Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
  • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
  • G21F7/00—Shielded cells or rooms
  • G21F7/06—Structural combination with remotely-controlled apparatus, e.g. with manipulators

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to a container for the storage of radioactive waste, such as gloves and sleeves employed in the context of manipulations in a glove box.
• a preferred application of the invention is to provide such a container to be implanted in a glove box to store the contaminated waste thereof, to avoid over-contamination of such waste likely to occur due to the dusty environment of the glove boxes.
• such a container has a design that provides an easy opening / closing of the lid to the operator usually performing several successive operations of loading of waste in the same container body, to the extent that each these loading operations each time requires the opening of the lid, followed immediately by its closure after loading.
• the design of the container allows safe and easy handling of the container itself when it must be moved by the operator within the glove box, for example for the purpose of the extract from the latter when it is filled with waste. In particular, when handling the container filled with waste, the lid must be locked on the container body to prevent accidental reopening of the container.
• the invention provides a container for the storage of radioactive waste comprising a container body having an end portion forming an opening to an interior container space, the latter further comprising a removable cover capable of close the opening.
• the lid is a reversible lid having on the one hand a first closing portion of the opening provided with a first inner space delimiting surface from which the second gripping means project from , said first portion being designed to be force fit into the end portion forming an opening, and secondly of a second closure portion of the opening, provided with a second delimiting surface the interior space, opposite the first boundary surface, from which projecting first gripping means, the second portion being designed to be nested effortlessly in the end portion forming an opening.
• the invention actually provides a reversible cover which, depending on the choice of the face which is presented opposite the end portion of the container body forming the opening towards the interior space of this container, can either come close this opening by engaging effortlessly on the body container, or close this opening by a forced fit on the same container body.
• the operator wishing to seal the opening of the container body after a waste loading operation for example in a glove box, on the one hand has the opportunity to put the lid in place without effort by directing the second shutter portion towards the opening, and secondly the possibility of putting the lid in place by force fitting by orienting the first shutter portion towards this same opening.
• the first solution will preferably be retained by the operator in the case where he plans a close reopening in time of the container, for example to perform a new waste loading operation, reopening which can then advantageously be easily performed and effortlessly, using a single hand gripping the second gripping means protruding outside the container.
• the second solution will preferably be retained by the operator in the case where he plans to obtain a rigid retention of the lid on the container body, for example in view of a displacement of this container requiring a secure closure due to the contaminated nature of the waste that it incorporates.
• This second solution in particular retained when the container is full and therefore requires to be handled, can easily be implemented with one hand by an operator exerting manual pressure on the reversible cover prepositioned on the body container, for example via the first gripping means.
• the operator located at outside of the glove box will preferably choose an opening followed by an effortless closure of the lid during the successive waste loading operations, by using the second closing portion of the lid, and therefore by easily handling the lid of the lid; one hand by the second gripping means provided for this purpose.
• the operator will preferably choose a closing by force-fitting of the first sealing portion in the container body, of course for the purpose of obtain a rigid and secure closure necessary for the subsequent extraction of this container filled with waste, out of the glove box, preferably via a PVC sleeve.
• the installation of the lid can easily be implemented with one hand by an operator exerting manual pressure on the reversible lid prepositioned on the container body, by the intermediate of the first gripping means. Then, in the preferred case where the rigid but reversible mechanical joint established between the lid and the container body is designed to be sufficiently safe, the operator can advantageously consider moving the entire container only using the first gripping means of the lid, so with one hand, without the risk of accidental reopening of the container.
• the first closure portion of the opening has a circumferential bead
• the end portion of the container body has a circumferential narrowing zone
• this narrowing zone and the bead cooperate together to create a bond.
• the device is designed so that the circumferential bead can pass through the circumferential narrowing zone of smaller diameter, following a simple manual pressure in a longitudinal direction of the container, performed by an operator on the lid. reversible placed on the end portion of the container body.
• the first gripping means comprise a handle, and are preferably solely constituted by the same handle advantageously having a suitable ergonomics to promote good grip during the handling of the container.
• the second gripping means preferably comprise a gripping pin, and are preferably solely constituted by this pin.
• the gripping pin protrudes longitudinally from the first delimiting surface of the interior space a distance d2
• the handle protrudes longitudinally from the second delimiting surface of the interior space over a distance dl greater than d2
• the ratio between these two values can be greater than 2.
• the first and second gripping means are respectively centered on the second and first delimiting surfaces of the interior space, which favors manipulations carried out with one hand by the operator, which are very frequently encountered in the context of works in glove box.
• the container body is equipped with vent holes to prevent the closing of the lid is hindered / prevented by an overpressure created within the internal space of the storage body.
• vent holes preferably made in the bottom of the container body, can also be used by the operator wishing to carry out container handling operations.
• the container body has a bottom of convex shape, curved towards the interior of the interior space.
• This feature makes it possible to consider stacking a plurality of containers one over the other, the empty space formed by the outer surface of the curved bottom can then be used to house the first gripping means of the directly consecutive container in the stack. As a result, the shape of these first gripping means and that of the container body bottom are closely related.
• the container is made of polyethylene, which particularly avoids the use of metal material penalizing in terms of management of contaminated waste.
• FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a reversible container lid for radioactive waste, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a container body for radioactive waste, for receiving the lid shown in Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 shows the container body and the cover shown in the previous figures, in a state fitted effortlessly;
• Figure 4 shows a view similar to that shown in Figure 3, the lid and the container body being shown in a force fit state.
• This cover 2 is intended to be mounted removably / Removable on a container body 4, which will be described with reference to Figure 2.
• the cover 2 has a cover body 5 having a geometry of revolution of longitudinal axis or axis of revolution 6, intended to be merged with the longitudinal axis of the container when the cover 2 is mounted on the container body.
• the cover body 5 thus roughly assuming the shape of a circular plate, is equipped on its two opposite faces respectively with first gripping means and second gripping means, as will be detailed hereinafter.
• the lid 2 comprises a first closure portion 8 of a container body opening, provided with a first delimiting surface 10 of a container interior, surface 10 from which protrude second gripping means here taking the form of a gripping pin 12.
• the first delimiting surface 10 thus corresponds globally to one of the two opposite outer surfaces of the cover body 5, and is preferably orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 6 of the cover on which this surface 10 is centered.
• the gripping pin 12 is centered on the cover 2, and therefore on the same axis 6.
• this pin 12 preferably has a geometry of revolution of axis 6, substantially forming a sphere 14 connected to the first surface 10 by a narrowed zone of revolution 16 of generator concave, allowing the housing of the fingertips of the operator.
• the gripping pin 12 protrudes longitudinally from the first delimiting surface 10 of the container interior space, over a distance d2 adapted to allow gripping by the operator.
• the distance d2 may be between 2 and 3 cm, and for example of the order of 2.5 cm.
• this first closure portion 8 has a design that allows it to be nested by an operator in the container body, and preferably by clipping. .
• it comprises at a longitudinal end of the lid body 5, that is to say from the first delimiting surface 10, a circumferential bead 18 centered on the axis 6 and therefore having a diameter greater than the average diameter of the part of the lid body 5 forming the first sealing portion 8.
• the bead 18 is then provided to form the male part of the desired clipped connection with the container body.
• the lid 2 also comprises a second closing portion 20, opposite the first 8 with respect to the axis 6. More precisely, the first and second closure portions 8, 20 are separated from one another other by an intermediate lid portion 22, preferably taking the form of a shoulder 24 formed on the lid body 5 and centered on the axis 6.
• the second portion 20 is provided with a second delimiting surface 26 of the container interior space, surface 26 from which projecting first gripping means here taking the form of a handle 28.
• the second boundary surface 26 thus corresponds globally to the other of the two opposite outer surfaces of the cover body 5, and is preferably orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 6 of the cover on which this surface 26 is centered.
• the handle 28 is centered on the cover 2, and therefore on the same axis 6.
• the cover body 5, on which are secured the gripping means 12, 28, comprises the intermediate portion 22, the first and second boundary surfaces 10, 26, and the circumferential bead 18.
• the cover body may be made in one piece, preferably made of polyethylene, and possibly be made in one piece with the gripping means 12, 28.
• the handle loop 30 extends convexly and convexly over substantially the entire diameter of the second boundary surface 26, thus over substantially the entire diameter of the body. cover 5.
• the handle 28 protrudes longitudinally from the second surface 26 of delimiting the interior container space, over a distance dl adapted to allow the operator to introduce his fingers between the handle 30 and the second surface 26.
• the distance dl may be between 4 and 6 cm , and for example of the order of 4.8 cm.
• this second closure portion 20 has a design that allows it to be nested effortlessly by an operator in the container body, simply by being placed on this one. To do this, it comprises at another longitudinal end of the cover body 5, that is to say at the second boundary surface 26, a lateral flank 32 of cylindrical and circular section centered on the axis 6, and thus having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the container body portion in which the side flank 32 must fit effortlessly.
• the container body 4 for receiving the reversible lid 2, it can be seen that it defines an internal storage space 36 of contaminated waste, open upwardly at an opening 38 and closed downwards by a bottom 40.
• the body 4 also preferably has a geometry of revolution of axis of revolution or of longitudinal axis 42, intended to be coincident with the axis 6 of the cover 2 when the latter is stationed on the body 4. It is also preferably made of a single piece of polyethylene.
• the opening 38 through which the contaminated waste is intended to be introduced into the internal storage space 36, is delimited by an end portion 44 of the container body 4.
• This end portion 44 has the particularity of defining a circumferential shrinkage zone 50 or circumferential constriction, centered on the axis 42, thus having an inner diameter slightly greater than that of the lateral flank 32 of the second closure portion 20, and less than that of the circumferential bead 18 of the first portion 8.
• the circumferential shrinkage 50 is provided to constitute the female part of the desired clipped connection with the cover 2.
• the bead 18 and the shrink zone 50 are designed so that the same bead 18 can cross the zone 50 following a manual pressure in a longitudinal direction of the container, performed by an ope 2 on the end portion 44 of the container body 4.
• the narrowing zone 50 makes it possible to constitute an abutment forming a stop in translation of the bead 18 upwards along the axis longitudinal 55 of the container, coincides with the two axes 6, 42 above.
• the end portion 44 has an upper edge 52 on which the cover 2 can bear, this edge 52 centered on the axis 42 is preferably orthogonal to the same axis.
• the bottom 40 it has a convex shape, curved towards the interior of the interior space 36. This feature makes it possible to consider stacking a plurality of containers on each other, the empty space 54 formed by the outer surface of the curved bottom 40 can then be used to accommodate the handle 28 equipping the container directly consecutive in the stack, and projecting upwardly outside the container. As a result, the shape of the handle 28 and that of the bottom 40 of the container body 4 are closely connected, so that it is possible, for example, to provide that the bottom 40 is bulged along the longitudinal axis 42 over a distance d3. substantially equal to the above-mentioned distance d1 relative to the handle 28.
• vent holes 56 to prevent the closure of the lid 2 from being obstructed / prevented by an overpressure created within the internal storage space 36.
• the vent holes 56 also have the function of allowing reopening of the locked container.
• the holes are indeed a plug used in particular by a remote manipulator, namely the articulated arm type for handling through a glove box.
• the waste (not shown) stored inside the space 36 remain isolated from the outside atmosphere, for example to be a dusty interior atmosphere of glove box, but the next opening of the lid 2 can still be achieved easily and effortlessly with one hand by the operator gripping the pin 12, thanks to the clearance provided between the side flank 32 of the cover 2 and the constriction 50 of the body 4.
• this first possibility of closure with the second portion of closure of the lid is preferably retained by the operator when the container is not yet completely filled, and when he knows that a subsequent loading operation of contaminated waste is highly likely to be achieved with this same container.
• Such a closure configuration of the container which can be described as locked, can simply be obtained by manual pressure in a longitudinal direction 55 of the container, performed on the cover 2 by an operator gripping only the handle 28, in the direction of body 4 resting on its bottom 40.
• the waste (not shown) stored inside the space 36 remain isolated from the outside atmosphere, and the risks of accidental reopening of the lid are greatly minimized by the presence of the clipped mechanical connection. Therefore, this second possibility of closing with the first lid sealing portion is preferably retained by the operator when the container 1 is completely filled with waste, and that it must be handled without the risk of accidentally opening, for example for its extraction out of the glove box.
• this handling of the container 1 with the lid 2 locked can preferably be performed only with the handle 28.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Refuse Receptacles (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

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Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (29)

• 2006
  • 2006-10-26 FR FR0654556A patent/FR2907961B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-10-25 US US12/445,933 patent/US20110036836A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-10-25 WO PCT/EP2007/061463 patent/WO2008049879A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2007-10-25 CN CN2007800398229A patent/CN101529529B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-10-25 RU RU2009119710/07A patent/RU2431209C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-10-25 EP EP07821826.0A patent/EP2082403B1/fr not_active Not-in-force
  • 2007-10-25 JP JP2009533841A patent/JP5244807B2/ja active Active
• 2009
  • 2009-04-08 ZA ZA200902450A patent/ZA200902450B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (5)

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