Total-containment sterile process and system
First Claim
1. A tube welding assembly for butt welding two plastic tubes together comprising a pair of holders, said holders being aligned with each other and being non-shiftable with respect to each other, each of said holders including clamping means for clamping a respective one of the tubes while the tube is transversely folded across a fold line, a slitting station having slitting means for being disposed between said holders, said holders and said slitting means being relatively movable with respect to each other to permit said slitting means to be positioned for slitting each of the folded tubes generally at their fold lines when the tubes are relatively moved into contact with said slitting means, a welding station having heating means, said holders and said heating means being relatively movable with respect to each other for heating the cut tubes to their welding temperature, and means for moving said holders toward each other to cause the heated cut tubes to contact each other and be butt welded together without any re-alignment of the tubes.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process and system is provided for making a connection between two fluid-filled plastic tubes that ensures total containment of potentially dangerous fluids and maintaining sterility of the connection. The tubes are folded to remove all fluid from the weld site and positioned to cause the connection to take place in this fluid free zone. Each folded section is first cauterized to create a bacteria free zone, the tubes are slit in the zone, and cauterized a second time to insure sterility and melt the tube ends. The tubes are urged together and as the thermoplastic resin cools, a totally contained, sterile weld is formed.
-
Citations
31 Claims
- 1. A tube welding assembly for butt welding two plastic tubes together comprising a pair of holders, said holders being aligned with each other and being non-shiftable with respect to each other, each of said holders including clamping means for clamping a respective one of the tubes while the tube is transversely folded across a fold line, a slitting station having slitting means for being disposed between said holders, said holders and said slitting means being relatively movable with respect to each other to permit said slitting means to be positioned for slitting each of the folded tubes generally at their fold lines when the tubes are relatively moved into contact with said slitting means, a welding station having heating means, said holders and said heating means being relatively movable with respect to each other for heating the cut tubes to their welding temperature, and means for moving said holders toward each other to cause the heated cut tubes to contact each other and be butt welded together without any re-alignment of the tubes.
- 11. A tube welding assembly for butt welding two plastic tubes together comprising a pair of holders, each of said holders including clamping means for clamping a respective one of the tubes while the tube is transversely folded across a fold line, a slitting station having slitting means for being disposed between said holders, said holders and said slitting means being relatively movable with respect to each other to permit said slitting means to be positioned for slitting each of the folded tubes generally at their fold lines when the tubes are relatively moved into contact with said slitting means, a welding station having heating means, said holders and said heating means being relatively movable with respect to each other for heating the cut tubes to their welding temperature, means for moving said holders toward each other to cause the heated cut tubes to contact each other and be butt welded together, an aligning station having an aligning member, said aligning member and said holders being relatively movable with respect to each other, and said aligning member being located in the spacing between said holders whereby the folded tubes may be aligned with each other against said aligning member.
-
16. A tube welding assembly for butt welding two plastic tubes together comprising a pair of holders, each of said holders including clamping means for clamping a respective one of the tubes while the tube is transversely folded across a fold line, a slitting station having slitting means for being disposed between said holders, said holders and said slitting means being relatively movable with respect to each other to permit said slitting means to be positioned for slitting each of the folded tubes generally at their fold lines when the tubes are relatively moved into contact with said slitting means, a welding station having heating means, said holders and said heating means being relatively movable with respect to each other for heating the cut tubes to their welding temperature, means for moving said holders toward each other to cause the heated cut tubes to contact each other and be butt welded together, and a locator bar pivotally connected to each of said holders for being pivoted from a first inactive position to a second position whereby each tube may be folded over a respective locator bar.
- 17. A method of butt welding a pair of plastic tubes together comprising the steps of folding each tube along a fold line, clamping the tubes to maintain the tubes in a folded condition, slitting though each of the tubes generally along the fold line to form two sets of tube ends, heating the slit tubes to their welding temperature, and pressing the slit heated tubes together to butt weld at least one tube end from each of the tube sets together.
Specification