A container

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a container (1) comprising a lid arrangement (2) having a first lid member (9) and a second lid member (10), the first lid member (9) having a first lid part (5) and a first guiding member (7) and the second lid member (10) having a second lid part (6) and a second guiding member (8), the first lid member (9) and the second lid member (10) pivotally arranged in such a manner that the first lid part (5) and the first guiding member (7) of the first lid member (9) and the second lid part (6) and the second guiding member (8) of the second lid member (10) form a receiving receptacle (11) for receiving a waste when the lid arrangement (2) is in an opened position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a container comprising a lid arrangement having at least one lid member, the at least one lid member having a lid part adapted to cover the opening of the container and a guiding member connected to the lid part, the guiding member is arranged to guide a waste into the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A conventional container for receiving waste, such as sanitary waste from a public toilet, often consists of a storage container and a flip-flop lid or a flap through which the waste can be deposited into the container. In order to place waste into such a container, a user often needs to put his hand into a small opening or touch a portion of the lid. Putting a hand into the opening or touching the lid of the container involves the risk of being contaminated with waste fluids and/or waste residue. Another problem of a conventional container is that it does not function to effectively control and prevent the viewing of the waste deposited by previous users.

[0003] US2003/0168367 discloses a closure member for a bin the closure member being adapted to be secured to or to form part of the mouth of the bin and comprising two blade assemblies mounted to be rotatable and to extend across the mouth of the bin. The bin further comprises a separate cover as the blade assemblies are urged to an operative position.

[0004] US6211637 discloses a container for polluted and/or contaminated material comprising a container and a lid having a sidewall facilitating the sliding down of materials into the container. The sidewall also functions as a means for preventing a user from looking into the container, thereby exposure of the content deposited in the container is eliminated. A drawback of the container disclosed in the US6211637 is that the user needs to put a hand into the opening of the container when depositing the waste into the container. Another drawback of the disclosed container is that it only allows the dropping of the waste into a side opening of the container and not from the top.

[0005] US6120743 discloses a system comprising a container having one lid with a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the lid functions as a means for covering the opening of the container and as a receptacle for receiving a waste material when the lid is in an opened position. A shortcoming of the solution disclosed in the US6120743 is that the waste can easily drop out of the receptacle, especially if the user drops the waste from the position above the container, since there is no effective way of preventing the waste from dropping out from the side of the receptacle.

SUMMARY 0F THE INVENTION

[0006] An object of the invention is to provide a container that allows the user to deposit a waste from the position above the container without having to put a hand into the opening of the container.

[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide a container that prevents an exposure of the deposited waste in the container.

[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a container with a well-defined dropping zone.

[0009] These objects can be achieved by a container having a lid arrangement arranged on the opening of the container. The lid arrangement comprises at least one lid member. The at least one lid member having a lid part adapted to cover the opening of the container and a guiding member connected to the lid part. The guiding member is arranged to guide a waste into the container. The lid arrangement of the container according to the present invention preferably comprises a first lid member and a second lid member. The first lid member comprises a first lid part and a first guiding member, and the second lid member comprises a second lid part and a second guiding member. The first lid member and the second lid member are arranged pivotally in such a manner that the first lid part and the first guiding member of the first lid member, and the second lid part and the second guiding member of the second lid member form a receiving receptacle for receiving a waste when the lid arrangement is in an opened position.

[0010] Besides the first lid part and the first guiding member, the first lid member also comprises a first panel having a first panel member and a second panel member. Similarly, the second lid member also comprises a second panel having a third panel member and a fourth panel member, in addition to the second lid part and the second guiding member.

[0011] When the lid arrangement is in an opened position, the first panel member of the first panel and the third panel member of the second panel are adapted to form one sidewall of the receiving receptacle, and the second panel member of the first panel and the fourth panel member of the second panel are adapted to form the other sidewall of the receiving receptacle. These two sidewalls together with the first lid part and the second lid part form a well-defined dropping area. This dropping area comprises four walls formed as e.g. a square or as a rectangular form. These walls prevent a waste from dropping out of the receiving receptacle.

[0012] When the lid arrangement is in an opened position, the first guiding member of the first lid member and the second guiding member of the second lid member are adapted to cover the opening of the container, so that the exposure of the sanitary wastes deposited by previous users is eliminated. These two guiding members also form a bottom of the receiving receptacle.

[0013] To facilitate a formation of the receiving receptacle, the first panel member of the first panel is configured with a first protruding part, and the third panel member of the second panel is configured with a first guide. The first protruding part is adapted to mechanically interact with the first guide in such a manner that the receiving receptacle can be formed. It is also possible to configure the second panel member of the first panel with a second protruding part, and the fourth panel member of the second panel with a second guide. The second protruding part and the second guide can interact with each other in such a manner that the receiving receptacle can be formed.

[0014] The lid arrangement of the container according to the present invention comprises two lid members: The first lid member and the second lid member. However, the lid arrangement can be opened by opening only one ofthe lid members, either the first lid member or the second lid member. This can be made possible by a tongue configured either on the first lid part of the first lid member or on the second lid part of the second lid member. This tongue is arranged under one of the lid parts, when the lid arrangement is in a closed position. If the tongue is configured on the first lid part of the first lid member, this tongue is arranged under the second lid part of the second lid member, and if the tongue is configured on the second lid part of the second lid member, the tongue is arranged under the first lid part of the first lid member when the lid arrangement is in a closed position.

[0015] Since the first lid member and the second lid member are connected by mechanical means, e.g. the first and second protruding parts, the first and second guides, and the tongue, the second lid member is opened when the first lid member is opened, and the first lid member is opened when the second lid member is opened.

[0016] The container according to the present invention allows the user to open and close the lid arrangement manually without having to touch the area where the residue from the waste deposited from the previous users may reside. This solution is provided by configuring a gripping member on the first lid part of the first lid member or on the second lid part of the second lid member. It is also possible to configure the gripping member on each of the lid parts.

[0017] The lid arrangement can also be opened automatically utilizing an electro-mechanical means. The electro-mechanical means comprises a sensor, a controlling means, a motor and a mechanical arm. The electro-mechanical means may be installed in front of the container and such a means makes it possible to provide a container with a non touch solution. The non touch solution allows the user to deposits the waste into the container without having to touch any part of the container.

[0018] The first guiding member of the first lid member and the second guiding member of the second lid member can be configured with at least one directing guide to direct the dropping direction of the waste. These two guiding members form a bottom of the receiving receptacle for receiving a waste, and the bottom may be angled downward to direct the waste into the container.

[0019] The receiving receptacle of the container according to the present invention is formed on the opening of the container in such a manner that a waste can be dropped vertically from a position above the receiving receptacle. Since the user can drop the waste from above the receiving receptacle, the risk of touching soiled portions of the receiving receptacle is reduced.

[0020] The lid arrangement of the container according to the present invention is removable from the container.

[0021] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention is further described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1: shows the perspective view of the container having the lid arrangement in a closed position.

Fig. 2: shows the perspective view of the lid arrangement of the container shown in Fig. 1, in the case that the lid arrangement is in an opened position.

Fig 3: shows the perspective view of the lid arrangement of the container shown in Fig. 1, in the case that the lid arrangement is in a closed position.

Fig. 4: illustrates the formation of the receiving receptacle.

Fig. 5: illustrates the arrangement of the lid members when the lid arrangement is in a closed position.

Fig. 6: illustrates the electro-mechanical means in the case that the lid arrangement is opened.

Fig. 7: illustrates the electro-mechanical means in the case that the lid arrangement is closed.

DETAJLED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Throughout the below description and in the drawings, identical components or elements present in different figures of the drawings are designated the same reference numerals.

[0024] Figures 1 - 5 discloses features of the invention common to both embodiments of the invention, whereas figure 6 and 7 only disclose features of the invention for the second embodiment of the invention. Referring to Fig. 1, a container 1 comprises a lid arrangement 2 arranged on its opening. The container 1 is generally rectangular in cross-section, and closable by the lid arrangement 2. The lid arrangement 2 can be removed from the container 1.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the lid arrangement 2 of the container 1 comprises two lid members: The lid member 9 and the lid member 10. The lid member 9 comprises a lid part 5 and a guiding member 7 attached perpendicularly to the bottom surface of the lid part 5. Likewise, the lid member 10 comprises a lid part 6 and a guiding member 8 attached perpendicularly to the bottom surfaces of the lid part 6. The lid parts 5 and 6 have a rectangular shape and both are adapted to cover the opening of the container 1 when the lid arrangement 2 is in a closed position. When the lid arrangement 2 is in the closed position, as can be seen in Fig. 3, the lid member 9 covers the first part of the opening of the container 1 and the lid member 10 covers the remaining part of the opening ofthe container 1.

[0026] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the guiding members 7 and 8 are adapted to cover the opening of the container 1 when the lid arrangement 2 is in an opened position, so that unintentional exposure of the deposited waste in the container 1 can be eliminated. The guiding members 7 and 8 further prevent hand access to the inside of the container 1 and thereby prevent any contact between the waste material already in the container 1 and the person depositing additional waste into the container 1. This is advantageously particularly in the case that the container 1 is used for receiving and storing a medical waste material, such as needles and syringes. The guiding members 7, 8 can be configured with at least one directing guide 25 on their top surfaces so as to define the dropping direction of the waste. The guiding members 7 and 8 can be made of a material that is water proof, easy to clean, and that is insusceptible to contamination. This material can be, e.g. a hard plastic.

[0027] When the lid arrangement 2 is in a closed position, two respective portions of the free ends of the guiding members 7 and 8 extend longitudinally inside the container 1, as illustrated in Fig. 3. During the opening movement of the lid arrangement 2, the free ends of the guiding members 7 and 8 pivot towards each other and thereby form a bottom of the receiving receptacle 11. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of the receiving receptacle 11 may extend downwards into the opening of the container and sloped downwards into the container 1 in order to direct any fluid or waste material into the container 1. During the closing movement of the lid arrangement 2, the free ends of the guiding members 7 and 8 pivot away from each other, and thereby discharging the waste resided on the guiding members 7 and 8 into the container 1.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, besides the lid part 5 and the guiding member 7, the lid member 9 also comprises a panel 12. The panel 12 has a panel member 13 connected perpendicularly to one end of its body and a panel member 14 connected perpendicularly to the other end of its body. Similarly, the lid member 10 also comprises a panel 15 with a panel member 16 connected perpendicularly to one end of its body and a panel member 17 connected perpendicularly to the other end of its body. The panel members 13, 14,16 and 17 are arranged to form two sidewalls or the receiving receptacle 11, when the lid arrangement 2 is in an opened position and ready to receive a waste.

[0029] The receiving receptacle 11 mentioned above has a top opening, a bottom formed by the guiding members 7 and 8 as described above, a front wall, a back wall, a left sidewall, and a right sidewall. The front wall is formed by the lid part 6, the back wall opposite the first wall is formed by the lid part 5, the left sidewall 18 is formed by a folded up connection of the panel member 13 and the panel member 16, and the right sidewall 31 is formed by a folded up connection of the panel member 14 and the panel member 17. The front, back, left and right walls mentioned above form a well-defined dropping area, and these walls prevent the waste from dropping out of the receiving receptacle.

[0030] To enable a formation of the above-mentioned walls of the receiving receptacle 11, the panel member 13 of the panel 12 is configured with a protruding part 19, and the panel member 16 of the panel 15 is configured with a guide 21. The protruding part 19 is adapted to interact with the guide 21 in such a manner that the receiving receptacle 11 can be formed. It is also possible to configure the panel member 14 of the panel 12 with a protruding part 20, and the panel member 17 of the panel 15 with a guide 21. The protruding part 20 and the guide 22 can interact with each other in such a manner that the receiving receptacle can be formed. The protruding parts 19 and 21 may have a round shape or a round button-like shape. The guides 21 and 22 are configured like tracks that allow the protruding parts 19 and 21 to slide within their respective track during the opening and closing movements ofthe lid arrangement 2.

[0031] The lid arrangement 2 of the container 1 according to the present invention comprises two lid members: Lid member 9, and lid member 10, as described above. However, the lid arrangement 2 can be opened by opening only one of the lid members, either the lid member 9 or the lid member 10. This can be made possible by a tongue 23 configured on the lid part 5 of the lid member 9 or on the lid part 6 of the lid member 10. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the tongue 23 can be arranged under one of the lid parts, when the lid arrangement 2 is in a closed position. If the tongue 23 is configured on the lid part 5, the tongue 23 can be arranged under the lid part 6, and if the tongue 23 is configured on the lid part 6, the tongue 23 can be arranged under the lid part 5 when the lid arrangement 2 is in a closed position.

[0032] Since the lid member 9 and the lid member 10 are connected by mechanical means, e.g. the protruding parts 19 and 20, the guides 21 and 22, and the tongue 23, the lid member 9 is forced to open when the lid member 10 is opened, and the lid member 10 is forced to open when the lid member 9 is opened. When a user opens the lid arrangement 2, the tongue 23 configured on the lid part 6 and arranged under the lid part 5 forces the lid part 5 to open. The protruding part 19 is then forced to slide within the track of the guide 21, and the lid member 9 is forced to open. Similarly, the lid member 9 is forced to close when the lid member 10 is closed, and the lid member 10 is forced to close when the lid member 9 is closed.

[0033] The container 1 according to the present invention allows the user to open and close the lid arrangement 2 manually without having to touch soiled portions of the lid arrangement 2 in order to place a waste material into the container 1. This solution is achieved by configuring a gripping member 24 on the lid part 5 of the lid member 9 or on the lid part 6 of the lid member 10. It is also possible to configure the gripping members on both the lid part 5 and the lid part 6. The gripping member 24 is a gripping plate that is extended from the side of the lid part 5 and/or the lid part 6.

[0034] The lid arrangement 2 according to the second embodiment of the invention can alternatively be opened and closed automatically utilizing an electro-tnechanical means shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. The electro-mechanical means may be powered by a battery 33 or any other kinds of a power supply. Such an electro-mechanical means may comprise, e.g. a sensor, a controlling means 36, a motor 34 and a mechanical arm 35. The sensor (not show on the figure) is e.g. a photocell, a photocell sender and receiver pair or a proximity sensor and is used to detect the presence or movement of the user's hand proximate to the position where the sensor is installed, which position can be in front of the container 1 or in the lid arrangement 2. When the movement or the presence is detected for a sufficient period of the time the controlling means 36 and in turn the motor 34 are activated. The motor 34 enables the movement of the mechanical arm 35 upwards so as to arrange the lid arrangement 2 in an opened position as shown in Fig. 6. Such an electro-mechanical means provides a non touch solution for a user wanting to put waste in the container 1. The lid arrangement 2 can remain open in a specific period depending on the time period defined in the controlling means 36. When the defined opening period has passed, the motor drives the mechanical arm 35 down again so as to arrange the lid arrangement 2 into a closed position as shown in Fig. 7. The controlling means 36 mentioned above may comprise a printed circuit board with an electronic circuit, a switch and a timing unit.

[0035] The receiving receptacle 11 is formed automatically by the motor controlled opening of the container 1, so that a waste can be dropped from a position above the receiving receptacle 11 without any manually prior opening of any of the two lid parts. Since the waste can be dropped from a position above the receiving receptacle, the risk oftouching soiled portions of the receiving receptacle 11 or other parts of the container when placing a waste material into the container 1 is reduced.

[0036] The container 1 according to the present invention can be used for receiving a waste material such as a sanitary waste from, e.g. a public toilet room. The container 1 can also be used for receiving a medical waste material such as needles, syringes, surgical blades and the like. The container 1 may have a box-tike shape and is preferably of a material that is water proof and insusceptible to corrosion, e.g. it is made of a elastic or of stainless steel.

[0037] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the two preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the shape of the container 1 and the shape of the lid members 9 and 10 may be different from what is disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A container (1) comprising a lid arrangement (2) comprising at least one lid member (9, 10), said at least one lid member (9, 10) comprising a lid part (5, 6) adapted to cover an opening of said container (1) and a guiding member (7, 8) connected to said lid part (5, 6), said guiding member (7, 8) is arranged to guide a waste into said container (1), wherein
said lid arrangement (2) comprises a first lid member (9) and a second lid member (10), said first lid member (9) having a first lid part (5) and a first guiding member (7) and said second lid member (10) having a second lid part (6) and a second guiding member (8), said first lid member (9) and said second lid member (10) pivotally arranged in such a manner that said first lid part (5) and said first guiding member (7) of said first lid member (9) and said second lid part (6) and said second guiding member (8) of said second lid member (10) form a receiving receptacle (11) for receiving said waste when said lid arrangement (2) is in an opened position, characterized in that said first lid member (9) further comprising a first panel (12) having a first panel member (13) and a second panel member (14), and said second lid member (10) further comprising a second panel (15) having a third panel member (16) and a fourth panel member (17), wherein said first panel member (13) of said first panel (12) and said third panel member (16) of said second panel (15) are adapted to form a wall (18, 31) of said receiving receptacle (11) when said lid arrangement (2) is in an opened position, and said second panel member (14) of said first panel (12) and said fourth panel member (17) of said second panel (15) are adapted to form a wall (31) of said receiving receptacle (11) when said lid arrangement (2) is in an opened position, whereby these two walls together with the first lid part (5) and the second lid part (6) form a welt-defined dropping area.

2. A container (1) according to claim 1, wherein said first guiding member (7) of said first lid member (9) and said second guiding member (8) of said second lid member (10) are adapted to cover the opening of said container (1) when said lid arrangement (2) is in an opened position.

3. A container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first panel member (13) of said first panel (12) is configured with a first protruding part (19) and/or said second panel member (14) of said first panel (12) is configured with a second protruding part (20).

4. A container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said third panel member (16) of said second panel (15) is configured with a first guide (21), and said fourth panel member (17) of said second panel (15) is configured with a second guide (22).

5. A container (1) according to claim 4, wherein said first protruding part (19) of said first panel member (13) of said first panel (12) is adapted to mechanically interact with said first guide (21) of said third panel member (16) of said second panel (15), and/or said second protruding part (20) of said second panel member (14) of said first panel (12) is adapted to mechanical interact with said second guide (22) of said fourth panel member (17) of said second panel (15)

6. A container (1) according to any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said first lid member (9) and said second lid member (10) are mechanically connected, so that said second lid member (10) is opened when said first lid member (9) is opened, and/or so that said first lid member (9) is opened when said second lid member (10) is opened.

7. A container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first lid part (5) and/or said second lid part (6) is configured with a gripping member (24) allowing a user to manually open/close said lid arrangement (2).

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said receiving receptacle (11) is formed in such a manner that said waste can be dropped vertically from above said container (1).

Drawing