Coupling device

Abstract

Coupling device having at least one coupling part (10) which has an actuating device (12) which actuates a closure part (14), wherein a flexible line part (16) having a free cross section can be connected to the coupling part (10), and wherein the closure part (14), in its actuated position, opens up the free cross section (15) of the line part (16) and, in a further actuated position, closes said cross section (15), characterized in that the closure part (14) has a flexible diaphragm (18).

Description

[0001] Coupling device

[0002] The invention relates to a coupling device with at least one coupling part which has an actuating device which controls a closure part, wherein a flexible line part having a free cross-section can be connected to the coupling part and wherein the closure part, in its actuated position, releases the free cross-section of the line part and, in a further actuated position, closes this cross-section.

[0003] EP 1 441 953 B1 discloses a sealed docking or coupling device comprising two coupling elements that can be tightly brought into contact with one another, between two essentially environmentally insulated containers. Each container is at least partially substantially flexible, in particular bag-shaped, and can be connected or connected tightly to one of the coupling elements in order to be tightly sealable or to be sealed and opened when the coupling elements are tightly brought into contact with one another. Each coupling element used is elastically deformable for opening and closing.WO 2016 / 142432 A1 discloses a docking or coupling device for a contamination-free connection of two containers or two lines, comprising shut-off elements of a flap which can be rotated about a common axis for switching between a docking point and a flow position and which are intended to block the flow of a bulk material in the docking position and to allow it to pass in the flow position, wherein the shut-off elements are each mounted in a housing in such a way that the shut-off elements and the housings in the docking position bear against one another with interface surfaces at least partially and are sealed against one another.

[0004] Based on this prior art, the invention seeks to improve upon the known solutions. This objective is achieved by a coupling device having the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety.

[0005] According to the invention, the closure part comprises a flexible membrane. When the flexible membrane, in its actuated position, releases the free cross-section of the line part, this is completely released, so that material transport through the respective coupling part is largely unhindered. In particular, the released cross-section is not penetrated by components of the coupling device, which adjoin the free cross-section at the edges and thus clear the path and partially encompass it. This also prevents the material to be transported from accumulating on the coupling device in the form of permanent contamination.

[0006] Low actuation forces are required to actuate the closure part in the form of the flexible membrane, and due to the membrane's inherent elasticity, it supports the transition from one actuated position to the other. This has no equivalent in the prior art. In a preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention, the flexible membrane is actuated by the actuating device from one actuated position to the other actuated position, which is opposite the one actuated position, after passing through the interior of the coupling part in a wave-like manner. Thanks to the wave shape, an inherently stable behavior for the transit movement of the membrane between its end positions is achieved, which facilitates actuation with low manual force.The inherent elasticity of the membrane also allows the membrane to accelerate into its respective end position, which clamps the tubular line part, after passing through the intermediate position and is held in this end position by force.

[0007] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention, the actuating device comprises at least one lever drive that at least partially extends through the coupling part at one point and has a fixing part pivotally connected to the coupling part, which fixes the diaphragm at one of its free ends. Thanks to the lever drive and the fixing part, a lever actuating mechanism is created that, on the one hand, enables actuation into defined end positions of the diaphragm and, on the other hand, achieves a clear preferred direction during actuation, thus preventing incorrect operation.Instead of a structurally independent fixing part, this can also be formed from a hinge in which the membrane is movably hinged directly on the inside of the coupling part, for example by molding, injection molding or in the context of the production of a 3D component in which at least the coupling part and the closure part are one-piece components of a part of the coupling device.

[0008] It is preferably provided that not only one end of the membrane but also the other free end of the membrane is fixed to the inner peripheral side of the coupling part or preferably to a further independent fixing part which can be pivotally actuated relative to the coupling part by means of a further lever drive which at least partially passes through the coupling part.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention, the coupling part is designed as a hollow cylinder, two recesses are provided in the cylinder wall, each of which is penetrated by a hand lever of the actuating device connected to the associated plate-shaped fixing part in each actuating position, and the two hand levers are pivotable in opposite directions to move the diaphragm into both opposing actuating positions. In this way, the hand lever actuation is integrated into the coupling part in a particularly space-saving manner and can be actuated from the outside.In particular, the hand levers only pivot into the hollow cylindrical coupling part during their operation and are otherwise mounted on the wall of the coupling part, so that when transporting powdery goods, such as in the form of medicines or medicinal raw materials, the coupling part is always kept clear of its free cross-section in one of the operating positions.

[0010] In a further preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention, the membrane protrudes beyond one of the free end faces of the coupling part in a direction for securing the line part. In this way, the flexible line part can be secured with its free cross-sectional area outside the coupling part to the coupling part and to the membrane, for example, by welding it to these components at the edges, so that the desired free cross-sectional area within the coupling part is not impaired by the adjacent wall of the tubular line part in the open actuating position.In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention, the free opening cross-section of the line part in the connection area with the coupling part is cylindrical in one actuating position and, in the other actuating position, assumes a closed shell shape, preferably a half-shell shape, by means of the actuating device, in which the wall parts of the line part rest against one another to form a type of clamping gap. In this way, the free opening cross-section is reliably kept open when necessary and is securely hermetically sealed when assuming the closed shell shape, so that the coupling part can be removed from a coupling device, such as the same coupling part, but can also be reconnected again without any transported material in one line part being able to accidentally pass via the associated coupling part into the connected coupling device.Preferably, the length of the membrane is selected such that, after passing through the waveform, it lies flat against the inside of the cylindrical coupling part in the respectively actuated position.

[0011] The invention further relates to a coupling system comprising two, preferably identically designed, coupling devices as described above, wherein the two coupling devices are releasably held together in a sealed manner by means of an openable and closable coupling ring. The seal in question can be a component of at least one of the coupling devices; alternatively, it is also possible to insert a sealing ring between the two coupling devices at their end-face contact. A corresponding connecting ring is shown by way of example in DE 10 2021 105 817.1. In the following, the solution according to the invention is explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment according to the drawing. In this case, the

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective bottom view of the coupling device in an actuated state, in which the free cross section of the associated coupling part is kept open with the adjoining line part;

[0013] Figure 2 is a frontal view of the solution according to the

[0014] Figure 1 ;

[0015] Figure 3 is a bottom view of the

[0016] Clutch part with partially actuated, wave-shaped diaphragm;

[0017] Figure 4 is a side view, partly in perspective, of the coupling part according to Figures 1 to 3, in which the membrane moves from its rightmost actuating position shown in Figure 2, after passing through the intermediate stage according to Figure 3, into its leftmost half-shell-shaped clamping end position, in which the connected line part is closed at the end; and

[0018] Figure 5 shows a coupling system consisting of two coupling devices according to Figures 1 to 4 placed against one another at their ends, which are releasably held together along their connecting area by means of a coupling ring.

[0019] Figure 1 shows the essential parts of the coupling device as a whole. The coupling device has a coupling part 10, which in turn has an actuating device designated as a whole by 12. The actuating device 12 controls a closure part 14, wherein a flexible, hose- or tubular line part 16 having a free cross-section 15 is connected to the end of the coupling part 10. In its one actuated position according to Figure 1, the closure part 14 exposes the free cross-section 15 in the manner of a circular ring, and in a further actuated position according to the illustration in Figure 4, this cross-section 15 is closed in a clamping manner. As Figure 3 shows in particular, the closure part 14 is essentially formed from a flexible membrane 18.

[0020] As Figure 3 in particular shows, the flexible membrane 18, which can be actuated by means of the actuating device 12, moves from one actuated position into the further actuated position, which is opposite the first actuated position, after passing through the hollow cylindrical coupling part 10 in a wave-like manner. In its open position, the membrane 18 is located on the far right of the inside of the coupling part 10 as viewed in the direction of Figure 1, and after passing through in a wave shape as shown in Figure 3, the membrane 18 moves into its far left closed position as shown in Figure 4. In this respect, the maximum possible actuating positions of the membrane 18 lie on opposite sides of the coupling part 10 relative to a fictitious longitudinal axis of the coupling part 10, wherein in this end position the membrane 18 assumes a half-shell shape.

[0021] As can further be seen from the figures, the actuating device 12 has a lever drive 20, 22 which at least partially passes through the coupling part 10 at a window-like point 24 and which has a fixing part 26, 28 which is pivotally connected to the coupling part 10 and which fixes the membrane 18 at one of its free ends 30.

[0022] In the embodiment shown, the respective fixing part 26, 28 is formed from a rectangular fixing plate for the membrane 18. The fixing part 26, 28 is pivotally mounted in the manner of a hinge joint along a pivot axis 32 formed by a fixing bolt extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coupling part 10 over the entire height of the coupling part 10 and to which the fixing part 26, 28 is pivotally connected by its one end plate edge. From the outside, a bow-shaped hand lever 34, 36 is integrally connected to the respective fixing part 26, 28 as a component of the lever drive 20, 22, which extends through a rectangular, window-like recess in the wall of the coupling part 10 at the point 24.

[0023] If, as viewed in the direction of Figure 1, the hand lever 34 is pivoted clockwise about the upper pivot axis 32 from its shown, non-actuated position, the hand lever 34 also carries the fixing part 26 arranged integrally on it in this pivoting movement, so that the flat membrane 18 pivots to the left at the end from its right-hand, open basic position and, in doing so, reduces the free cross-section 15 of the line part 16 in a wave-like manner as shown in Figure 3 until it reaches its far left, clamping actuation position, as shown in Figure 4. Actuation can also take place additionally or alternatively via the other hand lever 36, now with a pivoting direction counterclockwise about the associated lower pivot axis 32 according to Figure 1.As explained, a single-lever actuation with only one hand lever 34 or 36 is also possible, and it is sufficient to connect the diaphragm with its respective free end 30 directly to the inside of the coupling part 10 within the framework of a hinge joint (not shown). In this respect, in an embodiment not shown in detail, the plate-like fixing parts 26, 28 can be completely dispensed with, and the diaphragm 18 is attached directly to the inside of the coupling part 10, forming a hinge joint. Accordingly, the respective hand lever 34 and / or 36 must then engage directly on the outside of the diaphragm 18 for effective actuation.In particular, when the coupling part 10 is constructed using a 3D printing process, the membrane 18 can be attached as an integral component of the coupling part 10 at the end on the inside of the same, wherein the respective end 30 of the free membrane 18 then merges integrally into the coupling part 10.

[0024] Preferably, all components of the coupling device, such as the coupling part 10 and the lever drive 20 and / or 22, including the membrane 18, are constructed from suitable plastic materials that are particularly suitable for transporting foodstuffs or pharmaceuticals, such as medicament powders. As can be seen in particular from Figures 4 and 5, the membrane 18 is secured to the coupling part 10, projecting at the edge, via the respective lever drive 20, 22. Furthermore, a half-shell-shaped wall portion 40 protrudes from the inside of the coupling part 10 and is a component thereof. As Figure 5 shows, in the open half-shell state of the membrane 18, a substantially closed annular body 42 is formed, which forms a cylindrical peripheral wall along the outer circumference of which an adjacent pipe section 44 of the hose- or tubular line part 16 can be attached.In particular, the free end of the line part 16 is firmly connected to the formed pipe section 44, for example, by welding it, which is possible because the line part 16 is also made of suitable plastic materials. For this fastening process, the free end face of the line part 16 encompasses the pipe section 44 up to the upper free boundary edge 46 of the coupling part 10.

[0025] If the hand lever drive with the respective hand lever 34, 36 is now pivoted from its starting position shown in Figure 5 into its actuating position shown in Figure 4, the membrane 18 assumes its closed position according to Figure 4, in which the half-shell-shaped membrane 18 then comes into contact with the associated half-shell-shaped wall part 40 of the coupling part 10; a clamping position in which the free end or the free cross-section 15 of the line part 16 is now brought to zero between the opposing wall sections of the membrane 18 and the wall part 40. In this clamping position, no material still located inside the line part 16 can reach the free side via the coupling part 10. In this clamping position, the transport path from the line part 16 via the associated coupling part 10 of the coupling device is thus prevented.

[0026] As Figure 5 shows, a coupling part 10 corresponding to Figure 4 can be connected from below as a further coupling part 50 with a correspondingly arranged line part 16 and membrane 18. Thus, in a configuration according to Figure 5 with the two similar coupling parts 10, 50, both the upper line part and the lower line part 16 shown in Figure 4 can be synchronously closed and released again by actuating the membrane 18.

[0027] However, it is also fundamentally possible to replace the coupling part 50 with a normal connecting part, without a clamping device with a membrane 18, in order to ensure material transport, in which case only the upper coupling part 10 can close the desired transport path. In this respect, the coupling part 10 can also be connected to a machine delivery device (not shown in detail) with a conventional coupling if necessary. For such connection processes, the respective coupling part 10 has individual web-like projections 54 on its lower and / or upper outer ring 52, which serve to attach a coupling ring 56 in the usual way. The coupling ring 56 is shown in the closed state in Figure 5 and preferably consists of two plastic halves that can be coupled together.In order to establish a fluid-tight connection between the coupling parts 10, 50 in the coupled state, an elastomeric sealing ring (not shown in detail) is inserted between the free end faces of the coupling parts 10, 50; however, it is also possible to injection-mold such a seal onto the end face of at least one of the coupling parts 10, 50.

[0028] Overall, the solution according to the invention makes it possible to achieve a coupling connection which is also referred to in technical terms as a single-use containment interface. This is characterized in that a flexible line closure which is flush with the line end of the line part 16 is created by means of the membrane 18 and which, in the open state, exposes the entire nominal line cross-section 15, preferably in the form of a circular cross-section, as shown. This then does not protrude beyond the original nominal line cross-section 15, both during the closing process (Figure 3) and in the closed state (Figure 4). In particular, the membrane 18, with its film-like, rectangular cross-sectional area, is held open or closed in the respective state by mechanical self-clamping on the coupling part 10, both in the open state according to Figures 1, 2, 5 and in the closed state according to Figure 4.

[0029] The coupling system shown in Figure 5, consisting of two line closures in the form of the coupling parts 10, 50 shown, which are brought into sealing contact with one another in the initially closed state and can then be opened and closed together by means of the respective lever drive 20, 22 while maintaining the tightness to the outside, has no equivalent in the prior art.

Claims

Patent claims Coupling device with at least one coupling part (10) which has an actuating device (12) which controls a closure part (14), wherein a flexible line part (16) having a free cross-section (15) can be connected to the coupling part (10), and wherein the closure part (14) in its one actuated position releases the free cross-section (15) of the line part (16) and in a further actuated position closes this cross-section (15), characterized in that the closure part (14) has a flexible membrane (18). Coupling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible membrane (18) can be actuated by the actuating device (12) from the one actuated position after passing through the interior of the coupling part (10) in a wave-like manner into the further actuated position, which is opposite the one actuated position.Coupling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the actuating device (12) has at least one lever drive (20, 22) which at least partially passes through the coupling part (10) at a point (24) and which has a fixing part (26) which is pivotally connected to the coupling part (10) and which fixes the membrane (18) at one of its free ends (30). Coupling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the other free end (30) of the membrane (18) is fixed to the inner circumferential side of the coupling part (10) or preferably to a further fixing part (28). can be pivoted relative to the coupling part (10) by means of a further lever drive (22) which at least partially passes through the coupling part (10). Coupling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling part (10) is hollow-cylindrical, that two recesses (24) are present in the cylinder wall, through which a hand lever (34, 36) of the actuating device (12) connected to the associated plate-shaped fixing part (26, 28) passes in each actuating position, and that the two hand levers (34, 36) can be pivoted in opposite directions to move the membrane (18) into both opposing actuating positions. Coupling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the membrane (18) projects beyond one of the free end faces (52) of the coupling part (10) in a direction for fixing the line part (16).Coupling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free opening cross-section (15) of the line part (16) in the connection area with the coupling part (10) is cylindrical in one actuating position and, in the other actuating position, assumes a closed shell shape, preferably a half-shell shape, by means of the actuating device (12), in which the wall parts of the line part (16) lie against one another. Coupling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the membrane (18) is selected such that, after passing through the wave shape, it lies flat against the inside of the cylindrical coupling part (10) in the respectively actuated position.

9. A coupling system consisting of two, preferably identically designed, coupling devices according to one of the preceding claims.

10. A coupling system according to claim 9, characterized in that the two coupling devices are releasably held together in a sealed manner by means of an openable and closable coupling ring (56).

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