Device for joining and sealing together two enclosures isolated from an external environment

A device for joining and sealing together two enclosures whose interiors are isolated from an external environment, the device comprising:

• two flanges, each of said flanges being adapted to be attached to an opening of a respective one of the enclosures;
• two doors, one for each of the two enclosures, each said door being in a respective one of said annular flanges and adapted to close and hermetically seal the opening to its respective enclosure's interior when mounted on its respective enclosure, each said door having an outside face for contact with the external environment;
• said doors having cooperating joining means for hermetically sealing said outside faces to each other so that said outside faces are not exposed to the interiors of the enclosures when either of said doors is opened;
• and
• an initial lock that comprises a hole in said flange of one said door and a blind hole in said one door in registration with said hole when said one door is closed, and two pins inserted into said holes, said two pins having lengths so that their ends are in contact at an interface between said flange and said one door when said pins are completely inserted into said holes, and further comprising an actuating arm structured and arranged to push said pins completely into said holes to unlock said one door.

A device for joining and sealing together two enclosures whose interiors are isolated from an external environment, one of the two enclosures being a single use enclosure that is not reused, the device comprising:

• two flanges, each of said flanges being adapted to be attached to an opening of a respective one of the enclosures;
• two doors, one for each of the two enclosures, each said door being in a respective one of said annular flanges and adapted to close and hermetically seal the opening to its respective enclosure's interior when mounted on its respective enclosure, each said door having an outside face for contact with the external environment,
• said two doors having cooperating joining means for pressing together and joining said two doors to hermetically seal their respective outside faces to each other so that said outside faces are not exposed to the interiors of the two enclosures when either of said two doors is opened,
• said joining means comprising cam mechanisms adapted to be attached to the enclosure other than the single use enclosure and spaced around said annular flange of the other enclosure, each said cam mechanism comprising two cams on a pivot arm that have operating ranges that are angularly offset, one of said two cams adapted to be located externally with respect external to the other enclosure for attaching said annular flange of the single use enclosure to said angular flange of the other enclosure and a second of said two cams adapted to be located internally with respect internal to the other enclosure for attaching said door of the other enclosure to said annular flange thereof;
• locking means for irreversibly locking closed said door of the single use enclosure;
• and
• first actuator means for being mounted on the other of the two enclosures and for actuating said locking means.

A single use enclosure whose interior is isolated from an external environment, the single use enclosure comprising:

• a door in an annular flange in an opening to the single use enclosure's interior, said door being structured and arranged to close and hermetically seal said opening and having an outside face for contact with the external environment;
• said door having sealing means for hermetically sealing said outside face to a second door so that said outside face is not exposed to the interior of the single use enclosure when said door is opened;
• and
• locking means for irreversibly locking closed said door and for being actuated by an actuator separate from said single use enclosure.

A combination of a single use enclosure whose interior is isolated from an external environment and a door lock actuator for the enclosure:

• the single use enclosure comprising;
• a door in an annular flange in an opening to the single use enclosure's interior, said door being structured and arranged to close and hermetically seal said opening and having an outside face for contact with the external environment,
• said door having sealing means for hermetically sealing said outside face to a second door so that said outside face is not exposed to the interior of the single use enclosure when said door is opened,
• locking means for irreversibly locking closed said door, and
• said door lock actuator comprising a first actuator mounted on another enclosure to which said single use enclosure is to be attached for actuating said locking means.