Device for transferring and packaging contaminants such as radioactive products within a leak-tight sheath
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsRene Goutard, Raymond Levardon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contaminating product is packaged within a leak-tight sheath and transferred through a lock-chamber which is rigidly fixed to a leak-tight partition-wall. The device comprises a sleeve having a central cavity for establishing a communication between the lock-chamber and the sheath while ensuring tightness against outleakage to the environment. A seal plug having a double wall is placed within the cavity for preventing said communication. The seal plug and the sleeve are cut simultaneously in order to close-off the lock-chamber and the sheath separately by means of each wall of the seal plug.
Claims11
A device for transferring a noxious product through a lock-chamber which is rigidly fixed to a leak-tight partition-wall and for packaging said product within a leak-tight sheath, wherein said device comprises a sleeve having a central cavity for establishing a communication between said lock-chamber and said sheath while ensuring tightness against outleakage to the environment, and a seal plug having a double wall, said seal plug being adapted to be slidably introduced within said cavity and means being provided to lock and seal said seal plug within said cavity for preventing said communication, simultaneous cutting of the seal plug and the sleeve operating to separately seal-off said lock-chamber and said sheath by means of each wall of said seal plug.
A method of removing noxious products contained in a cell and transferring said products to a leak-tight sheath through a lock-chamber rigidly fixed to the partition-wall of said cell, wherein said lock-chamber is provided with a leak-tight assembly including the upper portions of a first sleeve and a first seal plug which closes off the lock-chamber, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) withdrawing said first sleeve into the interior of said cell while at the same time introducing the end of a second sleeve into the end of said lock-chamber remote from the cell, said second sleeve being closed off by a second seal plug and being rigidly fixed to a sheath, continuing the introduction of said second sleeve until an external rib is located within the interior of the lock-chamber and is maintained by latching means;
- (b) removing said first sleeve and plug from said lock-chamber in order to open said second sleeve to said cell;
- (c) withdrawing the second seal plug from the second sleeve into the interior of the cell in order to open said sheath to said cell;
- (d) transferring the noxious products from within said cell into said sheath;
- (e) inserting said second plug into said second sleeve;
- (f) rigidly fixing said second seal plug in said second sleeve in a leak-tight manner;
- and
- (g) cutting said second sleeve and said second plug along a plane which passes between spaced walls on said plug to separate said sheath from said lock-chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.