Needle disposal container
The needle disposal container addresses the challenge of accommodating needle units with varying diameters by using a movable lid with rotation-blocking projections, ensuring safe and efficient disposal without user confusion or increased complexity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NITTA MOLD CORP
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-20
AI Technical Summary
Conventional needle disposal containers are unable to accommodate needle units with different outer diameters of the needle hub, leading to issues with insertion and increased complexity and cost when multiple insertion holes are provided.
A needle disposal container with a movable lid member and arc-shaped surfaces forming an insertion hole, featuring rotation-blocking projections that engage with recesses on the needle hub to prevent relative rotation and accommodate needle units of varying diameters, allowing safe and straightforward separation.
Enables safe disposal of needle units with different hub sizes by preventing rotation and ensuring easy insertion, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost, and eliminating the need for user selection of insertion holes.
Smart Images
Figure 2026083582000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0005] ,
[0004] , , ,
[0001] The present invention relates to a needle disposal container used when disposing of the needle of a syringe.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, in order to prevent accidental punctures by medical staff etc., a needle disposal container for safely separating and disposing of a needle from a syringe without touching the needle attached to the syringe has been put into practical use (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This needle disposal container includes a container body that houses a needle unit, and a lid body attached to the opening of the container body. This lid body includes a lid main body that covers the opening of the container body, and a moving member that is movably attached to the lid main body between an insertion position and a retracted position. The lid main body is provided with a first wall portion that defines a first arcuate surface, and the moving member is provided with a second wall portion that defines a second arcuate surface. When the moving member is positioned at the insertion position, the first arcuate surface of the first wall portion and the second arcuate surface of the second wall portion define an insertion hole. Further, a plurality of protrusions that protrude into the insertion hole are provided on the first wall portion on the lid main body side and the second wall portion on the lid main body side.
[0003] On the other hand, a syringe (including an injector) includes a syringe body (including an injector body) that houses an injection solution, and a needle unit attached to the tip of this syringe body. This needle unit includes a needle hub that is screwed onto the tip of the syringe body, and a needle (injection needle) attached to this needle hub. A plurality of recesses are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the needle hub corresponding to the plurality of protrusions of the first and second wall portions.
[0004] When separating the needle unit from the syringe body, the moving member is positioned at the insertion position, and in this state, the needle hub of the needle unit is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid body side. When inserted in this way, the plurality of protrusions of the first and second wall portions are inserted into the plurality of recesses of the needle hub on the needle unit side. And in the state inserted in this way, the syringe body is rotated in the separation direction, and by rotating in the separation direction in this way, the needle unit is separated from the syringe body.
[0005] Afterward, the movable member is positioned from the insertion position to the retracted position, opening the insertion hole on the lid side. By opening it in this way, the needle unit separated from the syringe body falls into the container body through the opened insertion hole, thus allowing the needle unit to be safely removed from the syringe body and disposed of inside the container body. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-32557 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0007] In recent years, syringes (injectors) with different needle hub outer diameters have been used. For example, syringes with a large liquid capacity tend to have a larger needle hub outer diameter, while syringes with a small liquid capacity tend to have a smaller needle hub outer diameter.
[0008] In conventional needle disposal containers, the insertion hole on the lid is formed to the same size in the direction of insertion of the needle unit, and the multiple protrusions provided on the inner circumferential surface of this insertion hole (i.e., the surface of the first and second walls) are also formed to the same size in this direction of insertion. Therefore, conventional needle disposal containers can accommodate needle units with the same outer diameter of the needle hub, but they cannot accommodate needle units with different outer diameters of the needle hub. For example, needles with larger needle hubs cannot be inserted into this insertion hole. To solve these problems, it is conceivable to provide multiple insertion holes of different sizes in the lid. However, in this configuration, the container body and lid themselves would become larger, the structure would become more complex, and manufacturing costs would increase. Furthermore, the operator would need to select an insertion hole that corresponds to the size of the needle hub of the needle unit, which could cause confusion during the selection process.
[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a needle disposal container that allows needle units to be safely removed from the syringe body and disposed of, even if the needle hubs of the needle units are of different sizes. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] The needle disposal container of the present invention comprises a container body for housing a needle unit separated from a syringe body, and a lid attached to the opening of the container body, wherein the lid comprises a lid body covering the opening of the container body and a movable member movably attached to the lid body, the container body has a first wall portion defining a first arc-shaped surface open to the movable member side, the movable member has a second wall portion defining a second arc-shaped surface open to the first wall portion side of the lid body, in the insertion position where the movable member is moved toward the first wall portion, the first arc-shaped surface of the first wall portion and the second arc-shaped surface of the second wall portion cooperate with each other to define an insertion hole for inserting the needle hub of the needle unit, and in the retracted position where the movable member is retracted from the first wall portion, the insertion hole defined by the first arc-shaped surface and the second arc-shaped surface is opened. Furthermore, the first wall portion and / or the second wall portion are provided with a first rotation-blocking portion corresponding to the large-diameter first needle hub of the first needle unit on the opening side of the insertion hole, and a second rotation-blocking portion corresponding to the small-diameter second needle hub of the second needle unit on the bottom side of the insertion hole.
[0011] In such a needle disposal container, it is preferable to provide at least one first rotation-blocking projection on the opening side of the insertion hole in the first wall of the lid body and / or the second wall of the movable member, and at least one second rotation-blocking projection on the bottom side of the insertion hole, with the second rotation-blocking projection protruding larger into the insertion hole than the first rotation-blocking projection. With this configuration, the large-diameter first needle hub of the first needle unit is prevented from rotating by the first rotation-blocking projection, allowing the first needle unit to be separated from the syringe body, and the small-diameter second needle hub of the second needle unit is prevented from rotating by the second rotation-blocking projection, allowing the second needle unit to be separated from the syringe body.
[0012] Furthermore, when the first needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, the first rotation-blocking projection is configured to be inserted into one of the multiple first recesses of the first needle hub. This configuration allows the first rotation-blocking projection on the lid side to engage with the first recess on the first needle hub side, thereby preventing relative rotation of the first needle hub with respect to the lid. Similarly, when the second needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, the second rotation-blocking projection is configured to be inserted into one of the multiple second recesses of the second needle hub. This configuration allows the second rotation-blocking projection on the lid side to engage with the second recess on the second needle hub side, thereby preventing relative rotation of the second needle hub with respect to the lid.
[0013] Furthermore, in such a needle disposal container, it is preferable to provide the first rotation-blocking projection and the second rotation-blocking projection at the same angular position in the circumferential direction of the insertion hole. This configuration allows the first needle unit and the second needle unit to be inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side with the same operation, making the insertion operation easy and straightforward. In addition, by making the diameter of the first virtual front circle defined by the tip of the first rotation-blocking projection smaller than the outer diameter of the first needle hub and larger than the diameter of the first virtual bottom circle defined by the bottoms of the multiple first recesses of the first needle hub, the tip of the first rotation-blocking projection can be inserted into the first recess of the first needle hub and engaged with it. Furthermore, by making the diameter of the second virtual front circle, defined by the tip of the second rotation-stopping projection of the second rotation-stopping part, smaller than the outer diameter of the second needle hub and larger than the diameter of the second virtual bottom circle, defined by the bottoms of the multiple second recesses of the second needle hub, the tip of the second rotation-stopping projection can be inserted into the second recess of the second needle hub and the two can be engaged. Moreover, by making the diameter of this second virtual front circle smaller than the diameter of the first virtual bottom circle of the first needle hub, when the first needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, one of the ends of the multiple first recesses of the first needle hub will come into contact with this second rotation-stopping projection, and this second rotation-stopping projection can prevent further insertion of the first needle hub.
[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a first rotation-blocking portion and a second rotation-blocking portion on the first wall of the lid body and the second wall of the movable member, respectively, and to provide the first rotation-blocking projection of the first rotation-blocking portion and the second rotation-blocking projection of the second rotation-blocking portion in a continuous manner in the insertion direction of the needle hub. With this configuration, when the second needle unit is inserted into the insertion hole of the lid body, the second recess of the second needle hub passes through the first rotation-blocking projection and engages with the second rotation-blocking projection.
[0015] Furthermore, the first rotation-blocking portion of the lid body and the movable member can be composed of a pair of first rotation-blocking projections, and the second rotation-blocking portion can be composed of a pair of second rotation-blocking projections. By configuring it in this way, the relative rotation of the first needle hub can be reliably blocked in a stable engaged state by two pairs of first rotation-blocking projections, and the relative rotation of the second needle hub can be reliably blocked in a stable engaged state by two pairs of second rotation-blocking projections.
[0016] Furthermore, insertion-preventing protrusions can be provided on the first wall of the lid body and / or the second wall of the movable member. This configuration prevents the second needle unit from being inserted into the back of the insertion hole on the lid side. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0017] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing one embodiment of an injector, which is an example of a syringe. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the needle hub of the injector in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a plan view of the needle hub as seen from the needle side. [Figure 4] A perspective view showing one embodiment of a needle disposal container according to the present invention. [Figure 5] A partially enlarged plan view showing the movable member and related components in the needle disposal container of Figure 4, when the movable member is in the insertion position. [Figure 6] A partially enlarged plan view showing the movable member and related components of the needle disposal container in Figure 4, when the movable member is in the retracted position. [Figure 7] A plan view showing an enlarged view of the insertion hole and its peripheral portion in the needle disposal container of FIG. 4. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] A partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state when the first needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole. [Figure 10] A partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state when the second needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a needle disposal container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, before describing the needle disposal container, a syringe (including an injector) equipped with a needle unit to be discarded in this needle disposal container will be described.
[0019] In FIG. 1, an injector 2 as an example of a syringe is a so-called pen-type one used for injecting insulin into the body. This injector 2 as a syringe has an injector body 4 as a syringe body and a needle unit 6 attached to the tip of this injector body 4.
[0020] Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, this needle unit 6 has a puncturing needle 8 (injection needle) and a needle hub 10 that holds this needle 8. A male screw portion 12 is provided at the tip of the injector body 4, and a female screw portion 14 is provided on the needle hub 10 corresponding to the male screw portion 12 at the tip of the injector body 4. By screwing the female screw portion 14 onto the male screw portion 12, the needle unit 6 is detachably attached to the injector body 4.
[0021] For example, in the injector 2 for injecting insulin, when the needle unit 6 is attached to the injector body 4, a back needle portion 16 (see FIG. 2) extending to the proximal end side of the needle 8 punctures the seal of a chemical solution container (not shown) housed in the injector body 4, and thereby, injection of the chemical solution in the chemical solution container through the needle 8 is permitted.
[0022] In such injectors 2 (syringes), a thicker one is used when injecting a large amount of fluid, and a thinner one is used when injecting a small amount of fluid. The basic structure of both the thick and thin injectors is substantially the same, differing only in their outer diameter and / or length. In the following description, the thicker injector 2 will be referred to with the reference number "a," and the thinner one with the reference number "b." For example, a thick injector (needle hub...) will be written as "2a (10a...)," and a thin injector (needle hub...) will be written as "2b (10b...)."
[0023] For example, a first injector 2a (or second injector 2b) with a large (or small) volume of injection fluid has a large-diameter (or small-diameter) first needle hub 10a (or second needle hub 10b), and a plurality of first recesses 18a (or second recesses 18b) are provided on the outer circumferential surface of this first needle hub 10a (or second needle hub 10b) at intervals in the circumferential direction, and these first recesses 18a (or second recesses 18b) extend in a straight line from the tip to the base of the first needle hub 10a (or second needle hub 10b). In such a first needle unit 6a (or second needle unit 6b), the first female thread portion 14a (or second female thread portion 14b) of the first needle hub 10a (or second needle hub 10b) is screwed onto the first male thread portion 12a (or second male thread portion 12b) provided at the tip of the first injector body 4a (or second injector body 4b), and is separated from the first male thread portion 12a (or second male thread portion 12b) by rotating the first injector body 4a (or second injector body 4b) in the detachment direction, as will be described later.
[0024] Next, an embodiment of a needle disposal container according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. In Figures 4 to 6, the illustrated needle disposal container 22 comprises a container body 24 with an open top, a lid 26 is fitted over the opening of the container body 24, and a needle unit 6 (first needle unit 6a, second needle unit 6b) is housed inside the container body 24 through an insertion hole 28 of the lid 26 as will be described later.
[0025] The illustrated lid 26 comprises a lid body 30 that covers the opening of the container body 24, a movable member 32 that is movably attached to the lid body 30, and a lid cover 34 that opens and closes the upper surfaces of the lid body 30 and the movable member 32. A rectangular receiving recess 36 is provided on the upper surface of the lid body 30, and the rectangular movable member 32 is movably housed in this receiving recess 36. When the movable member 32 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 35 (see Figure 5) to an insertion position that abuts against one end of the receiving recess 36 of the lid body 30, a circular insertion hole 28 is defined by the lid body 30 and the movable member 32, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Furthermore, when the movable member 32 moves to a retracted position in the direction indicated by arrow 37 (see Figure 6) and contacts the other end of the receiving recess 36 of the lid body 30, as shown in Figure 6, the insertion hole 28 defined by the lid body 30 and the movable member 32 is opened, and the needle unit 6 (first needle unit 6a and second needle unit 6b) that was held between the lid body 30 and the movable member 32 falls into the container body 24 and is housed there, as will be described later.
[0026] In relation to the movable member 32, a locking member 39 is provided on the lid body 30. This locking member 39 engages with a part (not shown) of the movable member 32 to releasely lock it in the insertion position. The locking member 39 has a pressing portion 41, and by pressing and elastically deforming this pressing portion 41, the engagement by the locking member 39 can be released and the lock can be released.
[0027] Furthermore, a closed-holding recess 38 is provided at one end of the lid body 30, and the base end of the lid cover 34 is connected to the other end so as to be openable and closable. When the lid cover 34 is rotated in the closing direction and its elastic holding portion 40 is inserted into the closed-holding recess 38 of the lid body 30, the lid cover 34 is held in a closed state and covers the upper surface of the lid body 30 and the movable member 32 (including the opening of the insertion hole 28). On the other hand, when the elastic holding portion 40 of the lid cover 34 is removed from the closed-holding recess 38 of the lid body 30 and rotated in the opening direction to an open state, as shown in Figure 4, the upper surfaces of the lid body 30 and the movable member 32 are opened, and the needle unit (first needle unit 6a and second needle unit 6b) can be separated from the injector body 4 (first injector body 4a and second injector body 4b).
[0028] Referring to Figures 5 to 7, in this embodiment, a substantially semi-cylindrical first wall portion 42 is provided in the portion of the lid body 30 that contacts the receiving recess 36, and the surface 44 of this first wall portion 42 has a substantially semi-circular cross-section. Furthermore, a substantially semi-cylindrical second wall portion 46 is provided in the portion of the movable member 32 that faces the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30, and the surface 48 of this second wall portion 46 has a substantially semi-circular cross-section. With this configuration, when the movable member 32 is positioned in the insertion position, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8, the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30 and the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32 cooperate with each other to form a substantially continuous cylindrical wall portion, and the surface 44 of the first wall portion 42 and the surface 48 of the second wall portion 46 define a circular insertion hole 28.
[0029] In this embodiment, the first wall portion 42 on the lid body 30 side is formed within an angle range smaller than 180°, and the second wall portion 46 on the movable member 32 side is formed within an angle range larger than 180°. With this configuration, when the movable member 32 is moved to the retracted position, the insertion hole 28 of the lid 26 is opened relatively widely, thereby facilitating the dropping of the pot unit 6 (first needle unit 6a and second needle unit 6b) as described later. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the first wall portion 42 may be formed within an angle range of 180°, and the second wall portion 46 on the movable member 32 side may also be formed within an angle range of 180°.
[0030] In this container 22 for disposing of pots, it is further configured as follows so that it can be applied to a first injector 2a equipped with a large-diameter first needle hub 10a and a second injector 2b equipped with a small-diameter second needle hub 10b. A first rotation-blocking portion 52 is provided on the opening side of the insertion hole 28 (i.e., the side facing the needle unit 6 in the insertion direction) of the first wall portion 42 on the lid body 30 side and the second wall portion 46 on the movable member 32 side, and a second rotation-blocking portion 54 is provided on the bottom side of the insertion hole 28 (i.e., the side facing the needle unit 6 in the insertion direction).
[0031] The first rotation-blocking portion 52 is provided in accordance with a plurality of first recesses 10a of the first needle hub 10a to block the relative rotation of the first needle unit 6a. In this embodiment, it consists of a pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56 provided at circumferential intervals on the surface 44 of the first wall portion 42 on the lid body 30 side and a pair of first rotation-blocking projections 58 provided at circumferential intervals on the surface 48 of the second wall portion 46 on the movable member 32 side.
[0032] For the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56, 58, the diameter SD1 (see Figure 9) of the first virtual front circle SQ1 defined by the tips of the first rotation-blocking projections 56, 58 is configured to be smaller than the outer diameter d1 (see Figures 7 and 9) of the first needle hub 10a of the first needle unit 6a, and larger than the diameter Bd1 (see Figure 3) of the first virtual bottom circle BQ1 defined by the bottoms of the plurality of first recesses 18a of the first needle hub 10a.
[0033] With this configuration, when the first needle unit 6a is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26 as described later, the four first rotation-blocking protrusions 56, 58 of the first rotation-blocking part 52 are inserted into the four corresponding first recesses 18a of the first needle hub 10a, thereby preventing the relative movement of the first needle hub 10a with respect to the cover 26 (cover body 30 and movable member 32). The inner diameter of the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26 is configured to be larger than the outer diameter d1 of the first needle hub 10a, thereby allowing the insertion of the first needle hub 10a into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26.
[0034] Furthermore, the second rotation-blocking portion 54 is provided in accordance with a plurality of second recesses 18b of the second needle hub 10b to block the relative rotation of the second needle unit 6b. In this embodiment, it consists of a pair of second rotation-blocking projections 60 provided at circumferential intervals on the surface 44 of the first wall portion 42 on the lid body 30 side and a pair of first rotation-blocking projections 62 provided at circumferential intervals on the surface 48 of the second wall portion 46 on the movable member 32 side.
[0035] For the pair of second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62, the diameter SD2 (see Figure 10) of the second virtual front circle SQ2 defined by the tips of the second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62 is configured to be smaller than the outer diameter d2 (see Figures 7 and 10) of the second needle hub 10b of the second needle unit 6b, and larger than the diameter Bd2 (see Figure 3) of the second virtual bottom circle BQ2 defined by the bottoms of the multiple second recesses 18b of the second needle hub 10b.
[0036] With this configuration, when the second needle unit 6b is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, the four second rotation-blocking protrusions 60, 62 of the second rotation-blocking part 54 are inserted into the four corresponding second recesses 18b of the second needle hub 10b, thereby preventing the relative movement of the second needle hub 10b with respect to the cover 26 (cover body 30 and movable member 32). The outer diameter d2 of the second needle hub 10b is smaller than the outer diameter d1 of the first hub 10a, allowing the insertion of the second needle hub 10a into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26.
[0037] In this embodiment, the diameter SD2 (see Figure 10) of the second virtual front circle SQ2 defined by the tips of the second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62 is further configured to be smaller than the diameter Bd1 of the first virtual bottom circle SQ1 defined by the bottoms of the plurality of first recesses 10a of the first needle hub 10a. With this configuration, when the first needle unit 6a is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, the ends of the four first recesses 10a of the first needle hub 10a (i.e., the ends of the first needle hub 10a) come into contact with the tips of these four second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62, thereby preventing further insertion of the first needle hub 10a beyond the second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62.
[0038] The four first rotation-blocking protrusions 56, 58 of the first rotation-blocking section 52 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, with three or more protrusions in total, so that their tips define the first virtual circle SQ1. Similarly, the second rotation-blocking protrusions 60, 62 of the second rotation-blocking section 54 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, so that their tips define the second virtual circle SQ2.
[0039] In this embodiment, an insertion-blocking projection 64 is further provided at the bottom of the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32, specifically on the side further inward than the second rotation-blocking portion 54 in the insertion direction of the needle hub 10. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, this insertion-blocking projection 64 extends over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the second wall portion 46. The diameter SD3 (see Figure 10) of the third forward virtual line circle SQ3 defined by the tip of this insertion-blocking projection 64 is smaller than the outer diameter d2 of the second needle hub 10b of the second needle unit 6b. With this configuration, when the second needle unit 6b is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, as shown in Figure 10, the tip of the second needle hub 10b comes into contact with this insertion-blocking projection 64, thereby preventing further insertion of the second needle hub 10b beyond the insertion-blocking projection 64.
[0040] The insertion-blocking projection 64 is preferably provided on the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32. This configuration allows the second needle unit 6b to fall smoothly when the movable member 32 is moved to the retracted position. However, the insertion-blocking projection 64 is not limited to this configuration and may be provided on the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30, or on both the first wall portion 42 and the second wall portion 46.
[0041] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56, 58 of the first rotation-blocking section 52 and the pair of opening rotation-blocking projections 60, 62 of the second rotation-blocking section 54 are provided continuously in the insertion direction of the needle hub 10 (first needle hub 10a and second needle hub 10b) at the same angular position in the circumferential direction of the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26. By providing them continuously in this manner, when inserting into the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26, it becomes possible to insert the first needle hub 10a of the first needle unit 6a and the second needle hub 10b of the second needle unit 6b in the same state, eliminating the hassle of aligning angles when inserting different types of needle units 6 (first needle unit 6a and second needle unit 6b).
[0042] In this embodiment, both the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56 and 2 rotation-blocking projections 60 on the lid body 30 side and the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 58 and 2 movement-blocking projections 62 on the movable member 32 side are provided continuously. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56 and 2 rotation-blocking projections 60 may be provided continuously only on the lid body 30 side, or the pair of first rotation-blocking projections 58 and 2 movement-blocking projections 62 may be provided continuously only on the movable member 32 side, or at least one first rotation-blocking projection 56 and 2 rotation-blocking projection 60 on the lid body 30 side and / or at least one first rotation-blocking projection 58 and 2 movement-blocking projection 62 on the movable member 32 side may be provided continuously.
[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the circumferential width of the second rotation-blocking projections 60 and 62 is greater than the circumferential width of the first rotation-blocking projections 56 and 58. This configuration increases the strength of the second rotation-blocking projections 60 and 62 that contact and support the first needle hub 10a when inserted into the insertion hole 28.
[0044] The needle unit 6 (first needle unit 6a and second needle unit 6b) of the injector 2 (syringe) is retrieved from the container body 24 by, for example, the following operation. Referring to Figures 4 to 8, to remove the needle unit 6 from the injector body 4 (syringe body), the movable member 32 is positioned in the insertion position. When positioned in this insertion position, the movable member 32 is locked in place by the locking member 39, and the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30 and the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32 define the insertion hole 28 into which the injector 2 (syringe) is inserted.
[0045] For example, when removing the first needle unit 6a from the first injector body 4a and disposing of it in the container body 24, as shown in Figure 9, the first needle hub 10a of the first needle unit 6a is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the lid 26. During this insertion, the first rotation-blocking projections 56 and 58 of the first rotation-blocking part 52 on the lid 26 (in this embodiment, the lid body 30 and the movable member 32) side are positioned within the multiple first recesses 18a of the first needle hub 10a.
[0046] When the first needle unit 6a is inserted in this manner, the tip of the first needle hub 10a comes into contact with the second rotation-blocking portion 54 (in this embodiment, a pair of second rotation-blocking protrusions 60, 62), preventing further insertion of the first needle hub 10a beyond the second rotation-blocking portion 54, and the first needle unit 6a is held in a state inserted into the opening side of the insertion hole 28 of the cover 26.
[0047] Next, the injector body 4a is rotated in the detachment direction while in this inserted state. When rotated in this way, the first rotation-blocking portion 52 (a pair of first rotation-blocking protrusions 56, 58) on the lid 26 side is located within the first recess 18a of the first needle hub 10a, thus preventing the rotation of the first needle hub 10a relative to the lid 26. As a result, only the injector body 4a rotates in the detachment direction, and thus the first needle hub 10a is detached from the injector body 4a.
[0048] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6, the movable member 32 is moved to the retracted position in the direction indicated by the arrow 37. This opens the insertion hole 28 of the lid 26, and the first needle hub 10a, which was held in this insertion hole 28, falls into the container body 24 through the opening, separated from the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30 by its own weight. In this way, the first needle unit 6a can be disposed of into the container body 30 without touching the first needle 8a.
[0049] Furthermore, for example, when removing the second needle unit 6b from the second injector body 4b and disposing of it in the container body 24, it can be recovered into the container body 24 in the same manner as described above. That is, in this case as well, the movable member 32 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 35 (see Figure 5) to position it in the insertion position, and in this insertion position, the second needle hub 10b of the second needle unit 6b is inserted into the insertion hole 28 on the lid 26 side, and during this insertion, the first rotation-blocking projections 56, 58 of the first rotation-blocking part 52 and the second rotation-blocking projections 60, 62 of the second rotation-blocking part 54 on the lid 26 side are positioned within the multiple second recesses 18b of the second needle hub 10b.
[0050] When the second needle unit 6b is inserted into the insertion hole 28 in this manner, as shown in Figure 10, the tip of the second needle hub 10b comes into contact with the insertion blocking projection 64 on the lid 26 (in this embodiment, the movable member 32), preventing further insertion of the second needle hub 10b beyond this insertion blocking projection 64. The second needle unit 6b is then held in the inserted state of the insertion hole 28 of the lid 26, specifically, in a state inserted towards the bottom of the insertion hole 28.
[0051] Next, as described above, the injector body 4b is rotated in the detachment direction. When rotated in this way, the second rotation-blocking portion 54 (a pair of second rotation-blocking protrusions 60, 62) on the lid 26 side is positioned within the second recess 18b of the second needle hub 10b, thus preventing the rotation of the second needle hub 10b relative to the lid 26. As a result, only the injector body 4b rotates in the detachment direction, and thus the second needle hub 10b is detached from the injector body 4b.
[0052] Subsequently, as described above, the movable member 32 is moved to the retracted position in the direction indicated by the arrow 37 to open the insertion hole 28 of the lid 26. When the insertion hole 28 is opened in this way, the second needle hub 10b, which was held in the insertion hole 28, separates from the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 30 due to its own weight and falls into the container body 24 through the opened opening, thus allowing the second needle unit 6b to be disposed of into the container body 30 without touching the second needle 8b.
[0053] Although one embodiment of the needle disposal container 22 according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0054] For example, in the embodiment described above, the first rotation-blocking portion 52 is composed of a pair of first rotation-blocking projections 56 provided on the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 26 and a pair of first rotation-blocking projections 58 provided on the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the first rotation-blocking projection 52 can also be configured as follows. For example, it may be composed of one or more first rotation-blocking projections provided on the first wall portion 42 and / or one or more first rotation-blocking projections provided on the second wall portion 46. By providing at least one first rotation-blocking projection on the first wall portion 42 and / or the second wall portion 46, the effect of blocking the rotation of the second needle hub 10a of the first needle unit 6a can be achieved.
[0055] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the second rotation-blocking portion 54 is composed of a pair of second rotation-blocking projections 60 provided on the first wall portion 42 of the lid body 26 and a pair of second rotation-blocking projections 62 provided on the second wall portion 46 of the movable member 32. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and similar to the first rotation-blocking portion 52 described above, it may be composed of, for example, one or more second rotation-blocking projections provided on the first wall portion 42 and / or one or more second rotation-blocking projections provided on the second wall portion 46. By providing at least one second rotation-blocking projection on the first wall portion 42 and / or the second wall portion 46, the effect of blocking the rotation of the second needle hub 10b of the second needle unit 6b can be achieved. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0056] 2,2a,2b Syringe (syringe) 4,4a,4b Syringe body (syringe body) 6,6a,6b Needle Unit 8,8a,8b needle 10, 10a, 10b Needle Hub 18, 18a, 18b recess 22 Needle disposal container 24 Container body 26 Lid 28 Insertion holes 30 Lid body 32 Movable member 42 1st wall 46 Second wall section 52 1st rotation prevention part 54 2nd rotation prevention part 56, 58 First motion-blocking thrust 60, 62 Second motion-blocking projection 64 Insertion blocking section
Claims
1. The device comprises a container body for housing a needle unit separated from the syringe body, and a lid attached to the opening of the container body, the lid comprising a lid body covering the opening of the container body and a movable member movably attached to the lid body, the container body having a first wall portion defining a first arc-shaped surface open to the movable member side, the movable member having a second wall portion defining a second arc-shaped surface open to the first wall portion side of the lid body, in the insertion position where the movable member is moved toward the first wall portion, the first arc-shaped surface of the first wall portion and the second arc-shaped surface of the second wall portion cooperate with each other to define an insertion hole for inserting the needle hub of the needle unit, and in the retracted position where the movable member is retracted from the first wall portion, the insertion hole defined by the first arc-shaped surface and the second arc-shaped surface is open. Furthermore, the needle disposal container is characterized in that the first wall portion and / or the second wall portion are provided with a first rotation-blocking portion corresponding to the large-diameter first needle hub of the first needle unit on the opening side of the insertion hole, and a second rotation-blocking portion corresponding to the small-diameter second needle hub of the second needle unit on the bottom side of the insertion hole.
2. The needle disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that the first wall portion of the lid body and / or the second wall portion of the movable member are provided with at least one first rotation-blocking projection that protrudes into the insertion hole on the opening side of the insertion hole, and at least one second rotation-blocking projection that protrudes into the insertion hole on the bottom side of the insertion hole, the second rotation-blocking projection protrudes more significantly into the insertion hole than the first rotation-blocking projection, the first rotation-blocking projection constitutes the first rotation-blocking portion, and the second rotation-blocking projection constitutes the second rotation-blocking portion.
3. The needle disposal container according to claim 2, characterized in that a plurality of first recesses are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first needle hub of the first needle unit at intervals in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of second recesses are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second needle hub of the second needle unit at intervals in the circumferential direction, and when the first needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, the first rotation-preventing projection is inserted into one of the plurality of first recesses of the first needle hub, and when the second needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, the second rotation-preventing projection is inserted into one of the plurality of second recesses of the second needle hub.
4. The needle disposal container according to claim 3, wherein the first rotation-stopping projection of the first rotation-stopping portion and the second rotation-stopping projection of the second rotation-stopping projection are provided in three or more locations at the same angular position in the circumferential direction in the insertion hole on the lid side, the diameter of the first virtual front circle defined by the tip of the first rotation-stopping projection is smaller than the outer diameter of the first needle hub and larger than the diameter of the first virtual bottom circle defined by the bottoms of the plurality of first recesses of the first needle hub, and the diameter of the second virtual front circle defined by the tip of the second rotation-stopping projection is smaller than the outer diameter of the second needle hub, larger than the diameter of the second virtual bottom circle defined by the bottoms of the plurality of second recesses of the second needle hub and smaller than the diameter of the first virtual bottom circle of the first needle hub, and when the first needle hub is inserted into the insertion hole on the lid side, the end of any of the plurality of first recesses of the first needle hub abuts against the second rotation-stopping projection.
5. The needle disposal container according to claim 4, characterized in that the first wall portion of the lid body and the second wall portion of the movable member are provided with a first rotation-blocking portion and a second rotation-blocking portion, respectively, and the first rotation-blocking projection of the first rotation-blocking portion and the second rotation-blocking projection of the second rotation-blocking portion are provided continuously in the direction of insertion of the needle hub.
6. The needle disposal container according to claim 5, characterized in that the first rotation-blocking portion provided on the first wall portion of the lid body and the second wall portion of the movable member is composed of a pair of first rotation-blocking projections arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the second rotation-blocking portion provided on the first wall portion and the second wall portion is composed of a pair of second rotation-blocking projections arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.
7. The needle disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that the first wall portion of the lid body and / or the second wall portion of the movable member are provided with an insertion-blocking projection located further back than the second rotation-blocking portion in the direction of insertion of the needle hub.