FLEXIBLE PINCH FITTING FOR CONTAINERS
A device for reducing or eliminating the dead space in a fitting and tubing used on a disposable container by using a flexible elastic fitting that can accommodate a pinch valve or a clamp or the like closer to the flange portion of the fitting. The fitting is formed of a flange and a neck portion with a bore running through them. The neck may terminate in either a tubular section or a hose barb. The neck end section especially when in the form of a hose barb can be reinforced to provide a platform for attaching a tubing to it.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/341,169, filed on Mar. 26, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a fitting for containers. More particularly, it relates to a flexible fitting capable of being pinched closed with little or no dead volume.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONBag style flexible containers are used in a variety of industries today including food, beverage, medical, chemical and the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. They offer a number of advantages over more conventional rigid containers for processing and storage of products and intermediates in that they are single use, thereby eliminating the need for cleaning, allow for a more flexible and changeable production line in that they can be connected to different components as needed unlike traditional dedicated stainless steel lines and can be presterilized such as with radiation (gamma or beta) or gases such as ethylene oxide (ETO).
The connections between containers are typically done with a rigid plastic barb fitting 2 as shown in
The fitting 2 has a flange 4 adjacent the bag 12, a substantially straight neck portion 6 and a barb portion 8 which is furthest from the flange. A through bore 5 runs through the fitting 2 from the flange to the barb 8. The fitting 2 is attached to an opening 10 of the bag 12, generally by heat sealing, sonic welding or adhesives such that the opening of the 10 of the bag 12 is in fluid communication with the bore 5 of the fitting 2 which in turn is in fluid communication with the bore 16 of a tubing 14. The tubing 14 is slipped over the barb 8 and rests on at least a portion of the neck 6 and is generally secured to the fitting 2 by a device such as a tie wrap 20 to ensure that it doesn't inadvertently slip off such as due to pressure within the system.
The bag 12 and fitting 2 are selectively closed off from the rest of the system generally by a device such as a pinch valve 18 or a clamp (not shown) which may be manually or automatically controlled.
The use of such fittings has shown deficiencies for dynamic processes such as mixing and bioreactors and others where the issue of dead volume may occur. As can be seen from
What is needed is a device that allows for the reduction and/or elimination of this dead space between the fitting 2 and the closing device 18.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention reduces or eliminates the dead space in the fitting and tubing before the valve by using a flexible elastic fitting that can accommodate a pinch valve or a clamp or the like closer to the flange portion of the fitting.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a fitting for a disposable plastic container having a flange portion capable of being sealed in a liquid tight manner to an opening in the bag and a neck portion extending outwardly from the flange portion and the opening of the bag and the fitting being formed of a flexible compressible, resilient plastic material. A device such as a pinch valve or clamp can be used on the fitting to compress the fitting to seal off the container.
A further embodiment of the present invention is to provide the neck with either a tubular end portion or a hose barb.
An additional embodiment is to provide a fitting formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoset such as a urethane or a rubber, natural or synthetic.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a flexible disposable container comprising a closed plastic bag having at least one port, at least one fitting formed of a flange portion sealed in a liquid tight manner to the at least one opening in the bag and a neck portion extending outwardly from the flange portion and the opening of the bag, the fitting being formed of a flexible compressible, resilient plastic material and a device capable of compressing the neck portion of the fitting so as to seal it off from the bag.
A further embodiment of the present invention is to provide the neck with either a tubular end portion or a hose barb.
An additional embodiment is to provide a fitting formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoset such as a urethane or a rubber, natural or synthetic.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a neck portion in the form of a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions and further comprising a connector having a first end with a hose barb and a second end with a hose barb and a planar portion between the two barb portions, the neck portion of the fitting farthest from the flange portion having the first barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector attached to it in a liquid tight manner and a tubing attached to the second barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector in a liquid tight manner.
An additional embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rigid insert at the portion of the fitting furthest from the bag.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rigid insert at the portion of the fitting furthest from the bag where the rigid insert is made of metal or plastic.
A further embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rigid insert at the portion of the fitting furthest from the bag wherein the insert is either molded into that portion or attached to a surface (inner or outer) of that portion of the fitting.
A further embodiment of the present invention is to provide a device for attaching the end of the neck to the tubing via tie wraps.
As shown in
The fitting materials include but are not limited to any elastomeric material such as thermoplastic elastomers, thermosets such as urethanes, especially closed cell foamed urethane, and rubber, both natural and synthetic. Preferably, they are thermoplastic elastomers such thermoplastic polyolefin and elastomeric alloys containing polyolefins so as to allow for the fitting to be heat bonded to the bag material directly. One such preferred material is a thermoplastic elastomer Versaflex® CL E85, a styrene block co-polymer blended with polyethylene polymer system available from GLS Corporation. Another materials would be RTP 2899 X 106530A, a thermoplastic polyolefin available from RTP Company. A further material is Santoprene® elastomers available from Advanced Elastomer Systems of Akron, Ohio.
Alternatively, the fitting may be made from another elastomeric material provided that a suitable means for attachment can be provided. For example one can use an intermediate material that bonds to the bag and to the fitting and have it bond to both so as to secure the fitting in place.
The present invention provides a fitting that allows one to clamp off the fitting closer to the opening of the bag so as to reduce or eliminate any dead space.
Claims
1) A fitting for a disposable plastic container comprising a flange portion capable of being sealed in a liquid tight manner to an opening in the bag and a neck portion extending outwardly from the flange portion and the opening of the bag and the fitting being formed of a flexible compressible, resilient plastic material.
2) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions.
3) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions and ending in a hose barb at a point of the neck farthest from the flange portion.
4) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of as thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyolefins, elastomeric alloys containing polyolefins, thermosets and rubber.
5) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyolefins and elastomeric alloys containing polyolefins.
6) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers selected from the group consisting of a styrene block co-polymer blended with polyethylene polymer and a thermoplastic polyolefin.
7) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermosets.
8) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a thermoset plastic selected from the group consisting of urethanes.
9) The fitting of claim 1 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and synthetic rubber.
10) A flexible disposable container comprising a closed plastic bag having at least one port, at least one fitting formed of a flange portion sealed in a liquid tight manner to the at least one opening in the bag and a neck portion extending outwardly from the flange portion and the opening of the bag, the fitting being formed of a flexible compressible, resilient plastic material and a device capable of compressing the neck portion of the fitting so as to seal it off from the bag and minimize dead space.
11) The container of claim 10 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions.
12) The container of claim 10 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions and further comprising a connector having a first end with a hose barb and a second end with a hose barb and a planar portion between the two barb portions, the neck portion of the fitting farthest from the flange portion having the first barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector attached to it in a liquid tight manner and a tubing attached to the second barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector in a liquid tight manner.
13) The container of claim 10 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions and ending in a hose barb at a point of the neck farthest from the flange portion.
14) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of as thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyolefins, elastomeric alloys containing polyolefins, thermosets and rubber.
15) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyolefins and elastomeric alloys containing polyolefins.
16) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic, selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers selected from the group consisting of a styrene block co-polymer blended with polyethylene polymer and a thermoplastic polyolefin.
17) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermosets.
18) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a thermoset plastic selected from the group consisting of urethanes.
19) The container of claim 10 wherein the fitting is made of a plastic selected from the group consisting of natural rubber and synthetic rubber.
20) The container of claim 10 wherein the neck portion is a tubular extension with a bore running through the flange and neck portions and further comprising a connector having a first end with a hose barb and a second end with a hose barb and a planar portion between the two barb portions, the neck portion of the fitting farthest from the flange portion having the first barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector attached to it in a liquid tight manner and a tubing attached to the second barb of the connector and a planar portion of the connector in a liquid tight manner and wherein the fitting and the tubing are attached to the connector via tie wraps.
21) The container of claim 10 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of pinch valves and clamps.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 24, 2011
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2011
Applicant: Millipore Corporation (Billerica, MA)
Inventor: Dennis Wong (Dedham, MA)
Application Number: 13/070,842
International Classification: B65D 33/16 (20060101);