Air lock system
AssigneeBioforce Tech Corporation
InventorsDario Presezzi, Valentino Villa, Marco Mosciarello, Stefano Pessina, Mattia Bonfanti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The techniques introduced here include a system and method for efficiently connecting two or more pipes through the combination of a pushing plate, a gasket and a sealing plate. Such techniques exploit the presence of concentric protuberances, or rings, on the sealing plate that help, also thanks to the space between them, in keeping the cleanness, tightness and flexibility of the conjunction, especially when sticky substances, like a sludge, are dealt with.
Claims18
A system for efficiently, easily, quickly, and repeatedly connecting and disconnecting two pipes together in a non-fixed manner, comprising:
- a first pipe defined around a first longitudinal axis;
- a second pipe defined around a second longitudinal axis;
- a pushing plate fixedly connected to said first pipe;
- a sealing plate fixedly connected to said pushing plate and said first pipe so as to be interposed between said pushing plate and said second pipe;
- a gasket fixedly connected to said second pipe so as to be interposed between said sealing plate and said second pipe when said first and second pipes are moved into engagement with each other;
- a plurality of concentric protuberances mounted upon said sealing plate and extending axially toward said gasket such that fluidic integrity is effectively defined and maintained between said first and second pipes even if said first and second pipes are slightly misaligned axially with respect to each other when said first and second pipes are moved into engagement with each other;
- and
- a computer-control system operatively connected to said pushing plate for moving said first pipe toward said second pipe such that one or more of said plurality of concentric protuberances disposed upon said sealing plate can engage said gasket disposed upon said second pipe and thereby establish fluidic integrity between said first and second pipes such that a fluid can flow between said first and second pipes without any leakage of fluid from either one of said first and second pipes, and for moving said first pipe away from said second pipe such that said first and second pipes can be easily and quickly fluidically disengaged from each other.
A method for efficiently, easily, quickly, and repeatedly connecting and disconnecting two pipes together in a non-fixed manner, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first pipe defined around a first longitudinal axis;
- providing a second pipe defined around a second longitudinal axis;
- fixedly connecting a pushing plate to said first pipe;
- fixedly connecting a sealing plate to said pushing plate and said first pipe so as to be interposed between said pushing plate and said second pipe;
- fixedly connecting a gasket to said second pipe so as to be interposed between said sealing plate and said second pipe when said first and second pipes are moved into engagement with each other;
- providing a plurality of concentric protuberances upon said sealing plate so as to extend axially toward said gasket such that fluidic integrity is effectively defined and maintained between said first and second pipes even if said first and second pipes are slightly axially misaligned with respect to each other when said first and second pipes are moved into engagement with each other;
- and
- operatively connecting a computer-control system to said pushing plate for moving said first pipe toward said second pipe such that one or more of said plurality of concentric protuberances disposed upon said sealing plate can engage said gasket of said second pipe and thereby establish fluidic integrity between said first and second pipes such that a fluid can flow between said first and second pipes without any leakage of the fluid from either one of said first and second pipes, and for moving said first pipe away from said second pipe such that said first and second pipes can be easily and quickly fluidically disengaged from each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.