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AssigneeGEA Aseptomag AG
InventorUrs LANGENEGGER
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The invention relates to a valve apparatus having a housing (100), which housing has a first port (102), which can be connected to a tank (200), and a second port (106), having a closing element (110) which is provided in the housing and which can be placed into an open position, in which a fluid connection is produced between the first port and second port, and which can be placed into a closed position, in which the first and second ports are separated from one another in fluid-tight fashion, having a first (120) and a second (130) seal arrangement between closing element and housing, wherein the first and the second seal arrangement (120, 130) are spaced apart from one another and wherein each seal arrangement interacts with a corresponding seat (126, 136). To create a valve device for the aseptic transport of filling material, it is proposed that a chamber (140) be provided which, in the closed position, is delimited by the seal arrangements, the closing element and the housing, and that a reservoir (142) is provided which can be connected to the chamber and which serves to accommodate a bactericidal fluid, and that the chamber (140) and the reservoir (142) are adapted to form a germ barrier that is created in the closed position with the bactericidal fluid. The invention also relates to an arrangement having a valve apparatus of said type and to a method for operating an arrangement.
A valve apparatus having a housing (100), said housing comprising a first port (102) which can be connected to a transportable tank (200), and a second port (106), comprising a closing element (110) which is provided in the housing and which can be placed into an open position in which a fluid connection is produced between the first port and second port (102, 106), and which can be placed into a closed position in which the first and second ports (102, 106) are separated from one another in fluid-tight fashion, comprising a first (120) and a second (130) seal arrangement between said closing element and said housing, wherein the first and the second seal arrangement (120, 130) are spaced apart from one another and wherein each seal arrangement (120, 130) interacts with a corresponding seat (126, 136), a chamber (140) is provided which, in the closed position, is delimited by the seal arrangements (120, 130), the closing element (110) and the housing (100), characterised in that a reservoir (142) is provided which can be connected to the chamber and which can accommodate a bactericidal fluid, that the valve apparatus is transportable in closed position of the closing element (110), and that the chamber (140) and the reservoir (142) are adapted to form and maintain, for the entire duration of transportation, a germ barrier that is produced in the closed position by using the bactericidal fluid.
A method for operating an arrangement comprising a transportable tank (200) and a valve apparatus mounted at a tank opening, characterised in that, in an open position of the valve apparatus, filling material to be transported is filled into the tank (200), a closing element (110) is subsequently placed into the closed position and a chamber (140) is then filled with a bactericidal fluid, and that a germ barrier is formed by using the bactericidal fluid for the entire duration of subsequent transportation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.