JP2012229115A - Lifting type isolator device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To exchange articles while maintaining aseptic condition between isolators 2, 4 installed at different floors in upper and lower levels.SOLUTION: Isolators 2, 4 which can be kept shielded from outside with an opening and closing means 52 are installed at an upper floor and a lower floor. A lifting isolator 8 which can be kept shielded from outside with an opening and closing means 68 can be lifted or descended between the upper isolator 2 and the lower isolator 4 with a lifting means 6. Isolators 2, 4 for the upper floor and for the lower floor are equipped with connection path means 10, 12 and the space between the lifting isolator 8 is hermetically-sealed with a sealing means 18. Connection path means 10, 12, are provided with a decontamination means 28, and connect either one of upper floor and lower floor isolators 2, 4 with the lifting isolator 8. After decontaminating the connection path means 10, 12, both isolators are communicated and articles are transported.

Description

  The present invention relates to a lifting and lowering isolator device in which isolators in a state separated from an external atmosphere are installed on different upper and lower floors, and articles in these isolators are delivered while maintaining aseptic conditions.

  Patent Document 1 describes a vertical transport system in which clean rooms 1 and 2 disposed on different floors are connected by a vertical shaft 5 and products are transferred via a carriage 6 that moves up and down in the vertical shaft 5. ing. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, an air intake 10 is provided in the vertical conveyance shaft 5 to take air in the clean room 2 into the vertical shaft 5 so that the room is maintained higher than the utility chambers 3 and 4. Thus, the cleanliness in the vertical shaft 5 is maintained.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-14758

  Conventionally, in order to deliver articles while maintaining aseptic conditions between isolators installed on different floors, conventionally, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the entire vertical conveying device connecting the upper and lower layers is aseptic. Although it was made into the environment, there existed a problem that equipment cost was large in such a structure.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a lifting / closing isolator having a sealable opening / closing means and capable of maintaining the interior isolated from the external atmosphere, and raising / lowering the lifting / lowering isolator. A lowering isolator disposed corresponding to a descending position of the lifting isolator, having a sealable opening / closing means, and capable of maintaining the inside isolated from the external atmosphere; and the lifting isolator A floor isolator which is arranged corresponding to the raised position and has an openable / closable opening means and can be maintained in a state where the inside is isolated from the external atmosphere, the lift isolator, the floor isolator, At least one of the down-level isolators is equipped with an up-down isolator and an up-down isolator, or an up-down isolator and a down-level isolator. And a decontamination means for supplying a decontamination medium to the internal passage of the connection passage means. The elevating isolator and the up-level isolator, or the elevating isolator and the down-level isolator After the decontamination means supplies the decontamination medium to the internal passage of the connection passage means by the decontamination means in a state where the isolators are connected by the connection passage means, and both the connected isolators are sealed by the respective opening / closing means, each opening / closing means Release the sealing by connecting the connected isolator and moving the article between both isolators in a state of being isolated from the external atmosphere. The article can be moved in an isolated state.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the connection passage means includes a sealing means for sealing the internal passage by pressing a seal member against the other-side isolator to be connected, When moving up and down, the pressing of the seal member is released to avoid interference.

  The lift isolator device of the present invention includes a lift isolator that can be lifted and lowered between a floor isolator and a floor isolator installed on different floors. The lift isolator, the floor isolator, and the floor isolator Since connection path means is provided in either or both of the isolators for use, and the connection path means is provided with decontamination means, it is not necessary to isolate the entire vertical transfer device, and the installation cost of the equipment is reduced. It can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a lifting isolator device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the connecting portion between the floor isolator and the lifting isolator and the structure of the connecting passage means. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the connecting portion between the floor isolator and the lift isolator, and particularly showing a state in which both isolators are opened. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the opening / closing means of the floor isolator is closed.

  A floor isolator is installed on the floor above the building, and a floor isolator is installed on the floor below. These isolators can be opened and closed by opening and closing means, and the opening can be sealed to keep the inside isolated from the external atmosphere. In addition to the upper and lower isolators, an elevating isolator capable of opening and closing the opening by an opening / closing means and maintaining the interior isolated from the external atmosphere is provided. It is possible to move up and down between the upper isolator and the downstairs isolator. One or both of the up-level isolator, the down-level isolator, and the up-down isolator are provided with connecting passage means for connecting the up-level isolator or the down-level isolator and the up-down isolator. The connection passage means is provided with a sealing means for sealing the connection portion when connected to the other isolator, and further connected to a decontamination means for supplying a decontamination medium. The lifting isolator device according to the present invention connects either a floor isolator or a floor isolator with the opening sealed by the opening / closing means, and a lifting isolator with the opening sealed similarly by the opening / closing means. After connecting the two isolators with the sealing means, the decontamination means supplies the decontamination medium to decontaminate the inside of the connection passage means, and then the lift isolator and the lift isolator By releasing the other isolator connected to and communicating with each other, the article can be delivered while maintaining the sterility. With this configuration, it is possible to deliver articles while maintaining aseptic conditions between the up-level isolator and the down-level isolator installed on different floors, and the installation of the lifting isolator device Achieving the objective of significantly reducing costs.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, this lifting isolator device (indicated by reference numeral 1 as a whole) was installed on the upper floor (the third floor in this embodiment) and the lower floor (the first floor in this embodiment) of the building, respectively. The up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4 and the up-and-down isolator 2 and the up-and-down isolator 2 and 4 arranged adjacent to the up-and-down isolator 2 and 4 and the up-down isolator 2 arranged corresponding to the up position, and A lift isolator 8 that can be connected to the downstairs isolator 4 that is disposed corresponding to the lowered position is provided. The up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4 are provided with connecting passage means 10 and 12 for connecting to the up-and-down isolator 8, respectively. In this embodiment, the connecting passage means 10 and 12 are provided in the up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4, but conversely, they may be provided in the elevating isolator 8, or for the up-level and down-level isolators. You may provide in both the isolator 2 and 4 for an elevator, and the isolator 8 for raising / lowering.

  The construction of the up-level isolator 2, the down-level isolator 4, and the connecting passage means 10, 12 provided in the isolators 2, 4 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the upper and lower isolators 2 and 4 have the same configuration, only the configuration of the up-level isolator 2 will be described, and the configuration of the down-level isolator 4 will be described by adding A to the reference numerals of the parts of the up-level isolator 2. To do. A circular opening 14a for transferring articles to and from the lifting isolator 8 is formed on the wall surface 14 on the front side of the floor isolator 2 (the side facing the lifting isolator 8). The connection passage means 10 is fixed so as to surround 14a. The connecting passage means 10 includes an annular member 16 having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and an annular sealing means (seal means) 18 fixed to an outer plate 16a (the right plate in FIG. 2) of the annular member 16. And have. The shapes of the openings 14a, 24a formed in the respective isolators 2, 4, 8 and the connection passage means 10, 12 provided in the up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4 are limited to the above-mentioned circle. It is not a thing but a square etc. can be selected suitably.

  A plate 16b on the floor isolator 2 side of the annular member 16 having a U-shaped cross section is fixed to the front side wall surface 14 of the floor isolator 2 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 14a. The seal member 18 fixed to the plate 16 a outside the annular member 16 includes a ring-shaped holding member 20 and an air tube 22 held by the holding member 20. The air tube 22 is connected to air supply means (not shown), and can be expanded by supplying air therein. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the elevating isolator 8 is connected to the connecting passage means 10 of the floor isolator 2, and when the air tube 22 is inflated by supplying air to the air tube 22 as shown in FIG. The tip of 22 can be in close contact with the wall surface 24 on the floor isolator 2 side of the lifting isolator 8 over the entire circumference so that the inner side and the outer side of the connection passage means 10 can be shut off. When the air tube 22 is discharged and contracted, the air tube 22 does not come into contact with the wall surface 24 of the lifting isolator 8. In this embodiment, the wall surface 24 on the floor isolator 2 side of the lift isolator 8 is formed with an opening 24a having substantially the same shape as the opening 14a formed on the wall surface 14 of the floor isolator 2. The air tube 22 of the connecting passage means 10 is in close contact with the wall surface 24 so as to surround the opening 24a.

  A decontamination means 28 for decontaminating the internal passage 26 is connected to the annular connection passage means 10. This decontamination means 28 sends a hydrogen peroxide solution as a decontamination medium accommodated in the decontamination liquid tank 30 to the evaporator 34 by the pump 32 to evaporate it, and the evaporator blows the air blown by the blower 36. The hydrogen peroxide vapor evaporated at 34 is supplied to the interior 26 of the connection passage means 10 through a supply pipe 38. A HEPA filter 40 is provided at the connection portion of the supply pipe 38 to the connection passage means 10. The supply pipe 38 is provided with an open / close valve 42. The supply pipe 38 is cut off from communication by opening and closing the open / close valve 42 to supply and stop hydrogen peroxide vapor. Further, a discharge pipe 46 is connected to the connection passage means 10 via a HEPA filter 44. The discharge pipe 46 can be cut off from communication with an open / close valve 48. When opened, the exhaust pipe 46 is detoxified by decomposing the hydrogen peroxide vapor decontaminated inside the connection passage means 10 through the catalyst 50. To discharge.

  Opening / closing means 52 capable of opening / closing the opening 14a to which the connection passage means 10 is attached is provided inside the floor isolator 2. The opening / closing means 52 includes a shutter 54 that can move forward and backward to cover the opening and a position that opens the opening 14a, and the connection path means 10 side and the floor isolator in close contact with the shutter 54. 2 is provided with a seal member 56 that shuts off the inside of the second member. The seal member 56 has the same configuration as the seal member 18 of the connection passage means 10, and includes an annular holding member 58 and an air tube 60 held by the holding member 58. The air tube 60 is expanded by receiving supply of air from an air supply means (not shown), and is in close contact with the shutter 54 for sealing. Further, when the air is discharged from the air tube 60 and contracted, the air tube 60 is prevented from coming into contact with the shutter 54, and interference when the shutter 54 moves is avoided.

  A plurality of rollers 62 are attached in the horizontal direction near the upper end and the lower end on the inner surface of the shutter 54 (the surface facing the inner side of the floor isolator 2). In addition, horizontal guide rails 64 are arranged on the slightly inner side of the wall surface 14 on the connection passage means 10 side of the floor isolator 2 so as to be located slightly above and slightly below the opening 14a. The rollers 62 are supported on the horizontal guide rails 64 to guide the movement of the shutter 54. The shutter 54 is connected to an air cylinder 66 that is horizontally fixed inside the wall surface 14 of the floor isolator 2, and is moved in the horizontal direction by the operation of the air cylinder 66, thereby opening the opening 14 a. Reciprocates between a closing position and an opening position.

  Opening / closing means 68 for opening / closing the opening 24a is provided inside the elevating isolator 8. The opening / closing means 68 of the elevating isolator 8 has the same configuration as the opening / closing means 52 of the above-mentioned floor isolator 2. That is, an annular holding member 70 attached around the opening 24 a on the inner surface of the lifting isolator 8, a seal member 74 having an air tube 72, and a roller 76 attached up and down are supported by the horizontal guide rail 78, A shutter 82 that reciprocates in the horizontal direction between a position that covers the opening 24a and a position that deviates from the opening 24a by the operation of a horizontal air cylinder 80 is provided. The inside of the elevating isolator 8 can be sealed by introducing air into the air tube 72 and expanding the air tube 72 in a state of being moved to the position.

  The operation of the lift isolator device 1 according to the above configuration will be described. When starting the operation of this apparatus, first, decontamination of the inside of each isolator 2, 4, 8 is performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the raising / lowering isolator 8 is connected to any one of the up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4 (in this embodiment, up-level isolator 2). After the lift isolator 8 is moved to the front of the floor isolator 2 by the lift means 6, an air supply (not shown) is supplied to the air tube 22 of the sealing means 18 provided in the connection passage means 10 of the floor isolator 2. Compressed air is supplied from the means and expanded. The expanded air tube 22 is brought into close contact with the wall surface 24 of the elevating isolator 8, and the space between them is sealed. Further, the air in the air tubes 60 and 72 of the opening / closing means 52 and 68 provided inside the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 is discharged and the state of pressing against the shutters 54 and 82 is released. In this state, the air tube 22 of the sealing means 18 provided in the connection passage means 10 of the floor isolator 2 is inflated and pressed against the wall surface 24 of the lift isolator 8, whereby the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 2 are lifted. In addition to sealing the connection with the isolator 8, the air is discharged from the air tubes 60 and 72 of the opening / closing means 52 and 68 provided inside the floor isolator 2 and the lifting isolator 8 to release the seal, Further, the shutters 54 and 82 are moved to open the openings 14a and 24a. That is, the interior of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 are connected via the internal passage 26 of the connection passage means 10 and are cut off from the external atmosphere.

  As described above, the decontamination means 28 is operated with the interior of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 communicating with each other via the internal passage 26 of the connection passage means 10. The decontamination means 28 sends the hydrogen peroxide solution from the decontamination liquid tank 30 to the evaporator 34 by the pump 32 to generate hydrogen peroxide vapor, and the connection passage means 10 by blowing the hydrogen peroxide vapor by the blower 36. Into the internal passage 26. Since the openings 14a, 24a of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 are open, hydrogen peroxide vapor flows into the isolators 2, 8, and the inside of each isolator 2, 8 and the opening / closing means 52, 68 seal portions (between the air tubes 60 and 72 and the shutters 54 and 82) are decontaminated. Thereafter, the supply of hydrogen peroxide vapor is stopped, only the blower 36 is blown, and the decontamination component is removed by aeration. Similarly, the down-level isolator 4 is connected to the elevating isolator 8 via the connection passage means 12 to perform decontamination and aeration. When decontaminating the interior of each isolator 2, 4, 8, the supply of the decontamination medium is not limited to the decontamination means 28, but hydrogen peroxide is contained in the up-level isolator 2 and the down-level isolator 4 Decontamination means for supplying steam may be provided separately.

  After decontamination of all of the upstairs isolator 2, downstairs isolator 4, and elevating isolator 8, an article (not shown) is accommodated in one of the upstairs isolator 2 and downstairs isolator 4. Here, the case where the articles accommodated in the up-level isolator 2 are moved to the down-level isolator 4 will be described. Articles are carried into the floor isolator 2 while maintaining the sterility using an unillustrated pass box or the like with the opening 14a sealed by the opening / closing means 52.

  An article is housed in a sealed up-level isolator 2 that is isolated from the external atmosphere, and the interior is decontaminated and isolated from the external atmosphere on the front surface of the up-level isolator 2 The raising / lowering isolator 8 hermetically sealed is moved and stopped. At this time, the sealing means 18 provided in the connection passage means 10 of the floor isolator 2 is in a contracted state by discharging air from the air tube 22 and is connected to the wall surface 24 of the lifting isolator 8. The air tube 22 of the passage means 10 does not interfere and can move smoothly. In this embodiment, the article is carried in with the opening 14a sealed after decontamination of the floor isolator 2, but it is not always necessary to carry the article in this state. For example, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the floor isolator 2 and the lifting isolator 8 may be connected, and the articles may be carried into the floor isolator 2 while the interiors of the two isolators 2 and 8 are decontaminated.

  After the elevating isolator 8 stops on the front surface of the floor isolator 2, compressed air is introduced into the air tube 22 of the sealing means 18 provided in the connection passage means 10. The air tube 22 is inflated and brought into pressure contact with the wall surface 24a on the floor isolator 2 side of the lift isolator 8 to seal between the connection passage means 10 of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 (FIG. 2). Will be in the state shown). In this state, hydrogen peroxide vapor is supplied from the decontamination means 28 to the internal passage 26 of the connection passage means 10 so that the internal passage 26 and the openings 14a and 24a of the two isolators 2 and 8 are opened and closed inside. The space between the sealing portions (air tubes 60 and 72 and shutters 54 and 82) by means 52 and 68 is decontaminated and aerated.

  The interior side of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 from the position sealed by the opening / closing means 52 and 68 is maintained in an aseptic state isolated from the external atmosphere. , 68 is newly decontaminated, so that the entire interior side of the connected floor isolator 2 and the lifting isolator 8 is isolated from the external atmosphere, and each isolator 2, The eight shutters 54 and 82 can be opened. Therefore, the air in the air tube 60 of the opening / closing means 52 of the floor isolator 2 and the air tube 72 of the opening / closing means 68 of the lifting isolator 8 is discharged, and the seal between the shutters 54 and 82 is released. Thereafter, the air cylinders 66 and 80 of the open / close means 52 and 68 are operated to move the shutters 54 and 82 laterally from the front surfaces of the openings 14a and 24a. In this state, the articles in the floor isolator 2 are moved into the lift isolator 8.

  After the article is transferred from the floor isolator 2 to the lift isolator 8, the opening / closing means 52 and 68 of the floor isolator 2 and the lift isolator 8 are closed. That is, the shutters 54 and 82 are moved to the front side of the openings 14a and 24a, the air tubes 60 and 72 are inflated and pressed against the shutters 54 and 82 for sealing, and the respective isolators 2 and 8 are sealed. . And air is discharged | emitted from the air tube 22 of the closing means 18 of the connection channel | path means 10, and the seal | sticker of the connection channel | path means 10 and the raising / lowering isolator 8 is cancelled | released. In this state, the contact between the air tube 22 of the connection passage means 10 and the wall surface 24a of the lifting isolator 8 is eliminated, so that the lifting isolator 8 can be raised and lowered without interfering with the connection passage means 10 side. In this state, the elevating isolator 8 is lowered and stopped on the front side of the downstairs isolator 4. FIG. 4 is a view showing the state of the floor isolator 2 and the connecting passage means 10 after the lifting isolator 8 is lowered.

  After the lifting isolator 8 is moved to the front surface of the downstairs isolator 4 and stopped, compressed air is introduced into the air tube 22A of the sealing means 18A provided in the connection passage means 12 of the downstairs isolator 4 and expanded. Then, the connection passage means 12 and the lifting isolator 8 are brought into close contact with the wall surface 24 a of the lifting isolator 8. The downstairs isolator 4 and the lift isolator 8 are sealed by the shutters 54A and 82 of the opening / closing means 52A and 68. When the space between the downhill isolator 4 and the lift isolator 8 is sealed, the same state as shown in FIG. become. Therefore, as in the case of the upstairs isolator 2, hydrogen peroxide vapor is supplied from the decontamination means 28A into the connection passage means 12 of the downstairs isolator 4 to perform decontamination and aeration. After decontaminating the inside of the connecting passage means 12, the seals of the opening / closing means 52A, 68 of the down-level isolator 4 and the lifting isolator 8 are released, and the shutters 54A, 82 are opened. In this state, the article in the lift isolator 8 is moved into the downstairs isolator 4. In this way, the article in one isolator (upstairs isolator 2 in this embodiment) is maintained in a state where the other isolator (downstairs isolator 4) is cut off from the external atmosphere via the lifting isolator 8. Can be moved.

2nd Floor Isolator 4 Downstairs Isolator 6 Elevating Means 8 Elevating Isolator 10 Upward Isolator Connection Passage 12 Downstairs Isolator Connection Passage 18 Sealing Means 28 Decontamination Means 52 Upstream Isolator Opening / Closing Means 68 Elevation Isolator opening and closing means

Claims (2)

An elevating isolator having a sealable opening / closing means and capable of maintaining the inside isolated from the outside atmosphere, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the elevating isolator, and an arrangement corresponding to the lowered position of the elevating isolator A down-seat isolator that has a sealable opening / closing means and can be maintained in a state where the inside is isolated from the external atmosphere, and is disposed corresponding to the raised position of the lifting / lowering isolator, and has a sealable opening / closing means. And a floor isolator that can be maintained in an isolated state from the outside atmosphere,
At least one of the elevating isolator and the floor isolator and the floor isolator is provided with a connecting passage means for connecting the elevator isolator and the floor isolator, or the elevator isolator and the floor isolator, A decontamination means for supplying a decontamination medium to the internal passage of the connection passage means;
The lifting isolator and the floor isolator, or the lifting isolator and the floor isolator are connected by connecting passage means, and both the connected isolators are sealed by the opening / closing means, and the decontamination means After supplying the decontamination medium to the internal passage and decontaminating, release the sealing by each opening and closing means, let the connected isolator communicate, and move the article between both isolators in a state isolated from the external atmosphere Thus, the lifting isolator device that enables the article to be moved between the up-level isolator and the down-level isolator while being isolated from the external atmosphere.   The connecting passage means includes a sealing means that seals the internal passage by pressing a sealing member against the other side isolator to be connected, and when the lifting isolator is lifted, the pressing of the sealing member is released to avoid interference. The lifting isolator device according to claim 1.

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