GB2313060A

GB2313060A - Disinfectant dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2313060A
Application number: GB9709656A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Basil Lawson Scheepers
Original assignee: INHOUSE PRODUCTS CLOSE CORP
Current assignee: INHOUSE PRODUCTS CLOSE CORP
Priority date: 1996-05-14
Filing date: 1997-05-14
Publication date: 1997-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2017-05-14
Also published as: AU726736B2; NZ314815A; AU2085197A; ZA963817B; GB2313060B; GB9709656D0

Abstract

A disinfectant dispenser comprises an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vapourizable disinfectant composition which can vapourize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere, the disinfectant composition comprising a volatile biocide. A method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle comprises dispensing, substantially continuously, vaporized disinfectant and/or deodorant at or above and below the level of the waste material in the receptacle so that an amount of the deodorant and/or disinfectant circulates in an area above the level of waste material in the receptacle and downwardly through the material and permeates laterally through the waste material to disinfect and/or deodorize the interior of the receptacle as well as its contents and its immediate vicinity.

Description

A Deodorant and Disinfectant Dispenser and a Method of Disinfecting and/or Deodorisina Waste Materials in a Receptacle BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to a deodorant and disinfectant dispenser and to a method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle.

Bins and other waste receptacles usually have a closure member in the form of a lid to retain, not only the waste matter itself but also any vapours and odours generated by it, within the receptacle. When the receptacles are used to contain medical or sanitary waste, it is important that any disease-causing microorganisms within the material be retained within the receptacle. Often, however, the lids are ill fitting and allow odours and microorganisms to escape. Also, the bins have to be serviced and emptied and the contents removed for disposal. Unless the contents are properly disinfected, the service personnel handling the bins risk exposure to pathogenic microorganisms.

Often very potent disinfecting chemicals, including sulphur dioxide (SO2), are placed in the base of the receptacle in an attempt to disinfect the waste and to camouflage any odours which may result from the waste. This is only partly successful, however, as the chemical substance soon becomes covered by waste piling up in the receptacle. Odours and airborne diseasecausing microorganisms are then not camouflaged or killed by the chemical substance and are likely to escape from the receptacle each time the lid is opened.

SUNIMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a disinfectant dispenser comprises an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere, the disinfectant composition comprising a volatile biocide.

The disinfectant composition preferably also comprises a deodorant. and / or a modifying agent.

The elongate sleeve preferably has attachment means associated with one end thereof.

The attachment means is preferably suitable for suspending the sleeve inside a waste receptacle. The attachment means preferably comprises a hook and an eyelet defined in the sleeve within which the hook can be received.

The sleeve may be dimensioned to extend along or parallel to substantially the entire length of an interior upright surface of the receptacle.

Altematively, it may be dimensioned so that it is suspended above the level of waste in the receptacle.

The particulate material may be a cellulosic material, such as wood shavings or sawdust, or a powder or vermiculite.

The sleeve preferably comprises a non-woven plastics material or a nonwoven fibrous cellulosic material which may be viscose or rayon or a mixture thereof.

The sleeve is preferably dimensioned to prevent the particulate material from collecting at the base thereof. The dimensions of the sleeve will vary according to the particulate material it is filled with.

According to another aspect of the invention a waste receptacle liner assembly comprises a waste receptacle liner bag and a dispenser comprising an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant and/or deodorant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere.

The waste receptacle liner bag is preferably a plastics bag.

According to another aspect of the invention a waste receptacle assembly cpmprises a waste receptacle and a dispenser comprising an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant and/or deodorant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere, or a waste receptacle liner assembly of the invention, within it.

The waste receptacle assembly may comprise a dispenser attached to its lid so that disinfectant and/or deodorant is dispensed each time the lid is opened or closed.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle comprises dispensing, substantiallv continuously, vaporized disinfectant and/or deodorant at or above and below the level of the waste material in the receptacle so that an amount of the deodorant and/or disinfectant circulates in an area above the level of waste material in the receptacle and downwardly through the material and permeates laterally through the waste material to disinfect and/or deodorize the interior of the receptacle as well as its contents and its immediate vicinity.

The method preferably comprises placing a dispenser or a bin liner assembly of the invention within the receptacle so that the sleeve extends along a substantial part of an interior upright surface of the receptacle, preferably along substantially the entire length of an interior upright surface of the receptacle from near the top thereof to near the bottom thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle comprises dispensing, substantially continuously, vaporized disinfectant and/or deodorant through a dispenser of the invention along its length so that an amount of deodorant and/or disinfectant is dispensed above the level of waste material in the receptacle and circulates in an area above the level of waste material in the receptacle and downwardly through the material to disinfect andlor deodorise the interior of the receptacle as well as its contents and its immediate vicinity.

The term disinfect used herein includes activity as a biocide and the term disinfectant includes a biocide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a dispenser of the invention; Figure 2 is a section on 2-2 through the dispenser of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a pictorial view of a waste receptacle liner assembly of the invention Figure 4 is a sectional side view through a waste receptacle assembly of the invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional side view through an alternative waste receptacle assembly of the invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The dispenser 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises an elongate sleeve 12 which is made of a flexible porous material. The flexible porous material is a non-woven fibrous material which may be viscose or rayon or a mixture of the two or which may be a non-woven plastics material such as polypropylene. The sleeve is stitched closed along its bottom end 14 and along one of its sides 16. The sleeve is thus easy and cheap to manufacture.

Its top end18 is also sealed and contains an eyelet 20 or a slit which can be used to suspend it within a waste receptacle, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 described more fully below.

The sleeve 12 of the dispenser 10 contains a particulate biodegradable carrier material 22, which is sawdust or wood chips or wood shavings or a powder, such as sodium sulphate, which is not an environmental pollutant, or vermiculite, which is impregnated with a mixture containing a fragrance or deodorant and a volatile biocide and modifying agents. The fact that the mixture is impregnated into a carrier, and is therefore dry, allows it to be incinerated after use. This is an advantage over liquid disinfectants which present disposal problems as they may contaminate ground water. The porous material of the sleeve 12 allows the gradually vaporized deodorant and biocide to pass through it and to permeate the surrounding atmosphere.

Chemical additives may be added to the particulate material or to the mixture to retard chemically the vaporization of the biocide and fragrance.

This ensures that there is prolonged and even vaporization of the mixture.

The fragrance is specially formulated to be pleasant, long lasting and to mask odours emanating from the waste in the waste receptacle. The characteristics of the fragrance make users of waste receptacles containing dispensers of the invention aware that they are serviced and pleasant and safe to use. It contains a combination of lavender, cherry almond and amylacetate. The biocide is specially formulated to kill microorganisms, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus feacalis and Proteus vulgaris. It is also formulated to maintain its biocidal effect over an extended period, in excess of thirty days.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the sleeve 12 is packed tightly with the particulate material 22 impregnated with the mixture. Because it is so tightly packed, the sleeve 12 is relatively rigid and the particulate material does not sink to the bottom of it. Instead, it remains dispersed along the entire length of the sleeve. This ensures an even rapid vaporization of deodorant and biocide along the length of the sleeve and over substantially its entire surface area, above, at and/or below the level of waste in a receptacle. This, it has been found, is more efficient than having a smallish dispenser attached to the lid or sidewall of the receptacle from which the deodorant and/or biocide is dispensed, effectively from a single point. The sleeve is approximately 360 to 400 mm long irrespective of the particulate filling. However, its width varies according to the particulate material. The width of the sleeve when it contains powder is about 40 to SO mm whereas it is about 40 to 60 mm when it contains sawdust.

The dispenser 10 is ideally suited to be attached to the inner surface 32 of a waste receptacle bin liner 30, as shown in Figure 3. It can either be attached at its top end 18 by adhesive or by some other means or it may be adhered along its full length to the bin liner 30. The dispenser is positioned so that it extends along all or part of the longitudinal axis of the liner. The waste receptacle bin liner 30 is, in use, placed within a waste receptacle (not shown) so that the sleeve 12 of the dispenser 10 extends along substantially the entire interior length of the waste receptacle. The attachment of the dispenser 10 to the waste receptacle bin liner 30 facilitates the servicing of waste receptacles in that a complete assembly comprising the waste receptacle bin liner and the dispenser can be dispatched, already assembled, from a central point. It can then be inserted into a waste receptacle by service personnel without the requirement for any on site assembly, although it can be assembled on site as well.

When the bin liner is removed from the receptacle, the dispenser is removed with it. Its continued presence in the bin liner, during transportation back to a central depot, is also important as it continues to keep bacterial growth and odour under control. The service personnel are therefore not exposed to infection by active pathogenic microorganisms in the waste material.

The waste receptacle assembly 40 shown in Figure 4 comprises a dispenser 10 suspended from a hook 42 attached to an inside panel 44 of the waste receptacle 40 which can be hand- or foot-operated. It can be seen that the dispenser 10 hangs into the interior of the waste receptacle, almost to its bottom surface. Therefore, as waste is thrown into the waste receptacle 40, it builds up around the dispenser 10 and biocide and deodorant will continue to vaporize through pores in the sleeve 12 laterally into the surrounding waste material.

Thus, a method of the invention of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material, which is usually sanitary waste material, in a receptacle involves placing the dispenser containing the biocide and deodorant mixture at, above and below the level of waste material in the receptacle so that the mixture circulates in the space above the level of the waste material, circulates downwardly through the waste material itself and penetrates laterally into the waste material to ensure a more complete deodorising and biocidal effect.

This is achieved because the dispenser extends parallel to a substantial part of an interior upright surface of the receptacle. The deodorant and biocide will also permeate the atmosphere surrounding the waste receptacle, i.e. its immediate vicinity, where it will be in contact with the exterior of the receptacle, including parts of the receptacle, such as the handle, which may need to be lifted or touched by a user.

The method of the invention allows a waste receptacle, such as that shown in Figure 4, to be left for a relatively long period before it must be emptied and cleaned. It also allows for the use of less toxic chemicals which nevertheless still have effective long term biocidal activity. The present arrangement can, of course, be use in conjunction with a system where a disinfectant chemical is placed in the bottom of the waste receptacle.

The waste receptacle assembly 50 shown in Figure 5 has a pivotable lid 52.

The lid 52 is raised when waste material is thrown into the waste receptacle.

The dispenser 10 is suspended from a hook 42 attached to the bottom of the lid 52 and is therefore moved each time the lid 52 is raised. This accelerates the vaporization of deodorant and biocide from the sleeve so that any new waste introduced into the waste receptacle 50 is acted upon immediately.

The weight of the dispenser 10 on the lid 52 also ensures that the lid closes properly each time it is opened.

Although in the waste receptacle assembly 50, the dispenser 10 also extends along substantially the entire interior length of the waste receptacle 50. it will in due course tend to lie on top of the waste material in the receptacle from where the vaporised mixture circulates in the space above the waste material in the receptacle and also downwardly through the waste material.

The dispenser 10 may be shortened so that instead of extending along substantially the entire length of an interior upright surface of the waste receptacle 50, it hangs above the level of waste material in the receptacle.

From here the vaporised mixture, dispensed along substantially the entire length of the dispenser and over substantially its entire surface area, circulates rapidly and evenly in the space above the waste material in the receptacle and also downwardly through the waste material.

Claims

1. A disinfectant dispenser comprising an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere, the disinfectant composition comprising a volatile biocicle

2. A disinfectant dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the disinfectant composition also comprises a deodorant.

3. A disinfectant dispenser according to claim 2, which has attachment means associated with one end thereof.

4. A disinfectant dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the particulate material is sodium sulphate powder.

5. A disinfectant dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

wherein the particulate material is a cellulosic material.

6. A disinfectant dispenser according te any one of clairns 1 to 5, wherein the flexible porous material is a non-woven material.

7. A disinfectant dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to ó, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to prevent the particulate material from collecting at an end thereof.

8. A waste receptacle liner assembly comprising a waste receptacle liner bag and a dispenser comprising an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant and/or deodorant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere.

9. A waste receptacle liner assembly according to claim 8, wherein the liner bag is a plastics bag.

10. A waste receptacle liner assembly according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the dispenser is adhered to the liner bag.

11. A waste receptacle liner assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the dispenser extends along a longitudinal axis of the liner bag.

12. A waste receptacle assembly comprising a waste receptacle and a dispenser comprising an elongate sleeve made of a flexible porous material and a particulate material contained within the sleeve and impregnated with a vaporizable disinfectant and/or deodorant composition which can vaporize and permeate through the sleeve into the surrounding atmosphere, or a waste receptacle liner assembly according to claim 8, within it.

13. A waste receptacle assembly according to claim 12, wherein the dispenser is attached to a lid of the waste receptacle.

14. A waste receptacle assembly according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the dispenser extends into the waste receptacle parallel to an interior upright surface of the receptacle.

15. A method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle comprising dispensing, substantially continuously, vaporized disinfectant and/or deodorant at or above and below the level of the waste material in the receptacle so that an amount of the deodorant and/or disinfectant circulates in an area above the level of waste material in the receptacle and downwardly through the material and permeates laterally through the waste material to disinfect and/or deodorize the interior of the receptacle as well as its contents and its immediate vicinity.

16. A method according to claim 15 which comprises placing a dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 7 within the receptacle and ensuring that the dispenser extends parallel to a substantial part of an interior upright surface of the receptacle.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the dispenser hangs into the interior of the receptacle from near the top thereof to near the bottom thereof.

18. A method according to claim 15 which comprises placing a waste receptacle liner assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 11 within the receptacle and ensuring that the dispenser extends parallel to substantially the entire length of an interior upright surface of the receptacle.

19. A method of disinfecting and/or deodorising waste material in a receptacle comprising dispensing, substantially continuously, vaporised disinfectant and/or deodorant through a dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 7 along its length so that an amount of deodorant and/or disinfectant is dispensed above the level of waste material in the receptacle and circulates in an area above the level of waste material in the receptacle and downwardly through the material to disinfect and/or deodorise the interior of the receptacle as well as its contents and its immediate vicinity.

20. A dispenser substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 5.

21. A waste receptacle liner assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3.

22. A method substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 5.