Medical waste container hinged lid

A waste container comprising:

• a base having a bottom wall, a side wall and a top defining a receptacle for receiving sharps, the side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the top connectable to an upper portion of the side wall and having an opening having an outwardly curved rim;
• a lid having a closure part and a cap part, the cap part including a rim configured to engage the rim of the receptacle in an interference fit for sealing the lid to the top of the receptacle, the lid having a hinge connecting the closure part to the cap part, the hinge allowing the closure part to move to and from an open position which allows access to the aperture for placing sharps in the receptacle and a closed position covering the aperture and forming a leak resistant seal, the cap part having an aperture therethrough;
• two first closure retention structures positioned on either side of the hinge on the lid, the first closure retention structures having first projection on the cap part and a skirt portion having opposing edges on the closure part, the first projection being curved inwardly towards the hinge and increasing in height along the curve, the opposing edges of the skirt portion adapted to move along the first projection throughout the movement of the lid from a closed position to an open position, the first closure retention structures adapted to hold the closure part of the lid in a position between about 75° and about 135° relative to the cap part of the lid;
• two second closure retention structures positioned on either side of the hinge on the lid, the second closure retention structures having projections on the cap part extending radially from the cap part and stops on the closure part of the lid, the stops aligned to interact with the projections on the cap part to hold the closure part of the lid in a position between about 180° and about 270° relative to the cap part of the lid;
• a releasable lock structure;
• and
• a permanent locking structure.

A container closure comprising:

• a lid having a closure part and a cap part having an aperture therethrough, the lid being connectable to a container via the cap part, the lid having a hinge connecting the closure part to the cap part, the hinge allowing the closure part to move between an open position which allows access to the aperture for placing sharps in the receptacle to a closed position covering the aperture;
• a releasable lock structure including a releasable lock detent on one of the cap part or closure part of the lid and a releasable lock projection on the other of the cap part or closure part of the lid, the releasable lock projection adapted to form a connection with the releasable lock detent upon movement of the lid to the closed position, the connection being releasable upon application of force to the releasable lock tab in a direction substantially radial to the lid and allowing the lid to be moved to the open position;
• and
• at least one permanent lock structure including a permanent lock tab on one of the closure part or the cap part of the lid and a permanent lock catch on the other of the closure part or the cap part of the lid, the permanent lock tab movable to engage the permanent lock catch when the lid is in the closed position, the permanent lock catch adapted to irreversibly engage the permanent lock tab such that force required to open the permanent lock structure is substantially transverse to the force required to move the closed lid to the open position.