FR3115806A1 - movable modular airlock - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular airlock intended to be installed between a front space and a rear space, and to define an airtight barrier between these front and rear spaces. The airlock comprises one or more base modules (1), at least one door (31) closing the front face of the base module, at least one door closing the rear face of the base module. It is airtight when the doors are closed. A base module (1) comprises a frame (13) covered with an airtight material so as to form a thresholdless tunnel which allows the circulation of a living being or an object between a front face (11 ) and a rear face (12) and a removable connecting device adapted to allow the assembly of the basic module by connecting the uprights (16) and the lintel (18) delimiting its rear face (12) to the uprights (14) and to the lintel (18) delimiting the front face of another basic module (1). Figure for abstract: figure 1

Description

movable modular airlock

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of on-site decontamination.

More specifically, the invention relates to an airlock intended to extend between a confined or to be confined zone and an unconfined zone, outside this confined or to be confined zone, usable in particular in the medical field, for example in a hospital environment. or in a medical building. In particular, this airlock can temporarily constrain the passage from a non-sterile zone to a zone which must temporarily remain relatively sterile.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

In the field of decontamination, transportable decontamination enclosures are known.

Document FR3001750 thus discloses a transportable decontamination enclosure, comprising at least one substantially sealed chamber in which a living being/an object can be rid on site of an undesirable substance. However, this chamber operates independently: it is not intended to be integrated into an existing building for the passage from a non-sterile area to a sterile area, these areas can be moved over time.

The document FR3065742 relates to a sealed airlock, which can be mounted and dismantled like a kit, comprising a plurality of successive compartments along a path between a confined area and the outside world. Two successive compartments are separated by an interior door. However, this airlock has the disadvantage of being adjustable only in length by assembling successive elements and of being relatively heavy to move and complex to assemble due to the presence of a bottom zone.

Document WO 2008/104085 describes a mobile and self-cleaning modular isolation unit. This unit includes a main room sized to accommodate at least one bed, as well as optionally an airtight connection containment unit, to separate the main room from an outdoor area. This device can possibly increase the reception capacity of a hospital by extending outside the building and the different modules that compose it have dimensions fixed a priori.

The invention thus aims to provide a relatively airtight enclosure, movable, simple to implement to separate any two parts of a building, to temporarily constrain the passage from a zone made temporarily sterile to another zone. .

• une armature rigide constituée d’au moins deux montants verticaux avant, gauche et droite, reliés par au moins un linteau avant et d’au moins deux montants verticaux arrière, gauche et droite, reliés par au moins un linteau arrière, tels que les montants verticaux avant et arrière gauche, respectivement droite, sont reliés par leurs extrémités inférieures par une traverse horizontale gauche, respectivement droite, équipée sur toute sa longueur d’un joint apte à assurer l’étanchéité à l’air par compression gravitaire lorsque cette traverse est posée au sol ;
• un matériau étanche à l’air recouvrant l’armature, fixé sur celle-ci de manière à former une surface en forme de tunnel étanche à l’air dont le contour est délimité dans cet ordre par le montant vertical arrière gauche, le linteau arrière, le montant vertical arrière droite, la traverse horizontale droite, le montant vertical avant droite, le linteau avant, le montant vertical avant gauche et la traverse horizontale gauche, et à permettre, lorsque les traverses horizontales sont posées sur un sol la circulation entre une face avant, destinée être positionnée vers l’espace avant et une face arrière, destinée à être positionnée vers l’espace arrière,
• un dispositif de liaison amovible adapté pour permettre l’assemblage d’un module de base par liaison des deux montants verticaux arrière (et/ou respectivement au linteau (18)) arrière aux deux montants verticaux avant (et/ou respectivement au linteau (18) avant) d’un autre module de base,

Le sas comporte en outre :

• au moins une porte fermant la face avant du module de base en contact avec l’espace avant et qui assure l’étanchéité à l’air lorsqu’elle est fermée,
• au moins une porte fermant la face arrière du module de base en contact avec l’espace arrière et qu’assure l’étanchéité à l’air lorsqu’elle est fermée.

Thus, the invention relates to a modular airlock intended to be installed between a front space and a rear space, and to define an airtight barrier between these front and rear spaces. The airlock defines a direction of communication between the front and rear spaces. The airlock comprises one or more basic modules, each comprising:

• a rigid frame consisting of at least two front vertical uprights, left and right, connected by at least one front lintel and at least two rear vertical uprights, left and right, connected by at least one rear lintel, such as the uprights vertical front and rear left, respectively right, are connected by their lower ends by a horizontal crosspiece left, respectively right, equipped over its entire length with a seal capable of ensuring airtightness by gravity compression when this crosspiece is placed on the ground;
• an airtight material covering the frame, attached thereto so as to form an airtight tunnel-shaped surface whose contour is delimited in this order by the rear left upright, the rear lintel , the right rear vertical upright, the right horizontal crosspiece, the right front vertical upright, the front lintel, the left front vertical upright and the left horizontal crosspiece, and to allow, when the horizontal crosspieces are placed on the ground, circulation between a front face, intended to be positioned towards the front space and a rear face, intended to be positioned towards the rear space,
• a removable connecting device adapted to allow the assembly of a base module by connecting the two rear vertical uprights (and/or respectively to the lintel (18)) rear to the two front vertical uprights (and/or respectively to the lintel (18) ) before) of another basic module,

The airlock also includes:

• at least one door closing the front face of the base module in contact with the front space and which ensures airtightness when closed,
• at least one door closing the rear face of the base module in contact with the rear space and which ensures airtightness when it is closed.

Thanks to these provisions, it is possible, by placing the airlock on the ground at the desired location, to create a space of communication between a front space, not confined, and a rear space confined or to be confined. The airlock makes it possible to limit and/or control the gas exchanges between the two spaces.

The modular aspect of the airlock makes it possible, by assembling several successive modules, to adapt the length of the airlock to the geometric configuration of the place of use.

The lightness of the frame of a module allows easy movement of each module from one place to another.

According to various aspects, it is possible to provide one and/or the other of the characteristics below taken alone or in combination.

According to one embodiment, the modular airlock can contain at least two basic modules, the rear face of a basic module being assembled in an airtight manner with the front face of the basic module which succeeds it in the direction from front to back by means of the linking device.

Thanks to this arrangement, an airlock with the desired dimensions can be assembled/disassembled at will and moved from one place of use to another.

According to one embodiment, the horizontal crosspieces of one or more basic modules can be equipped with retractable wheels in or along the frame.

Thanks to this arrangement, a basic module or an assembly of basic modules can be easily moved from one place to another.

According to one embodiment, the modular airlock can be equipped with ventilation means to place the airlock in overpressure or depression relative to any of the front and rear spaces.

This arrangement makes it possible to control the air flows between any of the front and rear spaces and the gas and therefore a better isolation of these spaces from each other.

According to one embodiment, the ventilation means are equipped with at least one air filtration device.

This arrangement makes it possible to limit the diffusion of particles and/or micro-organisms from one space to another.

According to one embodiment, the front vertical uprights of the base module in contact with the front zone and/or the rear vertical uprights of the base module in contact with the rear zone are additionally equipped over their entire height with a mud flap. sealing intended to ensure the connection of the airlock with an adjacent wall.

This arrangement makes it possible to adapt the airlock to the width separating the side walls between which it must be inserted. The airlock may thus be suitable if the width separating these side walls is strictly greater than the width of the frame formed by the frame once covered with the airtight material and strictly less than the width of the frame formed by the frame once covered with airtight material, left and right flaps, positioned in this case in vertical planes, included.

According to one embodiment, the front lintel of the base module of the modular airlock in contact with the front space and/or the rear lintel of the base module in contact with the rear space are additionally equipped over their entire length with a reel of airtight flexible material intended to ensure the connection of the airlock with a ceiling and optionally one or more neighboring walls.

This embodiment ensures an airtight separation between the front and rear spaces regardless of the height between the floor and the ceiling of the space in which the airlock must be inserted.

According to one embodiment, the modular airlock comprises electronic means for controlling the opening and closing of the door or doors closing the front face and/or closing the rear face.

This arrangement contributes to the control of gas exchange between the front space and the rear space.

According to one embodiment, at least one basic module constituting the modular airlock is equipped with a functionalization element chosen from the list: thermometer, coat hook, trash can, shelf, bactericidal and/or virucidal and/or fungicidal product dispenser, dispenser gloves, mask dispenser.

This arrangement makes it possible to create a path in the direction comprising one or more stages adapted to the protection and/or decontamination of a living being passing from one space to another through the airlock. According to one embodiment, the lintels of a basic module or of the basic modules assembled to form the airlock each consist of at least two parts sliding relative to each other.

This arrangement makes it possible to adapt the airlock in width to the geometric configuration of the place of use.

The invention also relates to a building equipped with a modular airlock composed of one or more of the basic modules described in one or other of the preceding embodiments.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, briefly described below:

shows a perspective view of a base module 1 of the airlock according to a particular embodiment.

shows a perspective view of a part of the reinforcement 13 delimiting an external surface such as 13a, 13b or 13c and of the airtight material provided with a seal, just before their assembly.

shows a front view of a base module 1 of the airlock equipped with doors at the front.

In the drawings, identical references designate identical or similar objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to an airlock intended to extend between a temporarily confined zone, called a "confined" zone or a zone "to be confined", and a so-called "unconfined" zone, outside this confined zone.

We will speak equally of confined space and confined zone, as well as of unconfined space and unconfined zone.

For example, in an epidemic context, it may be necessary to isolate patients in a hospital infected with the microorganism responsible for the epidemic – in a certain or presumed manner – from uninfected patients presenting to the hospital. for pathologies of another type, or of the public in general. It is therefore natural to create areas with potentially high viral or bacterial density whose air flow must be separated from other areas of the hospital that are less exposed.

The dimensions and functions of the zones that must be isolated depend strongly on the characteristics of the spread of the epidemic (dangerousness, contagiousness, number of patients, nature of the symptoms, etc.). It is therefore neither possible nor desirable to define them a priori when designing the hospital.

We therefore understand the need to be able to create these zones at will by means of relatively airtight airlocks, which can be placed at the level of a corridor, a door opening or even between any two walls of a room of whatever one wishes to subdivide.

The device presented here is not limited to buildings such as hospitals. It can be implemented in buildings for medical establishments in general, for example in accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people (EHPAD) in which one would like to separate part of the elderly people received from another part for example limit the spread of a virus from part one to part two.

According to one embodiment, the airlock comprises at least one base module 1.

With reference to the , the basic module 1 comprises a frame 13 forming a portico or an arch and delimiting a front face 11 and a rear face 12, intended to be placed in a substantially vertical plane, as well as external side faces 13a and 13b, a face outer top 13c and a bottom face 13d.

The movement of living beings takes place on the ground in a direction substantially normal to the front 11 and rear 12 faces, in the direction from the front face 11 to the rear face 12 or in the opposite direction. At the rear of the rear face 12 is an area which it is desired to temporarily confine with respect to a so-called "unconfined" area which is located at the front of the front face 11, the front and the rear being defined in the following with respect to a displacement in the direction of circulation in the direction of the front face 11 towards the rear face 12.

It goes without saying that we can equally place the zone to be confined at the front of the device and the confined zone at the rear of the device and that the movement can be made from front to rear or vice versa. For the sake of clarity, the meanings chosen to describe the invention will be those of the preceding paragraph.

In the embodiment shown in , the frame 13 consists of vertical uprights, horizontal crosspieces and lintels:
- The front face is delimited by two front vertical uprights 14 and a lintel 18 connecting their upper ends, the assembly forming a frame without threshold;
- The rear face is delimited by two rear vertical uprights 16 and a lintel 18 connecting their upper ends, the assembly forming a frame without threshold;
- two upper horizontal crosspieces 15 (respectively lower 17), orthogonal to the lintels 18, connect the upper ends (respectively lower) of the front and rear left vertical uprights between them and the upper ends (respectively lower) of the front and rear right vertical uprights between they. These crosspieces make it possible in particular to stiffen the reinforcement.

The vertical uprights 14 and 16, the horizontal crosspieces 15 and 17 and the lintels 18 are for example made from aluminum sections, then welded. This material has the advantage of being easily cut to the desired dimensions and of being light, which will make it easy to move the structure.

The choice of the dimensions of the uprights, crosspieces and lintels depends on the dimensions of the corridors or rooms in which the device is to be used.

For example, a module could measure 1850 mm in height ((in the direction parallel to (Oz)), 1400 mm in width (in the direction parallel to (Ox)) and 700 mm in depth (in the direction parallel to (Oy) )) These dimensions allow the structure to be easily transported from one building to another and moved inside a building to current French construction standards.

For large dimensions, reinforcement crosspieces can be provided to connect the reinforcement portions delimiting the front face with those delimiting the rear face. These crosspieces may in particular be made of the same material as the rest of the frame 13.

The sections of the profiles can be square, with a side of 20 mm, or rectangular with dimensions of 60 mm ╳ 30 mm.

In another embodiment, the frame 13 can form an arch. In this case, the lintels 18 have the shape of an arc of a circle.

In general, the lintels can have a curved shape adapted to the desired geometry.

In a particular embodiment, two retractable rollers 19 are placed under each of the lower horizontal crosspieces 17, so as to allow the device to be moved at will and easily towards the place of implementation.

When moving, the rollers are therefore interposed between the ground and the frame 13. Once the device has been placed in the desired location, the rollers are folded into recesses made in the lower horizontal crosspieces 17, or even folded along of the frame 13 so that the lower horizontal crosspieces 17 are directly in contact with the floor of the room or rooms or the corridor in which the airlock is to be positioned. The base plane 13d is then the ground plane.

The number, distribution and size of the wheels will naturally be adapted according to the dimensions and weight of the basic module 1.

Once the lower horizontal crosspieces 17 have been placed on the ground, the external lateral surface delimited by the reinforcement 13 is the surface of minimum area resting on the closed contour delimited in this order by the rear left vertical upright, the rear lintel, the right rear vertical upright, the right horizontal crosspiece, the right front vertical upright, the front lintel, the left front vertical upright and the left horizontal crosspiece.

In the embodiment of the , the outer side surface delimited by the armature 13 therefore consists of the outer side surfaces 13a and 13b, as well as the upper outer surface 13c.

The outer lateral surface delimited by the frame 13 is completely covered, on the side external to the frame, with an airtight material.

The term “external” is understood throughout the document from the point of view of a living being which walks under the frame 13 along the direction of circulation, that is to say passing under the lintels of a frame without threshold to another. The frame covered with waterproof material, placed on the ground - or closed in a fictitious manner by thresholds on the frames formed at the front and at the rear - and limited by the fictitious surfaces formed by the front 11 and rear 12 faces, forms a fictitious closed surface which defines a space internal and a space external to this surface. The living being is on the "internal" side of the device, that is to say inside the module. Thus, in the embodiment shown in , three sheets 21 of folded aluminum can be riveted to the uprights of the frame 13, so as to completely cover the outer side surfaces 13a and 13b and the upper outer surface 13c.

In the case of a rigid airtight material, the area of the airtight material covering the reinforcement is therefore close to that of the external lateral surface. If the airtight material is flexible, the area of the airtight material covering the reinforcement will be greater than that of the external lateral surface and possibly quite different: in the embodiment shown in , the portion of airtight material covering the upper outer surface 13c could have an area greater than that of the upper outer surface 13c and bend under the effect of gravity

To ensure airtightness at the level of the uprights/airtight material interfaces, a seal 22, for example a rubber seal, is fixed beforehand all around the portions of airtight material. 21 intended to be assembled on the uprights, so that the joint, once the sealed material and the frame assembled, is interposed between the frame and the sealed material and if necessary compressed. This assembly can be understood using the , representing a perspective view of a frame portion 13 and a portion of airtight material 21 provided with a seal 22 ready to be assembled.

Other materials and other methods of assembly may be envisaged provided that they make it possible to ensure the tightness of the entire external lateral surface delimited by the reinforcement 13.

In particular, if the reinforcement 13 takes the form of an arch, a flexible material, airtight and if possible light, will for example be heat-sealed on the uprights of the reinforcement 13.

In one embodiment, the airtightness is ensured at the level of the lower bases of the lower horizontal crosspieces 17 and/or of the vertical uprights 14 and 16 when they are in contact with the ground thanks to wide seals glued on the entire length of these bases and maintained in gravity compression, by the weight of the device.

In one embodiment, the basic module 1 is equipped with two doors 31 and 32 fixed by hinges on the front vertical uprights 14, so that the doors open outwards, therefore in this case towards the front, of the basic module 1. The two doors 31 and 32 thus form a double hinged door. This embodiment makes it possible to obtain the widest possible opening.

In another embodiment, it is possible to envisage a door with several sliding leaves whose dimensions are chosen to obtain the maximum opening necessary. This embodiment has the advantage of not requiring clearance at the front of the module for the doors to open, as well as controlling the size of the opening depending on the object/living being that must cross the airlock, choosing the number of leaves that actually slide. It is thus possible to open a single leaf, possibly partially, to allow the passage of a narrow object.

The doors 31 and 32 are equipped, over the entire zone of their periphery intended to be in contact with the frame when the door is closed, with a gasket, for example a foam gasket, so as to ensure sealing against the air at the door/frame interface when the doors are closed.

Any other type of seal commonly implemented in the field of bay windows, sliding or not, for example brush seals, may be implemented to ensure and/or improve the airtightness of the module.

The doors are machined and provided with a device for assembling the doors together when they are closed, so that the airtightness is ensured at the level of the contact zone between the two doors when they are closed.

In one embodiment, described in , the doors are kept closed by an electrically controlled magnetic device 33 covering the contact zone of each of the doors 31 and 32 with the other door over its entire height. This embodiment has the advantage of being able to define security and/or emergency modes for closing the doors.

Doors 31 and 32 may not have the same width.

The doors can be opened by means of a handle or by means of a remote opening control, with or without contact, placed inside and/or outside the door. armature.

In one embodiment, a joint, for example of the same type as joint 22, can be provided and arranged all along the vertical rear uprights 14 and the rear lintel 18 of the base module, with a view to assembly with a second basic module.

In one embodiment, the front vertical uprights 14 can be equipped over their entire height with additional devices to ensure the junction with the side walls between which the base module 1 is placed, and consequently the airtightness. This arrangement allows the module considered alone or the entire airlock to easily adapt to the width of the space in which it must be inserted.

It is for example possible to fix wide flaps 34, made of a flexible material of the rubber type, over the entire height of the front vertical uprights 14, so that once the device is installed, at least part of the surface of the right flap (respectively left) is in contact over the entire height of the flap with the wall to the right (respectively left) of the device.

The module can thus be suitable if the width separating the side walls between which it must be inserted is:
- strictly greater than the width of the frame formed by the reinforcement when it is covered with the airtight material
- And strictly less than the width of the frame formed by the frame once covered with the airtight material, left and right flaps, positioned in this case in vertical planes, included.

In one embodiment, the front horizontal upright 18 can be equipped over its entire length with an additional device to ensure the junction with the ceiling under which the base module 1 is placed, and consequently a better airtightness. . This arrangement allows the device to easily adapt to the height of the space in which it is to be inserted.

It is possible, for example, to fix a reel of flexible material, of the plastic film type, possibly stretchable, over the entire length of the front horizontal upright 18, so that once the device is installed and the flexible material 35 is unwound, the flexible material extends so as to close the surface between the front horizontal upright 18, the upper ends of the flaps 34, the right and left walls and the ceiling.

In one embodiment, the doors are transparent, for example made of Plexiglas, to allow visual inspection of the interior of the module or of the entire airlock.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the doors and/or their opening are fixed to allow the passage of a wheelchair and/or a stretcher and/or a medical bed.

In one embodiment, the base module 1 is equipped with two rear doors similar to doors 31 and 32 fixed by hinges on the rear vertical uprights 14, so that the doors open outwards, therefore towards the rear of base module 1.

From paragraphs 69 to 82, the possible embodiments for the rear door(s) will be declined without difficulty.

A basic module 1 equipped with both one or more front doors and one or more rear doors can itself constitute an airlock according to the invention.

In one embodiment, the airlock comprises several modules assembled to each other in a sealed manner and has one or more doors which make it possible to close its front face, in contact with the front space and one or more doors which make it possible to close its rear face, in contact with the rear space, so that when the front and rear doors are closed, the entire airlock is airtight.

Insofar as the airtightness of the whole of the basic module 1 placed on the ground and equipped with front and rear doors, or that of the airlock composed of several modules and placed on the ground, is ensured when the doors are closed, it is possible to create an overpressure or a depression in the airlock to limit contamination from one area to another.

In a particular embodiment, the pressure in the airlock formed by one or more base modules may be chosen so that the airlock formed by one or more base modules is under depression relative to the unconfined zone and under overpressure. relative to the confined or to be confined area, so that, for example, no microorganism or dust can pass from the confined or to be confined area to the unconfined area.

In another embodiment, the pressure in the airlock formed by one or more basic modules can be chosen so that the airlock is in overpressure with respect to the unconfined zone and in depression with respect to the confined or to be confined zone. , so that, for example, no microorganism or dust can pass from the unconfined area to the confined area or to be confined.

In another embodiment, the airlock formed of one or more basic modules can be placed in overpressure or underpressure with respect to each of the two zones.

The pressure in the airlock formed by one or more basic modules can be adapted to the chosen embodiment by means of a suitable ventilation system.

Optionally, the ventilation system can be equipped with a filter commonly used in the medical environment. The type of filter can be chosen according to the microorganisms or pathologies at the origin of the need for containment.

Optionally, a base module 1 contains functional elements. Hooks for depositing clothes, for example clean or soiled blouses, can be provided. Different shelves intended to accommodate medical equipment, such as gloves, and/or bins for medical or other waste, and/or disinfectant gel holders, etc. can also be hung on the uprights of the frame or the internal wall airtight material covering the outer lateral surface delimited by the reinforcement 13 in the case where this material is rigid.

For more modularity, the basic modules 1 can be assembled two by two in the direction of circulation. The frame delimiting the rear face of a base module 1 is then linked, in a removable manner, for example by screwing or fixed, for example by riveting, to the frame delimiting the rear face of the base module 1 which succeeds it in the direction circulation, so that the gasket 22 is compressed and provides airtightness at the interface between the two successive base modules 1.

In this case, the airlock consists of at least two basic modules 1, the module placed at the front, called "entry module", being equipped with one or more front doors, the module placed at the rear, called "exit module" being equipped with one or more rear doors.

The airlock can also comprise one or more successive modules, called “intermediate modules”, placed between the entry module and the exit module. The airlock may or may not be provided with intermediate doors between the front and rear doors.

In the case where intermediate doors are present, the airlock is ultimately made up of several successive sub-airlocks, which can be isolated from each other with possibly different ventilation systems.

A basic module B can then be assembled to the basic module A which immediately precedes it in the direction of circulation, for example by screwing or riveting through the joint of the vertical front uprights 14 of the basic module B and vertical rear 14 of the base A, and/or the front lintel 18 of the base module B and the rear lintel 18 of the base module A. assemblies is thus ensured.

The assembly at will of several modules in the direction of circulation, parallel to the axis (Oy) of the , gives a modular character to the device in this direction.

In particular, this makes it possible to adapt the depth of the device to the dimensions available for the airlock. It is thus possible to form a corridor, or to provide several spaces fulfilling different functions successively in the direction of circulation. For this, one or more of the functionalization elements described in paragraph 93 may be provided in one or more of the base modules assembled to form the airlock.

In one embodiment, the management of the opening of the doors of the airlock consisting of one or more basic modules is controlled by means of an electronic device. In particular, the simultaneous opening of the front doors and the rear doors may be prohibited in an operating mode. A delay between the opening of the front door(s) and that of the rear door(s) and/or, if applicable, the intermediate door(s) may also be provided, so as to allow air filtration of the airlock before passing from the confined area to the unconfined area or vice versa, and/or to impose a minimum parking time in the airlock for a possible decontamination process.

In a particular embodiment, the frame 13 is designed with lintels 18 not in one piece but made up of at least two parts sliding relative to each other. The entire system is adapted accordingly. In particular, the waterproof material covering the outer lateral surface delimited by the reinforcement 13 is assembled to each of the frames sliding relative to each other so that the reinforcement covered with this waterproof material can be widened to the desired dimension when the at least two parts slide relative to each other.

In this embodiment, a flexible waterproof material may advantageously be chosen.

The arrangement and nature of the seals ensuring the tightness of the assembly can also naturally be adapted to this embodiment.

These provisions make it possible to make the airlock modular both in depth and in width and therefore to facilitate its adaptation to any type of space.

It is thus possible to envisage equipping a medical building with such an airlock at the level of a corridor, or else placing the airlock through the opening of a door separating two rooms or a room and a corridor, so as to to separate, according to the needs of the moment, a priori unconfined spaces by creating, by the presence of the airlock, a confined zone and an unconfined zone located on either side of the airlock.

1: basic module
11: front face bounded by frame 13
12: rear face delimited by the frame 13
13: frame of the basic module
13a: left outer side face delimited by the frame 13
13b: right outer side face delimited by the frame 13
13c: outer upper face delimited by the frame 13
13d: lower face delimited by the reinforcement 13
14: front uprights
15: upper horizontal crosspieces,
16: rear uprights
17: lower horizontal crosspieces
18: front and rear lintels, with directions contained in the planes of the front and rear faces
19: retractable casters
21: portion of airtight material
22: rubber seal
31, 32: hinged doors
33: magnetic closing device
34: rubber flap

Claims (10)

Modular airlock intended to be installed between a front space and a rear space, and to define an airtight barrier between said front and rear spaces, said airlock defining a direction of communication between said front and rear spaces, said airlock comprising a or several basic modules (1) each comprising:

• a rigid frame (13) consisting of at least two front vertical uprights (14), left and right, connected by at least one front lintel (18) and at least two rear vertical uprights (16), left and right , connected by at least one rear lintel (18), said front and left rear vertical uprights, respectively right, being connected by their lower ends by a horizontal left, respectively right crosspiece, equipped over its entire length with a joint able to ensure airtightness by gravity compression when this crosspiece is placed on the ground;
• an airtight material covering said frame, fixed thereto so as to form an airtight tunnel-shaped surface whose contour is delimited in this order by said rear left upright, said rear lintel, said right rear vertical upright, said right horizontal crosspiece, said right front vertical upright, said front lintel, said left front vertical upright and said left horizontal crosspiece, and allowing, when the horizontal crosspieces are placed on the ground, circulation between a face front (11) delimited by said right front vertical upright, said front lintel, said left front vertical upright, intended to be positioned towards said front space and a rear face (12) delimited by said left rear vertical upright, said rear lintel, said upright vertical rear right, intended to be positioned towards said rear space,
• a removable connecting device adapted to allow said base module to be assembled by connecting said two rear vertical uprights (16) of said base module (1) to said two front vertical uprights (16) of another basic module, and/ or from said rear lintel (18) of said base module (1) to said front lintel (18) of another base module,

said airlock further comprising:

• at least one door (31) closing said front face (11) of the base module in contact with said front space and ensuring airtightness when closed,
• at least one door closing said rear face (12) of the base module in contact with said rear space and providing airtightness when closed.

Modular lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that it contains at least two of the said basic modules, the said rear face (12) of one of the said basic module (1) being assembled in an airtight manner with the said front face. (11) of another of said basic modules by means of said connecting device. Modular lock according to one of Claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the said horizontal crosspieces (17) are equipped with retractable wheels (19) in or along the said frame (13). Modular airlock according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises ventilation means, optionally equipped with at least one air filtration device, for placing the said airlock under overpressure or underpressure relative to any of said front and rear spaces. Modular airlock according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the said front vertical uprights of the base module in contact with the said front space and/or the said rear vertical uprights of the base module in contact with the said rear space are also equipped over their entire height with a sealing flap (34) each intended to ensure the connection of the airlock with an adjacent wall. Modular airlock according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the said front lintel (18) of the base module (1) in contact with the said front space and/or the said rear lintel (18) of the base module (1 ) in contact with said rear space are further equipped over their entire length with a reel of airtight flexible material, said airtight flexible material being intended to ensure the connection of said airlock with a ceiling and optionally a or several neighboring walls. Modular airlock according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises electronic means for controlling the opening and closing of the said at least one door closing the front face (11) and/or of the said at least one door closing the rear face (12). Modular airlock according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one basic module (1) constituting the said airlock comprises at least one functional element chosen from the list: thermometer, peg, bin, shelf, dispenser bactericidal and/or virucidal and/or fungicidal product, glove dispenser, mask dispenser. Modular lock according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the said lintels (18) each consist of at least two parts sliding relative to each other. Building equipped with a modular airlock according to any one of claims 1 to 9.