Patent Application
20120204518
The present invention generally relates to disposable items. The present invention more specifically relates to a system and method of disposal of disposable items.
In certain situations or applications, disposable items have been developed in order to avoid having to clean a particular item after it has been soiled. These disposable items include, among others, diapers, surgical masks, gowns, hair nets, shoe covers, coveralls, blankets, towels, pads, garments, undergarments, absorbent articles, medical dressings and gloves.
The disposable items, although practical, must nevertheless be handled after use and be placed in a disposal container.
Various solutions for disposal of disposable items have been proposed in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,096 discloses a diaper assembly with an integral disposal system, including an envelope integrally carried on the outside of the diaper and that has a mouth for receiving the diaper once soiled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,162 discloses a disposable sanitary napkin including an integral reversible bag affixed to one pad face such that the pad may be reversed to contain the used pad for eventual disposal thereof.
U.S. 2005/0256487 discloses a disposable absorbent article with an integral disposal bag attached thereto. The disposal bag is disposed within a pouch on the absorbent article and is accessible to a user through an opening in the moisture barrier layer. A flap can seal the opening in the barrier layer.
Other documents known to the Applicant include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,788 (LANE); U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,674 (SCHAAR); U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,096 (DEAN et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,162 (BINKER et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,859 (FELDMAN); U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,505 (BARRETT); U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,549 B1 (PETERS, Jr.); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,151 B2 (BROCKMAN).
The prior art systems known to the Applicant appear to disclose various forms of disposal bags that are integrated or integral to the disposable item. The prior art systems do not appear to propose a disposal system separate from the disposable item and which can be applied to several different applications.
Consequently, there is still a need for a system and method for disposal of disposable items that is adaptable to several different applications.
An object of the present invention is to propose a system and method that satisfies at least one of the above-mentioned needs.
According to the present invention, that object is accomplished with a disposal system for disposing a disposable item, the disposal system comprising:
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of disposing a disposable item, comprising the steps of:
The system according to the present invention can be applied to several different applications, including disposal of surgical disposable items, including masks, gloves, hair nets, coveralls or shoe covers. However, the same system can also be applied to other types of disposable items that are soiled. The system and method according to the present invention can be used in the disposal of disposable articles in hospital, medical clinics, for disposal of several types of items.
A non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be given with reference to the appended drawings.
Referring to
Preferably, the fastener 18 is selected from the group comprising hook and loop fasteners, removable adhesive, adhesives, adhesive strips, staples, thermal bonding agents, zippers, and stitches.
Preferably, as shown in
Preferably, to facilitate opening of the envelope, the envelope may comprise a frangible area that is openable by the opening mechanism 16.
In the example embodiment shown in
The disposal system according to the present invention can be used with a variety of disposable items, including diapers, surgical masks, gowns, hair nets, shoe covers, coveralls, blankets, towels, pads, garments, undergarments, absorbent articles, medical dressings and gloves.
As shown in
As illustrated in
The modularity of the disposal system makes it a product that can be applied to a variety of different applications including not only the surgical items mentioned above, but also diapers, gowns, blankets, towels, pads, garments, undergarments, absorbent articles, medical dressings and gloves.
Preferably the disposal bag is made of a biodegradable plastic or any other degradable material. The envelope to be affixed to the disposal item may be placed on an exterior portion of the disposable item or somewhere within the disposable item. When placed inside the disposable item, the disposal bag can be removed in a manner similar to tissues being removed from a tissue box.
The disposal bag can then be easily used for disposal of the soiled disposable item and contain any unpleasant odours emitting therefrom. The disposable bag itself, for certain applications, may be scented with a natural product or be unscented.
In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the envelope and disposal bag can be made of paper or various types of plastic materials, or, alternately, aluminium paper, hemp, polyester, various types of tissues or any other similar materials.
Preferably, closing of the disposal bag can be simply accomplished by forming a knot at the opening of the bag, or by providing ties, staples, adhesive strips, buttons or resealable zipper closures known in the art, or any other equivalent closure system.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2672514 | Jul 2009 | CA | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2010/000806 | 5/27/2010 | WO | 00 | 4/27/2012 |
