WO1996004185A1

WO1996004185A1 - Container device for storage of media

Info

Publication number: WO1996004185A1
Application number: PCT/DK1995/000293
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jakob Bøgh POULSEN; Ole Ploug
Original assignee: Danfoss A/S
Priority date: 1994-08-03
Filing date: 1995-07-07
Publication date: 1996-02-15
Also published as: SE9402623D0; SE9402623L; AU2976595A

Abstract

A container device (1) for storing media, comprising a plurality of inner containers (4) and an outer container (2), which is adapted to receive the inner containers and is provided with means (4) for enabling filling and/or emptying of at least one inner container, characterized in that the inner containers (4) comprise a row of interconnected bags (4, 6, 7) manufactured from foil (12) , and that at least one wall (2a) of the outer container is provided with at least one opening (5) through which outer connection to at least one bag is enabled.

Description

CONTAINER DEVICE FOR STORAGE OF MEDIA

The present invention concerns a container device for storage of media, comprising a plurality of inner containers and an outer container, which is adapted to receive the inner containers and is provided with means for enabling filling and/or emptying of at least one inner container.

US 5,171,538 discloses a medical analysis apparatus including a container device substantially corresponding to the container device stated above. The analysis apparatus utilizes a plurality of chemicals from separated inner containers. The inner containers, which may have different thicknesses, are relatively high and thin and are placed side by side in separate compartments in an outer container. The compartments are separated by partition walls which are joined to a back wall of the outer container. The inner containers are made from stiff plastics material and have refill and discharge means in the shape of a refill connector and a discharge connector. The refill connector is located on top of the container and is closed by a releasable lid. The discharge connector is located in an end wall close to the bottom of the container. When an inner container is mounted, its discharge connector is pierced by a needle arranged in the back wall of the outer container. The discharge connector is adapted to close as the needle is withdrawn when the inner container is removed from the outer one.

Exchange of individual inner containers is easily made, but it is practically impossible to change all the inner containers simultaneously. Stiff containers require some kind of ventilation when drawing off liquid. This may be complicated to accomplish when chemicals within the containers may not be influenced by air. Consequently, particular venting systems having communication to inert gas may be necessary. The object of the present invention is to provide a container device of the kind initially stated which does not exhibit the drawbacks of the known device. Particularly, the inner containers shall be simple and economic to manufacture and simple to exchange, in particular simultaneously.

This object is achieved in that the container device according to the present invention has obtained the characteristic features stated in the appended claim 1.

Hereby may be achieved a simple and economic storing of liquid or gaseous media. Different media shall often be used together, but mixing may take place only in connection with use. Then, it is an advantage that the media can be delivered gathered in a belt shaped or chainlike interconnected row of bags. The cost of the bags is moderate and they may be manufactured from material that can be disposed of with minimal pollution. Due to the bags being connectable through the wall of the outer container to a source of medium or a consumer of medium, it is achieved that the outer container supports and protects the relatively flexible and soft bags such that media may be transported in the bags without a risk for discharge. If a bag is ruptured, the outer container will protect against discharge. Exchange of several bags simultaneously can take place by change of the outer container with its entire content of bags.

As material for the bags is used flexible, weldable and/or glueable foil materials which may be gas tight or non-gas tight and which are well-known to a person skilled in the art. In certain cases it may be an advantage if the material is liquid tight but not gas tight. Hereby, gas may flow through the wall of the bag from a liquid medium in a bag, and air can be introduced into a bag when drawing off a liquid medium. In a chain of interconnected bags at least one bag may be intended and adapted for storing of used media. Hereby, used media may be returned to the row of bags and the total volume remains substantially constant.

A chain of bags may preferably include at least one bag for pressure and/or volume compensation. Hereby, temperature depending volume expansion as well as volume changes due to discharge or refill of a bag may be compensated for by the conpensation bag such that the total volume of the bags remains substantially constant.

Each of the bags may have a connecting piece that is fastened in a hole in the wall of the outer container. Hereby is assured the correct location of the bags in the outer container, which in turn ensures that the bags obtain a proper outer connection. The connecting piece may be adapted to be pierced by a needle for refill or discharge of medium, and preferably a connecting piece is hermetically closed before it is firstly opened. Hereby is achieved a large durability for media stored in the bag.

The connecting pieces may have a groove and attachment of the connecting pieces after mounting in the wall of the outer container may be achieved by lock rings in the grooves. Hereby is achieved a simple and secure retainment of the bags.

The connecting pieces may be shaped such that they co-operate with a snap lock in the wall of the outer container. Hereby, mounting of the bags in the outer container is further simplified.

The connecting pieces of the bags may be opened by needles when the outer container is mounted on a consuming apparatus. Hereby may be obtained a fast and simple connection between bags and the consumer. In order to prevent leakage from the bags, the connecting pieces may preferably close by themselves when the needles are removed.

The bags may have openings for refill, and the openings may be locked by a diaphragm allowing exhaust of gas from the liquid in the bags. Hereby may be achieved that air dissolved in liquid may leave the volume. Possibly, exhaust of gas from liquid may take place after refill. Exhaust of gas may take place by variation of pressure or temperature.

Preferably the volume between the bags may be filled with liquid. Hereby is achieved that the surrounding liquid supports the bags. Simultaneously, the surrounding liquid will provide for a good conduction of heat between the individual bags such that the temperature in the separate bags is substantially equal. The outside of the outer container may be cooled, and with a good transfer of heat to the inner bags rapid cooling of the media is assured. The media are enclosed firstly by the bag, thereafter by a surrounding liquid and outermost by a container. Hereby, smelling genes from greatly smelling chemical compounds are reduced. Storge of the container can take place at low temperature, and a number of media can advantageously be freezed. If the container is freezed, it may be transported to the consumer as deep-freezed.

Advantageously, the invention may be practised in that the belt of interconnected plastic bags are wound like a spiral about each other. Hereby may be obtained a defined winding in order to certainly place the bags in a predetermined relation to each other.

The belt of bags may also be wound in a double spiral having the approximate centre of a row of bags in its centre. Hereby may be achieved that between layers of bags with chemicals there are bags for, e.g. , pressure equalization and bags for used chemicals. Hereby, gradual emptying of bags will correspond to gradual filling of other bags having approximatively the same location.

The belt of bags may be bent, folded and/or wound such that the connection pieces form a matrix that can be mounted in a matrix of holes in the container wall. Hereby connection can be created to a great number of different bags in the container.

The bags may be manufactured from several layers of plastic material, where the layers have different properties. Hereby bags may be produced having particular properties for storing of chemical compounds.

The bags may be manufactured from foil formed by co-extrusion of one layer of polyethylene, one layer of polyamide and one layer of polyethylene. Hereby bags are formed having outermost a layer resistent to a large number of chemicals, and in the middle a layer acting as a diffusion barrier.

The outer container may advantageously be manufactured from a material which is impermeable to light. Hereby the container can be used for media which are light sensitive. Thus, the bags are not exposed to light, and the bags are safeguarded against deterioration by sunlight.

In certain cases it may also be suitable that the material of the outer container is gas tight.

Advantageously, the outer container may be manufactured from a impact resistent material. Hereby, transportation of containers can take place without the use of a particular packing. Even if a bag is ruptured, the contents of the bag will remain within the outer container.

Advantageously, the row of bags may be used for storing chemicals for a chemical analysis apparatus. Hereby,

SUBSTITUTE SHEET reagents may be stored in interconnected plastic bags in an outer container having a number of connections to the analysis apparatus. The analysis apparatus may discharge used reagents to an empty bag in the container, such that the volume in the container remains constant.

The invention will now be described, reference being made to the annexed schematic drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a container device according to the invention having one outer container and several interconnected inner containers,

Fig. 2 shows the container device according to fig. 1 having one inner container for receiving used chemicals and one for pressure equalization,

Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of a connection with the outer container,

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of a connection with the outer container,

Fig. 5 shows an example of manufacturing of a row of bags,

Fig. 6 shows the row of bags according to fig. 5,

Fig. 7 shows winding of a row of bags to a spiral, and

Fig. 8 shows a row of bags wound to a double spiral.

Fig. 1 shows a container device 1 including an outer container 2 containing a plurality of inner containers 4. The inner containers 4 consist of bags which are interconnected and form a row 3 of bags. In order to provide for an outer connection to the bags 4 the bottom 2a of the outer container 2 is provided with openings 5 through which communication towards the exterior can be obtained for refill and/or discharge of the bags. The openings 5 could just as well be located in a side wall 2b of the outer container 2.

Fig. 2 shows the same container device as fig. l, but shown here as an inner container or bag 6 in an empty state. This empty container can be used for receiving media from full bags 4, such that waste products can be brought back to one or more empty bags 6 of the rows 3 of bags. One bag 7 is shown to be partly filled with medium. By placing at least one non-filled bag in the row of bags, this bag can yield for possible volume expansion in the surrounding bags.

In fig. 2 is indicated the surface of a liquid 8 filling the space within the outer container 2 around the bags. The liquid 8 surrounding the bags supports the bags 4, 6, 7, so that they do not upset, and it provides a further protection if medium leaks out from one of the bags. Thus, there will be a great dilution with the surrounding liquid 8 while the outer container 2 still safeguards against pollution of the environment.

The liquid around the bags also creates a pressure against the bags which on one hand exposes liquid in the bags for pressure facilitating discharge and on the other hand compresses the soft bags at discharge such that there is no need for introducing replacement air.

Fig. 3 shows one of the bags 4 and its connection to the exterior through the bottom 2a of the outer container. The bag is provided with a connecting piece 9 co-operating with the hole 5 in the wall of the outer container. The opening in the connecting piece 9 is shown here to be pierced by a needle 10 for connection to an outer consumer or supply.

Alternatively, the connecting piece 9 may be realized as a quick coupling automatically connecting the bag to the outer container and possibly also simultaneously providing an outer connection. Outer connections can also be achieved by means of a quick coupling connecting to a connecting piece 9 and thereby establishing direct communication to a medium within the bag. Use of needles 10 brings about the advantage that spillage at opening the bags is minimal, and if the connecting piece 9 is formed with a suitable slit closure it is capable of total closing when the needle 10 is removed.

One and the same connecting piece may be used for refill and discharge. Alternatively, separate connecting pieces may be provided for refill and discharge.

Like Fig. 3, Fig. 4 shows an individual bag 4 and its connection through the bottom 2a of the outer container, with the difference, however, that the connecting piece 9' is here retained by a lock ring 11. Hereby, the retainment of the connecting piece 9' is further secured, which may be an advantage if the media contained in a bag 4 has a lower specific gravity than the surrounding liquid 8. Instead of the lock ring 11, commonly known snap coupling devices may be used which automatically lock as soon as the connecting piece 9' is mounted in the opening 5. Alternatively, the connecting piece 9 may be glued or welded to the opening 5.

Fig. 5 shows schematically an example of manufacture of a row 3 of bags. In a foil 12 fed from, e.g., a non-shown roll, or extruded in a non-shown previous step, holes 13 are punched at predetermined distances. In each hole 13 a connecting piece 9 is mounted. The connecting piece 9 has a larger diameter than the hole in the bag. Thereby is provided a welding edge or collar 14 that is tightly welded or glued to the connecting piece, whereafter an O-ring seal may be mounted. Alternatively or further, the connecting piece 9 may be provided with a collar which abuts the inside of the bag and is glued or welded thereto. The foil is folded about an imaginary line through the connecting pieces 9, whereafter the folded foil passes between rolls 15 and 16 pressing the lower edges 12' of the foil towards each other joining them together in a well-known way by means of for instance heat. Thereafter, in a similar way, joining of the opposed walls 12'' of the foil is achieved by means of jaws 17 and 18, such that individual bags 4 are produced having a predetermined size in the row of bags and being separated by tight seals 19.

Fig. 6 shows the finished row of bags having the connecting pieces 9 turned downwards. It appears that the bags have different lengths in the longitudinal direction of the row of bags. This can be simply achieved by programming control means for the jaws 17, 18, e.g., such that the jaws are approached to each other after a certain number of revolutions of the rolls 15, 16.

Fig. 7 shows how the row 3 of bags, comprising the individual bags 4, are wound to a spiral on a plate 8, being the bottom 2a of the outer container 2, and how the connecting pieces 9 are mounted in the holes 5 as the winding proceeds.

Fig. 8 shows schematically how a row of bags having differently sized bags 4 is wound to a double spiral. The winding has been performed substantially about the centre of the row of bags. In doing so, the lengths of the bags and the locations of the connecting pieces 9 has been adapted such that the connecting pieces in the wound spiral are located in a line. In a corresponding way the holes 5 in the bottom 2a of the outer container are arranged in a line.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A container device (1) for storing media, comprising a plurality of inner containers ( 4) and an outer container (2) , which is adapted to receive the inner containers and is provided with means (4) for enabling filling and/or emptying of at least one inner container, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d i n that the inner containers (4) comprise a row of interconnected bags (4,6,7) manufactured from foil (12) , and that at least one wall (2a) of the outer container is provided with at least one opening (5) through which outer connection to at least one bag is enabled.

2. Container device according to claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d i n that at least one bag (4,6,7) in a row of interconnected bags is provided with means (9) for refill and/or discharge of the bag, and that this means is adapted for outer connection through said opening (5) .

3. Container device according to claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d i n that said means is a connecting piece (9) tightly arranged in a wall of the bag, the outer dimension and shape of the connecting piece allowing introduction in said opening (5) such that communication with the interior of the bag may be provided by opening of the connecting means from the outside of the outer container (2) .

4. Container device according to claim 3, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d i n that the connecting piece (9) is attachable in said opening (5) .

5. Container device according to claim 2, 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the outer container (2) is provided with a plurality of said opening (5) , that said openings are arranged in a predetermined pattern, and that the row of interconnected bags is shaped such that said means (9) of a plurality of bags describe a pattern corresponding to said predetermined pattern of openings.

6. Container device according to claim 5, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d i n that the row of interconnected bags is folded in a zigzag pattern.

7. Container device according to claim 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d i n that the row of interconnected bags is wound to a spiral.

8. Container device according to claim 5 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the row of interconnected bags is wound to a double spiral, the centre of the row of bags being located substantially in the centre of the spiral.

9. Container device according to any one of claims 5, 6, 7 and 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the pattern of openings (5) and the pattern of said means (9) describe a straight line.

10. Container device according to claim 9, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d i n that the outer container (2) has the shape of a straight circular cylinder and that the straight line extends substantially diametrically over the bottom (2a) of the container.