ARTICLE TREATING APPARATUS

• US 3,650,038 A
• Filed: 10/16/1969
• Issued: 03/21/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joel W. Jansky, Patrick A. Alessi
• Original Assignee: Joel W. Jansky, Patrick A. Alessi
• Inventors: Alessi, Patrick A., Jansky, Joel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolk, Morris O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millman, D. G.
• Application Number:
  US04/867,008
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 21/58,91,DIG.4 222/541,4,5,83.5 34/22,36,45,54,201 141/17,19,87,91,92,94,83 312/31,36.1,31.2,31.3
• US Class Current: 34/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours

Abstract

Apparatus for sterilizing articles including means to release gaseous sterilant from cartridge held within the sterilizing chamber, said means actuated by pressure sensing means so as to release the sterilant only after a required degree of vacuum has been attained. May also include time-limit alarm means for the vacuum pulling stage and the sterilant releasing stage.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating articles deposited in an enclosed vessel by releasing thereto the conteNts of a closed container comprising:

a completely closed vessel;

means for holding a closed container entirely within said completely closed vessel;

container opening means associated with said vessel in operative juxtaposition to said container holding means and thereby to said container;

means for effecting relative movement of said container opening means and holding means to open said container; and

a first means for sensing a condition within said vessel, said sensing means being coupled to said relative opening movement effecting means to open said container in response to a predetermined sensed vessel condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which means are provided for varying the pressure within said vessel, and wherein said first sensing means comprises a pressure sensor arranged to detect the pressure within said vessel, said pressure sensor being coupled to said relative movement effecting means to automatically cause said relative opening movement in response to a predetermined monitored level of pressure in said vessel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 which further comprises means for automatically deactuating said pressure varying means when said predetermined opening pressure has not been achieved within a preset time after actuation thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said pressure varying means produces a vacuum in said vessel, in which said container opening means comprises a puncturing element adapted to puncture said container, and in which said container contents comprises volatile material, said apparatus further including means for maintaining said puncturing element and said container in their puncturing position for a period of time to control the exit rate of said cartridge contents.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said container contents change a condition within said vessel when released and which further comprises a second means for sensing said changed condition after said container has been opened, and alarm means coupled to said second sensing means to indicate when a predetermined quantity of change of the sensed condition has not occurred within a preset time after said container has been opened.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said two sensing means comprise pressure sensors arranged to sense the pressure within said vessel, and said container contents increase the pressure within said vessel when released, said apparatus further comprising means for evacuating said vessel, said first sensor being adapted to automatically actuate said relative opening movement effecting means to open said container in response to a predetermined high vacuum within said vessel, and said second sensor being adapted to energize said alarm means when a predetermined low vacuum condition has not been achieved within a preset time after said container has been opened.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises means for returning said container opening means and said container holding means to their initial relative positions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said relative opening movement effecting means comprises a pneumatic piston shiftable between retracted and advanced container opening positions, and wherein said returning means comprises spring means adapted to be strained by the shifting of said piston.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said relative opening movement effecting means comprises an assembly adapted to respond to a differential pressure force, said apparatus further comprising means for coupling said relative movement opening effecting means to a source of differential pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said coupling means comprises an electrically operable valve having three ports, said valve having a deactuated position in which a first valve port is in pneumatic communication with a second valve port;

a first conduit pneumatically interconnecting said pressure responsive assembly and said first valve port;

a second conduit pneumaticaLly interconnecting said enclosed vessel with said second valve port, the third said valve port being open to the atmosphere, whereby said valve may be actuated to establish pneumatic communication between said first and third valve ports to use the pressure differential force between said vessel and the atmosphere for opening said container and said valve may then be deactuated to fluidly inter-connect said first and second valve ports to equalize the pressure acting on said assembly and that of said vessel to facilitate return of said container opening means and said container to their initial relative positions.