EP0616945A1 - Method and device for filling hazardous material into receptacles - Google Patents

Abstract

What is described is a method for filling hazardous materials into containers, in which the materials to be filled are portioned and packaged under clean-room conditions at the exit of a production installation via a glove box (1), a lock chamber and a cask container (49), the cask container being positioned under the sealing-off device (3) on the upper glove box on a balance platform (6), and the upper annular flange (50) of the cask container being sealed off as a result of the inflation of the inflatable seal (43), and the passage (2) between the glove box and the room having the cask container being opened, and furthermore the operator drawing the outer bag (51) out of the cask container over the flange in the glove box and fastening it.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for filling dangerous substances into containers, in particular sacks, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such a method and an associated system have become known with EP 521 252 A1 and DE 91 07 768 U, which go back to the same applicant. In this known filling system there are two boxes one above the other, the upper box being designed as a glove box in order to be able to carry out the corresponding manipulations on the filling head under safe conditions.

A feature of the earlier patent application was also that a second, lower glove box was arranged below the upper glove box, in which the barrel to be filled was arranged with the filling bags arranged therein.

However, the use of two glove boxes one above the other makes the system expensive and relatively difficult to operate.

There was also a non-sealable transition opening between the upper glove box and the lower glove box, which had the disadvantage that under certain conditions the in the air to be filled and the lower chamber could get into the upper glove box via this open transition opening, which could result in contamination of the air in the upper chamber.

The invention is therefore based on the object of developing a method and a device of the type mentioned in such a way that an operationally reliable method is ensured at lower production costs for the device.

To achieve the object, a method is characterized by the features of claim 1, while a device operating according to the method is characterized by the features of claim 7.

An essential feature of the invention is that a lower glove box can now be dispensed with at all and that the barrel itself acts as a lock chamber, in which it lies sealingly against a sealing device arranged on the underside of the upper glove box and forms a completely closed atmosphere.

By eliminating a lower glove box, the device can be manufactured much more cost-effectively because all the corresponding parts can be omitted.

Another essential feature of the invention is that a sealing device is now provided in the transition area between the upper chamber (glove box) and the barrel arranged below it, which Sealing device consists essentially of a swing lid, which either seals the opening between the glove box and the barrel underneath or seals it by means of certain sealing rings.

In the older patent application, the air flow in the glove box was also not described using appropriate filters and blowers and corresponding cleaning options.

The essence of the method now consists in that, in a first process step, the drum is placed below the sealing device on the upper glove box on a weighing platform and that the upper ring flange of the drum is then sealed with an inflatable seal, which seal is part of a The frame is placed on the scale and weighed by the scale. In order to avoid a distortion of the weighing result, it is provided according to the invention that this weighing frame is sealed in the direction of the glove box by means of a flexible ring hose, so that no force is applied from the weighing frame to the upper glove box.

It is also important that the arrangement of an inflatable seal in a weighing frame, which inflatable seal attaches positively and positively to the upper ring flange of the barrel, also prevents any sealing forces from falsifying the weighing result, because it is a closed system based on the Scale is seated and therefore no external forces are introduced into this system.

It is now possible for the first time to hold a barrel sealingly in a weighing frame, which weighing frame is arranged via a flexible ring hose on the underside of the upper glove box, whereby an absolutely tight closure of the entire system to the environment is achieved.

Another feature of the method is that in certain process steps, a swing lid is actuated, which optionally opens and closes the opening on the underside of the glove box in the direction of the sealed barrel.

The subject matter of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another. All of the information and features disclosed in the documents, including the summary, in particular the spatial design shown in the drawings are claimed to be essential to the invention insofar as they are new to the prior art, individually or in combination.

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of drawings which illustrate only one embodiment. Here, from the drawings and their description, further features and advantages of the invention that are essential to the invention emerge.

Figur 1:

schematisiert eine Anlage nach der Erfindung in der Ausgangsstellung;

Figur 2:

die Anlage nach Einbringen und Abdichten des Fasses;

Figur 3:

die Anlage mit befestigtem Außensack;

Figur 4:

die Anlage mit abgedichtetem Außensack;

Figur 5:

die Anlage mit montiertem Innensack;

Figur 6:

die Anlage mit einer Darstellung der Belüftung des Innensackes;

Figur 7:

die Anlage mit Darstellung der Befüllung des Innensackes;

Figur 8:

die Anlage mit Darstellung des Verschlusses des Innensackes;

Figur 9:

die Anlage nach Auftrennen der Verbindung zwischen dem oberen und dem unteren Teil des Innensackes;

Figur 10:

die Anlage nach Einbringen beider Säcke in das Faß;

Figur 11:

die Anlage nach Verschluß der Öffnung im Handschuh-Kasten und Entfernung des Fasses;

Figur 12:

die Anlage in einer alternativen Ausführungsform im Vergleich zur Figur 5;

Figur 13:

die Anlage in einer Reinigungsphase;

Figur 14:

die Anlage in der Trocknungsphase.

Show it:

Figure 1:

schematized a system according to the invention in the starting position;

Figure 2:

the system after inserting and sealing the barrel;

Figure 3:

the system with attached outer bag;

Figure 4:

the system with a sealed outer bag;

Figure 5:

the system with the inner bag installed;

Figure 6:

the system with a representation of the ventilation of the inner bag;

Figure 7:

the system showing the filling of the inner bag;

Figure 8:

the system showing the closure of the inner bag;

Figure 9:

the system after breaking the connection between the upper and lower part of the inner bag;

Figure 10:

the system after inserting both bags into the barrel;

Figure 11:

the system after closing the opening in the glove box and removing the barrel;

Figure 12:

the system in an alternative embodiment compared to Figure 5;

Figure 13:

the system in a cleaning phase;

Figure 14:

the system in the drying phase.

According to FIG. 1, the system essentially consists of an upper glove box 1 which has a lower opening 2 in a base plate 69, a sealing device 3 being arranged below the opening 2, which is part of a frame 4 which is positioned on the scale. Platform 6 rests.

The glove box 1 is in turn on a frame 5 on the ground.

It is important that the frame 4 sitting on the scale platform has a play 7 to the ground, so that this frame is part of the scale itself.

The filling with liquid or pourable substances takes place via an outlet valve 8, which is connected to a supply system, not shown. A metering device 9 can be arranged on the underside of the outlet valve 8 and the outlet of the metering device opens into the glove box 1 via a filling head 10.

Part of the filling head 10 is a filling tube 11, which has an inflatable seal 12 on its outer circumference, which can be inflated and deflated pneumatically via a line 14.

Part of the filling head 10 is also a suction nozzle 13, via which a suction can take place from the sack to be filled by means of a line 16.

A line 15 also opens into the filling head 10, which line can introduce an inert gas into the filling head 10 in order to make it inert.

The air flow in the glove box takes place in the direction of the arrow 24 via a supply air filter 25 which opens into the glove box 1 via a suction opening 26. Air is sucked out of the glove box 1 via the pre-filter 17 and the main filter 18 and flows in via the suction opening 26. The air passing through the filters 17, 18 collects in a collecting space 19 and is either supplied to the atmosphere via a line 20 either via exhaust air filter 22 or it is sucked off in the direction of arrow 31 by a blower 23.

Instead of the exhaust air filter 22, which is connected to the line 21, the line 21 can also be returned directly to a product collection space (not shown) for the product to be filled.

The filters 17, 18 are to filter and remove the air coming from the filling head 10 via the line 16, while further filters 28, 29 are to filter the air circulating in the chamber itself and are to be removed via the line 30 via an intake opening 27 and a flap valve .

Due to the inflow of air at the suction opening 26 and the outflow through the suction opening 27, a negative pressure is thus generated in the glove box, which prevents contaminated air from the glove box 1 from getting into the environment.

There are also cleaning devices, a cleaning medium being introduced into the chamber via a line 32, a spray gun 34 being arranged on a flexible hose 33 can be directed to any location in the glove box 1 via the actuation through the glove openings.

A drying medium can be introduced into the chamber via line 35.

The base plate 69 is inclined towards a corner of the glove box 1, so that a drain opening is defined with an underlying valve 36 and the cleaning medium can be removed via this drain opening.

In the normal state (starting state), the opening 2 between the glove box 1 and the underlying frame 4 is hermetically sealed. For this purpose, a swing cover 38 is used, which can be pivoted into two different pivot positions via a lever 37. A sealing ring 39 is mounted on the oscillating cover 38 and has no sealing function in FIG. 1.

The sealing device 3 consists essentially of the said swing cover 38 and a circumferential, inflatable seal 40, which is arranged in the region of an outwardly open, U-shaped profiled flange 41. A flexible ring hose 42 sealingly attaches to the flange 41 and is connected to the top of the frame 4. A vertical downward inflatable second seal 43 is arranged on the frame 4. Seals 41, 43 can be aerated and vented via lines 47, 48.

To determine whether a barrel is present in the frame 4 or not, there is a proximity sensor 44 on the frame 4 arranged.

Another proximity sensor 45 detects the pivot position of the lever 37, namely whether the swing cover 38 is in one or the other pivot position.

According to FIG. 2, a barrel 49 is now placed on the weighing platform 6 and the seal 43 is inflated, as a result of which the ring flange 50 of the barrel rests against the seal 43 in a sealing manner.

As explained at the beginning, this seal does not change the weighing result because the seal 43 is arranged on the frame 4 and the frame 4 is in turn on the weighing platform 6. It is a self-contained force system that does not support itself with additional force on external parts.

The dead weight of the frame and the seal 43 is compensated for by taring the scale.

In the barrel 49 there are two bags, namely an outer bag 51 and an inner bag 52. Both bags 51, 52 are open.

By actuating the lever 37, the swing lid 38 with the sealing ring 39 lying thereon is pivoted into the position 38 ', 39', so that the opening 2 is now free. The edge 53 of the outer bag 51 is now pulled up by the operator of the system and placed over the flange 41. The adjacent sealing ring 39 'is then mounted according to FIG. 4 so that it assumes its position 39, whereby the edge 53 of the outer bag 51 is fixed. According to Figure 5, the inner bag 52 is now pulled up so that its edge lies against the inflatable seal 12, which is part of the filling head 10.

The seal 12 is inflated via the line 14.

According to FIG. 6, the interior of the inner bag 52 can now be rendered inert by introducing an inert gas via the line 15 through the inner bag 52, which flushes the interior 54 in the direction of the arrows shown and which flows through the line 16 and the filters 17, 18 and is sucked off again via the blower 23.

This ventilation of the inner bag 52 is only optional and is not necessary for all applications.

At the transition from FIG. 6 to FIG. 7, the balance is tared to switch off all foreign weights. The actual filling process can now begin, in which the filling material (product) flows from the outlet valve 8 with the metering device 9 switched on in the direction of arrow 56 into the inner bag 52 and accumulates there on the bottom in the form of the product 57. The air displaced during this filling process is drawn in upward via line 16 in the direction of the arrow and can escape via line 21.

After filling, the scale reports that the inner bag 52 has been completely filled, as a result of which the product flow from the outlet valve is stopped. According to FIG. 8, the inner bag is first sucked off via the suction nozzle 13, the bag closures 59.60 are not yet attached. The inner bag 52 is thus evacuated and the bag closures 59, 60 are only attached when this is evacuated. In addition, the air is then sucked out of the filling head 10 in the direction of arrow 58.

According to FIG. 9, a cut is now made between the upper bag closure 59 and the lower bag closure 60, as a result of which a bag residue 61 remains on the filling head 10.

The inner bag 52 is then stuffed back into the barrel 49.

According to FIG. 10, the inflatable seal 40 is vented and the sealing ring 39 is brought back into its position 39 '. The outer bag 51 is then closed with a bag closure 62.

By actuating the lever 37, the swing lid is closed and then carries the sealing ring 39 on its upper side. The seal 40 is inflated in order to apply the swing lid 38 in a sealing manner, as a result of which the opening 2 is hermetically sealed.

11, the seal 43 is then vented, as a result of which the ring flange 50 of the barrel 49 is released and this can then be removed from the weighing platform 6 in the direction of arrow 63.

The barrel is then hermetically sealed with a barrel cover, not shown, and an associated clamping ring.

This describes the complete process of filling a barrel.

FIG. 12 shows an alternative to the state of the method in FIG. 5. Namely, FIG. 5 shows the filling of a first sack when there is no sack residue, while FIG. 12 shows how sack residue 61 remaining in the glove box 1 is removed becomes.

For this purpose, it is provided that this bag residue 61 is placed in a basket 46 arranged in the chamber when the seal 12 is vented, and only then is the inner bag 52 attached to the filling head 10 according to FIG.

At the same time, according to FIG. 12, the upper edge 64 of the inner bag 52 is placed over the sealing ring 39 in order to ensure that product particles which are still in the area of the bag residue 61 or in the area of the filling head 10 fall into the inner bag 52 and not into the space between the inner bag 52 and the outer bag 51.

FIG. 13 shows the cleaning phase of the entire system, where a cleaning medium is supplied via the line 33 and is distributed in the chamber via the spray gun 34. Here, the filters 17, 18 can be removed, as can the pipe sections 66, 67, which are each detachably connected to the corresponding pipelines via aseptic tension locks.

The cleaning medium flows via the inclined base plate 69 to the drain opening above the valve 36 from.

The line 36 is connected to a drain 65 via a valve.

FIG. 14 shows the drying phase, where a drying medium, e.g. B. hot air, an inert gas or the like. Is introduced and distributed over the spray gun 34 in the entire glove chamber 1. In this case, the drying air can be removed from the chamber via line 20 when the fan 23 is switched on, air being drawn in via line 26 in the direction of arrow 24.

The essence of the present invention thus lies in the new process steps that a barrel is placed on the free-standing scale and a weighing frame is arranged on the scale, which is hermetically connected to a sealing device attached to the underside of the glove box.

Another important process step is that the chamber has cleaning and drying devices, such as a special air duct, whereby both the air can be removed from the filling head 10 and the air from the chamber itself.

Claims (10)

A method for filling hazardous materials into containers in which the portioned material to be filled at the outlet of a production plant via a glove box, a load lock chamber and a drum container under clean room conditions and packaged, characterized
characterized in that a) the drum container (49) is positioned below the sealing device (3) on the upper glove box (1) on a weighing platform (6), b) the upper ring flange (50) of the barrel container (49) is sealed by inflating the inflatable seal (43), c) the passage between the glove box (1) and the room with the barrel container (49) is opened, d) the operator pulls and fastens the outer bag (51) from the barrel container (49) over the flange (41) in the glove box (1), e) the operator fastens the inner bag (52) from the barrel container (49) to the outlet of the production system, f) the filling and weighing process and the closing of the outlet after the filling has been carried out, g) the inner bag (52) is evacuated, h) the inner bag (52) and then the outer bag (53) are closed, stuffed into the barrel container (49) and the barrel container (49) is hermetically sealed, i) the glove box (1) is hermetically sealed against the space for the barrel container (49). Filling process according to claim 1,
characterized in that the inner bag (52), after being attached to the outlet of the production plant, is rendered inert by an inert gas. Filling process according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that after the glove box (1) has been hermetically sealed against the space for the barrel container (49) after the filling process has been completed, the glove box (1) is cleaned. Filling method according to claim 3,
characterized in that a cleaning medium is sprayed into the glove box (1) via spray guns and is sucked off again via exchangeable filters. Filling process according to claim 4,
characterized in that the cleaning medium flows through special devices. Filling process according to claims 1 to 5,
characterized in that a drying process is connected. Device for carrying out the method for filling dangerous substances according to claim 1,
characterized in that under the glove box (1) there is a scale platform on which a weighing frame (4) for the barrel container (49) as part of a scale with a Sealing device against the glove box (1) is arranged so that the opening between the glove box (1) and the barrel container (49) serving as a lock chamber can be hermetically sealed, that an inflatable seal in the weighing frame is force-free with respect to the Weighing, rests on the upper ring flange of the drum container (49) and that an inner bag and an outer bag are present in the drum container (49). Filling device according to claim 7,
characterized in that the opening between the glove box (1) and the barrel container (49) can be hermetically sealed via a swing lid. Filling device according to claim 7 or 8,
characterized in that an introducer for an inert gas is provided. Filling device according to claim 7,
characterized in that a cleaning device for the glove box (1) is provided, which has spray nozzles for liquid or gaseous cleaning media and suction or drainage devices and a drying device.

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