WO2008034665A1 - Handling device and method for cleaning a handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a handling device for handling on an inside (I) of a closed insulation housing through an opening (4a) provided in a housing wall (4), comprising a glove (2) made out of a flexible material, a first fastening ring (5), a second fastening ring (6) and a lid (3) that can be removed from the glove (2), the lid having a handle (3a), wherein a rear open end of the glove (2) is fixed between the first and second fastening rings (5, 6). The lid (3) faces the inside (I) of the insulation housing, and the handle (3a) of the lid (3) faces the direction of the outside (A) of the closed insulation housings in order to release the lid (3) from the first fastening ring (5) such that the glove (2) can be turned to the inside (I) of the insulation housing. The invention further relates to a method for cleaning a handling device.

Description

 11.09.2006-6 / mh

description

title

Handling device and method for cleaning a handling device

State of the art

The present invention relates to a handling device for handling in an interior of a sealed insulating housing by an operator, wherein the operator is outside the insulation housing and her hand and her arm inserted through a glove, which is arranged in an opening of the insulating housing and sealed against the insulating housing , Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for cleaning and replacing such a handling device.

Such handling devices are, for example, laboratories for handling hazardous substances, from the nuclear industry or the chemical or pharmaceutical

Industry known. An example of such an isolated area in the pharmaceutical industry is, for example, a medicament filling machine which is arranged in a sealed insulating housing. As a result, the filling process can be performed, for example, sterile or under predetermined conditions without any external influences. Above all, the operating staff is contaminated by the

Protected inside the machine. For emergencies or for carrying out predetermined actions, however, an opening must be provided in the insulation housing, in which a glove is mounted in a sealed manner in order to carry out the necessary manipulation operations from the outside by gripping the glove. After using such a glove and filling a batch, the machine and glove must be cleaned. It was found that in particular a cleaning of the glove is relatively complicated and very difficult, especially in the interdental spaces. It can not be ensured that the necessary purity conditions can be ensured inside the insulation housing. A possible solution would be simply to replace the soiled glove with a new one. However, this is very expensive and undesirable from an environmental point of view. Advantages of the invention

The handling device according to the invention for handling in an interior of a sealed insulation housing with the features of claim 1 has the advantage over that the handling device can be closed after use and removed from the insulation housing, without causing contamination of the environment occurs. As a result, a glove of the handling device can be cleaned in a separate area. Furthermore, this can be a standstill arranged in the interior of the insulating housing

Device, such as a machine can be reduced because the complex cleaning of the glove can be made outside the insulation housing. The used glove can be exchanged for a new production process by a new glove, which is inserted into an opening in a housing wall of the insulation housing. Thus, according to the invention, a used one

Glove be taken as a self-contained, dense system from the insulation housing or a new glove be installed as a closed subsystem. This is inventively achieved in that the handling device in addition to the glove of flexible material, a first and second mounting ring and a detachable from the glove with a lid

Handle includes. The glove is fixed between the first fastening ring and the second fastening ring with its rear open end. The glove-releasable lid is directed to the inside of the insulating housing, the handle being directed towards the outside of the sealed-off insulating housing. The cover can be released from the glove by operating the handle from the outside, so that the glove can be inverted inside into the interior of the insulation housing. The lid is placed inside the insulation housing.

The dependent claims show preferred developments of the invention.

Preferably, in the opening in the housing wall, in which the handling device is arranged, a first flange and a second flange arranged. The two flange rings are connected to each other and are fastened by means of a clamping force on the housing wall. Between the housing wall and the first and second flange each having a first and second seal is arranged.

More preferably, the first and second flange are connected to each other by means of first fastening means, in particular screws. This will be the

Housing wall of the insulating housing between the first and second flange clamped. A seal is carried out by means of the first and second seal.

Preferably, the first attachment ring is releasably secured by second attachment means on the second flange. This can be a simple way of

Removing the handling device are provided by the insulation housing.

In order to detect whether the glove of the handling device has been contaminated by loosening the lid, it is further preferred to provide a sensor device which detects removal of the lid from the glove. If the cover has been removed from the glove, there is contamination of the glove, so it must be replaced. The sensor device is furthermore preferably connected to a control unit which sets a corresponding flag when the cover is removed from the glove. The flag remains set when the lid is off once

Glove was removed, regardless of whether the lid, for example, was screwed back onto the glove. The control unit may then block, for example, a restart of a machine which is arranged in the insulation housing. The flag is reset only when a new, non-contaminated glove has been inserted into the housing wall.

The sensor device preferably comprises a first sensor element, e.g. a transponder, which is arranged in the lid, and a second sensor element, which is arranged directly or indirectly on the housing wall. The second sensor element can be arranged, for example, in the first or second flange ring.

More preferably, the handling device comprises a separate emergency glove with a mounting flange, which is fixable to the first flange. Of the - A -

Emergency glove is used, for example, if the existing glove of the handling device has been damaged.

The attachment flange of the emergency glove preferably comprises a sleeve portion and a radial flange portion. In this case, one end of the sleeve region further seals on a third seal on the second flange ring at its side directed inward toward the opening in the housing wall.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the emergency glove hollow screws, with which the emergency glove on the outside in the

Opening in the housing wall on the first flange ring can be fastened.

The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning a handling device for a device with high purity requirements, which is arranged in an insulation housing. The handling device comprises a flexible glove, a fastening device for attachment to an opening in the insulation housing and a lid. The handling device must be cleaned as soon as the cover has been removed, because then the glove was in contact with the inner region of the insulation housing and is contaminated. The method comprises for this as a first step, the placement of the lid on the

Fastening device to cover the contaminated side of the glove. The uncontaminated side of the glove, in which an operator with the hand or with the arm engages, is directed outwards, to the outside of the insulation housing. In the next step, the device is cleaned from the inside, in particular, the outside of the lid is cleaned with. Since the lid has an im

Has substantially flat shape, a cleaning of the lid is very easy. Subsequently, the handling device is released from the housing wall. The contaminated side of the glove is thus enclosed on the one hand by the lid and on the other hand by the uncontaminated side of the glove. The handling device is removed from the insulation housing and is then cleaned at a location outside of the insulation housing. Here, the cleaning can be performed more efficiently and faster. In order to be able to use the device in the insulation housing immediately, a new handling device is preferably simply inserted into the opening in the housing wall, so that the device is immediately usable again. It should be noted that on the one hand, the set-up time for cleaning the insulation housing is reduced and on the other hand, a much better cleaning a used and contaminated glove is possible because in particular the finger gaps on the glove are very difficult to clean in the insulation housing.

drawing

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing is:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a handling device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the handling device of

FIG. 1 in an application,

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2

Handling device from the outside,

Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which

Handling device of the housing wall of a

Insulation housing was removed,

Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view showing when a Nothandschuh is placed on the handling device, and

Figure 6 is a schematic sectional view of a use of the

Nothandschuhs.

Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

Hereinafter, a handling device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The handling device 1 according to the invention is described in detail in connection with a pharmaceutical filling machine. However, the invention is not limited to use in pharmaceutical machines but can be used in all fields of application which have two separate regions.

Figure 1 shows schematically a sectional view of a handling device 1, which is arranged in a housing wall 4 of an insulating housing. In the housing wall 4, a circular or oval opening 4a is provided, in which the handling device 1 is attached. An outer area of the machine is marked A and an inner area of the machine is marked I.

The handling device 1 comprises a flexible glove 2, for example made of a rubber material, a cover 3, a first fastening ring 5 and a second

Fixing ring 6. The glove 2 has on its open side a circumferential bead 2a, which is clamped between the first fastening ring 5 and the second fastening ring 6. The first fastening ring 5 and the second fastening ring 6 are fastened together by means of several screws 7. At the opening 4a itself, a first flange 8 and a second flange 9 is further arranged. The first flange 8 is in

Substantially cylindrical and covers the inward side of the opening 4a. The first flange ring 8 is fixed to the second flange ring 9 by means of a plurality of first fastening means 10. The first attachment means 10 are also screws in this embodiment.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the first flange ring 8 and the second flange ring 9 have an undercut or recess in order to receive a first seal 13 or a second seal 14. The seals 13, 14 are annular, e.g. O-rings, and seal between the housing wall 4 and the first flange 8 and the second flange 9 from. In the first flange 8 also a plurality of through holes 12 are formed. The

Through holes 12 have an area 12a with an expanded diameter. In particular, the area 12 a receives a head of a second fastening means 11. The second attachment means 11 serves to connect the second flange ring 9 with the first attachment ring 5. The second attachment means 11 is also preferably a screw. The handling device 1 further comprises a cover 3, which is formed substantially plate-shaped. The lid 3 is attached to the first mounting ring 5. A third seal 15 seals the area covered by the cover 3, in which in particular the glove 2 is arranged. Between the first mounting ring 5 and the second flange 9, a fourth seal 16 is also provided. At the inner region between the first flange 8 and the second flange 9, a fifth seal 17 is further provided. The lid 3 further comprises a handle 3a, which, as shown in Figure 1, is directed towards the outside A. The lid 3 is by means of two flexible elements 3b in the region between the first mounting ring 5 and the second

Flange ring 9 attached. The flexible elements 3b are in this embodiment, arms which extend starting from the handle 3 a to the outside and press the glove 2 against the first mounting ring 5 and the second flange 9. This area, in which the flexible elements 3a create the glove 2, is formed by bevels.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, three first fastening means 10 and three through-holes 12 are provided in this exemplary embodiment. The first fastening means 10 and the through-hole 12 are arranged along the circumference in each case at equal distances from each other.

The mode of operation of the handling device 1 according to the invention will be explained in detail below. FIG. 1 shows a state of the handling device 1 in which it is not used. That is, for example, a pharmaceutical filling machine, which is arranged in the interior I of the insulating housing, works without problems, so that an operator does not have to intervene from the outside. Should an intervention be necessary, an operator located outside the machine and the insulation housing, as indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 1, engages in the glove 2 with his hand. The operator engages with the glove on the handle 3 a of the lid 3 and actuates it, so that the flexible elements 3b are bent inwards. As a result, the cover 3 can be introduced at its position shown in FIG. 1 into the interior I of the insulation housing and be deposited, for example, at a predetermined location. It should be noted that alternatively on the cover 3, for example, hinges o. may be attached so that the lid can be pivoted to an open position. Thus, now an outside operator can make necessary manipulations through the glove inside the insulation housing. This state is shown in FIG. 2, with the hand or an arm of the operator not being shown for reasons of clarity.

For example, if the machine inside I was carrying out a filling operation of a pharmaceutical product, the machine and the inside of the insulating case must be cleaned. If the glove has not been used, only the side of the lid 3 facing the inside I needs to be cleaned. If glove 2 has been used, it must be cleaned. Since in particular a cleaning of the glove 2 used is very difficult, especially in the field of fingers, the procedure according to the invention such that the operator before the step of cleaning with the glove 2, the handle 3 a of the discarded lid 3 engages and the lid 3 back in his original position. Then, a cleaning of the inside of the

Insulation housing and also to the interior I of the insulating housing side facing the lid 3. Since the glove 2 is contaminated by the use of the previous batch, it must not be used for a subsequent filling operation. Therefore, the lid is removed together with the two attachment rings 5, 6 and the glove 2. This is shown in FIG. For this purpose, the three second fastening means

11, which connect the second flange 9 with the first mounting ring 5, solved. This can be done through the existing through holes 12. FIG. 4 schematically shows a second fastening means 11, which has been brought inward in the direction of the arrow R into the area 12a with an enlarged diameter of the through-bore 12. Thus, the glove 2 covered by the lid 3 can be replaced by another, not shown

Removal opening are removed in the insulation housing, and brought to the outside A. In this case, no contamination of the environment occurs because the contaminated side of the lid 3 has been cleaned in the previous step and the contaminated area of the glove 2 has been everted and covered by the lid 3. The likewise contaminated part of the lid 3 with handle 3 a is covered by the glove 2. The

Handling device 1 can thus be moved to another location and cleaned there. In order to continue the operation, a new, similarly constructed handling device 1 is also inserted into the opening 4a in the housing wall 4. Then you can start filling the next batch. In order to determine whether the lid 3 was removed from the handling device 1 during operation and thus the glove 2 was contaminated, a sensor 18 is additionally provided (see FIG. The sensor 18 is designed as a two-part sensor and comprises a first sensor element 18a and a second sensor element 18b. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the first sensor element 18a is arranged in the cover 3 and the second sensor element 18b is arranged in the second flange ring 9. The second sensor element 9 is connected to a control, not shown, of the machine and outputs a corresponding signal to the controller as soon as the cover 2, ie the first sensor element 18a, has been removed. The control of the machine can in this case, for example, set a flag, so that it is not possible that, for example, the cover 3 was removed during operation and was replaced, and thereby a contamination of the glove 2 is done. Only when the contaminated handling device 1 has been replaced, the flag of the controller is reset, so that a new processing can be carried out within the insulation housing. Thus, it can be prevented that a contaminated glove 2 is accidentally used, for example, in a subsequent batch filling.

The present invention thus makes it possible that used (contaminated) gloves 2 can be cleaned at a location other than their place of use, so that on the one hand, the cleaning time occurring on the machine can be significantly shortened and on the other hand

Cleaning the used gloves 2 in another place can be done very thoroughly. By replacing the used handling device 1 by a new handling device, the production or filling can thus be quickly resumed.

During handling with the handling device 1, however, so-called emergency situations may also occur. This is the case, for example, when the glove 2 breaks or a hole or the like. gets. This emergency situation is shown schematically in FIGS. 5 and 6. For this purpose, the handling device additionally comprises a Nothandschuhinrichtung with a Nothandschuh 20, which is clamped to a bead 20a between a first fixing member 21 and a second fixing member 22. The first fixing element 21 is annular and the second fixing element 22 is formed sleeve-shaped with an outwardly directed flange, wherein the two fixing elements 21, 22 are interconnected by means not shown screws and the bead 20 a while between them terminals. The emergency glove 20 is fastened to the first flange ring 8 by means of a plurality of hollow screws 23, which are screwed into a thread in the through hole 12. This condition is shown in FIG. The hollow screws 23 have an inner passage opening, so that with a suitably trained tool through the hollow screw 23 through to the head of the second fastening means 11 can be passed.

Now, when such a leak occurs in the glove 2, an operator may first return the lid 3 to the original position, i. put on, and fasten by means of the flexible elements 3b on the first mounting ring 5. Then, as described above, the

Emergency glove 20 attached to the first flange 8. Subsequently, the second fastening means 11 are released through the hollow screw 23 and the through hole 12 therethrough. The operator reaches with his hand into the emergency glove 20 and grips the handle 3 a of the lid 3, wherein additionally the broken glove 2 is therebetween. The cover 3, together with the broken glove 2, is deposited in the interior I of the insulation housing and can then be handled by means of the emergency glove 20. This is shown in Figure 6, wherein for reasons of clarity, the lid and the broken glove 2 are not shown. Furthermore, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 6, an inwardly directed end of the second fixing element 22 bears directly against the fifth seal 17, so that an additional seal is provided on the outer circumference of the emergency glove 20.

According to the invention, a contaminated glove 2 can thus be removed or installed as a self-contained, leakproof system. Further, by using the lid 3, it can be ensured that only used gloves need to be cleaned since the lid protects unused gloves from contamination. Also, a damaged glove 2 can be quickly and easily replaced by the emergency glove device, without causing a risk of contamination for the outside A. It should also be noted that there is preferably a slightly greater pressure on the outside than on the inside of the insulating housing, so that it is prevented that, for example, contaminated air can pass through the defective glove 2 to the outside A.

According to the invention, cleaning of a used glove 2 can also take place temporally and spatially independently of the insulation housing. The invention is particularly applicable in connection with toxic or harmful substances which must be processed in the interior of the insulation housing. Also, the Handling device 1 in chemical or pharmaceutical applications, such as sterile fillings or the like, are used.

Furthermore, the lid 3 protects the unused glove 2 from unnecessary contamination. The cover 3 further avoids that the glove 2 is taken during operation in moving machine parts on the inside.

Claims

claims 1. Handling device for handling on an inner side (I) of a sealed insulating housing by a housing wall in a (4) provided opening (4a) comprising a glove made of a flexible material (2), a first fastening ring (5), a second fastening ring (6) and a glove (2) releasably arranged lid (3) with a handle (3a), wherein a rear open end of the glove (2) between the first and second fastening ring (5, 6) is fixed, wherein the lid (3) is directed to the inside (I) of the insulating housing, and wherein the handle (3a) of the lid (3) is directed towards the outside (A) of the sealed insulating housing to the lid (3) from the first mounting ring (5) to solve, so that the Glove (2) to the inside (I) of the insulation housing is einstülpbar. 2. Handling device according to claim 1, further comprising a first flange (8) and a second flange (9), wherein the first and second flange (8, 9) in the opening (4a) of the housing wall (4) is arranged, wherein the first flange ring (8) is connected to the second flange ring (9) in such a way as to be fastened to the housing wall (4) by means of a clamping force, a first seal (13) being provided between the housing wall (4) and the first flange ring (8) is arranged and wherein between the housing wall (4) and the second flange (9), a second seal (14) is arranged. 3. Handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first and second flange ring (8, 9) by means of a plurality of first fastening means (10) are interconnected. 4. Handling device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first fastening ring (5) by means of a plurality of second fastening means (11) on the second flange ring (9) is releasably attached. 5. Handling device according to claim 4, characterized in that a Head portion of the second fastening means (11) in a through hole (12) in the first flange (8) is arranged. 6. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a sensor device (18) for detecting a removal of the lid (3) from Glove (2). 7. Handling device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor device (18) comprises a first sensor element (18a), which in the lid (3) is arranged, and a second sensor element (18b) which directly or indirectly on the Housing wall (4) is arranged. 8. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a Nothandschuhinrichtung with a Nothandschuh (20), a first fixing element (21) and a second fixing element (22), which fix the Nothandschuh (20) between them. 9. Handling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the second fixing element (22) is formed substantially sleeve-shaped with a sleeve portion and a radial flange portion, wherein one end of the sleeve portion to a sealing element (17) on the second flange (9) seals. 10. Handling device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the Nothandschuhinrichtung by means of hollow screws (23) on the first flange (8) is fixable, wherein the hollow screws are screwed into threads, which in the Through hole (12) are arranged. 11. A method for cleaning a handling device (1) for a device with high purity requirements, wherein the handling device (1) comprises a flexible glove (2), a fastening device (5, 6) and a cover (3), and in one at a Housing wall (4) of the device formed opening (4a) is arranged, comprising the steps: Placing the cover (3) on the fixing device (5, 6) to cover a contaminated side of the glove (2), the uncontaminated side of the glove (2) Glove is directed to the outside (A) of the device, Cleaning the device on the inside (I) including the side of the cover (3) directed towards the inside (I), Detaching the handling device (1) from the housing wall (4), - Remove the handling device (1) from the device and - Remove the lid (3) and clean the lid and the glove (2) of the handling device at a separate cleaning location outside the device with high purity requirements.