Sharps disposal
First Claim
1. A sharps disposal unit including:
- a cover having front, back, side walls, a top surface, and a drop slot in the top surface through which sharps can be dropped; and
a disposable container positioned beneath the cover;
the disposable container having side walls, a bottom, a top, and a door formed in the top;
the door being positioned beneath the cover drop slot and being opened when the container and cover are assembled together.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sharps disposal unit of the present invention includes a cover and a disposable container upon which the cover rests. The cover includes a drop slot in its top surface, a baffle sloping downwardly from an edge of the drop slot, and a heated well which holds a supply of a melted sealant which will solidify upon cooling. The disposable container has a top surface with a flap in it and preferably has accordioned walls. The flap is hinged along a hinge line and is pushed downwardly by plates in the cover to open the container. A peel-off label is removably, applied to the flap. The flap, when opened, form a second baffle below the cover baffle which slopes in an opposite direction of the cover baffle. A closure (such as a tie) is provided to hold the flap closed when the container is full, and it is time to dispose of the filled container. The sealant encases needle tips to reduce the possibility of sticks by used needles and can be drawn into the hollow shaft of used needles; the container flap reduces the possibility of sharps falling out of the container if the container is dropped; and, the double baffle system reduces the possibility of someone reaching inside of the unit and gaining access to the needles. The peel-off removable label reduces the amount of germs which contact the flap. Upon removal of the label, the container flap (and hence the outside of the container) will be substantially free of germs which would otherwise be deposited in the container by the sharps deposited in the container.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A sharps disposal unit including:
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a cover having front, back, side walls, a top surface, and a drop slot in the top surface through which sharps can be dropped; and
a disposable container positioned beneath the cover;
the disposable container having side walls, a bottom, a top, and a door formed in the top;
the door being positioned beneath the cover drop slot and being opened when the container and cover are assembled together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
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18. A sharps disposal unit including:
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a cover having front, back, side walls, a top surface, a drop slot in the top surface through which sharps can be dropped, a baffle which slopes downwardly from an edge of said drop slot, and a member which depends from an inner surface of said cover top surface; and
a disposable container positioned beneath the cover;
the disposable container having side walls, a bottom, a top, and a door formed in the top;
the door being positioned beneath the cover drop slot and being movable between an upper closed position and a lowered open position;
said cover member engaging said container door when said cover is placed on said container to open said door;
said container door defining a container baffle beneath said cover baffle which slopes downwardly into said container;
said container baffle being beneath said cover baffle and sloping in an opposite direction of said cover baffle.
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20. A sharps disposal unit including a cover having a drop slot through which sharps can be dropped, a container into which sharps fall, and a sealant container defining a chamber;
- said chamber being heated;
said chamber being at least partially filled with a liquid sealant which solidifies upon cooling. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- said chamber being heated;
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31. A sharps disposal unit including:
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a cover having front, back, side walls, a top surface, a drop slot in the top surface through which sharps can be dropped, a baffle which slopes downwardly from an edge of said drop slot, and a well defining a chamber;
said chamber being heated;
said chamber being at least partially filled with a liquid sealant which solidifies upon cooling; and
a disposable container positioned beneath the cover;
the disposable container having side walls, a bottom, a top, and a door formed in the top;
the door being positioned beneath the cover drop slot and being movable along a hinge line between an upper closed position and a lowered open position;
said side walls being accordioned;
said disposable container being movable between a compressed state and an expanded state. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
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38. A sharps disposal unit including:
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a cover having front, back, side walls, a top surface, a drop slot in the top surface through which sharps can be dropped, a baffle which slopes downwardly from an edge of said drop slot;
a disposable container positioned beneath the cover which receives sharps dropped through said drop slot of said cover;
said disposable container being removable from said cover; and
a bracket including a pair of upper arms and a pair of lower arms;
said cover including a surface over which said bracket upper arms slide;
said container including a surface under which said bracket lower arms slide;
said upper and lower arms being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the distance between said cover surface and said container surface;
said bracket holding said cover and container together.
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Specification