Incubator Wall Sealing Kit for Cleanroom Access and Vapor Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional incubators installed in cleanrooms face challenges such as high costs, maintenance difficulties, time-consuming entry and exit procedures, contamination risks, and equipment servicing complications due to the need for extensive cleanroom environments, which are exacerbated by the protrusions and uneven surfaces that hinder effective sealing.
Innovation Solution
A parts kit comprising a frame for sealing gaps between the incubator and the cleanroom wall, and a bottom skirt with coved corners for easy cleaning, providing a double vapor barrier and vibration dampening without mechanical fasteners or caulking, and accommodating manufacturing variations, ensures a secure and contaminant-free environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the incubator is installed with the front inside the cleanroom and the rear outside, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but sealing difficulty increases due to protrusions and uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing gaskets and skirts that can conform to the uneven surfaces and protrusions of the incubator. The gaskets are made of compliant materials that adapt to manufacturing variations and surface irregularities, creating effective seals without requiring perfectly flat surfaces or complex mechanical fastening systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary sealing components (gaskets, skirts, and frames) that mediate between the incubator surfaces and the cleanroom wall/floor. These intermediaries absorb the manufacturing variations and surface irregularities, allowing both the incubator and cleanroom to maintain their respective requirements while achieving effective sealing.
2Reliability
If conventional sealing methods are used, then sealing effectiveness may be achieved, but installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing components are pre-assembled into kits with all necessary gaskets, skirts, and frames prepared in advance. The gaskets are pre-cut to accommodate standard incubator dimensions, and the components are designed to snap or slide into place without requiring complex assembly procedures during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is divided into separate modular components (side gaskets, top gasket, bottom skirt, frames) that can be independently installed. This segmentation allows for simpler, faster installation compared to attempting to create a continuous seal all at once, while maintaining overall sealing effectiveness.
3Ease of repair
If the incubator protrudes into the cleanroom, then maintenance outside the cleanroom is enabled, but cleanroom space is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the maintenance-intensive rear portion of the incubator from the cleanroom environment, allowing it to be serviced outside the cleanroom. Only the essential front portion with the door and control interface remains inside the cleanroom, minimizing space occupation while enabling external maintenance of mechanical and electrical components.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the incubator surfaces are not perfectly flat, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible gaskets and skirts made of compliant materials that can conform to non-flat surfaces. These flexible sealing elements adapt to manufacturing variations in incubator surfaces, eliminating the need for perfectly flat surfaces while maintaining effective sealing against contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different sealing solutions to different areas of the incubator based on local requirements. The side and top gaskets address vertical sealing needs, while the bottom skirt addresses horizontal sealing requirements. Each sealing component is optimized for its specific location and the particular surface irregularities it must accommodate.
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 solution allows for quick and easy installation of incubators with an effective barrier between the cleanroom and outside space, maintaining a contaminant-free environment while enabling easy maintenance and reducing costs by minimizing cleanroom space occupation and simplifying servicing procedures.
Implementation Method 1
mechanical seals between the cleanroom wall and floor surfaces, and the incubator surfaces must be vapor tight
Implementation Method 2
provides an effective barrier between the cleanroom and the space outside the cleanroom
Data Source
AI summary
A kit of parts for sealing openings between an enclosure extending through a wall separating a cleanroom and a space outside the cleanroom. Multiple gaskets, frame members, and a lower skirt are positioned to seal any openings between the side, top and bottom surfaces of the enclosure and proximate wall surfaces. The sealing components can be easily installed without the use of tools.