Transfer-cell connection port including a flange and a door with an external system for manoeuvring its door

Abstract

The object of the present disclosure is a connection port for a sealed transfer cell, including a flange (2) having an outer face (8) and an inner face (7) that carries a hinge (4) to which a door (3) is attached to close a central opening of the flange (2). The hinge (4) includes two fixed bearings (12, 13) rigidly connected to the flange (2) which carry a rotary element (10) to which the door (3) is fastened. The flange (2) is equipped with a manoeuvring system for opening and closing the door (3) from the outer face (8), which includes a rotary transmission (18) having an end rigidly connected to the rotary element (10) of the hinge (4) and another end connected by a rack and pinion connection to a slider passing through the outer face (8) of the flange (2).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Transfer-cell connection port including a flange and a door with an external system for manoeuvring its door

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the sealed transfer of objects from a sealed container to a sealed cell, with a double-door connection system.

[0005] PRIOR ART

[0006] In various industrial sectors, it is necessary to perform tasks in a confined atmosphere, to protect the environment for example from radioactivity or toxicity, or to perform these tasks in an aseptic atmosphere, or both simultaneously.

[0007] The transfer of appliances or products from a container to a cell, without breaking the seal, is carried out with a double-door connection device, such a device being known for example from the document FR2695343.

[0008] In such a device, the sealed transfer cell is equipped with a transfer port including a flange equipped with a door for closing or opening the central opening of this flange. In practice, the door is located on the inner side of the flange, i.e. in the cell, while being connected to this flange by a hinge. The container is closed by a door mounted in a flange of this container to which it is connected by a bayonet connection. Two other bayonet connections allow the flanges to be connected to each other, and the doors to be connected to each other.

[0009] It is common to refer to the cell flange and door as alpha flange and alpha door, and to the container flange and door as beta flange and beta door.

[0010] The container is connected to the cell by applying the flange of the container against that of the cell, and by pivoting it on itself, which has the effect of:

[0011] - connecting the two flanges to each other by their bayonet connection;

[0012] - connecting the two doors to each other by another bayonet connection;

[0013] - disconnecting the bayonet connection connecting the door of the container to its flange. Once this connection is made, the cell door can be pivoted inwards about its hinge, so as to open the communication: the container door being then rigidly connected to that of the cell by the corresponding bayonet connection, it opens together with the cell door.

[0014] Once the transfer of components or materials has been carried out from the container to the cell or vice versa, the cell door with the container door attached to it is folded down by pivoting about the hinge. The container is then pivoted on itself in the opposite direction, which has the effect of:

[0015] - securing the container door to the container flange;

[0016] - disconnecting the container door from the container flange;

[0017] - disconnecting the container door from the cell flange.

[0018] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a solution allowing an operator located outside the cell to close and open the door that is located inside the cell.

[0019] SUMMARY

[0020] For this purpose, the present disclosure relates to a sealed transfer cell connection port, this port including a flange having an outer face and an inner face that bears a hinge to which a door is secured movable between an open position and a closed position in which this door closes a central opening of the flange, the hinge comprising at least one fixed bearing rigidly attached to the flange, this bearing carrying a rotary element to which the door is rigidly attached, the flange being equipped with a manoeuvring system for opening and closing the door from the external face, characterised in that the manoeuvring system includes a rotary transmission including two rotary ends inclined relative to one another, one end being rotatably connected to the rotary element of the hinge and the other end being connected by a pinion-rack type connection to a slider that passes through the outer face of the flange, so that a translation of the slider causes a rotation of the door.

[0021] With this arrangement, the door can be opened and closed from the outside of the flange by simply moving the slider, which can be done directly or via a lever or via a motorised actuator. The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, wherein the rotary transmission includes at least one universal joint or flexible shaft.

[0022] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, including, on the outer face of the flange, a rotary lever which is movably connected to the slider by another connection of the rack and pinion type, this rotary lever being located on the same side as the outer face of the flange.

[0023] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, wherein the lever is movable in rotation about an axis that is parallel to the outer face.

[0024] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, including a housing attached to the outer face of the flange, this housing bearing the lever and receiving the slider for guiding it in translation, this housing containing the connection of the rack and pinion type connecting the slider to the lever.

[0025] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, wherein the slider is equipped with rollers reducing its friction with the housing in which it slides.

[0026] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, wherein the rotary transmission extends in a recess formed in the flange, to be integrated into the thickness of the flange.

[0027] The present disclosure also relates to a port thus defined, wherein the connection of the rack and pinion type connecting the slider to an end of the rotary transmission includes a gear wheel carried by a support extending in the recess.

[0028] The present disclosure also relates to a method of using a port thus defined, including the operation of moving the slider to manoeuvre the door.

[0029] The present disclosure also relates to a method thus defined, wherein the port includes on the outer face of the flange a rotary lever which is movably connected to the slider by another connection of the rack and pinion type, this method including the operation of pivoting the rotary lever to move the slider.

[0030] The present disclosure also relates to a method for using a connection port of a sealed transfer cell wherein this port includes a flange having an outer face and an inner face that carries a hinge to which a door is secured movable between an open position and a closed position wherein this door closes a central opening of the flange, the hinge including at least one fixed bearing rigidly attached to the flange, this bearing carrying a rotary element to which the door is rigidly attached, the flange being equipped with a manoeuvring system for opening and closing the door from the external face, characterised in that the manoeuvring system includes a rotary transmission including two rotary ends inclined with respect to one another, one end being rotatably connected to the rotary element of the hinge and the other end being connected by a connection of the rack and pinion type to a slider that passes through the outer face of the flange, so that a translation of the slider causes a rotation of the door, this method including the operation of moving the slider to manoeuvre the door.

[0031] The present disclosure also relates to a method thus defined, wherein the port includes on the outer face of the flange a rotary lever which is movably connected to the slider by another connection of the rack and pinion type, this method including the operation of pivoting the rotary lever to move the slider.

[0032] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] [Fig. 1] is a view of the connection port according to the present disclosure depicted from the inner face side of the flange when the door is closed;

[0034] [Fig. 2] is a view of the connection port according to the present disclosure depicted from the inner face side of the flange when the door is open;

[0035] [Fig. 3] is a view of the connection port according to the present disclosure depicted from the side of the outer face when the door is closed;

[0036] [Fig. 4] is a view of the connection port transmission mechanism according to the present disclosure which is shown alone when the door is closed;

[0037] [Fig. 5] is a view of the connection port transmission mechanism according to the present disclosure which is depicted alone when the door is open;

[0038] [Fig. 6] is a view of the connection port housing according to the present disclosure depicted alone;

[0039] [Fig. 7] is a view of the connector port slider housed in the housing holding it; [Fig. 8] is a view of the transmission mechanism according to the present disclosure with its housing and with the flange.

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In figures 1 to 3, a connection port 1 for a sealed transfer cell includes a cell flange 2 supporting a door 3 secured to this flange 2 by a hinge 4. This flange 2 is attached to an opening, not shown, of a cell wall, and has a shape of revolution about an axis AX, to delimit a circular central opening 6.

[0042] It includes an inner face 7 appearing in figures 1 and 2 and extending inside the cell it equips, and an outer face 8, marked in figures 1 and 2, but appearing more clearly in figure 3 and extending outside the cell it equips.

[0043] The opening 6, which is free in the situation in figure 2, can be closed as in figure 1, by folding the door 3 against the flange 2 by pivoting this door 3 about the hinge 4. The hinge 4 extends along an axis AY normal to the axis AX and spaced therefrom by a distance greater than the radius of the opening 6.

[0044] The door 3 is connected to the hinge 4 by an arm 9 having a first end rigidly attached to a rotary element 10 of the hinge 4, and a second end rigidly attached to the door 3. The rotary element 10 of the hinge is part of the arm 9, with which it forms a single one-piece part.

[0045] As indicated above, the hinge 4 includes a rotary element 10, pivoting about the axis AY, this rotary element 10 being carried by bearings 12 and 13 forming part of the flange 2 and / or rigidly attached to its inner face 7. In practice, the rotary element 10 is traversed by a shaft bearing two rings 11 protruding on either side of this element and forming a rigid whole with it. These two rings 11 are carried by the bearings 12 and 13 with respect to which they rotate with the element 10 and the arm 9, when the door is manoeuvred.

[0046] The door 3, which is located on the same side as the inner face of port 1, is manoeuvred by means of a lever 14 which is located on the outer side of the port 1, this lever 14 being coupled to the rotary element 10 of the hinge by means of a manoeuvring system 16, part of which is integrated in the thickness of the flange 2. As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, the lever 14 is movable in rotation about an axis ARI parallel to the outer face 8 and perpendicular to the axis AX, so that this lever 14 is movable in a plane perpendicular to the outer face 8, which is located radially outside the opening 6.

[0047] Starting from the situation in Figure 1, for an operator located on the external side of the port 1, opening the door consists in pivoting the lever 14 about a halfturn about the axis ARI, pulling it first towards you, then folding it towards the external face 8 to place it in a position opposite to its initial position as shown in Figure 2. Similarly, closing the door involves manoeuvring the lever in the opposite direction.

[0048] The manoeuvring system 16, visible in figures 4 and 5, includes a slider 17 movable through the flange 2 which is movably connected on the one hand to the rotary lever 14, and on the other hand to an end of a rotary transmission 18, the opposite end of which is rotatably coupled to the rotary element 10 of the hinge 4. The transmission 18 extends in a recess 19, which is a hollow formed on the inner face 7 of the flange 2.

[0049] The lever 14 includes a hub 21 extended by a radial arm 22 terminating in a handle 23 that extends parallel to its axis of rotation, so that it is here a crank-type lever. This lever 14 is carried at its hub 21 by a shaft 24 to which it is rigidly connected, and this shaft 24 is carried by a housing 25 attached to the external face 8 of the flange 2.

[0050] This housing 25, which is generally parallelepiped, is attached to the outer face 8, for example by two screws marked 26 in figure 3, which pass through it while being screwed into the flange 2, these screws extending parallel to the axis AX. It includes a fastening face and a front face which are normal to the axis AX, a radially lower face and a radially upper face with respect to the axis AX which are parallel to each other while having orthoradial orientations with respect to this axis AX, and two lateral faces parallel to each other.

[0051] The slider 17 is movable in translation along an axis AT parallel to the axis AX, through the external face 8 of the flange 2, while being carried by the housing 25, which ensures its holding and guiding in translation. A first gear wheel 27 located inside the housing 25, carried by the shaft

[0052] 24 to which it is rigidly connected, is meshed in a first rack 28 formed on one face of the slider 17, to constitute a first pinion-rack connection 29.

[0053] A second gear wheel 31 is rigidly connected to a first end of the transmission 18, while being meshed in a second rack 32 formed at another face of the slider 17, to constitute a second pinion-rack connection 33. This second gear wheel 31 is carried by a support 34 which is fastened to the flange 2, on the same side as its inner face 7 while being located in the recess 19 facing the housing 25.

[0054] The first end of the transmission 18 is movable in rotation about an axis AR2 which is orthoradial with respect to the axis AX, i.e. parallel to the outer face 8 but perpendicular to the axis ARI of the lever 14 which is oriented radially with respect to the axis AX. Similarly, the second rack 32 is formed in a face of the slider 17 which is perpendicular to the face of this slider 17 bearing the first rack 28.

[0055] The slider 17 with its racks 28 and 32 meshed in the gear wheels 27 and 31 thus transforms the rotational movement of the lever 14 about its axis ARI into a rotational movement about an axis AR2 perpendicular to this axis ARI, in order to transmit it to the hinge 4 via the transmission 18.

[0056] A rotation of the lever 14, which is located on the external side of the flange 2, thus makes it possible to manoeuvre the door 3 which is, in turn, located on the internal side of the flange, to open or close this door 3 by actuating the lever 14 from the outside of the cell.

[0057] As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the slider 17 includes a pa ra I lelepi peda I body 36 a lateral face of which includes the first rack 28, this body 36 being extended by a tab 37 a face of which includes the second rack 32, this tab 37 extending along the axis AT of translation of the slider.

[0058] The slider 17 is housed in the housing 25 while being movable in translation therein, while being engaged in a first through parallelepipedal internal cavity formed in this housing 25, this first cavity being marked 38 in figure 6.

[0059] To limit the friction of the outer faces of the body 36 with the inner faces of the cavity 38, this body 36 is equipped with three rollers 39 which are flush with its face opposite that carrying the first rack 28. It also includes two other rollers 41 that are flush with its radially upper face, and two other rollers not visible in the figures that are flush with its radially lower face.

[0060] As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the upper and lower faces of the body 36 are orthoradial with respect to the axis AX, i.e. parallel to the axis AX and perpendicular to the lateral face bearing the first rack 28. The radially upper face is the one that is furthest from the AX axis while the radially lower face is the one that is closest to this axis.

[0061] The housing 25 includes a second cavity 42 which is also through and pa ra I lelepipeda I, in which the first gear 27 is housed, and this second cavity includes a part common with the first cavity 38 to allow the gear 27 to mesh with the rack 28.

[0062] As can be seen in figure 6, the cavities 38 and 42 are through, i.e. they each open in the fastening face and in the front face of the housing 25, which are parallel to the face 8 of the flange 2.

[0063] The first gear wheel 27 that extends in the second cavity 42, is carried by the shaft 24 of the lever 14 that radially passes through the housing 25 while being engaged in two holes 43 and 44 formed in this housing 25. These two holes 43 and 44 open into one another in the second cavity 42 while extending in line with one another, the hole 43 furthermore opening into the radially external face of the housing 25 to allow engagement of the shaft 24 also carrying the hub 21 of the lever 14.

[0064] The second gear wheel 31 is carried by the support 34, which is located in the recess 19 opposite the housing 25 in the axial direction, the attachment of this support 34 to the flange 2 being provided by three screws marked 46 in figure 8, these three screws extending parallel to the axis AX.

[0065] The transmission 18 includes, in the example of the figures, a first universal joint 47 rotatably connected to a second universal joint 48. The first universal joint 47 has an end constrained to rotate with the toothed wheel 31 and its other end constrained to rotate with an end of the second universal joint 48. The other end of the second universal joint 48 is constrained to rotate with an end of the shaft carried by the rotary element 10 carrying the rings 11. The transmission 18 thus makes it possible to transfer the rotational movement of the gear wheel 31 to the hinge 4, which are spaced apart from each other along the periphery of the flange 2 by a distance corresponding to approximately 60° around the axis AX, as visible in figures 1 and 2.

[0066] The axis AY of the hinge 4 and the axis AR2 of the gear wheel 31 thus form an angle of the order of 60° with respect to each other, so that the rotary transmission 18 makes it possible to transform the rotational movement about the axis AR2 into a rotational movement about the axis AY.

[0067] In the example of the figures, the rotary transmission 18 is a transmission with two universal joints, but it could include a different number thereof, such as for example a single universal joint, three universal joints or even a larger number. In practice, the number of universal joints is essentially dependent on the distance separating the housing 25 from the hinge 4.

[0068] More generally, the rotary transmission 18 is a transmission including an input end and an output end inclined relative to one another, i.e. the axes of rotation of these ends are inclined relative to one another instead of being aligned. This transmission does not include a reduction gear: the speed of its output end is the same as that of its input end.

[0069] Thus, this rotary transmission 18 could include, instead of a universal joint, a flexible shaft, i.e. a shaft capable of being significantly flexed or bent while rotating, or even one or more gear trains arranged to present an output shaft having an oblique orientation with respect to its input shaft.

[0070] The recess 19 formed on the inner face 7 is a hollow formed on this face 7, which contains the support 34 as well as the transmission 18. This recess 19 has a shape resembling a bean shape extending over an extent slightly less than 60°. This recess 19 contains the support 34 and the transmission 18 and is closed by a cover not shown in the figures, to ensure that the space located on the inner side of the flange cannot be polluted for example by dust or similar generated by the manoeuvring system. This cover also seals the space on the inner side of the flange with respect to the manoeuvring system and the space located on the outer side of the flange.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Connection port (1) for sealed transfer cell, this port (1) Including a flange (2) having an outer face (8) and an inner face (7) which carries a hinge (4) to which a door (3) movable between an open position and a closed position is attached, wherein this door (3) closes a central opening (6) of the flange, the hinge (4) including at least one fixed bearing (12, 13) rigidly attached to the flange (2), this bearing carrying a rotary element (10) to which the door (3) is rigidly connected, the flange (2) being equipped with a manoeuvring system (16) for opening and closing the door (3) from the external face (8), characterised in that the manoeuvring system (16) includes a rotary transmission (18) including two rotating ends inclined with respect to one another, one end being rotatably connected to the rotary element (10) of the hinge (4) and the other end being connected by a connection of the rack and pinion type (29) to a slider (17) which passes through the outer face (8) of the flange (2), so that a translation of the slider (17) causes a rotation of the door (3).

2. Port according to claim 1, wherein the rotary transmission (18) includes at least one universal joint (47, 48) or a flexible shaft.

3. Port according to claim 1 or 2 including a rotary lever (14) which is movably connected to the slider (17) by another connection of the rack and pinion type (33), this rotary lever (14) being located on the same side as the outer face (8) of the flange (2).

4. Port according to claim 3, wherein the lever (14) is movable in rotation about an axis (ARI) that is parallel to the outer face (8).

5. Port according to claim 3, including a housing (25) attached to the outer face (8) of the flange (2), this housing (25) carrying the lever (14) and receiving the slider (17) to guide it in translation, this housing (25) containing the connection (29) of the rack and pinion type connecting the slider (17) to the lever (14).

6. Port according to claim 5, wherein the slider (17) is equipped with rollers (39, 41) reducing its friction with the housing (25) in which it slides.

7. Port according to claim 1, wherein the rotary transmission (18) extends in a recess (19) formed in the flange (2), to be integrated into the thickness of the flange (2).

8. Port according to claim 7, wherein the connection (29) of the rack and pinion type connecting the slider (17) to an end of the rotary transmission (18) includes a gear wheel (31) carried by a support (34) extending in the recess(19).

9. Method for using a port according to claim 1, including the operation of moving the slider (17) to manoeuvre the door (3).

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the port includes on the outer face (8) of the flange (2) a rotary lever (14) which is movably connected to the slider (17) by another connection of the rack and pinion type, this method including the operation of pivoting the rotary lever (14) to move the slider (17).

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