WO2012009766A1

WO2012009766A1 - Variable configuration container

Info

Publication number: WO2012009766A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/000931
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Brennan; Michael Patrick Leabeater; Yves Coulon
Original assignee: Asp Plastics Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-07-23
Filing date: 2011-07-22
Publication date: 2012-01-26
Also published as: AU2011282484A1; AU2011282484B2

Abstract

A variable configuration container (1) for the supply of unused syringes and safe disposal of used syringes is provided. The container has a base (2), at least one side wall (3) extending from the base (2) to an opening (5), and a lid (6) hinged to the side wall (3) and shaped to close the opening (5). The side wall (3) has an extent from base (2) to opening (5) that is sufficient to exceed the longitudinal extent of a syringe. The container (1) further comprises at least one syringe module (16) having an array (17) of one way syringe receiving openings (18) each having a syringe latch means (19) to resiliency lock a flange of a used syringe. Each module (16) has a module latch means (21) engageable with the container (1) to prevent removal of the module (16) once it is inserted into the opening (5) whereby the container (1) can be configured to retain either one or a plurality of the modules latched (16) therein.

Description

VARIABLE CONFIGURATION CONTAINER

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to syringe containers and, in particular, to containers for the supply of unused syringes and the safe disposal of used syringes.

Background Art

Such containers are known and the prior art is exemplified by Australian Patent No. 644,821, Australian Patent No. 741,793 and Australian Patent Application No. 2007 200 625. Various persons including diabetics have the need to use syringes in order to self-administer drugs. It is an important public health consideration that used syringes should not be able to be utilised by other persons and need to be disposed of safely. It is therefore known for such containers to have either a collective or individual apertures into which syringes can be inserted but not retracted, in this way the used syringes can be safely housed within the container until such time as all syringes have been used and the container is then able to be safely disposed of. Furthermore, the fact that the syringes are within the container means that personnel working in garbage disposal activities, for example, are less likely to suffer from needle stick injuries, It is also known to supply what might be termed ancillary paraphernalia such as sterile packing, swabs, cotton applicators, and the like with such containers in order to be used prior to, during, or after the actual injection.

Hitherto, such containers have been formed from two or more parts, each of which has been injection moulded and the parts are then interconnected by means of welding such as sonic welding, or an equivalent procedure. Typically the body of the container and the lid arc fabricated in a single piece with a moulded hinge interconnecting the lid and the body. The one way syringe receiving orifice is moulded as a separate component and the two components are then interconnected by means of welding or gluing so that they in practice are then unable to be pulled apart by a user.

As a result of this fabrication technique, the various containers produced have a single configuration and thus a dedicated task depending on that single configuration. As a consequence, as the number of potential tasks increases, so the number of conesponding dedicated task containers also increases, thereby producing a financial burden of stockholding on the manufacturers of such containers.

Genesis of the Invention

The genesis of the present invention is a desire to provide a variable configuration container having a configuration which can be varied between one or more tasks and thereby reduce the financial pressures of stockholding.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a variable configuration container for supply of unused syringes and safe disposal of used syringes, said container comprising a base, at least one side wall extending from said base to an opening, and a lid hinged to said side wall and shaped to close said opening, said side wall having an extent from base to opening sufficient to exceed the longitudinal extent of a syringe, wherein said container further comprises at least one syringe module having an array of one way syringe receiving openings each having a syringe latch means to resiliently lock a flange of a used syringe, and each said module having a module latch means engageable with said container to prevent removal of said module once it is inserted into said opening, whereby said container can be configured to retain either one or a plurality of said modules latched therein.

Prief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the container of the preferred embodiment illustrated with its lid open.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the container of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view from above of the container of Fig. 1, illustrating its interior wall and with all syringe modules absent,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the container of Figs. 1-3, showing one syringe module inserted therein,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 4, with part of the container being cut away to reveal the interior of the container, Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to that of Fig. 4, but illustrating two syringe modules inserted into the container,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to that of Fig. 5, but illustrating the container of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cut-away perspective view taken along the line Vlll-Vni of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion DC of Fig. 8. Detail Description

As seen in Figs. 1 -5, the container 1 of the preferred embodiment has a base 2, two arcuate side walls 3 and two tapered end walls 4, The walls 3,4 define an opening 5. Also present is a lid 6 connected to one of the side walls 3 by means of a moulded hinge 7 and pivotable to close the opening 5. The lid 6 is provided with a two part lock 8, 9. The container is provided with a pivotable carry handle 10 which is connected to one of the end walls 4 by means of a second hinge 11.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the interior of the container is provided with a single dividing wall 13 which divides the interior 14 of the container into two compartments 14A and 14B. All the foregoing portions of the container 1 are moulded in a single operation using known injection moulding techniques.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a single syringe module 16 is separately moulded and is inserted into the compartment 14 A. As seen in Fig. 4, the syringe module 16 has an array 17 of four one way syringe receiving openings 18 each of which, as seen in Fig. 5, is provided with two opposed pairs of cantilever latches 19.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the syringe module 16 is able to store four unused syringes (each of which is normally enclosed with a wrapping which maintains sterility) and after being used such a syringe (less its wrapping ) can be pushed into a one way opening 18. Thus the flanges of the syringe can be forced past the cantilever latches 19 thereby permanently securing the body of the syringe within the container 1 and the corresponding one way opening 18. In the configuration illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the interior compartment 14 A receives the syringe module 16 and the interior compartment 14B remains open and can thus be used for ancillary paraphernalia as described above. However, in the container as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, two syringe modules 16 are provided, the second of which is inserted into interior compartment 14B thereby providing for an array with a total of eight one way openings 18. Thus in this configuration the container 1 can be used to supply eight syringes but no ancillary paraphernalia.

Turning now to Figs. 8 and 9, it will be seen that the interior 14 of the container 1 adjacent its opening 5 has at least two, and preferably a single circumferential, groove 21 moulded into (he inside surfaces of the side walls 3 (and preferably all four walls 3,4). The groove 21 is shown in more detail in Fig. 9 which is an enlarged view. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the moulding arts that the moulded plastic material, typically polyethylene or polypropylene, once hardened in the mould, is still sufficiently flexible to be removed from the mould because the size of the groove 21 is insufficient to interfere with the withdrawal of the moulded container from the mould.

A similar outwardly extending lip 22 is moulded into the syringe module and is able to be similarly moulded thereon. As indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, when the, or each, of the syringe modules 16 is forced into the interior 14, the groove 21 and lip 22 interengage. This locks the module or modules 16 into place. Particularly, the modules 16 do not have any convenient handhold which enables a removal force to be applied to a module and thus, in practice, the modules 16 once inserted into the container 1 are impossible to manually remove from the container 1. Since the used syringes are permanently retained in the one way openings 18 by means of the cantilever latches. 19, and the syringe modules 16 are permanently retained in the container 1 by means of the interengagement of the groove 21 and lip 22, this means that the used syringes are permanently contained in the container I once pushed past the cantilever latches 19.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the plastic moulding arts that the container I can be maintained in stock without any of the syringe modules 16 being inserted therein, and then either none, one or two such syringe modules can be inserted according upon the demand for containers of different configurations.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although the container 1 is curved to fit a hip pocket or trouser pocket, the container 1 cim be of other shapes if desired. In addition, the size of the container can be adjusted to provide for a maximum of more than two syringe modules to be inserted therein. In addition, the number of one way openings 18 provided on each module 16 can be varied.

The term "compiising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of.

Claims

1. A variable configuration container for supply of unused syringes and safe disposal of used syringes, said container comprising a base, at least one side wall extending from said base to an opening, and a lid hinged to said side wall and shaped to close said opening, said side wall having an extent from base to opening sufficient to exceed the longitudinal extent of a syringe, wherein said container further comprises at least one syringe module having an array of one way syringe receiving openings each having a syringe latch means to resiliently lock a flange of a used syringe, and each said module having a module latch means engageable with said container to prevent removal of said module once it is inserted into said opening, whereby said container can be configured to retain either one or a plurality of said modules latched therein.

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein an interior wall divides said opening into two sub-openings each of which is sized to receive and retain one of said syringe modules.

3. The container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said module latch comprises an interior groove on said side wall which mates with a corresponding lip on each said syringe module.

4. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said at least one side wall comprises a pair of substantially rectangular and arcuate side walls separated by a pair of substantially tapered and flat end walls whereby said container is curved like a hip flask to match a contour of a human body.

5. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each said syringe latch includes a pair of opposed resilient cantilever arms deflectable from a set position by movement of a syringe flange therepast.

6. The container according to claim 5 wherein each said syringe latch includes a second pair of opposed resilient cantilever arms deflectable from a set position by movement of a syringe flange therepast, the second pair of cantilever arms being longitudinally spaced part from said pair of opposed cantilever arms.

7. The container according to any one claims 1 to 6 including a carry handle hingedly mounted to the sidewall at or adjacent the opening, the handle being integrally formed with the sidewall.