Method and device for secure disposal of an article

Abstract

A method and structure for a secure storage container having a front and back shell and a locking mechanism built in such that the secure storage container cannot be opened after being closed and a disposal method utilizing the secure storage container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage device comprising:
 a front shell including a locking mechanism; and   a back shell including a locking mechanism complementary to the locking mechanism of the front shell and configured such that, once engaged with the locking mechanism of the front shell, a cavity formed between the front shell and the back shell is closed and the front shell and the back shell cannot be separated without damaging the storage device.   
     
     
         2 . The storage device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate tray having a locking mechanism complementary to each of the locking mechanism of the front shell and the locking mechanism of the back shell such the locking mechanism of the front shell is configured to lock to the locking mechanism of the intermediate tray and the locking mechanism of the back shell is configured so as to lock with the locking mechanism of the intermediate tray. 
     
     
         3 . The storage device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of intermediate trays configured such that a locking mechanism of one of the plurality of intermediate trays interlocks with the locking mechanism of one of the locking mechanism of the front shell and the locking mechanism of the back shell. 
     
     
         4 . The storage device according to  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism of the front shell includes a male locking pin and the complementary locking mechanism of the back shell includes a female slot. 
     
     
         5 . The storage device according to  claim 4 , wherein the male locking pin includes:
 a shaft extending from the front shell; and   a tapered head on a distal end of the shaft opposite the front shell,   wherein the tapered head includes a step portion where the shaft and the tapered head meet so as to form a ridge, and   wherein the female locking slot includes:   a small width portion formed in base shell into which the male locking pin can enter, the small width portion having a width less than a width of the tapered head and a length less than a length of the shaft; and   a large width portion having a width greater than or equal to a width of the shaft, and   wherein the female locking slot includes a slit in an axial direction thereof so as to allow walls of the female locking slot to flex away from each other when the tapered head is inserted into the small width portion.   
     
     
         6 . The storage device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the front shell includes a base and side walls around a perimeter of the base,   wherein the back shell includes a base and side walls around a perimeter of the base, and   wherein the storage device further comprises:
 lips extending from a portion of the side walls of the front shell away from the base portion; and 
 lips extending from a portion of the side walls of the back shell away from the base portion such that, when the front shell and the back shell are aligned to lock together, the lips of the front shell alternate around a perimeter of the side walls of the back shell. 
   
     
     
         7 . The storage device according to  claim 6 , wherein the lips of the front shell overlap a portion of the side walls of the back shell and the lips of the back shell overlap a portion of the side walls of the front shell. 
     
     
         8 . The storage device according to  claim 7 , wherein the lips of the front shell are disposed in recesses of the side walls of the back shell. 
     
     
         9 . The storage device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 an intermediate tray including a male locking pin complementary to the female locking slot of the back shell and a female locking slot complementary to the male locking pin of the front shell such that the male locking pin of the front shell is configured to lock to the female locking slot of the intermediate tray and female locking slot the back shell is configured so as to lock with male locking pin of the intermediate tray.   
     
     
         10 . The storage device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a male alignment pin formed on the back shell adjacent to the female locking slot, and   a female alignment slot formed on the front shell adjacent to the male locking pin so as to be complementary to the male alignment pin.   
     
     
         11 . The storage device according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of intermediate trays are configured such that a locking mechanism of one of the plurality of intermediate trays interlocks with a locking mechanism of an other of the plurality of intermediate trays. 
     
     
         12 . The storage device according to  claim 4 , wherein the male locking pin includes:
 a shaft extending from the front shell; and   a tapered head on a distal end of the shaft opposite the front shell, the tapered head including a split portion,   wherein the tapered head includes a step portion where the shaft and the tapered head meet so as to form a ridge, and   wherein the female locking slot includes:   a small width portion formed in base shell into which the male locking pin can enter, the small width portion having a width less than a width of the tapered head and a length less than a length of the shaft; and   a large width portion having a width greater than or equal to a width of the shaft.   wherein split portion of the tapered head is configured such that, when the tapered head is inserted into the narrower width portion of the female locking slot, sides of the tapered head flex inward, and, when the tapered head is inserted past the narrower width portion of the female locking slot, the sides of the tapered head flex outward so as to engage the female locking slot.   
     
     
         13 . A method of disposing of an electronic data storage device, the method comprising:
 providing to a user a disposal container having a front shell and a back shell which include a locking mechanism configured so that once engaged the front and back shell can not be separated without damage to the disposal container, the disposal container including a chamber within which is closed when the front and back shell are engaged together;   placing an electronic data storage device into the chamber;   joining the front shell to the back shell so as to engage the locking mechanism;   transporting the disposal container to a disposal location; and   disposing of the disposal container and the electronic data storage device therein without opening the disposal container.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  comprising:
 applying a random or user-generated visual identification to the disposal container prior to the transporting; 
 capturing an image of the visual identification during the disposing of the disposal container; and 
 sending the image to the user. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  14 , wherein the disposal container is formed of recyclable material. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the disposing of the disposal container and the electronic data storage device comprises shredding, incineration, or other destruction process to destroy the disposal container and the electronic device simultaneously. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 applying an identification barcode to the disposable container;   applying a shipping label to a shipping container and placing the disposable container in the shipping container;   after the transporting, comparing the identification barcode and the shipping label to ensure the identification barcode is a match with the shipping label; and   relating the shipping container and the disposal container to each other and to the user.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 connecting an intermediate tray to one of the front shell and the back shell; and   joining an other of the front shell and the back shell to the intermediate tray.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 disposing a plurality of intermediate trays between the front shell and the back shell such that the front shell locks with an adjacent intermediate tray of the plurality of intermediate trays, and the back shell locks with an other intermediate tray between the intermediate tray adjacent the front shell and the back shell; and   locking at least two of the plurality of intermediate trays disposed between the front shell and the back shell to each other.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
 assigning an identification number to a disposal container, the disposal container including a chamber for storing the article and configured such that once closed the disposal container cannot be opened without damage;   receiving registration information on the article including contact information from a user;   receiving tracking information during transit of the disposal container from the user to a disposal facility;   communicating the tracking information to the user;   recording images of an inspection of the disposal container during receipt at the disposal facility;   communicating the images of the inspection to the user;   recording an image of the disposal container as it is being destroyed; and   communicating the image of the disposal container as it is being destroyed to the user.