Frictionless Container Door Sealing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 'double door' systems for attaching and opening containers in containment cells generate dust, cause wear, and affect the tightness of the connection, leading to potential contamination and safety issues during material transfer.
Innovation Solution
A system where the contact face of one door presses on a mobile actuation surface, using locking latches and flexible membranes to secure the container door to the cell door without friction or rotation, ensuring a sealed and frictionless connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rotation by sliding of one door on the other is used to close and lock the doors, then the container door can be securely attached to the cell door, but dust is generated, wear occurs on contact surfaces, and the tightness of the connection is affected
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile actuation surface is introduced as an intermediary element between the contact faces of the two doors. This actuation surface allows the container door to be locked to the cell door through a pressing motion rather than direct sliding contact between the door surfaces. The intermediary mechanism transmits the locking force without requiring the contact faces to slide against each other, thereby preventing dust generation and surface wear while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional sliding rotation mechanism is replaced with a pressing-based locking mechanism using the mobile actuation surface. Instead of relying on rotational sliding contact to engage the doors, the system uses linear pressing motion of the actuation surface to activate locking features, eliminating the harmful friction and wear associated with sliding contact between the main door surfaces.
2Reliability
If the container door is flush against the cell door with sliding rotation closure, then the doors can be connected, but the adjustment and tightness of the final connection are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile actuation surface serves as a mediator that decouples the locking action from the final positioning of the door surfaces. By using the actuation surface to transmit and distribute the locking force, the system achieves more uniform pressure distribution across the contact faces, improving the tightness of the connection without requiring high precision in the alignment of the door surfaces themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism changes the parameter of force application from distributed sliding friction to concentrated pressing force through the mobile actuation surface. This parameter change allows for better control of the locking process and improves the consistency of the connection tightness, reducing sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances and alignment variations.
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
The system provides a sealed and frictionless connection between the container and cell doors, preventing contamination and ensuring safe and efficient material transfer without wear or dust generation.
Implementation Method 1
a first surface of a flexible membrane, a second surface of which bears on an inclined face of several locking latches which constitute the first locking means projecting initially into an internal groove of an inner surface of the container flange, for the purpose of causing the locking latches to extend out of the inner locking groove of the container flange
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for sealingly closing a container onto a working cell using door elements capable of being placed into contact without sliding or indexing. The system mainly includes a container door (4) previously attached to a container flange (1) and a cell door (30) previously attached to a cell flange (20). Placing the two doors into contact makes it possible, without rotating said doors, to unlock the container door (4) relative to the container flange (1), to lock the container door (4) relative to the cell door (30), and to open the cell door (30) only when the container door (4) is pressed against the cell door. The invention can be used for cells and enclosures for handling contaminated materials, or for sterile enclosures.