Non-removable tamper resistant lid

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tamper resistant lid for a container and a method for sealing a container. The method for sealing a container includes providing a tamper resistant lid having a center axis; an outer member; an inner member; the outer member and the inner member each include an outer surface and an inner surface wherein at least a part of the outer surface of the inner member is substantially adjacent at least a part of the inner surface of the outer member, the inner member having a thread; and at least one stop member preventing the inner member from rotation with respect to the outer member, placing the tamper resistant lid onto a container; rotating the outer member in a first direction to allow the thread of the inner member to connect to a thread of a neck element of the container; and disabling the at least one stop member by applying a designated force after the inner member has been connected to the container, so that the outer member can be freely rotated with respect to the inner member to thereby prevent removal of the tamper resistant lid from the container.

Claims

1. A method for sealing a container comprising: providing a tamper resistant lid comprising a centre axis; an outer member; an inner member; the outer member and the inner member each comprise an outer surface and an inner surface wherein at least a part of the outer surface of the inner member is adjacent at least a part of the inner surface of the outer member, the inner member having a thread; and at least one stop member preventing the inner member from rotation with respect to the outer member, placing the tamper resistant lid onto a container; rotating the outer member in a first direction to allow the thread of the inner member to connect to a thread of a neck element of the container; and disabling the at least one stop member by rupturing the at least one stop member by applying a designated force after the inner member has been connected to the container, so that the outer member can be freely rotated with respect to the inner member to thereby prevent removal of the tamper resistant lid from the container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the at least one stop member comprises applying a designated force via the outer member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the designated force is imparted via the outer member in a direction of rotation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the designated force is imparted via the outer member in a direction along the centre axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein rupturing the at least one stop member prevents access to an interior of the container.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing displacement of the outer member along the centre axis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the outer member is in a clockwise direction around the centre axis with respect to the inner member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the outer member is in a counter clockwise direction around the centre axis with respect to the inner member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the outer member in a first direction seals an interior of the container from an ambient environment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures in which;

(2) FIG. 1 shows a container and a tamper resistant lid according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the tamper resistant lid shown in FIG. 1 and;

(4) FIG. 3a-3b show a cross section of a tamper resistant lid according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a medical waste container 1, hereafter referred to as the container, for storing hazardous waste such as used needles, contaminated medical equipment or the like. The tamper resistant lid 10 can however be used for any container to store hazardous material, goods, or the like. The container 1 can be sealed with a tamper resistant lid 10, also referred to as the lid, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lid 10 is suitably connected to the container 1 by means of a threaded coupling using threads 2 arranged on a neck element 3 of the container 1. The container 1 and the lid 10 are depicted with a centre axis X extending through the centre of the container 1 and the lid 10. When e.g. medical waste, in the form of used needles for example, has been placed in the container 1, the lid 10 can be threaded onto the neck element 3 to seal the interior of the container 1 from the ambient environment thus preventing access the container 1 and the medical waste. The lid 10 comprises at least one stop member which is adapted to enable the lid 10 to be screwed onto the neck element 3 and, after being connected thereto, disable the lid from being unscrewed from the neck element 3, to thereby prevent access to the interior of the container 1.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the tamper resistant lid 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The lid 10 comprises an outer member 20 substantially enclosing an inner member 40. The outer member 20 comprises a circular base 21 having a circular periphery 22. A circular wall 23 extends around the circular periphery 22, the circular wall has a proximal end 24 arranged on the circular base 21 and a distal end 25 arranged remotely from the circular base 21. The outer member 20 further exhibits an outer surface 26 and an inner surface 27. At least the inner surface 27 can have a smooth surface. At the distal end 25 of the circular wall 23, a circumferential lock flange 28, projects towards the centre axis X. The circumferential lock flange 28 is substantially preventing the inner member 40 from movement along the centre axis X in a direction away from the inner surface 27 of the outer member 20. It should be noted that although the circumferential lock flange 28 is said to prevent the inner member 40 from moving along the centre axis X with respect to the outer member 20, there can still be a play between the outer and inner members 20, 40 permitting a small relative displacement of the outer and inner members 20, 40.

(7) The inner member 40 comprises a circular base 41 having a circular periphery 42. A circular wall 43 extends around the circular periphery 42. The circular wall 43 has a proximal end 44 arranged on the circular base 41 and a distal end 45 arranged remotely from the circular base 41. The inner member 40 further exhibits an outer surface 46 and an inner surface 47. The inner surface 47 exhibits connecting means, such as threads 48, for providing a threaded coupling with the threads 2 of the neck element 3 of the container 1. The distal end 45 of the circular wall 43 is in working cooperation with the circumferential lock flange 28 of the outer member 20, to prevent the inner member 40 from moving along the centre axis X and with respect to the outer member 20. As is noted, the inner surface 27 of the outer member 20 is substantially adjacent the outer surface 46 of the inner member 40, however a small play is possible.

(8) A plurality of stop members 51, 52, 53 is arranged between the outer member 20 and the inner member 40, to prevent the inner member 40 from displacement, in this case from rotating, i.e. turning, with respect to the outer member 20. The shown embodiment in FIG. 2 shows only three stop members 51, 52, 53 although the lid 10 is equipped with four stop members. The plurality of stop members 51, 52, 53 are arranged symmetrically around the distal end 45 of the circular wall 43 and attaches the circumferential lock flange 28 of the outer member 20 thereto. As the lid 10 is screwed onto the neck element 3 of the container 1, the plurality of stop members 51, 52, 53 are adapted to rupture when being exposed to a designated rupture force, imparted by a user via the outer member 20. As the plurality of stop members 51, 52, 53 rupture, the fixed connection between outer and inner members is disabled, and the outer member 20 can be freely rotated with respect to the inner member 40. As the outer member 20 can be freely rotated with respect to the inner member 40, but is substantially prevented from displacement along the centre axis X, the outer member 20 substantially encloses the inner member 40 and prevents access to the inner member 40 for unscrewing the inner member 40 from the threads 2 of the neck element 3 of the container 1. As such, the tamper resistant lid 10 provides a lid which can be threaded onto an appropriate container, and subsequently prevented from being unscrewed from the container, to thereby expose the interior of the container to the ambient environment.

(9) The play, mentioned above, between the outer and inner members 20, 40 permitting a relative displacement of the outer and inner member 20, 40, assists to disable the at least one stop member by permitting the outer member 20 to be imparted with a designated rupture force, e.g. in the direction of rotation or in a direction along the centre axis X. According to an aspect of the invention, the at least one stop member can be specifically configured to withstand a rotational motion while being configured to rupture as a function of a designated force imparted in a direction perpendicular to the rotational motion, and vice versa. According to an embodiment, a user can thus easily attach the lid to the container by a rotating motion and thereafter simply hit the lid with his/hers hand with a motion along the centre axis X to provide the designated rupture force to the plurality of stop members.

(10) FIGS. 3a-3b show a cross section of a tamper resistant lid 10, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of simplicity, only a part of the lid 10 is shown. The same references used above are used for the same features. The lid 10 comprises an outer and inner member 20, 40, each respectively comprising an outer and inner surface 26, 27, 46, 47, and a circular base 21, 41 having a circular wall 23, 43 extending around the periphery of the circular base 21, 41, as described above with reference to FIG. 2. The inner surface 47 of the inner member 40 is equipped with connecting means, such as threads 48.

(11) The outer member 20 comprises at least one stop member 60, integrally formed with the outer member 20. The stop member(s) 60 is/are in working cooperation with a groove 63 formed in the outer surface 46 in the circular wall 43 of the inner member 40. The stop member 60, while being arranged partly inside the groove 63 of the inner member 40, as shown in FIG. 3a, effectively prevents the outer member 20 from being turned with respect to the inner member 40, thus permitting the lid 10 to be screwed onto the threads 2 of the neck element 3 of the container 1, as shown in FIG. 1. Optionally the at least one stop member can be integrally formed with the inner member 40 and in working cooperation with a groove or aperture formed in the inner surface 26 of the circular wall 23 of the outer member 20.

(12) The stop member 60 is pivotally connected to the outer member 20 at a pivot point 61 and arranged in an opening 64, i.e. a through aperture, in the circular wall 23 of the outer member 20. The pivot point 61 permits the stop member 60 to be pivoted away from the groove 63 of the inner member 40, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3a, and optionally to be removed from the outer member 20 by fully rupture the connection between the stop member 60 and the outer member 20 at the pivot point 61. As the stop member 60 is removed from the groove 63, and removed from the outer member 20, the outer member 20 can be rotated, i.e. turned, clockwise or counter clockwise around the centre axis X, with respect to the inner member 40. As the outer member 20 substantially encloses the inner member 40, the inner member 40 is effectively prevented from being removed for the container 1, after assembly with the container 1. A grip member 65, extends away from the centre axis X, and is arranged on the stop member 60 enabling a user to readily grip and remove or displace the stop member 60. The shown embodiment can be provided with one or more stop members as just described. Furthermore, the one or more stop members can be interconnected so that they all can be removed with a single pull by a user.

(13) As can be seen in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the opening 64 in the circular wall 23 of the outer member 20 further supports the stop member 60 when screwing the lid 10 onto e.g. the neck element 3 of the container 1. More specifically, the side walls of the opening 64 provide for the support as the stop member 60 is substantially prevented from motion in any direction along the turning direction, i.e. the clock wise or counter-clock wise rotational direction. The stop member 60 is thus snugly fitted in the opening 64 but is still permitted to be removed there from by disabling the stop member 60 in a predetermined, i.e. a designated direction, in this case, away from the outer member 20.

(14) According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 45 of the inner member 40 comprises a tilting surface 49 to enable a hook like lock configuration of the inner member 40 with respect to the outer member 20 together with a tilting surface 29, arranged on the circumferential lock flange 28 of the outer member 20. In a similar manner, the periphery 42 of the inner member 40 can be provided with a tilting surface to enable a smooth insertion of the inner member 40 into the outer member 20 during assembly of the outer and inner members 20, 40. As is noted, the stop member is also arranged with a tilting surface to simplify the assembly of the inner member 40 with the outer member 20 when manufacturing of the tamper resistant lid 10. As the inner member 40 is inserted into the inner member 20, the stop member 60 is pivoted, without rupturing, just enough to be displaced so that the inner member 40 can be inserted into the outer member 20. As the lid 10, and the outer member 20 is screwed onto e.g. the neck element 3 of the container 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the stop member 60 will automatically move, or pivot, into the groove 63 of the inner member 40. The stop member is thus advantageously biased in the direction of the centre axis X.

(15) As is shown and described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3a-3b, the at least one stop member 51, 52, 53, 60 can be either fixed or movable. Common for the stop members 51, 52, 53, 60 is however that they all can be disabled. In the shown embodiments, they are disabled by means of imparting a rupture force to the at least one stop member(s) 51, 52, 53, 60. There are however other ways of disabling the at least one stop members, e.g. the at east one stop member(s) can be removed, if they are removably attached to the lid 10. Optionally the at least one stop member can be disabled by heat, if using e.g. a heat sensitive adhesive, or dissolved, if using a solvent sensitive adhesive, or by other means.

(16) It should be noted that even though the claims are directed to a lid for a container, the lid could comprise optional components, such as a membrane.