INSULATED BOX FOR SHIPPING MEDICINAL SPECIMENS

BOITE ISOLANTE SERVANT A L'EXPEDITION DE SPECIMENS MEDICINAUX

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An insulated rectangular box is provided which is suitable for shipping
medicinal specimens contained in small vials or bottles, held in shock-proof
manner by foam plastic holders, with the box providing both insulation and
protection for the foam plastic holders. The box is formed from a blank of
foldable sheet material, which has a series of interconnected panels including
bottom, front and rear and side panels suitable for forming an outer layer of the
respective bottom, front and rear, and sides, and a lid is hinged to the rear panel.
The sheet material also has narrow top panels each having an inner edge
connected to outer edges of the front and side panels, and inner panels each
connected to outer edges of the narrow top panels and each being of smaller width
than the adjacent front or side panels. The outer layer panels, and the top and
inner panels enclose rigid insulating foam inserts in the front, rear and sides, and
an insulating foam insert in the bottom is dimensioned to fit within the inner
panels for assisting in securing these in place.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An insulated rectangular box, suitable for shipping medicinal
specimens and having rigid insulating foam insert elements in a bottom, front and
rear and sides of the box; wherein said box comprises a series of interconnectedpanels of foldable sheet material including bottom, front and rear, and side panels
suitable for forming an outer layer of the respective bottom, front and rear, and
sides, and a lid panel hingedly connected to said rear panel; said panels of foldable
sheet material further comprising narrow top panels each having an inner edge
connected to an upper edge of said front and side panels; and inner panels each
connected to outer edges of said narrow top panels and each being of smaller
width than the adjacent front or side panels; and wherein said front and side
panels and said top and inner panels enclose the insulating foam insert elements in
said front and sides of the box; the insulating foam insert element in the bottom of
the box being dimensioned to fit within the inner panels for assisting in securing
these in place.
2. A box according to claim 1, wherein an insulating foam insert
element is adhesively secured to the interior of the lid.
3. A box according to claims 1 or 2, in combination with rectangular
clinical sample holders of resilient foam plastics material sized to fit within said
box and having recesses for vials, etc.
4. A box according to claim 1, wherein said foldable sheet material
is an extruded plastic material having continuous inner and outer layers joined by
narrow ribs.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a box intended for transporting
clinical specimens. Such specimens are normally contained in bottles or vials, or
test tubes, which need to be carefully packaged since sometimes the contents areS infectious or hazardous. The box must provide a shock-proof protective holder for
the vial, etc., and should also provide heat insulation since in many cases it is
desired to maintain the contents cool. In addition, it may also be required that the
box contain a water-tight secondary inner packaging, and absorbent material
between the vial, etc. and the secondary inner packaging. The construction of ~he
box must be sufficiently strong to prevent damage to the contents.
SUMM~RY OF Tl~E INVENTION
The present invention provides a box suitable for shipping clinical
specimens, etc. or for other purposes, which provides good protection, insulation
and shock resistance, and sufficient rigidity, while being inexpensive to produce.
In accordance with the invention, an insulated rectangular box has
rigid insulating foam insert elements in a bottom, front and rear and sides of the
box, the box cornprising a series of interconnected panels of foldable sheet
material including bottom, front and rear, and side panels suitable for forming an
outer layer of the respective bottom, front and rear, and sides of the box, and a lid
panel hingedly cormected to the rear panel. The panels of ~oldable sheet material
further comprise narrow top panels each having an irmer edge connected to outer
edges of the front and side panels, and inner panels each connected to outer edges
of the narrow top panels, and each being of smaller width than the adjacent front
or side panels. The front and side panels, and the top and inner panels enclose
the rigid insulating foam insert elements in the front and sides~ and the insulating
foam insert element at the bottom of the box is dimensioned to fit within the inner
panels for assisting in securing these in place.
The rnaterial of the aforementioned panels iS an extrucied profile
plastic sheet type material which has inner and outer layers connected by ribs.
3û BRl[EF DlESClRIPI~[ON OF TlEIE I~RAWINGS
The invention will further be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a blank used in forming the box;
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Fig. 2 shows a perspect;ve view of the blank when it has been set up
to form a shell for the hox, but before insulating insert elements have been added;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the completed box, alon~ with foam
rubber holders for the specimen containers;
Fig. 4 shows a further perspective view of the box with the holders in
place, and with an impervious secondary packaging also yartially in place; and
Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the closed box.
DETAILED DESCRIP~ION
Fig. 1 shows the main component of the box, which is a blank of the
above mentioned extruded profile plastic material which is a material sold underthe trade-mark "Coro-Plast". This material is somewhat similar in appearance to
corrugated cardboard, but is of course superior in its resistance to liquids. Itcomprises a flat outer and a flat inner layer, the layers being connected by ribs
having a length of about 3mm. The material is reasonably rigid, but can be made
foldable along predetermined lines by suitable indentation.
The blank as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a series of interconnected
panels including four panels 12, 13~ 14 and 15, which are connected together endto end by ~old lines, and which form respectively the rear, side, front, and side of
the box. Panel 15 has a glue flap 16 attached to its end, for attachment to panel
12. Each of these panels has, connected thereto, a lower panel portion 18a, 18b,18c and 18d, these latter panels being capable of being ~olded in and fastened
together to form the bottom panel, panels 18a and 18c meeting edge to edge alongthe centre line of the bottom.
The rear panel 12 is hingedly connected to a lid 2û, which in turn is
hingedly connected to a flap 21 used ~or securing the lid.
The blank also includes narrs)w top panels 22, 24 and 26 each hingedly
connected to the top of the respective side and front panels and having inwardlysloping shoulders. The outer edges of each of these narrow panels is connected to
an inner panel 28, 30 and 32. These pane5s are narrower than the side panels,
being the same width as the narrowest part of the shoulders of the narrow top
panels~ but are the same height as the side and ~ront panels.
Fig. 2 shows an intermediate shell stage in the construction of the box.
The blank has been set up with the flap 16 secured to the inside of rear panel 12,
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Ind the bottom panels have been secured together by a spot welding technique
using sonic welders. To the sides of the box, pivotal hanclles 34 have been secured
by means which pass through the box and fix to the inner surfaces of the panels 13
and 15. Catches 36 have been attached to the outer edges of the lid flap 21, andretainers 38 (shown in Fig. 3) have been connected to the ~ront panel to receivethe catches 36.
In completing the box, rigid Styrofoam* insulating insert elements 40
are secured in place on the inner faces of the front, side and back panels. The
insert elements are slabs of about 2cm thickness vvhich have mitred edges so that
lû they fit together at the corners. After these insert elements have been secured in
place, the inner panels 28, 30 and 32 are folded down and in turn adhered to theinside surfaces of the insert elements, the narrow panels 22, 24 and 26 lying along
the top of these inserts. A further, rectangular, insert element of the same
material is then placed inside the base of the box, this latter insert element being
dimensioned so that its edges abut the lower margins of the panels 28, 30 and 32,
and the lower margins of insert element 40 in the rear of the box, helping to hold
these parts in place. This bottom element insert is adhesively secured to the
bottom panels. Finally, in completion of the box, a similar foam insulating insert
element 42 is adhesively secured to the inside of the lid, this being dimensioned
and positioned so that its edges lie just inside the inner faces of panels 28, 30 and
32, and against the upper margin of insert element 40 at the rear of the box, when
the lid is closed.
The box is supplied to a potential user with a secondary bag-like liner
of flexible, impervious, plastic material, indicated at 48 in Fig. 4, which is made
sealable, along with a collection of foam rubber, shock absorbing holders shown in
Figs. 3 and 4. These holders include a foam rubber lbox 50 with ~oam rubber lid
51, and rectangular foam rubber bloclcs 52 having bores therein for receiving vials
or test tubes.
In use, the bag-like liner 48 is first placed inside the box, and then a
foam rubber pad may be inserted in the base of this liner. A suitable selection of
holders such as 50 and 52 are placed together in the box, in such as way as to
eliminate any empty spaces. Clinical specimens held in bottle or vials are placed
in the suitable hollow spaces provided by the holders 50 and 52. A foarn rubber
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.~ad may be placed on top of these holders. The liner 4~ is then sealed, and thebox is closed.
The box 50 may also be used to hold ice packs or the like if it is
required to maintain cool the contents of the box.
S It will be seen that with this box, the rigid insulating foam insert
members in the box walls, the bottom and the top provide both for structural
rigidity, protection of the contents, and also insulation where this is needed. The
foam rubber holders for the vials~ bottles, etc. provide excelleilt shock resistance,
and also contribute to thermal insulaeion. The liner 48 ensures that in the unlike}y
event of any spi]lage of the contents of the vials, etc., hazardous or infecti~us
materials do not leak out of the box.
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Representative Drawing