container

Abstract

The present invention provides a container (10) for delivery, having a container body (12) that provides an internal volume (14) for receiving contents. A contents insertion opening (16) communicates with the internal volume (14) and includes captor configurations (17, 18). An access opening (32) also communicates with the internal volume (14) and includes a cover (34) that is movable between an open and closed position to open and close the access opening. The captor configurations (17, 18) are configured to allow the insertion of contents into the internal volume (14) through the contents insertion opening, but are configured to resist the removal of contents from the internal volume (14) by the same path. The contents can instead be removed from the internal volume (14) through the access opening (32) when the access opening (32) is open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery container.

Background Art

[0002] When transporting an item, it is often desirable to prevent or at least resist unauthorized tampering. For example, when a filled medical specimen receptacle is transported from a collection site to a laboratory for analysis, the receptacle is often housed in some sort of delivery container for protection during transport. This delivery container may be a simple one such as a paper package lined with a cushioning material such as a bubble sheet, but various more robust delivery containers are also commercially available, which often have a rugged injection molded body for receiving the specimen receptacle and a lid for holding the specimen receptacle. Without an effective means for preventing tampering, there is a risk, for example, that the specimen may be maliciously swapped with another during transport. There is also a possibility that the sample may be inadvertently lost from the container or that one sample may be accidentally swapped with another before the container is sealed for transport.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a delivery container that resists tampering or replacement of the contents, whether intentional or inadvertent.

[0004] Often, it cannot be assumed that the person sending the package for delivery has specialized knowledge. For example, a medical specimen may be collected by a patient at home and then mailed or otherwise sent to a laboratory for analysis. The delivery container should be easy to use and should not require complex user operations to activate an anti-tampering mechanism or rely on the user remembering to activate it.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to the present invention, a container body providing an internal volume for receiving the contents, An internal volume is connected to an insertion port for contents, which has a capper configuration, An access opening configured to be opened and closed Equipped with, A delivery container is provided in which the captor configuration is configured to allow the insertion of contents into the internal volume through a contents insertion port and to resist the removal of contents from the internal volume through the contents insertion port, and the contents can be removed from the internal volume through the access port when the access port is open.

[0006] Thus, contents such as medical specimen receptacles can be easily inserted through the contents insertion port, and once inserted, the captor configuration resists withdrawal through the contents insertion port, thus confining the contents inside. The contents are removed from the container by opening the access port, which may require a specific opening device—a key, a special tool, or a code. This prevents, or at least resists, unauthorized or unintended removal of the contents.

[0007] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below for illustrative purposes only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows a set of delivery containers that embody the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The delivery container 10 shown in Figure 1 is suitable for use in the delivery of medical specimen tubes. Although not shown, the specimen tubes can take the form of hollow cylindrical bodies with screw caps. Typically, the specimen tubes have an external label containing information about the specimen.

[0010] The delivery container 10 comprises a hollow container body 12. In this example, the container body 12 is an elongated rectangular parallelepiped, but it can take on a variety of other shapes as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the present invention. The container body 12 may be cylindrical, for example. Any suitable manufacturing technique and material can be used, but in this example, the container body 12 is made of molded plastic material. Being hollow, the container body 12 defines an internal volume 14 (slightly visible through the opening of the container in the drawing) for receiving a predetermined contents, which in this example is a sample tube.

[0011] The delivery container 10 is equipped with a unidirectional contents insertion port 16, which is fitted with a captor configuration consisting of a set of cantilevered fingers 17 arranged around the contents insertion opening 18. The captor configuration facilitates the insertion of a predetermined contents into the internal volume 14 through the contents insertion port 16, but is configured to resist the withdrawal of contents through the same path, thereby confining the contents within the internal volume. In this embodiment, the fingers 17 are elastic. Each finger 17 has a base portion 20 that contacts the wall 22 of the container body 12. Each finger 17 has a free end 24, and these free ends 24 converge to define the insertion opening 18. In this embodiment, the insertion opening 18 is circular, and its diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the sample tube being transported. Each finger 17 is inclined inward, and their free ends 24 are located further into the internal volume 14 than the base portion 20. The fingers 17 are elastic and can bend to change their inclination angle to some extent and return to their original position. In this embodiment, the fingers 17 are approximately triangular in shape and are positioned at the square ends of the container body 12, so that they do not overlap with each other and are adjacent to one another.

[0012] To insert the sample tube into the container 10, one simply pushes the sample tube through the insertion opening 18 of the contents insertion port 16. Because the sample tube is larger than the insertion opening 18, the fingers 17 bend, expanding the opening 18. Once the container 10 is fully inserted, the fingers 17 elastically return to their original position, and the sample tube is restrained. Because the insertion opening 18 is small, anything that could be inserted to grasp the sample tube (e.g., a human fingertip or some form of gripping tool) would be too large to easily pull out once it is gripping the sample tube. Also, due to the inclination of the fingers 17, the free ends tend to act toward each other when something is pulled outward through the insertion opening 18, and the greater the force applied to pull it out, the tighter the gripping force becomes.

[0013] The container 10 may be equipped with internal dunnage (not shown), such as foam, shaped to receive and contain the sample tubes, in order to protect the sample tubes during transport.

[0014] In this embodiment, a lid 26 is provided for closing the insertion opening 16. The lid is preferably hinged to the container body 12 via an integrated ("living") hinge 28 and includes a catch 30 for holding it in the closed position.

[0015] The sample tube is removed from the container 10 through an access port 32 for accessing the internal volume 14. In this embodiment, the contents insertion port 16 is located at one end of the container body 12, and the access port 32 is located at the other end; however, other arrangements are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In Figure 1, the access port is covered by a cover in the form of an end cap 34. To access the internal volume 14, the end cap 34 must be opened. For security, the end cap 34 is provided with a locking mechanism. Opening requires the use of an opening device, the form of which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The opening device may comprise a dedicated tool for mechanically releasing the end cap 34. The opening device may comprise a key for receiving into a lock, and the end cap 34 may be released by unlocking. The opening device may comprise a code for inputting into a mechanical or electronically controlled lock. The opening device may take other forms. In any case, the opening device is available at the destination of the container (e.g., the laboratory where the sample is analyzed), but does not need to be available at the point of origin or elsewhere. In this way, a certain level of protection against unauthorized access to the contents of container 10 is provided before delivery.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the containers 10 are configured to engage with each other, allowing multiple containers 10 to be handled and transported as a single unit. The drawing shows four containers 10 that are separable from each other.

[0017] Container 10 is well-suited for repeated use, thus avoiding the environmental burden associated with disposable packaging. For example, it may be supplied to the user as a kit containing a sample receptacle and container 10. Matching labels may be affixed to the container and bottle to confirm that they are a pair.

[0018] The embodiments described above are illustrative and not intended to be limiting. Various modifications are possible, as long as they do not depart from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims. For example, the captor configuration may actually take entirely different forms depending on its function of allowing the contents to be inserted into the container but resisting their withdrawal through the same path.

Claims

1. A container body that provides an internal volume for receiving contents, A content insertion port, which communicates with the aforementioned internal volume and has a captor configuration, An access opening configured to be opened and closed Equipped with, A shipping container wherein the captor configuration is configured to allow the insertion of contents into the internal volume through the contents insertion port and to resist the removal of contents from the internal volume through the contents insertion port, and the contents are removable from the internal volume through the access port when the access port is open.

2. The delivery container according to claim 1, wherein the access opening is configured to be opened and closed by a cover that can be locked when closed, and the cover can be released by using an opening device, thereby allowing the access opening to be opened.

3. The delivery container according to claim 2, wherein the opening device comprises a key, a tool, or a code.

4. The container for delivery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the captor configuration comprises a plurality of cantilevered fingers arranged around the content insertion opening.

5. The delivery container according to claim 4, wherein the fingers are inclined toward the internal volume and are curved to accommodate contents within the internal opening, and are configured to grip the contents as they are pulled out through the contents insertion opening toward the internal volume.

6. The delivery container according to claim 5, wherein each of the fingers has a base portion that contacts the container body and a free end.

7. The delivery container according to claim 6, wherein the free ends of the fingers converge to define an opening for inserting contents.

8. The delivery container according to claim 7, wherein the content insertion opening is substantially circular.

9. A delivery container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising an internal dunnage for protecting the contents.

10. The container body comprises two opposing ends, the contents insertion opening is provided on one of the ends, and the access opening is provided on the other end, as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A delivery container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a lid for closing the contents insertion opening.

12. A delivery system comprising contents in the form of a receptacle and a delivery container according to any one of claims 1 to 11 for receiving the receptacle.

13. The delivery system according to claim 12, wherein the receptacle is substantially cylindrical.

14. The delivery system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the receptacle is a medical specimen receptacle.

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