GB2298126A - Waste bins - Google Patents

Abstract

A waste bin 1 for soft clinical waste in hospitals, such as swabs and dressings, comprises a top wall 10 and side walls 5, 6 formed from at least one sheet of cardboard by folding and defining an inner space for receiving waste. The top wall 10 is provided with a moulded plastics insert 7 adapted to be seated within an aperture in the top wall and including a cover 15 which is pivotal along one edge between an open position permitting introduction of waste into the inner space through an opening 16 of the insert and a closed position in which the cover 15 sealingly closes off the opening 16 and in which the cover 15 is held by engagement of a projection 17 within a recess 18. Such a bin, which may or may not be provided with a plastics liner within the inner space for receiving the waste, is capable of safely and hygienically storing medical waste so as to protect cleansing operatives or hospital staff from contamination. Furthermore the waste bin may be disposed of with the waste.

Description

"Waste Bins" This invention relates to waste bins and is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with bins for medical waste.

Much soft clinical waste in hospitals, such as swabs and dressings, is of such a nature that it is important that the waste is disposed of safely and hygienically without risk of infection to cleansing operatives or hospital staff. Where a waste bin of non-disposable type is used to receive such waste, it is usual for the waste to be received either directly in the bin or in a removable bag supported by a holding part of the bin, the bag being removable with the waste when the bin is emptied to avoid the need to re-expose the waste during emptying. However, in the former case, the bin must be cleaned after emptying whereas, in the latter case, there is a risk that a damaged bag may expose the waste. For this reason it is more convenient and labour saving to make use of a bin which is disposable with the waste. The bin is also advantageously of rigid construction.

It is an object of the invention to provide a waste bin which may be disposed of with the waste and which protects operatives from contamination by the waste.

According to the present invention there is provided a waste bin comprising a top wall and side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and defining an inner space for receiving waste, the top wall being provided with an insert adapted to be seated within an aperture in the top wall including a cover which is pivotal along one edge between an open position permitting introduction of waste into the inner space through an opening of the insert and a closed position in which the cover sealingly closes off the opening and in which the cover is held by engagement of a projection within a recess.

Such a bin, which may or may not be provided with a plastics liner within the inner space for receiving the waste, is capable of safely and hygienically storing medical waste so as to protect cleansing operatives or hospital staff from contamination. Furthermore the waste bin may be disposed of with the waste, so that, once the waste has been placed in the bin, there is no need for the waste to be re-exposed in such a manner as to present a risk of infection to cleansing operatives or hospital staff. Since the waste is contained within the bin in a safer manner than has previously been possible, the bin can be emptied less frquently than has previously been necessary, and this reduces the number of bin collections necessary, thus saving staff time.The provision of a separate insert defining the closable opening through which waste is introduced into the bin enables the insert to be formed by moulding from a material which may be different from the material used to form the remainder of the bin by folding, and in particular enables the insert to be formed in such a way that, when in the closed position, the cover seals off the opening to prevent escape of contamination or unpleasant smells from the bin.

The bin may comprise a lower part having an open top and incorporating side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and defining the inner space, and an upper part having an open bottom and incorporating the top wall and side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and overlapping the side walls of the bottom part. The bin is preferably also provided with a bottom wall. However the top wall and side walls, and optionally also the bottom wall, of the bin may be formed as an integral structure by folding from a single sheet of material.

The bin is advantageously also formed with at least one handle for lifting of the bin. Where the bin is formed in two parts, the or each handle is preferably integrally formed with the lower part.

The invention also provides an insert for fitting within an aperture in a top wall of a waste bin, the insert comprising a frame adapted to be seated within the aperture, and a cover which is pivotally connected to the frame along one edge of the cover so as to be pivotable between an open position permitting introduction of waste into the bin through an opening of the frame and a closed position in which the cover sealingly closes off the opening and in which the cover is held by engagement of a projection within a recess.

The cover and the frame are preferably parts of a one-piece moulding formed from plastics material. The frame may bave a peripheral flange adapted to overlap the top wall around the edge of the aperture when the insert is fitted within the aperture.

Furthermore the frame may be formed with at least resilient bottom flap which is pivotable to permit introduction of waste into the bin through the opening when the cover is in the open position and which is resiliently biased to at least partially close off the opening when waste is not being introduced into the bin.

The projection is conveniently provided on the frame so as to project upwardly therefrom when the frame is seated within the aperture, and the recess is conveniently formed in a lower surface of the cover so that the projection is received within the recess when the cover is in the closed position. The projection and the recess are preferably shaped so that the projection is an interference fit or a snap fit within the recess when the cover is in the closed position.

Furthermore the cover may be provided with a peripheral channel within which a peripheral portion of the frame is received to provide a sealing fit when the cover is in the closed position.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred waste bin in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bin; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively top and bottom views of the bin; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an insert for fitting in the top wall of the bin; and Figures 5, 6 and 7 show the blanks for forming the side walls, the upper part and the bottom wall of the bin respectively.

As shown in Figures 1; 2 and 3, the bin 1, which is provided for soft medical waste, comprises a lower part 2 and an upper part 3, each of which is formed by folding from a separate cardboard blank. The lower part 2 has an open top and incorporates a bottom wall 4 (see Figure 3) and eight side walls 5. The upper part 3 has an open bottom and incorporates eight side walls 6 and a top wall 10 having a moulded plastics insert 7 received in a square aperture therein. The lower part 2 is integrally formed with two handles 11 which extend through slots 12 in the top wall 10 of the upper part 3 when the upper part 3 is fitted to the lower part 2. The lower part 2 defines an inner space which receives a plastics liner (not shown) which is supported by having its upper portion turned over the upper edges of the side walls 5. After fitting of the liner to the lower part 2, the upper part 3 is slid over the upper portion of the lower part 2 so that the side walls 6 of the upper part 3 overlap the side walls 5 of the lower part 2, as shown in Figure 1, with the upper portion of the liner trapped therebetween.

Figure 4 shows the moulded plastics insert 7 removed from the aperture in the upper part 3 of the bin and comprising a frame 14 and a cover 15 which is pivotally connected to the frame 14 along one edge so as to be pivotable between an open position, as shown in Figure 4, permitting introduction of waste into the bin through an opening 16 of the frame, and a closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which the cover 15 sealingly closes off the opening 16 and in which the cover 15 is held by engagement of a shaped projection 17 on the frame 14 within a shaped recess 18 in the cover 15.Furthermore the frame 14 is provided with two resilient bottom flaps 19 which are connected to opposite sides of the frame 14 so as to be pivotable downwardly to permit introduction of waste into the bin through the opening 16, whilst being resiliently biased so as to at least partially close off the opening 16 when waste is not being introduced into the bin.

The frame 14 has a peripheral flange 20 which is adapted to overlie the top wall 10 when a bottom portion 21 of the frame 14 is received within the aperture in the top wall, the flange 20 being received within a peripheral channel 21 in the cover 15 to provide a sealing fit when the cover 15 is in the closed position. This ensures that, when the cover 15 is closed, the inside of the bin is substantially sealed from the outside so as to minimise the risk of escape of contamination or unpleasant smells from the bin. The engagement of the projection 17 within the recess 18, which is either in the form of an interference fit or a snap fit, ensures that the cover 15 remains closed unless it is manually placed in the open position.

Figure 5 shows the cardboard blank for forming the side walls 5 of the lower part 2 by folding the blank along a series of parallel lines 40 and bonding the opposite edges of the blank together by applying adhesive along an overlap 41. After forming of the side walls 5, portions 42 and 43 forming extensions of the side walls 5 are folded inwardly of the side walls 5 along fold lines 44 and 45, and further portions 46 and 47 are folded along fold lines 48 and 49 to form the handles 11. In each case flaps 50 formed by U-shaped cuts are folded inwardly through shaped cutouts 51 to provide appropriate hand holds.

Figure 6 shows the cardboard blank for forming the side walls 6 and the top wall 10 of the upper part 3, the blank being formed with a square aperture 22 for receiving the moulded plastics insert 7. The blank is formed with eight cuts 23 so as to permit inward folding of four portions 35 along fold lines 36, and subsequent inward folding of four further portions 37 along two fold lines 38 and 39 so that the ends 25 of the portions 37 may be engaged within slots 24, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 7 shows the cardboard blank for the bottom wall 4 which is provided with eight triangular cutouts 26 and four slots 27 so as to permit inward folding of flaps 28 along fold lines 28A so that they lie at right angles to the remainder of the bottom wall 4. As will be appreciated by referring to Figure 5, the side walls 5 of the lower part 2 are formed with flaps 30 along their lower edges which are folded inwardly along fold lines 30A after insertion of the bottom wall 4 within the bottom of the folded and bonded lower part 2 so that the flaps 30 overlap the flaps 28 and so that tabs 31 provided on four of the flaps 30 engage within the slots 27 in the bottom wall 4. The bottom wall 4 is provided with a circular cutout 32 at its centre for use in positioning the bottom wall 4 within the lower part 2.

Claims (14)

1. A waste bin comprising a top wall and side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and defining an inner space for receiving waste, the top wall being provided with an insert adapted to be seated within an aperture in the top wall and including a cover which is pivotal along one edge between an open position permitting introduction of waste into the inner space through an opening of the insert and a closed position in which the cover sealingly closes off the opening and in which the cover is held by engagement of a projection within a recess.

2. A waste bin according to claim 1, which comprises a lower part having an open top and incorporating side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and defining the inner space, and an upper part having an open bottom and incorporating the top wall and side walls formed from at least one sheet of flexible material by folding and overlapping the side walls of the bottom part.

3. A waste bin according to claim 1 or 2, which is also provided with a bottom wall.

4. A waste bin according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the top wall and side walls are formed as an integral structure by folding from a single sheet of material.

5. A waste bin according to any preceding claim, which is formed with at least one handle for lifting of the bin.

6. An insert for fitting within an aperture in a top wall of a waste bin, the insert comprising a frame adapted to be seated within the aperture, and a cover which is pivotally connected to the frame along one edge of the cover so as to be pivotable between an open position permitting introduction of waste into the bin through an opening of the frame and a closed position in which the cover sealingly closes off the opening and in which the cover is held by engagement of a projection within a recess.

7. An insert according to claim 6, wherein the cover and the frame are parts of a one-piece moulding formed from plastics material.

8. An insert according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the frame has a peripheral flange adapted to overlap the top wall around the edge of the aperture when the insert is fitted within the aperture.

9. An insert according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the frame is formed with at least resilient bottom flap which is pivotable to permit introduction of waste into the bin through the opening when the cover is in the open position and which is resiliently biased to at least partially close off the opening when waste is not being introduced into the bin.

10. An insert according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the projection is provided on the frame so as to project upwardly therefrom when the frame is seated within the aperture, and the recess is formed in a lower surface of the cover so that the projection is received within the recess when the cover is in the closed position.

11. An insert according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the projection and the recess are shaped so that the projection is an interference fit or a snap fit within the recess when the cover is in the closed position.

12. An insert according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the cover is provided with a peripheral channel within which a peripheral portion of the frame is received to provide a sealing fit when the cover is in the closed position.

13. A waste bin substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. An insert substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.