Inner Cover of a Plastic Material for use as a Sterile Cover for the Inside of a Rectangular Plastic Container, an Assembly Including the Inner Cover and a Method for Making a Sterile Rectangular Plastic Container

Abstract

Inner sleeve made of plastic material for use as a sterile cover for the inside of a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides, which inner sleeve has a rectangular basic shape with a surface similar to the bottom surface of the transportation tray, wherein corner portions of the inner sleeve are provided with eyelets which can be hooked behind hooks of the transportation tray, in such a way that the inner sleeve covers the inner side of the transportation tray in a sterile manner, wherein the sides of the rectangular basic shape are provided with outwardly extending lateral flaps, wherein each corner portion which is provided with an eyelet is also provided with a tongue part which extends outwardly from the eyelet, wherein the tongue part is of such dimensions, that the tongue part can be folded over a hook of the transportation tray in a covering manner.

Method for preparing a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides with a top edge in a sterile manner, which transportation tray is suitable for transporting medical equipment, in particular endoscopic equipment.

Claims

1. An inner sleeve made of plastic material for use as a sterile cover for the inside of a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides, which inner sleeve has a rectangular basic shape with a surface similar to the bottom surface of the transportation tray, wherein corner portions of the inner sleeve are provided with eyelets which can be hooked behind hooks of the transportation tray in such a way that the inner sleeve covers the inner side of the transportation tray in a sterile manner, wherein the sides of the rectangular basic shape are provided with outwardly extending lateral flaps, wherein each corner portion which is provided with an eyelet is also provided with a tongue part which extends outwardly from the eyelet, wherein the tongue part is of such dimensions, that the tongue part can be folded over a hook of the transportation tray in a covering manner.

2. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral flap extends outwardly up to at least a length which corresponds to the height of the upright sides of the transportation tray.

3. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein a substantial part of the respective side and at least the central part of the side is provided with a lateral flap.

4. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue part is wider than the hook of the transportation tray, and the tongue part extends outwardly from the respective eyelet along a length which is at least three times the height of the hook.

5. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each eyelet is configured as a widened hole.

6. The inner sleeve as claimed in in claim 1, wherein at least two diagonally opposite corner portions are provided with eyelets.

7. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each corner portion is preformed in a three-dimensional way.

8. The inner sleeve as claimed in in claim 8, wherein each tongue part is composed of areas of the plastic material which have been welded together.

9. The inner sleeve as claimed in in claim 1, having a separate added element in the form of an outer sleeve whose peripheral edge is completely or partly provided with elastic material.

10. The inner sleeve as claimed in laim 1, having a cleaning cloth impregnated with a disinfectant as a separate added element.

11. An assembly comprising: an inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, and a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides with a top edge, which transportation tray is suitable for transporting medical equipment, in particular endoscopic equipment, wherein each corner of the transportation tray is provided with a hook which is formed by two indentations in the top edge of the upright sides on either side of the respective corner.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the corners of the transportation tray are rounded.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two indentations forming the hook are configured in such a way that the hook widens in the direction of the top edge.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein a lower portion of the outer surface of each upright side is curved in order to serve as a handle.

15. A method for preparing a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides with a top edge in a sterile manner, which transportation tray is suitable for transporting medical equipment, in particular endoscopic equipment, wherein each corner of the transportation tray is provided with a hook which is formed by two indentations in the top edge of the upright walls on either side of the respective corner, comprising the following steps: a) arranging a sterile inner sleeve as claimed in any of the claims 1-10 on the inside of the transportation tray by hooking the eyelets of the inner sleeve behind the hooks of the transportation tray, b) folding the tongue parts over the respective hooks of the transportation tray so that they cover the inner side of the hooks.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hook part is treated with a cleaning cloth impregnated with disinfectant prior to step a) or b).

17. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 5, wherein each eyelet as a width which corresponds to the narrowest width of the hook of the transportation tray.

18. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein four corner portions are provided with eyelets.

19. The inner sleeve as claimed in claim 8, wherein each corner portion is preformed by welding areas of the plastic material together.

Description

[0047] The invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the attached figures, in which:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a transportation tray according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a top view of an inner sleeve according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0050] FIG. 3 shows the assembly of a transportation tray with mounted inner sleeve according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows an assembly of a transportation tray with mounted outer sleeve.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a rectangular transportation tray 1 having a bottom 3 and upright sides 5 with a top edge 7, which transportation tray 1 is suitable for transporting medical equipment, in particular endoscopic equipment, wherein each corner 9 of the transportation tray is provided with a hook 11 which is formed by two indentations 14 in the top edge of the upright sides 5 on either side of the respective corner. The corners 9 of the transportation tray are rounded. The two indentations 14 forming the hook 11 are configured in such a way that the hook has a widening 17 in the direction of the top edge. A lower portion 19 of the outer surface of each upright side 5 is curved in order to serve as a handle. This is visible from the inner side as an indented part 20.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows an inner sleeve 22 made of plastic material for use as a sterile cover for the inside of a rectangular transportation tray having a bottom and upright sides, which inner sleeve has a rectangular basic shape 24 with a surface which is similar to the bottom surface 3 of the transportation tray 1, wherein corner portions 26 of the inner sleeve 22 are provided with eyelets 28 which can be hooked behind hooks 11 of the transportation tray. The sides 30 of the rectangular basic shape are provided with outwardly extending lateral flaps 32. Each corner portion 26 is provided with a tongue part 34 which extends outwardly from the eyelet along a length which is approximately four times the height of the hook 11.

[0054] The lateral flaps 32 extend outwardly to a length which is slightly greater than the height of the upright sides 5 of the transportation tray 1. Each eyelet 28 is configured as a widened hole having a width which corresponds to the narrowest width of the hook 11 of the transportation tray 1. Each corner portion 26 is preformed in a three-dimensional way by welding together areas of the plastic material, the weld seam 36 of which is visible. A weld seam 38 is also present in the tongue part 34.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows the assembly of the inner sleeve 22 from FIG. 2, mounted on the transportation tray 1 from FIG. 1. The lateral flaps 32 which hang over the outer surfaces of the sides of the tray 1 are shown hatched and cover the curved parts which function as handles. The tongue parts 34 which are folded from the outside in over the hooks so that the hooks are covered on the inner and outer side are also shown hatched. The rectangular basic shape 24 covers the bottom of the tray.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows the assembly of an outer sleeve 40, mounted on the transportation tray 1 from FIG. 1. The outer sleeve 40 has a peripheral edge 42 whose corners are provided with elastic material 44. On the illustrated side, the outer sleeve is provided with a printed indication 46 of a sterile state.