Door assembly allowing for improved installation on an enclosure wall, and enclosure including such a door assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door assembly (1) for a sealed enclosure, the enclosure comprising a wall having a wall portion (20) defining at least one passage opening therein, the door assembly (1) comprising a flange (3) intended to be attached to the wall portion (20), the flange (3) comprising two flange elements (3a, 3b) assembled together, one of the flange elements (3a) defining an internal ring of the enclosure and the other flange element (3b) defining an external ring of the enclosure, and means for clamping at least one of the two flange elements (3a, 3b) against the wall portion (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door assembly that is intended to equip a first enclosed volume and enables a sealed connection of a second enclosed volume on the first enclosed volume for transferring a product from one side to the other without breaking the enclosure. This may include, for example, the transfer of harmful products such as certain biological, chemical, or radioactive products, the transfer of components such as stoppers, vials, plungers, syringes, etc., the transfer of environmental control devices such as culture plates, particle counters, etc., the transfer of cleaning systems, the transfer of liquids, powders, tools, the transfer of waste outside the housing, and / or the transfer of any element necessary for the production or maintenance of a production line.

[0002] In the present application, "volume" means any product, device, or equipment that delimits the volume. Thus, it can be a housing, insulator, receptacle, container, bag, etc.

[0003] "Enclosed volume" is understood to mean a volume isolated from the external environment. This can be, but is not limited to, a volume for preparing, storing, and / or handling products that must not come into contact with the external environment or the user.

[0004] The door assembly is particularly intended to be installed on a housing having a glass wall, but is not limited to this.

[0005] Prior Art Transferring a product from one enclosed volume to another without breaking the enclosure of these volumes is a difficult problem to solve. To address this problem, double - door sealed connection devices have been developed. This includes, for example, those described in patent applications FR2777822 and FR3036054.

[0006] These double-door connection devices are formed by a first door / flange assembly and a second door / flange assembly, where one door / flange assembly belongs to one of the volumes and the other door / flange assembly belongs to the other volume. Traditionally, the enclosed volume to be connected is a portable container or pouch-type receptacle, while the other enclosed volume to which the receptacle is connected is generally a fixed processing housing. The receptacle is connected to the processing housing by connecting the door / flange assemblies together. This connection is generally made by the engagement of what is called a bayonet system, which is followed by the rotation of the receptacle, allowing the flange of the receptacle to lock into the flange of the processing housing, and the door of the receptacle to lock into the door of the housing, and the male lugs of the flange and the door of the receptacle, respectively, to the flange notches and the door of the other housing, respectively, and the doors connected to each other are unlocked by unlocking the doors from their respective flanges.

[0007] In conventional equipment, door assemblies are typically secured to the enclosure wall by screwing flanges directly into the enclosure wall. Such a configuration is shown in patent application FR2834582. However, such fastening has proven problematic when the enclosure wall is made of relatively fragile material, such as glass or transparent plastics like PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), the latter of which can be damaged because the assembly screws pass through, resulting in weakened areas and thus posing a risk of breaching the containment.

[0008] The present invention aims to improve these problems by proposing a door assembly and a housing containing such a door assembly, the door assembly being able to be assembled quickly, easily, and without modifying the walls of the housing in which the door assembly is installed.

[0009] Subject matter of the present invention For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the present invention proposes a door assembly for a sealed housing, the housing comprising a wall having a wall portion defining at least one passage opening therein, the door assembly comprising a flange intended to be attached to the wall portion defining the passage opening, and a leaf mounted to the flange so as to be movable between a closed position and an open position that closes the passage opening, wherein the flange comprises two flange elements assembled together, one of which has a support surface configured to define an internal ring of the housing and to be supported on the inner surface of the wall portion, and the other flange element has a support surface configured to define an external ring of the housing and to be supported on the outer surface of the wall portion, and the flange further comprises means for clamping at least one of the two flange elements to the wall portion.

[0010] Therefore, the walls of the enclosure are "sandwiched" between the inner ring and the outer ring, and are clamped between the latter by the clamping means, and the clamping is performed from ring to ring without passing through the walls 2 of the enclosure.

[0011] The two flange elements are separate, independent parts. They are reversibly assembled together.

[0012] Advantageously, the door assembly includes at least one protective washer intended to be positioned between at least one support surface of the flange element and the wall portion.

[0013] Advantageously, the door assembly includes at least one seal intended to be inserted between at least one support surface of the flange elements and the wall portion.

[0014] Advantageously, the door assembly includes a spacer configured to be positioned between two wall elements that form the wall of the enclosure.

[0015] Advantageously, the door assembly is configured to allow a sealed connection of the door assembly to the container via a bayonet system.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a sealed enclosure including at least one passage opening, which is provided with a door assembly as described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] This shows a first embodiment of a door assembly installed on a single enclosure wall. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the door assembly. [Figure 3] A second embodiment of a door assembly installed in a double enclosure wall is shown. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the door assembly.

[0018] For clarity, identical or similar elements of various embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals in all the figures. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] In the following, the terms “exterior” and “interior” are defined in relation to the enclosure to which the door assembly is mounted. Thus, “exterior” refers to anything located outside the interior space of the enclosure, furthest from the interior space, or facing away from the interior of the enclosure, while “interior” refers to anything located within the interior space, closest to the interior space, or facing into the interior of the enclosure.

[0020] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the door assembly 1 is described as being mounted on a housing that includes a glass wall 2 having at least one passage opening for a product to pass through from the outside of the housing to the inside and vice versa. As described above, the door assembly 1 is configured to constitute a connecting device that enables the connection of a sealed volume such as a container, bag, etc., with the door assembly, without breaking the containment, and which cooperates with the door assembly 1 according to the present invention.

[0021] The door assembly 1 includes a flange 3 intended to be mounted on a wall portion 20 that defines a passageway opening, and a leaf 4 mounted such that the leaf 4 moves relative to the flange 3 between a closed position that closes the passageway opening and an open position. In the illustrated example, the leaf 4 is movably mounted on the flange 3 by a hinge 5.

[0022] According to the present invention, the flange 3 of the door assembly 1 includes two distinct flange elements 3a and 3b, which are assembled together by assembly screws 6 in the illustrated example. Advantageously, the assembly screws 6 are concealed by a cover 12. In the described embodiment, the flange elements 3a and 3b are assembled directly together. Thus, the flange 3 is mounted on the wall portion 20 of the housing, with one of the flange elements 3a located inside the housing and the other flange element 3b located outside the housing. Thus, the flange elements 3a and 3b define the internal ring and the external ring of the housing, respectively. The internal and external rings are specified below by the same reference as those of the flange elements 3a and 3b.

[0023] Rings 3a and 3b are surfaces 30a and 30b configured to be directly or indirectly supported on the surfaces of the wall portion 20 on which they are oppositely disposed. Thus, in the illustrated example, the inner ring 3a has an outer support surface 30a that is directly supported on the inner surface 20a of the wall portion 20, while the outer ring 3b has an inner support surface 30b that is supported on the outer surface 20b of the wall portion 20. With respect to the outer ring 3b, the support is achieved by a set screw 11 that is received in a hole made in the outer ring 3b and projects from the inner support surface 30b.

[0024] To prevent damage to the glass wall of the housing during installation of the door assembly 1, two protective washers 7, 9, preferably made of a plastic material, are respectively interposed between the inner ring 3a and the wall portion 20 and between the outer ring 3b and the wall portion 20. These protective washers are hereinafter referred to as the inner 7 and outer 9 protective washers. In the illustrated embodiment, the annular-shaped inner protective washer 7 is received in a groove defined by the peripheral edge 31a of the inner ring and a circular collar 33a outside the inner ring 3a. Next, the outer washer 9 includes an annular body, and its outer peripheral portion has a heel 90 that first extends along the outer peripheral portion 32b of the outer ring 3b and along the wall portion 20.

[0025] To ensure that the door assembly 1 is properly sealed, the latter includes at least one annular seal, preferably made of an elastomer, more preferably made of silicone, that is interposed between the wall portion 20 and at least one support surface of the two rings 3a, 3b. In the illustrated example, the door assembly 1 includes a single seal 8 that is interposed between the peripheral edge 31a of the inner ring 3a and the wall portion 20 of the housing. More specifically, the seal 8 is located in a gap defined by the peripheral edge 31a of the inner ring 3a, the inner protective washer 7, and the inner surface 20a of the wall portion 20. It also has a heel 80 that extends along the outer periphery 32a of the inner ring 3a and along the inner surface 20a of the wall portion 20.

[0026] The crushing of the seal 8 is carried out using the stop screw 11. The stop screw 11, which is attached through the outer ring 3b and extends beyond the inner support surface of the outer ring 3b, thus presses the outer protective washer 9 against the wall portion 20 and, by jointly crushing the seal 8, presses the latter against the inner protective washer 7.

[0027] As described above, the assembly of the rings 3a, 3b is carried out by assembly means, in the example by screws, without the latter passing through the wall. Thus, the screw receiving holes are provided on the rings 3a, 3b so as to be radially offset from the end of the wall portion 20 when the rings 3a and 3b are installed on the wall 2. In the example shown, the assembly screw 6 passes through the rings 3a and 3b in proximity to the end of the wall portion 20, and the screw hole made in the inner ring is located within the circular collar 33a.

[0028] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate another example of the installation of the door assembly 10 according to the present invention. In this illustrated example, the door assembly 10 is installed in a housing wall formed by two wall elements 20, 21. This door assembly 10 incorporates all of the前述 elements, except that the inner rings 3a, the inner protective washer 7, and the seal 8 are supported against the wall portion 20a of the inner wall element 20, while the outer ring 3b and the outer protective washer 9 are supported against the wall portion 21a of the outer wall element 21. Further, and advantageously, the door assembly 10 further includes a spacer 13 disposed between the two wall elements 20, 21.

[0029] In this example, the spacer 13 is assembled with the flange elements 3a, 3b by the assembly screw 6, and the latter passes through the entire spacer 13 without passing through the wall elements 20, 21, connecting the two flange elements 3a, 3b.

[0030] Two annular seals 14 and 15, which have substantially circular cross-sections, are positioned between the spacer 13 and the respective wall portions 20a and 21a of the wall elements 20 and 21. In the same manner as ensuring the airtight seal inside the flange 3 with seal 8, the airtight seal between the two wall elements 20 and 21 is ensured by breaking the seals 14 and 15 via set screws.

[0031] In the examples described, door assemblies are described in relation to single or double glass walls. Of course, it is clear that the door assemblies according to the present invention are not limited to this type of housing, and housings having walls made of materials other than glass can be intended without departing from the field of the invention.

[0032] The present invention is described above, for example. Those skilled in the art will understand that they are in a position to generate various modified embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A door assembly (1, 10) for a sealed enclosure, the enclosure including a wall having a wall portion (20, 20a, 20b) defining at least one passage opening therein, the door assembly (1, 10) including a flange (3) intended to be attached to the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a) defining the passage opening, and a leaf attached to the flange (3) so as to be movable relative to the flange (3) between a closed position in which the leaf closes the passage opening and an open position, the flange (3) including two flange elements (3a, 3b) assembled together, the flange elements including 1. A door assembly (1, 10) comprising two flange elements (3a, 3b), one (3a) defining an internal ring of the housing and having a support surface (30a) configured to bear against the inner surface of the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a), and the other flange element (3b) defining an external ring of the housing and having a support surface (30b) configured to bear against the outer surface of the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a), characterized in that the flanges further comprise means for clamping at least one of the two flange elements (3a, 3b) to the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a).

2. 2. A door assembly (1, 10) for an enclosure according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one protective washer (7, 9) intended to be placed between the support surface (30a, 30b) of at least one of the flange elements (3a, 3b) and the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a).

3. 3. A door assembly (1, 10) for a housing according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one seal (8) intended to be inserted between the support surface (30a, 30b) of at least one of the flange elements (3a, 3b) and the wall portion (20, 20a, 21a).

4. 10. A door assembly (1, 10) for an enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a spacer (13) configured to be placed between two wall elements (20, 21) forming the wall of the enclosure.

5. Door assembly (1, 10) for an enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is configured to allow a sealed connection of the door assembly equipped with a container by means of a bayonet system.

6. 10. A sealed enclosure comprising at least one wall including at least one passage opening, provided with a door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.

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