EP2721615A1

EP2721615A1 - System for sealingly attaching a mobile container onto a cell and for opening the container

Info

Publication number: EP2721615A1
Application number: EP12730456.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henri RIPOLL; Christian Defaut
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-20
Filing date: 2012-06-19
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2032-06-19
Also published as: FR2976570A1; EP2721615B1; WO2012175506A1; FR2976570B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for sealingly closing a container onto a working cell using door elements capable of being placed into contact without sliding or indexing. The system mainly includes a container door (4) previously attached to a container flange (1) and a cell door (30) previously attached to a cell flange (20). Placing the two doors into contact makes it possible, without rotating said doors, to unlock the container door (4) relative to the container flange (1), to lock the container door (4) relative to the cell door (30), and to open the cell door (30) only when the container door (4) is pressed against the cell door. The invention can be used for cells and enclosures for handling contaminated materials, or for sterile enclosures.

Description

SYSTEM FOR SECURING A MOBILE CONTAINER ON A CELL AND FOR OPENING THE CONTAINER

DESCRIPTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of handling toxic and / or irradiated or radioactive materials in containment cells and pharmaceutical materials in sterile insulators. It relates, more particularly, to the attachment of a mobile container to one of these cells with a double-door opening system, from the inside of the container to the interior of the cell to effect a transfer of material from one to the other.

PRIOR ART AND PROBLEM POSE

In nuclear industry facilities, there is a need to hook a container to the wall of a cell or containment and to open the container to the interior of the cell. For this purpose, so-called "double door" systems are often used, with which it is possible, once the hooking is done, to remove both the lid or the door of the container and the door or cover of the door. opening of the enclosure. Thus, it is possible to communicate the interior of the container with the interior of the cell, which is in principle a danger zone. It is then possible, by means of a remote manipulator, a glove or a similar system of indirect manipulation, to transfer objects between the danger zone of the cell and the container. Inverse operations are used to put the door of the cell to close the wall of the latter and the container door, and then detach the latter from the cell.

In most existing "double door" systems, the container door is pressed against the door of the cell. Closing and locking one on the other is usually done by, among other things, sliding rotation from one door to the other. This type of solution generates dust, causes the wear of the surfaces in contact with each other and may adversely affect the adjustment and therefore the sealing of the final connection, while the two doors are connected to one another. one to the other and open together to free the passage of the container to the cell.

The object of the invention is to overcome this disadvantage, by proposing a new type of closure type "double door".

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

For this purpose, the main object of the invention is a system for sealing a mobile container on a cell and for opening this container towards the interior of the cell. The system includes:

on a cell comprising:

• a cell flange, and

• a sealed cell door, with respect to the cell flange; and - on a container comprising:

• a container flange;

• a container door sealed from the container flange,

the container being intended to be fixed in a temporary sealed manner on the cell by the container flange and the cell flange, which are placed against each other, the container and cell doors being placed against each other the other, the two contact faces facing each other by at least one space, which is sealed by sealing means, when the two faces are against each other.

According to the invention, a contact surface of the door of the cell or container is intended to press on a mobile actuating surface, placed on the other door, among the cell door and the container door, and which by its displacement, during the establishment of the two contact faces, actuates first locking means of the container door on the door of the cell, without friction or relative movement of the two contact faces, one against the other. Thus, the locking of the container door on the door of the cell is ensured, without friction or rotation of the entire container relative to the cell.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the contact surface is completed by the radial surface of a ring integral with the cell door.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first locking means have a movable actuating surface is a first surface of a flexible membrane, a second surface of which bears on an inclined face of a plurality of locking latches which constitutes the first locking means initially projecting into an internal groove of an internal surface of the container flange, for the purpose of moving the locking latches out of the internal locking groove of the container flange, thereby freeing the container door from the container flange.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an inner container seal is provided between a sealed inner surface portion of the container flange and a sealed outer surface portion of the container door to seal the closure of the container. .

Preferably, a cell seal is provided between an inner sealing surface portion of the cell flange and an outer sealing surface portion of the cell door.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivotable locking arm is attached to a central hub rotatably mounted in the cell door for actuating second locking means of the container door on the cell door.

This assembly is advantageously completed by mobile ratchets pivotally mounted at the base of the central hub and pivotally controlled by the locking arm, so as to be able to penetrate the interior of an internal groove of the housing of the container door, to center and secure the latter with the cell door.

In this case, it is advantageous to use for these second locking means several cams of the hub to separate as many pawl fingers, which engage in a central internal groove of the container door to secure the container door with the cell door.

In this case, preferably, the system comprises a cell seal intended to be pressed against the container door to thereby provide sealing and perfect containment between the two doors.

It is therefore advantageous for the system to include a container seal intended to be pressed against the container door to thereby eliminate functional gaps and to ensure perfect confinement at the contact surfaces, when actuating the movable pawls the container door to the cell door.

In this case, it is also advantageous to provide a pivoting latch, which pivots on the cell flange to lock the locking arm, so as not to be able to open the cell door, as long as the container flange is not pressed against that of the cell.

It is advantageous to provide an actuating pin projecting from a contact surface of the cell door and pushed by the face of the corresponding container door, to actuate the pivoting latch and release the locking arm so as to actuate it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and its technical characteristics will be better understood on reading the following description, which is accompanied by several figures respectively representing:

- Figures 1A to 1D, the principle of opening a container on a sealed cell by the principle of "double door";

FIGS. 2A to 2D, the container flange and the container lid, according to the invention;

FIGS. 3A to 3M, the cover and the cell flange, according to the invention;

- Figures 4A to 4D, the assembly in several phases of operation, according to the invention.

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

The principle of all transfer systems, of the "double door" type, is illustrated by the three figures 1A, 1B and 1C.

In FIG. 1A, there is a cell 100, confining a contaminated medium, and equipped with a cell flange 101 and a cell door 102, also called "operculum". A seal, not identified, completes the sealing of the closure of this cell, through its cell door 102 on the cell flange 101.

A container 105, which is movable, for transferring objects or materials, is also equipped with a container flange 103 and a container door 104, placed on the flange in a sealed manner, by means of a seal, not shown in this figure. The container 105 is shown in the approach phase to the cell 100, to be plated door against door.

In Fig. 1B, the container 105 has docked the cell 100. The cell 102 and container 104 doors are pressed against each other. It is the same for the cell flange 101, which is against the container flange 103.

The tightness between the two cell doors 102 and container 104 is provided by seals at the junction surface 106 of the cell and container flanges 101 and 103.

With reference to FIG. 1C, the last phase of the opening of the container 105 in the contaminated interior of the cell 100 is made by definitively solidifying the cell door 102 on the container door 104 and evacuating inwards of the cell 100, this set of two doors.

With reference to FIG. 1D showing a detail of this junction, the cell and container flanges 101 and 103 are thus plated by a junction surface 106. The same applies to the cell 102 and container 104 doors. sealing is provided by, respectively, a cell seal 108, placed at the periphery of the cell door 102, and pressed against the container door 104, and by a container seal 109, located at the junction surface 106 on the inner edge of the container flange 103. Referring to Figure 2A, the first part of the system according to the invention consists mainly of a container flange 1 to be closed by a container door 4. The container flange 1 constitutes a continuity of the container body , not shown in this figure, and is equipped with a flange ring 2, embedded in a contact surface 13 of the container flange 1. This ring 2 comprises a flexible seal 3 intended to be operative on its inner face, first place. Note that this first seal 3 can also be fixed directly to the container flange 1. In this case, the ring 2 is an integral part of the container flange 1. It should be noted that on its inner face, the container flange 1 has a small circular groove 10.

Correspondingly, the container door 4 has four locking latches 5, radially movable relative to the axis of the assembly, to protrude into the internal groove 10 of the container flange 1, once the container door 4 set up on this container flange 1.

In this FIG. 2A, on the inside of the container door 4, there is also an internal ring 11 equipped with a rib and provided with an internal groove 12.

FIG. 2B shows the final fastening of the container door 4 on the container flange 1. The latches 5 are thus in the groove 10. This movement has been obtained thanks to a bearing on the locking studs 7 of the inner face of the container. the door of container 4, and sealingly mounted by flexible membranes 8.

FIG. 2C is an enlargement of this part of the system, which comprises means for locking the container door 4 on the container flange 1, and which consist of the locking latches 5, each pushed by a spring 6 placed by internally in their extension, the locking studs 7 and their respective diaphragm 8. Each spring 6 can be replaced by any other form that can be integrated in the latch 5, which, by deforming, ensures the horizontal displacement of the latch 5. Each locking stud 7 has an inclined face 7A, placed in correspondence of the inner end 5A of each of the locking latches 5. By pressing, the door of the container 4 is unlocked. It is understood that one pressure on each locking stud 7 pulls inwardly each of the latches 5, which are extracted by their distal end, from the inside of the internal groove 10 of the container flange 1.

FIG. 2D shows, in a cavalier view, the outside of the container door 4. This figure shows the ring 11 of the container door 4 and its internal groove 12. It can be seen that a planned embodiment provides for four studs of and in correspondence, but not shown in this 2D figure, the remainder of the locking means, in particular the locking latches, marked 5 in the other figures. In FIG. 3A, the other elements, on the side of the cell, are the cell flange 20, integral with the cell itself not shown in the figures, and the cell door 30 fixed on the cell flange 20, and more precisely on an internal bore 24. A seal 33 is placed on the outer surface of the cell door 30 to face the internal bore 24 of the cell flange 20. Preferably, this seal 33 is embedded in the shape of the cell door 30 and its inner face.

FIG. 3B shows a detail of this bore 24 which is slightly inclined with respect to the central axis of the device, which allows the cell door 30 to be locked in this internal bore 24 of the cell flange 20 in a sought position.

In this FIG. 3A, a pivoting locking arm 31 can also be distinguished for locking the door 30 in its fixed position on the cell flange 20. It is fixed on a central hub 36 which pivots with respect to the fixed part 32 of the door The locking arm 31 may have an angular movement of about 15 °. The distal end of the locking arm 31 has a roller 42 which evolves and is housed in the ramp of a locking piece 25. The fixed part 32 of the cell door 30 is connected to a hinge 23 which is itself pivotally connected to a hinge support 22 fixed to the cell flange 20.

Note also that in this Figure 3A, a centering guide 21 is shown cutaway. Indeed, several centering guides 21 are placed at the periphery of the cell flange 20. This type of centering guide 21 allows the container to be guided against the cell flange 20, when approaching.

Figure 3C is a side view with respect to view 3A. Particularly distinguished there is the locking lever 31 ended by the roller 42 housed in a groove of the ramp lock 25 fixed on the cell flange. This ramp of the ramp lock 25 corresponds to the angle of the pivoting arm 31.

In this FIG. 3C, two of the centering guides 21 of the cell flange 20 are also distinguished. A pivoting latch 61 keeps the locking arm 31 and thus the cell door 30 locked when the container is not secured to the latch. cell.

FIG. 3D, in a cavalier view, makes it possible to better see the positioning of the locking arm 31 on the cell door 30 and its distal end run through the groove of the ramp lock 25 fixed on the cell flange 30.

FIG. 3E shows the main elements of the cell door 30, namely the locking arm 31 and its roller 42, the central hub 36 and the fixed part 32 of the cell door 30. A locking pin 37 makes it possible to lock in a determined angular position, the central hub 36 and the locking arm 31 that it supports.

Referring to Figure 3F, the central hub 36 has on its inner end, three flats 44 which face three movable pawls 38 angularly distributed at 120 ° around the central hub 36. These movable pawls 38 are articulated, thanks to hinge pins 43 relative to the fixed part 32 of the cell door 30. These pawls 38 are equipped with internal fingers 39 which bear on the inner end of the central hub 36. These three movable pawls 38 are actuated about their respective axes by rotation of about 15 °, thanks to the locking arm 31 which rotates the central hub 36.

When the three flats 44 are opposite the movable pawls 38, they are retracted. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3G, during the rotation of the central hub 36, rounded portions of the distal end of the latter are opposite the movable pawls 38 which are thus pushed outwards around their respective axis marked 43 in Figure 3E. Recalling the movable pawls 38 in the retracted position and obtained by means of a cylindrical spring 40 surrounding the three movable pawls 38.

FIGS. 3H and 31 show the two extreme positions of the locking arm 31 in the groove of the ramp support 25. In FIG. 3H, the cell door 30 is closed on the enclosure flange 20. On the other hand, the container is in the docking phase, the container flange 1 being close to the guides 21 of the cell flange 20. It is a pivoting latch 61 which pivots relative to the central means 36 which blocks the roller 42 of the locking arm 31. This pivoting latch 61 is held in its locking position by a vertical pin 60 mounted on a spring 63 in the central hub 36 and which acts directly on the pivoting latch 61.

With reference to FIG. 31, when the container 1 has docked in the cell flange 20, the container flange presses on the end of the locking pin 60 which protrudes from the cell door 30, in particular through the contact surface 52. As a result, the vertically-mounted pin 60 raises and tilts the pivoting latch 61 which releases the roller 42 and, consequently, the locking arm 31. The latter then pivots to traverse the groove of the latch support 25 and after an angle of 15 °, releases the system that keeps locked the cell door 30 to the cell flange 20. Thus, the enclosure cell door 30 can only be unlocked from the cell flange 20 if the door container and container 1 are in place against the cell.

With reference to FIG. 3J, means for prohibiting the opening of the cell door 30 when the container 1 is connected to the cell without its door 4. On the cell door 30, a security pin 70 is housed vertically in the central hub 36.

In addition, during the docking of the two doors together, mutual centering is performed by means of the movable pawls 38 of the cell door 30 projecting at the housing 11 of the container door 4, to be housed in the internal groove 12 of the latter. In addition, the movable pawls 38 have the effect of raising the container door 4 and thus to press the tips of the container seal 3 (see FIG. 2A) and cell seal 33 (see FIGS. 3A and 3E) one against them. This makes it possible to eliminate the functional gaps and thus ensure perfect confinement at these contact surfaces.

Upon contact of the container door 4, as shown in FIG. 3K, the latter pushes the security pin 70 which protruded with respect to the cell door 30, thus tilting the latch 71 which releases an outer ring 72 by relative to the central hub 36. The latter can thus be rotated and allow the use of the locking arm 31 for the opening of the cell door 20.

Finally, with reference to FIGS. 3L and 3M, means for preventing the rotation of the locking arm 31 of the cell door 30, when all the two doors 4 and 30 are open, are used. In fact, otherwise, there would be a rupture of the confinement between the container door 4 and the cell door 30 and it would no longer be possible to close the cell door 30, because of the means for prohibiting the opening of the door of the cell 30 when the container 1 is connected without its container door 4. For this purpose, the indexing pin 37, placed on the locking arm 31 is automatically returned to the housing 80 of the cell door 30, when the rotation thereof, prohibiting the reverse rotation of the same locking arm 31 and, by the same, prohibiting accidental disconnection of the two doors together. A voluntary action is then necessary, carried out manually or automated, to release the pivoting arm 31 by acting directly on the indexing pin 37 by means of its annular shape to release it from the housing 80.

Figures 4A to 4D show the different positions of the entire system.

Figures 4A to 4D show four main phases in the use of the system according to the invention.

In a similar manner to FIG. 3H, FIG. 4A shows the approach of the container with respect to the cell, and more precisely of the container flange 1 carrying the container door 4 fixed on it towards the assembly consisting of the flange of the container. cell 20 and the cell door 30 fixed on the latter. The approach is facilitated by the three guides 21 integral with the cell flange 20. The entire container is then pressed against the entire cell, without rotation of one set relative to the other. The container flange 1 is brought into contact with the cell flange 20 and the container door 4 comes into contact with the cell door 30, as shown in FIG. 4B. A flange gasket 3 is placed on the container flange 1, so as to come into contact with the cell gasket 33. Thus, the seal between the container flange 1 and the cell flange 20 is obtained to then ensure the containment of the entire interior of the container and the cell, when they are in communication.

During this docking operation, a ring 35 secured to the cell door 30 presses on the four watertight membranes 8 (see FIG. Figures 1, 2A, 2B). It acts on the deformable pads 7, or any other form allowing the horizontal movement of the latches 5, which engage in the housing of the locks 5 of the container door 4 which thus retract and release relative to the groove 10 of the container flange 1. This operation releases the container door 4 with respect to the container flange 1.

Note that in this position, the locking arm 31 is in its first position. It is also noted that, as described in FIGS. 3J and 3K, the container door 4 has pressed the vertical pin 70 of the cell door 30 to unlock the locking arm 31. In addition, as described in FIGS. 3H and 31, the container flange 1 has pressed the vertical pin 60, which releases the pivoting latch 61 and thus the locking arm 31.

With reference to FIG. 4C, the rotation of the locking arm 31 can thus take place. This causes rotation of the central hub 36, a rounded end of which comes instead of the flats marked 44 in FIGS. 3F and 3G which then separate the fingers 39 of the movable pawls 38. These latter thus engage in an internal groove 12 of the container door 4 to thereby lock the two doors together, still without rotation of the elements forming part of this system and to ensure the confinement of the assembly. This operation thus guarantees that the two container doors 4 and the cell 30 are free from play and that one face 52 of the cell seal 33 ensures the perfect confinement of the volume. between the two container doors 4 and cell 30. A perfect self-centering is then ensured between the two doors.

Referring to Figure 4D, the container door 4 being released from the container flange 1, the two container doors 4 and 30 being locked between them and the locking arm 31 of the door of these cells being released from the housing of the latch support 25, it can be proceeded to the opening of all two container doors 4 and cell 30. The seal 3 of the container flange 1 then ensures the confinement vis-à-vis the the interior of the container and the cell and the seal of the door 33 of the cell door 30 ensures the confinement between the two container doors 4 and the cell 30.

None of the four containment elements constituted by the flanges and the doors are not indexed in rotation with respect to each other. Consequently, there is therefore no friction during the various maneuvers of this operation.

In addition, the various static seals ensure the confinement of the through elements on the cell door 30 and the cell flange 20. Nomemclature

1: container flange

2: flange crown

3: container seal

4: container door

5: mobile latches

6: springs 7: deformable pads

8: flexible membrane

10: internal groove of the container flange

11: housing

5 12: internal throat

13: contact area

20: cell flange

21: centering guides

22: hinge support

10 23: hinge

24: internal bore

25: lock bracket

30: cell door

31: locking arm

15 32: fixed part of the cell door

33: cell seal

36: central hub

38: mobile ratchets

39: ratchet fingers

20 40: cylindrical spring

42: pebble

43: articulation axis

44: flats

52: contact area

25 60: vertical pawn

61: pivoting latch

63: spring

70: security pawn

71: latch

30 72: outer ring

80: housing 100: cell

101: cell flange

102: cell door

103: container flange

104: container door

105: container

106: joining surface

108: cell seal

109: container seal

10

Claims

A system for sealing a mobile container on a cell and opening the container towards the interior of the cell, the system comprising:

a cell flange (20),

a cell door (30) sealed to the cell flange (20):

a container flange (1),

* a container door (4) sealed with respect to the container flange (1) and cell container being intended to be fixed sealingly and temporarily on the cell by their respective flanges which are placed against the other, their container (4) and cell (30) doors being placed against each other by two facing contact faces (52) while providing a space between them which is sealed with sealing means when the two faces are against each other,

characterized in that a radial surface of a ring (35) of the cell door (30) is for pressing a movable surface for actuating the container door (4) which, by contacting the two contact faces actuates first locking means of the container door (4) on the cell door (30) to release the container door (4) from the container flange (1).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the first locking means have a movable actuating surface constituted by a first surface of a flexible membrane (8) of the container door (4), a second surface of which supports on an inclined face of locking latches (5) constituting the first locking means projecting into an inner groove (10) of an inner surface of the container flange (1), to pull out each latch (5) the inner groove of the container flange (1) for the purpose of separating the container door (4) from the container flange (1).

3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a container seal (3) placed between a part of the contact surface of the container flange (1) and a sealed external surface of the container door ( 4) to seal the closure of the container against the cell.

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cell seal (33) placed between an internal bore of the cell flange (1) and a portion of the outer sealing surface of the cell door. (30).

5. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a locking arm (31) fixed on a central hub (36) rotating in the cell door (30) and actuating second locking means of the container door (4) on the cell door (30) to lock the container door (4) on the cell door (30) without friction or relative movement of the two contact faces against each other.

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the central hub (36) of the cell door (30) has, at its base, a set of movable pawls (38) actuated by the locking arm (31). rotating the central hub (36) for centering and locking the container (4) and cell (30) doors therebetween, the tips of the movable pawls (38) entering an internal groove (12) a central housing (11) of the container door (4).

7. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the second locking means are cams bearing flats (44) on the central hub (36) to separate fingers (39) of movable pawl (38) which engage each in a central internal groove (12) of the container door (4) for securing the container door (4) to the cell door (30).

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a cell seal (33) intended to be pressed against the container door (4) to thus ensure 1 sealing and a perfect confinement between the two doors.

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the container (4) comprises a container seal (3) intended to be pressed against the container door (4) to thereby eliminate the functional clearances and ensure the perfect containment at the contact surfaces, upon actuation of the movable pawls (38) which up the container door (4) to the cell door (30).

10. System according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a pivoting latch (61) pivoting in the cell flange (20) for locking the locking arm (31) to not being able to open the cell door (30). ) as long as the container flange (1) is not pressed against the cell flange (20).

11. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a locking pin (70) projecting from the contact surface (52) of the cell door (30) and which is pushed by the face of the door (4) for actuating a pivoting latch (71) and releasing a locking arm (31) only if the container door (4) is pressed against the cell door (30).