Safety lid for biological and sanitary waste containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety lid for biological and sanitary waste containers, for tamper-proof closure of the container, comprising: a central panel (1) for covering the opening; a peripheral skirt (2), with a contoured cross-section, extending from a peripheral edge of the lower face of the panel (1); interlocking elements (3) connected to the peripheral skirt (2) and pivotally moveable with respect to same; and a mechanical seal (4) which is located on an inner face of the peripheral skirt (2) and can be compressed between the skirt and the peripheral edge of the opening of the cover to ensure the hermetic tightness of the closure. In a closed position of the lid, the interlocking elements (3) are accommodated inside the container and blocked by physical interference against an inner face of the peripheral edge of the opening.

Description

[0001] SECURITY LID FOR BIOLOGICAL AND SANITARY WASTE CONTAINERS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Object of the invention

[0004] The present invention falls within the technical field of containers and covers, specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic devices or instruments, more specifically those designed for collecting or disposing of used items. It can also be classified within the technical field of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers and relates in particular to a safety lid for containers of biological and medical waste and sharps.

[0005] Background of the invention

[0006] The proper management of biological and healthcare waste has become increasingly important in public health, especially in medical settings, laboratories, and hospital waste treatment. This waste, which includes contaminated items such as sharps, bodily fluids, pharmaceuticals, and other infectious waste, poses a significant risk to human health and the environment if not handled and treated correctly. To prevent exposure to pathogens and hazardous substances, containers specifically designed for the temporary storage, transport, and safe disposal of such waste are used.

[0007] Biological and healthcare waste containers typically consist of a rigid or semi-rigid body designed to safely contain waste generated in clinical or research settings. The lid of these containers usually includes an opening that allows for continuous waste disposal during normal use without fully opening the container. This opening is used while the container is in service, enabling controlled waste introduction. However, when the container reaches its maximum capacity or when its contents must be transported for treatment or final disposal, the opening must be secured to prevent accidental leakage or unauthorized tampering.

[0008] One of the main challenges associated with these types of containers is ensuring the safety of both the personnel handling the waste and the environment in which it is stored and transported. During transport to treatment facilities, accidents such as spills or unwanted exposures can occur due to poor sealing or inadequate closure of the lid covering the opening. Therefore, a safety lid that allows for effective and airtight closure of the container is essential to prevent the risk of contamination or exposure to hazardous materials.

[0009] Another common problem in handling these containers is the risk of improper handling, whether by unauthorized personnel or due to accidents while handling the full container. Conventional lids are often not designed with mechanisms to prevent them from being opened once in place, which can lead to unintentional access to the container's contents, exposing people to biological hazards. Furthermore, reusing containers without proper sealing can increase the possibility of cross-contamination and the spread of pathogens, highlighting the need for advanced safety solutions.

[0010] In the field of hazardous waste containers, numerous lid and closure system solutions have been proposed. However, many of these have shortcomings in terms of ease of use and sealing effectiveness. Some lids require complex mechanisms to ensure their safety, which can hinder the closing process, especially in high-pressure environments or situations requiring rapid response. Other solutions do not provide an adequate seal to guarantee complete containment of the waste, putting personnel at risk during container transport.

[0011] An example can be found in US patent 2012164283, which describes a lid that includes an access opening in its upper wall, selectively covered by a pivoting cover. The lid is attached to a container and provides access to the container's interior. The lid pivots between open and closed positions and, in one form, can be secured in one or both positions. This can be achieved by releasably securing the cover to the upper wall to maintain the cover in the closed position and / or by capturing a tab of the cover within a depression in a portion of the lid's rim to maintain the cover in the open position. The cover can also be integrally attached to the lid so that it is generally coplanar with the upper wall when in the closed position.

[0012] Another example is described in document EP0156517, relating to a container for contaminated materials that has a top-mounted inlet chute and a hinged door that normally hangs vertically, closing off the inner end of the chute. When the container is full, the door can be lifted until hooks at its lower end engage openings in the container lid, and then the entire door can be rotated to a closed position, closing the inlet opening to the chute and thus providing protection from the contaminated surface of the chute. The door has barbed retainers that engage the openings to maintain a positive seal in its final closed position.

[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a safety lid that, in addition to removably covering the container's opening, provides an efficient, easy-to-operate seal that prevents accidental or unauthorized opening. This minimizes the risks associated with handling biological and healthcare waste, ensuring both personnel safety and environmental protection during the storage and transport of such waste.

[0014] Description of the invention

[0015] The object of the invention is a safety lid for biological and sanitary waste containers, where said containers comprise at least one receptacle for housing the waste and a top cover for closing the receptacle. The cover is provided with at least one opening for introducing the waste into the receptacle, and the lid of the invention is configured to close said opening.

[0016] The lid can be permanently attached to the container, for example by hinges to the cover, or it can be an external element that attaches to the container when it needs to be permanently closed for storage and transfer to a specialized waste treatment center.

[0017] The lid, which has a geometry complementary to that of the cover opening, comprises, firstly, a central panel with an upper and a lower face, the latter being designed to face inwards towards the container. The central panel's main function is to cover the opening when the lid is in the closed position on the container.

[0018] The lid also includes a skirt or perimeter flange, extending from the perimeter of the underside of the panel, and a plurality of locking elements located on an inner face of the perimeter flange. These locking elements, preferably shaped like hooks or barbs, are pivotable relative to the perimeter flange and are configured to engage with a perimeter edge of the lid opening. When the lid is closed, the locking elements are immobilized against the opening and are inaccessible from the outside. This prevents the lid from being tampered with without disassembling the container, which is necessary at a waste treatment facility.

[0019] The lid also includes a mechanical seal to ensure a watertight closure. This mechanical seal consists of a rubber O-ring located on an inner face of the perimeter flap and is compressible between this inner face of the flap and the perimeter edge of the lid opening.

[0020] The lid is preferably made of washable and reusable plastic materials. The mechanical seal is made of deformable and elastic materials such as rubber. The lid, as described, provides a functional and simple solution and allows for multiple uses. Thus, once removed from the container at the treatment center, it can be sanitized and reused for several cycles.

[0021] Description of the drawings

[0022] To complement the description being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0023] Figure 1.- Shows a top perspective view of the lid in the open position, according to a first preferred embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2.- Shows a top perspective view of the lid in Figure 1, in the closed position.

[0025] Figure 3.- Shows a detail of the AA cut made in figure 1.

[0026] Figure 4.- Shows a detail of the BB cut made in figure 2.

[0027] Figure 5.- Shows a top perspective view of the lid in the closed position according to a second preferred embodiment, in which the lid is linked to the container by means of hinges.

[0028] Figure 6.- Top perspective view of the lid of figure 5 in open position, and a detail of the cut made according to plan CC.

[0029] Figures 7.1-7.4.- Show a side cut of the lid closing sequence over the container opening.

[0030] Preferred embodiment of the invention A detailed explanation of an example of a preferred embodiment of the object of the present invention is provided below with the help of the figures referred to above.

[0031] The security lid for biological and sanitary waste containers described herein is designed for containers of the type comprising at least one waste receptacle and a top cover for sealing the receptacle, and where the cover is provided with at least one through-opening for introducing the waste into the receptacle. The lid permanently and tamper-proofly closes the opening when the container is full.

[0032] The lid can be an external element to the container or it can be linked to it, either by means of a connecting rib as shown in figures 1 and 2, or by means of hinges, as illustrated in figures 5 and 6.

[0033] The safety cover, which has a geometry and dimensions complementary to those of the cover opening, comprises a central panel (1), a perimeter skirt (2), reinforcing elements (3) and a mechanical seal (4).

[0034] The central panel (1), for covering the opening of the cover, has an upper face and a lower face. The latter is intended to face the interior of the container.

[0035] The perimeter skirt (2), which in the embodiment shown in the figures has a warped section, extends from the perimeter edge of the lower face of the panel (1). Thus, as shown in Figure 7, the perimeter skirt (2) comprises, consecutively and from the lower face of the panel (1):

[0036] - a curved wall (5), extending from the underside of the panel (1);

[0037] - a horizontal fin (6), extending perpendicularly from an edge of the curved wall (5); and

[0038] - a vertical fin (7), which extends perpendicularly and inwardly from an edge of the horizontal fin (6).

[0039] The curved wall (5) has an outward concavity so that, in plan view, the outermost edge of the perimeter skirt (2) extends beyond the outermost edge of the panel (1). Furthermore, this curvature of the curved wall (2) gives the perimeter skirt (2) flexibility that facilitates the fitting of the lid to the container opening.

[0040] The locking elements (3) are linked to the perimeter skirt (2) and are pivotally displaceable with respect to it. As shown in the accompanying figures, in these preferred embodiments, these locking elements (3) are arranged on the curved wall (5). The locking elements (3) are in the form of discontinuous tabs, which are even in number, and where the tabs of each pair of locking elements (3) are located diagonally opposite each other on the perimeter skirt (2).

[0041] Regarding the mechanical seal (4), it is located on an inner face of the perimeter skirt (2) and is compressible between the skirt and the perimeter edge of the cover opening. In this preferred embodiment, the mechanical seal (4) consists of a rubber O-ring located in the recess between the respective inner faces of the horizontal fin (6) and the vertical fin (7) of the perimeter skirt (2).

[0042] As indicated above, the lid may comprise a hinged joint (8) with the cover, so that it is permanently linked to the container.

[0043] Figures 7.1-7.4 show the sequence for closing the lid over the container opening for its final closure until its transfer to a treatment center. As can be seen in Figure 7.1, the lid is first placed over the opening and moved vertically downwards, so that the perimeter skirt (2) is the first part to enter.

[0044] This downward vertical displacement, illustrated in Figure 7.2, continues until the locking elements (3) contact the perimeter edge of the opening. At that moment, shown in Figure 7.3, the locking elements (3) pivot, allowing the perimeter skirt to be inserted into the opening until the mechanical seal (4) is compressed between the cover and the perimeter edge of the opening, thus forming a hermetic seal. In the closed configuration, shown in Figure 7.4, the locking elements

[0045] (3) are housed and immobilized inside the container and therefore cannot be manipulated from the outside. These locking elements (3) are locked by physical interference against an inner face of the perimeter edge of the opening.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A tamper-evident lid for biological and sanitary waste containers, for the non-tamperable closure of a container of the type comprising at least one waste housing receptacle and a top cover for closing the receptacle provided with at least one through opening, the tamper-evident lid being characterized in that it comprises: - a central panel (1) covering the opening of the cover, with an upper face and a lower face; - a perimeter skirt (2), with a warped section, extending from a perimeter edge of the lower face of the panel (1) and comprising consecutively: - a curved wall (5), extending from the underside of the panel (1); - a horizontal fin (6), extending perpendicularly from an edge of the curved wall (5); and - a vertical fin (7), which extends perpendicularly and inwardly from an edge of the horizontal fin (6); - some reinforcing elements (3) linked to the perimeter skirt (2) and pivotally displaceable with respect to it; and - a mechanical seal (4) located on an inner face of the perimeter skirt (2) and compressible between it and the perimeter edge of the cover opening for airtight closure, and where, in a closed arrangement of the cover, the locking elements (3) are housed inside the container and blocked by physical interference against an inner face of the perimeter edge of the opening.

2. Safety lid according to claim 1, incorporating an articulated joint (8) with the cover for permanent connection with the container.

3. Safety cover according to claim 2, wherein the articulated joint is formed by hinges.

4. Safety cover according to claim 2, wherein the articulated joint is formed by a connecting rib.

5. Safety cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the locking elements (3) are arranged on the curved wall (5).

6. Safety cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the locking elements (3) are discontinuous tabs.

7. Safety cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the locking elements (3) are presented in even number, and wherein the two locking elements (3) of each pair are located in diagonally opposite positions of the perimeter skirt (2).

8. Safety cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mechanical seal (4) is a rubber O-ring disposed in a housing delimited between the respective inner faces of the horizontal fin (6) and the vertical fin (7) of the perimeter skirt (2).

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