may be of different sizes to support lighting tubes 5 of different sizes. Additionally the container may be vented 17 to reduce the risk of chain reaction implosion of tubes 5, the vent 17 may take the form of a check/ one way valve. Additionally the sleeves 4 may be provided with carrying handles 8, and the apparatus may be provided with means to detect, and indicate a pressure drop due to tube 5 implosion.

Description

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2441758

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Apparatus for Transporting Fluorescent Lamps

Field of the Invention

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The invention relates to apparatus for the storage and/or transport of fluorescent lamps and is applicable with particular advantage to the transport of spent fluorescent tubes prior to recycling.

20 Prior Art Known to the Applicant

Fluorescent lighting tubes are widely used, in commercial, industrial and domestic settings. In essence, such a tube comprises a thin-walled glass capsule coated internally with phosphor powder and other functional components such as mercury and partially 25 evacuated. At the end of their useful lives, disposal of these tubes becomes an issue. In the past, spent tubes were simply sent to a waste landfill site. However, increasing recognition of the environmental impact has led to the tubes being recycled.

The need for sophisticated recycling facilities means that lamps must be collected together 30 for transport for the whole process to be economic. The problem faced by lamp recycling operators is the economic transportation of spent lamps - especially tubes - from the location of disposal to the recycling facility. The problem is made more difficult by any additional need to offer a national lamp collection service.

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Operators have adopted the approach of providing customers with large steel lamp collection stillages where lamps can be bulked and stillages exchanged when full with a self-load vehicle such as a fork lift. Typically, operators provide stillages with a storage 5 capacity of between 2000 and 4000 lamps. These bulk storage stillages have, over time, become the standard storage means for UK lamp recycling companies.

This approach to fluorescent evacuated lamp collection and storage has a number of inherent problems:

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When broken a lamp will implode and release its contents. On occasions, catastrophic breakage of lamps stored inside a bulk stillage occurs as a result of the stillage being dropped. In these situations, most of the lamps become broken and release their contents, with hazardous effects.

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In this type of bulk stillage, where lamps are effectively in contact with each other, throughout the whole container, the breakage of a single lamp can cause a chain reaction where all the surrounding lamps become broken.

20 Lamp breakage can also occur in bulk stillages due to the weight of the surrounding lamps. In effect, the bottom layer of lamps carries the full weight of the lamps above it. Again, this can lead to individual lamp breakage, which might result in a catastrophic chain reaction as described above.

25 However caused, mass lamp breakage results in the release of toxic mercury vapour into the environment. In addition, when multiple lamp breakages occur, a negative pressure is generated which in certain circumstances might cause a health and safety problem, especially if an operator is working in a confined area close to the stillage. This is of particular concern if bulk storage stillages or boxes are being transported e.g. within a van 30 or small lorry where the storage space is in communication with the driver's cab. In this circumstance, if a catastrophic lamp breakage were to occur in the storage box, the entire interior of the van, including the driver's cab will be subject to a transient pressure drop.

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The driver will therefore be exposed to this, with all the consequent risks, both to his health, and to his capacity to drive.

If such breakages do occur in stillages, it is extremely difficult to clean the interior and to 5 remove all the broken glass as well as the phosphor powder which contains mercury.

This consequently presents an additional hazardous environment for the operators.

Even without these problems, from an operational standpoint, it is very difficult to load the stillage when lamps are presented in a number of sizes and lengths. For example, a 10 two foot (approx. 0.6 metre) fluorescent tube may be positioned in the stillage and then pushed to the back of the stillage by the further addition of a six foot (approx. 1.8 metre) tube, thus occupying the typical total length of an eight foot (approx. 2.4 metre)stillage. When the stillage is subsequently unloaded, it is difficult for an operator to reach six feet into the stillage to retrieve the two foot lamp. Furthermore, the uneven layers so created 15 increase the risks of breakages and present additional health and safety problems. As well as the safety problems, these features make the unloading process very slow and inefficient.

Summary of the Invention

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Accordingly, the invention provides a container for transporting a plurality of fluorescent lamps and characterised by the provision of a support matrix, located within said container and arranged to support a plurality of lamp containment sleeves in a spaced apart and generally side-by-side relationship with one another.

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Such a support matrix could therefore provide a "honeycomb" fluorescent tube storage system when the sleeves are in location.

The support matrix could readily be retrofitted to existing stillages. If lamps are loaded 30 into the sleeves at the site of the container, the operator has the option of deciding where to store the lamps within the sleeve matrix. In this way, different lamp types can be segregated within the single container (e.g. by size), but can be added to the container, or stillage, in a random order within their segregated regions.

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With such a sleeve-containment system, any breakage of lamps that does occur is limited to the sleeve in which it occurred, and the sleeve safely contains the phosphor/mercury powder.

5 Preferably, said support matrix comprises a plurality of spaced apart grids, each grid having grid members defining a plurality of apertures, each grid being so configured and arranged such that respective apertures on each grid are aligned with apertures on neighbouring grids. More preferably, the grids comprise apertures of multiple sizes.

10 In any aspect of the invention the apparatus advantageously further comprises one or more containment sleeves whose walls are formed from impact-absorbing material. Preferably some at least of said sleeves comprise a closable elongate box. In this way, tubes may be stacked in the box in a generally side-by-side relationship with each other, maximising the effective use of the space, and reducing movement of tubes relative to 15 each other during transport.

Where sleeves are provided, it is preferred that said sleeve(s) are removable from said support matrix, and more preferably that some at least of said sleeves are provided with carrying handles, to enable the sleeves to be readily removed from the matrix and 20 transported to site of tube removal.

In any aspect of the invention, it is preferred that the apparatus further comprises storage bins located within said container. The particular advantage of segregating small, non-tubular, fluorescent lamps from tubular ones is that the former tend to be comparatively 25 heavy (often containing the lamp starter gear) and in an unsegregated storage system, there is a tendency for operators to throw them all one on top of another. This can c^use immediate breakage, and can also cause point loads to be applied, resulting in breakage at a later stage.

30 In any aspect of the invention, it is preferred that said container is closable but vented.

Also in any aspect of the invention, it is preferred that the apparatus further comprises means to detect a transient pressure drop within a sleeve, or within said container, and to

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indicate such a pressure drop with the indication being visible from the outside of the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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The invention will be illustrated with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a support matrix and containment sleeve; Figure 2 illustrates two embodiments of a support matrix having different sized apertures; 10 Figure 3 is a cross-section showing fluorescent tube-containing sleeves located within a support grid;

Figure 4 shows a detail of the wall of a containment sleeve showing its impact-absorbing nature;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a tube containment sleeve;

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Figure 6 illustrates alternative embodiments of closures for tube containment sleeves; Figures 7 and 8 illustrate cut-away perspective views of embodiments of the invention;

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Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-section of a container.

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Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of the internal structure of a container embodying the present invention. The structure comprises three grids 1 positioned in a spaced apart 25 relationship. The grids 1 are comprised of grid members 2 which together define a plurality of apertures 3, so arranged such that respective apertures on each grid are aligned with apertures on neighbouring grids, as indicated by apertures 3a, 3b and 3c. Figure 1 also illustrates a tube containment sleeve 4 which may be manipulated along the direction of the arrow to pass through the apertures 3a, 3b and 3c in the gridsl.

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Figure 2a illustrates the arrangement of a grid 1 where the grid members 2 are arranged to define a regular array of apertures 3 into which may be slotted a number of tube containment sleeves 4, as illustrated.

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Figure 2b illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention where the grid 1 has grid members 2 so arranged as to define apertures of multiple sizes. In this example, two sizes of aperture are illustrated, 3d and 3e. These are sized to receive tube containment sleeves 5 4a and 4b of differing capacities.

Figure 3 is a close up section of a portion of a grid 1 showing grid members 2 defining a number of apertures 3. Also illustrated are a number of tube containment sleeves 4, each shown in cross-section. Located within the sleeves 4 are the spent fluorescent tubes 5. It 10 can be seen in this example, that the sleeves 4 are all so sized as to each receive a maximum of 25 fluorescent tubes 5. This segregation of the tubes into small batches prevents the catastrophic chain reaction throughout the entire contents of the stillage should a breakage occur.

15 Figures 4a and 4b show cross-sections of a corner of a tube containment sleeve 4 and show the impact-absorbing nature of the tube containment sleeves.

In Figure 4a, the exterior of the sleeve 4 is made from, or comprises in part, a material of corrugated construction 6 such as corrugated plastic. This corrugated construction allows 20 any energy resulting from breakage and implosion of the fluorescent tubes 5 to be absorbed and dissipated within the structure of the tube-containing sleeve 4, thus preventing a catastrophic chain reaction.

Figure 4b illustrates a similar construction of a portion of a tube containment sleeve 4 25 which, in this instance is formed from or has a layer comprising an impact absorbing foam 6, again to absorb and dissipate energy released following implosion of a fluorescent tube 5.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a particularly preferred embodiment of a tube 30 containment sleeve 4 having the form of an elongate closable box. In this embodiment, the box is closable by means of a top-fitting (in use) lid 7. At each end of the sleeve 4 there is provided a respective handle 8 to allow the box to be manipulated. In this way, the box may readily be transported to the site where the fluorescent lamps are being

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removed from their fittings so they can be safely contained by the close fitting lid 7 prior to being taken back to the storage container and mounted on the grid.

Figure 6 illustrates alternative embodiments of the tube containment sleeves 4. In Figure 5 6a the containment sleeve 4 is closable by means of a hinged end flap 9 that engages with the open end of the sleeve 4. Figure 6b shows another embodiment where the open end of the tube containment sleeve 4 is closed by a close-fitting end cap 10. Both of these arrangements are particularly appropriate where it is required to leave the sleeve within the support matrix in the container and load the tubes in situ. Access to the containment 10 sleeves 4 from an end makes this possible.

Figure 7 illustrates in a cut-away perspective view an embodiment of the invention having an outer container 11 with three grids 1 located within it. The container is made of steel, and the grids are of welded steel rod construction. The whole container 11 is mounted on 15 a number of feet 12 to enable lifting apparatus such as a forklift to be used to load the container 11 on e.g. a lorry.

Figure 8 illustrates, again in cut-away perspective view a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the container 11 houses a number of spaced-apart grids 1 20 arranged to receive tube containment sleeves. The end of the container 11 is closed by a pair of hinged doors 13 at one end. Although the container 11 is closed by the doors, the container 11 itself is vented. A vent aperture 17 is provided within the wall of the container. By preference, the vent 17 will allow the ingress of air to displace any vacuum created in the unlikely event of a catastrophic tube breakage, but will not allow the escape 25 of mercury vapour into the general environment; in other words, the vent 17 comprises a check valve. The vent 17 may also comprise the means to detect such a transient pressure drop within the container 11 and to indicate such a pressure drop by a dial or other means visible from the outside of the container 11. In this way, when the container 11 arrives at the processing plant, the receiving operators can immediately detect whether there has 30 been mass breakage, and can put additional safety measures in place to process the contents.

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The embodiment of Figure 8 also shows the provision of two storage bins 16, accessible from the side of the container 11 through a closable door 14 or flap 15. These storage bins may be used for gathering together fluorescent but non-tubular lamps that are commonly used as low energy alternatives to tungsten filament bulbs. The storage bins 5 16 are preferably also supplied with removable lids, to allow the contents to be contained during the time that the bins are being filled. A particular advantage of using flap IS to access a storage bin 16 within the container 11 is that the storage bin 16 may be slid out to rest on the flap IS during filling.

10 Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-section through an embodiment of the invention showing a number of tube containment sleeves 4 located within the container 11. Also illustrated are a number of storage bins 16, accessible from the side of the container 11. It can be seen that the positioning of the storage bin 16 is such as to enable two lengths of tube containment sleeves 4 to be used. Longer sleeves 4 are located at the top of the container 15 11, whilst the space to the side of the storage binl 6 is occupied by two shorter tube containment sleeves 4. In this way, the utilisation of the space within the container 11 can be maximised, whilst allowing for the storage of both long and short fluorescent tubes as well as the non-tubular type of fluorescent light.

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Claims (1)

1. A container for transporting a plurality of fluorescent lamps and characterised by the provision of a support matrix, located within said container and arranged to support a

5 plurality of lamp containment sleeves in a spaced apart and generally side-by-side relationship with one another.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said support matrix comprises a plurality of spaced apart grids, each grid having grid members defining a plurality of apertures, each grid being so configured and arranged such that respective apertures on each grid are

10 aligned with apertures on neighbouring grids.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said grids comprise apertures of multiple sizes.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising one or more containment sleeves whose walls are formed from impact-absorbing material.

15 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein some at least of said sleeves comprise a closable elongate box.

6. Apparatus according to either of claims 4 or 5 wherein said sleeve(s) are removable from said support matrix.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein some at least of said sleeves are provided with 20 carrying handles.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising lamp storage bins located within said container.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said container is closable but vented.

25 10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising means to detect a transient pressure drop within a sleeve, or within said container, and to indicate such a pressure drop with the indication being visible from the outside of the container. 11. Apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated by any appropriate combination of the accompanying text and/or drawings