Aseptic Conduit Sleeve Closure Using Compressed-Region Severing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming fluid-tight separating closures of conduits with sleeves lack sufficient process safety, particularly in aseptic and sterile environments, as they fail to prevent contamination and fluid leakage during the severing process.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing a closure unit with a die and stamp, where the sleeve is compressed and severed in a compressed region using a relative movement between the closure and separating units, ensuring a fluid-tight seal before severing, and optionally using a knife or punching stamp with V-shaped cutting regions to prevent end jumping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sleeve and conduit are sliced and compressed simultaneously by moving tool jaws toward each other, then the closure is formed and severed in one operation, but contamination risk increases during the severing process
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into two separate functional units: a closure unit with a die for compressing the sleeve, and a separating unit with a cutting tool for severing the closure. This segmentation allows the compression and severing operations to be performed in distinct sequences, first forming the fluid-tight closure and then severing it, thereby eliminating contamination risk during severing while maintaining efficient one-operation completion.
2Ease of operation
If the cutting tool is oriented perpendicular to the direction of tool jaw movement, then the severing can be performed, but fluid leakage and contamination may occur during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The closure unit with the die performs the compression of the sleeve to form a fluid-tight closure before the separating unit performs the severing operation. This preliminary action ensures that the closure is already fluid-tight and secure before the cutting tool is engaged, preventing any fluid leakage or contamination during the severing process while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If a hand tool with two oppositely situated jaws is used to compress and sever the conduit, then the operation can be performed manually, but process safety is insufficient in aseptic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The manual tool is designed with segmented functional units: a closure unit with a die for compression and a separating unit with a cutting tool for severing. This segmentation enables the operator to first form a secure fluid-tight closure and then sever the conduit in a controlled sequence, significantly improving process safety in aseptic environments while maintaining manual operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The die in the closure unit performs the compression to form the fluid-tight closure before the cutting tool in the separating unit performs the severing. This preliminary action ensures that the closure is already secure and fluid-tight before the severing operation begins, preventing contamination and ensuring process safety in aseptic environments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances process safety by ensuring aseptic closure formation, preventing contamination and fluid leakage, and allows for efficient severing without waste production, with the option of using a stationary or movable separating unit for increased stability and reproducibility.
Implementation Method 1
The sleeve is compressed by a relative movement between the die and the stamp in order to form a closure
Implementation Method 2
The closure is severed in a compressed region preferably by cutting or punching
Implementation Method 3
The closure is severed in a compressed region preferably by cutting or punching. Severing by means of a cutting process has the advantage that no waste products are produced. If the conduit and the sleeve surrounding the conduit are bodies of relatively large diameter, it is advantageous, but not necessary, to perform the severing by punching
Data Source
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AI summary
For the forming of a fluid-tight, in particular aseptic, separating closure of a conduit (21) it is proposed that, after positioning the conduit (21) with the sleeve (22) in a closure unit (1) having a die (4) and a stamp (3), the sleeve (22) is compressed by a relative movement between the die (4) and the stamp (3) in order to form the closure. The closure is severed in a compressed region by a relative movement between the closure unit (1) and a separating unit (2).