Equipment for forming temporary connections for the transfer of objects between discontinuous confined volumes

#The invention relates to improved equipment for forming repeated connections between discontinuous confined volumes, particularly between an isolating chamber and one or more transfer machines, with formation of slots and in conditions of sterility or isolation or conditioning, using pieces which may be single-use pieces. These and other objects and advantages will be clear from the following text.

#Basically, the equipment of the invention comprises on the isolating chamber an annular connector defining an access opening, with one dimension greater than that perpendicular thereto and with an internal wall of constant section to allow the hermetic sliding of successive closure pieces which each have a closure membrane and an annular cutting means for said membrane and for another membrane joined thereto. In the transfer machine, or in each transfer machine, there are provided a frame defining a passageway slot and a closure membrane fastened to said frame. Said two membranes are designed to adhere to each other during the joining up of the two confined volumes and said membranes, immediately after being joined, are cut by said annular cutting means to define a discoid with two at least peripherally joined thicknesses, which can be removed into one of the confined volumes to provide the passage between the two said confined volumes; a subsequent uncut closure piece, contained in one of said two confined volumes, can be installed in said connector from the interior of said isolating chamber, to replace the previous closure piece which thus can be removed.

#Other characteristics are illustrated in the text and drawings, and are claimed.

#The invention will be understood more clearly from an examination of the description and of the attached drawing, which latter shows a practical and nonrestrictive embodiment of said invention. In the drawing:

#FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of two confined volumes presented for joining up;

#FIG. 2 shows the two confined volumes in longitudinal section and ready to be joined together;

#As the attached drawing shows, 1 indicates one of the two confined volumes and in particular what is referred to as an isolating chamber which is that in which a process or operation is carried out and to which certain accessories must be supplied through one or more successive confined volumes, referred to as transfer machines, one of which is indicated by 3. They may be of the throw-away sort or only partly recyclable. Between the two confined volumes, a communication must be established that is totally isolated from the external environment and that will allow the transfer or objects or components between one of the confined volumes and the other and hence the formation of a passage, that is of a comparatively large opening, the whole with operations that must be as fast as possible and with equipment that is very low-cost and simple.

#In the confined volume 1 forming the isolating chamber is a connector 5 with an internal wall 5A which defines the passage to be established between the two confined volumes. This wall 5A has two central perpendicular dimensions which are different from each other so that a support having a slot corresponding to the opening defined by the wall 5A can be inserted through the opening defined by said wall 5A and hence by said connector by arranging it at an angle so that it moves with its minor dimension in line with the major dimension of the opening defined by said wall 5A. The wall 5A is a prismatic or cylindrical wall having the abovementioned shape and externally the connector 5 has flange means 5B with elements to enable it to be joined to another confined volume such as 3.

#Inside the connector 5, that is inside the wall 5A, there may slidingly and sealingly be received a closure piece indicated as a whole by 7, which comprises in particular a rigid annular structure 9 with a part 9A which slides along the wall 5 being adjacent to the latter and being capable of being engaged with it so as not to slide towards the interior of the container 1, that is in the direction of the arrow fl in FIG. 2. The annular structure 9 has a cylindrical wall 9B shaped with a terminal cutting edge facing out from the confined volume 1, this part 9B forming an annular cutting means. This annular cutting means 9B is flanked on the inside by a comparatively soft bushing 10 and on the outside by another, likewise soft bushing 12 that is able to adhere to the wall 5A, so providing a hermetic seal between the inside and the outside, and that can also allow the sliding of the piece 7 along the wall 5A of the connector 5, especially from the inside toward the outside. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the piece 7 is engaged with the means which prevent it from moving in the direction of the arrow fl and which can be represented by serrations on the wall 9A which engage in suitable saw-tooth indentations formed in the wall 5A; said piece 7 projects slightly with its elastic bushings 10 and 12 beyond the terminal flange 5B of the connector 5. A first membrane 14 for closing the isolating chamber 1 is laid against the outward frontal surfaces of the bushings 10 and 12; said membrane 14 is bonded by a cement around its perimeter as indicated at 16 to the outward frontal surface of the outer bushing 12. The membrane 14 can be cut by the cutting edge of the annular cutting means represented by the part 9B of the abovementioned annular structure 9, when the bushings 10 and 12 are frontally compressed sufficiently to cause the cutting edge of the cylindrical wall 9B to project.