Breath alcohol simulator solution containers and method of using same

• US 5,134,875 A
• Filed: 09/28/1990
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald H. Nichols, Richard E. Jensen
• Original Assignee: Donald H. Nichols, Richard E. Jensen
• Inventors: Nichols, Donald H., Jensen, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/589,988
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1 G, 436/9, 383/5, 383/37, 383/104
• US Class Current: 73/1.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/100833 Simulative of a gaseous composition

Abstract

A container for breath alcohol simulator solution comprising a self-standing 4 mil polyethylene bag having a removable label designating the quantity and calibration concentration of the fluid contained within the bag. The label may be removed from the bag and affixed to the breath alcohol simulator. A plurality of the filled bags are packaged in an upstanding position within a front and top opening carton having a pivoting lid for transportation, storage and use. The bag may be torn open and the fluid contents poured into a cavity within the breath alcohol simulator, or the bag may be opened and placed partially or entirely within the breath alcohol simulator with a gas inlet extending into the bag beneath the fluid level. Alternatively, the bag may be placed within a breath alcohol simulator having a gas inlet or outlet equipped to puncture the bag, with the simulator solution then being discharged into the cavity, or the air passed through the simulator solution within the bag. In such a case, a mechanism for agitating the simulator solution within the bag may be placed within the bag prior to sealing, or may be disposed on the portion of the gas inlet or outlet which punctures and enters the bag.

Claims

1. A breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly, said breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly comprising:

a bag, said bag constructed from a plastic sheet material, said bag having a front wall, a rear wall, and a bottom wall, said bag being substantially free-standing and self-supporting when said bag is selectively placed in an upright position; and

a predetermined volume of a simulator solution having a fixed alcohol content and being initially contained within said bag, said bag being sealed so as to resist and evidence either tampering with said bag or corruption of said predetermined volume of said simulator solution.

2. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 1 wherein the plastic sheet material has a thickness of no more than approximately five mils.

3. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 1 for use with a breath alcohol simulator and a written record, said assembly further comprising:

a label, said label being removably adhered to the bag such that said label may be removed and selectively adhered to the breath alcohol simulator and selectively re-adhered to the bag or adhered to the written record for evidentiary purposes.

4. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 3 wherein the label has an ink retentive surface which may be selectively and permanently marked with record keeping information.

5. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 1 wherein the predetermined volume of the simulator solution is filled in the bag to a fluid level, the bag further including a head space disposed above said fluid level sufficient to permit the predetermined volume of the simulator solution to freeze without damaging the bag.

6. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 1 wherein the alcohol content of the predetermined volume of the simulator solution is such that the simulator solution has a predetermined concentration, said predetermined concentration being approximately equal to a desired concentration at which the simulator solution is used within a breath alcohol simulator.

7. A breath alcohol simulator solution, container and carton assembly comprising:

a plurality of bags, each of said plurality of bags constructed from a plastic sheet material, each of said plurality of bags having a front wall and a rear wall and a bottom wall, each of said plurality of bags being substantially free-standing and self-supporting when selectively placed in an upright position;

a plurality of predetermined volumes of a simulator solution having a fixed alcohol content, each of said plurality of volumes of said simulator solution being initially contained within an individual one of said plurality of bags, each of said plurality of bags being sealed so as to resist and evidence either tempering with said plurality of bags or corruption of said predetermined volumes of said simulator solution; and

a carton having a receptacle region, said receptacle region of said carton having a depth and a width sufficient to receive said plurality of bags therein, said plurality of bags being disposed within said receptacle region in a single-file column.

8. The breath alcohol simulator solution, container, and carton assembly of claim 7 wherein the plastic sheet material has a thickness of no more than approximately five mils.

9. The breath alcohol simulator solution container, and carton assembly of claim 7 wherein the carton has a generally open top, the assembly further comprising:

a lid, said lid being hingedly connected to the carton and movable between a closed position in covering relation to the open top and an open position displaced from said closed position.

10. The breath alcohol simulator solution, container, and carton assembly of claim 9 wherein the carton has a front panel and a rear panel and a pair of opposing side panels, and wherein the lid includes a lid panel hingedly connected to the rear panel which may be selectively pivoted between the closed position and the open position.

11. The breath alcohol simulator solution container, and carton assembly of claim 10 wherein the front panel of the carton defines a front opening and the lid panel has a front edge, and wherein the lid further includes a front flap hingedly connected to and depending from said front edge of the lid panel, said front flap being selectively received within the receptacle region of the carton in bloc)king relation to said front opening when the lid panel is pivoted to the closed position.

12. The breath alcohol simulator solution, container, and carton assembly of claim 11 wherein the front flap may be selectively pivoted rearwardly and upwardly and into parallel abutting contact with the lid panel when the lid panel is pivoted to the closed position, whereby a user may visually inspect whether a number of the plurality of bags remain in the receptacle region of the carton without pivoting the lid panel to the open position.

13. The breath alcohol simulator solution, container, and carton assembly of claim 11 wherein the front opening has a height and a width, said height and said width being such that a frontmost bag of the plurality of bags within the receptacle region cannot pass through the front opening when said frontmost bag is in the upright position.

14. The breath alcohol simulator solution, container, and carton assembly of claim 11 wherein the front opening has a height and a width, said height and said width being such that a frontmost bag of the plurality of bags within the receptacle region cannot accidentally pass through the front opening when said frontmost bag is in the upright position, but where a user may intentionally remove said frontmost bag through the front opening.

15. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 10 wherein the plurality of predetermined volumes of the simulator solution are filled into the plurality of bags such that the plurality of predetermined volumes of the simulator solution rise to a fluid level within each of the plurality of bags, each of the plurality of bags further including a head space disposed above said fluid level sufficient to permit the plurality of predetermined volumes of the simulator solution to freeze without damaging the plurality of bags.

16. The breath alcohol simulator solution container and simulator solution assembly of claim 10 wherein the opposing side panels of the carton each have a height, said height being generally equal to or slightly greater than the fluid level within each of the plurality of bags, and wherein the head space of each of the plurality of bags is folded rearwardly so as to be generally parallel with the lid panel.