ES2693134T3 - Combination of at least one equipment that works with at least one hazardous material and a safety cabinet to store the corresponding hazardous material - Google Patents

Abstract

Combination of at least one equipment (1) that works with hazardous material and a safety cabinet (2) to store the corresponding hazardous material, in which - the safety cabinet (2) is equipped with lower rollers (9) and the equipment (1) and the safety cabinet (2) thus form a transportable work unit (1, 2), and in which - the safety cabinet (2) has inside one or several containers to receive the dangerous material intended to be evacuated from the equipment (1), characterized in that - a control unit (13, 13 ') is provided for recording the processed amount of dangerous material, - the control unit (13, 13') being coupled to a sensor with whose aid the volume of hazardous materials contaminated and stored in the container is measured.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Combination of at least one equipment that works with at least one hazardous material and a safety cabinet to store the corresponding hazardous material.

The invention concerns the combination of at least one equipment that works with at least one hazardous material and a safety cabinet for storing the corresponding hazardous material, in which the safety cabinet is equipped with lower rollers and the equipment and the control cabinet. Safety thus form a transportable work unit, and in which the security cabinet has inside one or several containers to receive the hazardous material intended to be evacuated from the equipment.

Security cabinets or dangerous material cabinets are generally used to store liquid hazardous materials, such as solvents. Such security lockers have in principle given good results and have been disclosed in multiple ways, such as, among others, document DE 20 2010 004 038 U1 of the applicant with additional documentation.

To protect the hazardous materials stored in the material of the safety cabinet or the cabinet of dangerous material against, for example, an explosion in case of fire, such cabinets generally have an automatic closing mechanism that at a certain temperature (overcoming this ) takes care that one or more cabinet doors adopt or keep their closed state.

In addition, such security cabinets have a fire-resistant construction on a regular basis. This is in principle known and has given good results.

Within the framework of the teachings according to DE 199 63 799 A1 a station for the transfer and dosing of liquid laboratory chemicals is described which is equipped with at least one extraction station for extracting a liquid chemical product and a control system programmable. In addition, there is a disposal station for discharging liquid laboratory waste in a large container. The transfer station is manufactured as a transfer cabin made of stainless steel and, consequently, is designed as a security cabinet or in a comparable way with a security cabinet. In the interior of this racking cabinet, a work table can be placed in conjunction with several dosing stations.

The state of the creative technique of the present object type according to WO 2004/085066 A1 deals with a laboratory equipment with at least one work surface having at least one drain and which is connected to a liquid container through of at least one drain. The liquid container is housed in a laboratory cabinet. Detectors, for example, mass spectrometers or UV spectrometers, as well as chromatography columns or an extraction hood can be positioned on the work surface.

The complete state of the technique can not convince in all aspects. Thus, the transfer station according to document DE 199 63 799 A1 is designed in the last term so that service persons must carry out the corresponding work inside. This is often overwhelming and, because of the vapors produced, is also perceived as harmful to health, so that such transfer stations practically do not enjoy acceptance in the market.

Reciprocally, equipment that work with hazardous materials or with at least one hazardous material is increasingly common in laboratories, although no convincing solutions have yet been provided for the supply of the corresponding equipment with the hazardous material and also for the discarded of this last one. Typically, the hazardous material consists of a solvent that is needed for the equipment in question. By way of example and without restriction, this could be a chromatograph or several of these chromatographs.

The solutions pursued up to now in practice generally resort to floating superstructures in which the equipment that works with the dangerous material, in the case of the example the chromatograph, joins, on the one hand, with a container for the feeding of the dangerous material and , on the other hand, one or more collection trays are often provided for disposal. This (already) does not meet the frequent standards and is especially met with the rejection of people in charge of the corresponding work. The invention is intended to remedy all this.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing such a combination so that the supply and disposal of the hazardous material is improved and, in particular, a health risk for the personnel can be excluded for the most part.

To solve this technical problem, a combination of the generic class described is characterized within the framework of the invention by the fact that a control unit is provided for recording the processed amount of dangerous material, the control unit being coupled to a sensor with whose help the volume of the

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hazardous materials contaminated and stored in the container.

Therefore, within the framework of the invention, it is first important that the equipment and the security cabinet define a work unit. This means that the equipment and the security cabinet are coupled with each other in such a way that they can cooperate with each other and, consequently, provide the unit of work in question. The coupling can be embodied in such a way that the equipment is connected in working order to the safety cabinet via, for example, one or several hoses. The one or more hoses could consist of supply hoses and / or discarded hoses. In the case mentioned above, the safety cabinet serves, for example, to store hazardous materials that are fed to the equipment through the one or more supply hoses. The alternative mentioned above corresponds to the hazardous materials processed in the equipment being discarded to the security cabinet through the one or more discarded hoses.

In both cases, the invention guarantees that the corresponding hazardous material is stored in the safety cabinet and that the equipment working with the hazardous material in question communicates with the safety cabinet to materialize the desired supply / disposal of the hazardous material. In this way, the equipment and the security cabinet form the unit of work discussed.

The invention thus ensures that the one or more hazardous materials are stored exclusively in the safety cabinet and, as a result, no dangerous health hazard can be derived for the service personnel from the hazardous materials. Indeed, the vapors of the hazardous material produced, for example, inside the safety cabinet are typically evacuated through an installed suction system. In addition, the hazardous material in question is optimally protected inside the security cabinet, especially in case of fire. This applies both to the case that the hazardous material is needed, for example, in pure form for the supply of the equipment. Also, for when the hazardous material processed, for example, in the equipment is contaminated and discarded to the security cabinet or a container located inside the security cabinet. Thus, a huge security gain is observed and an acceptance of this combination in the laboratories and on the part of the users is obtained without limit.

Furthermore, since the unit of work in question is designed as transportable within the framework of the invention, flexibility is further increased. In effect, such equipment that works with one or several hazardous materials are used and are frequently needed in different places of the laboratory. The transportable design of the work unit now makes this use possible in variable locations.

Finally, the coupling of, on the one hand, the safety cabinet and, on the other hand, the equipment that works with the hazardous material makes it possible to monitor the volumes used of the corresponding hazardous material. Whenever it is, for example, a solvent, you can monitor the amount of liquid, the level of the liquid, etc. This applies alternately for the supply of hazardous material and also for the disposal of the contaminated hazardous material, as well as for combinations of a supply and a waste. The state of the art and the practice of hitherto do not open such surveillance possibilities, since work units have not been defined in the sense according to the invention.

The equipment that works with the one or several hazardous materials can consist, for example, of a chromatography equipment and especially a high-performance liquid chromatography equipment. Such high-performance liquid chromatography equipment is also referred to as HPLC (High Perfomance Liquid Chromatography) installations. It is generally a method of analysis with the help of which not only substances can be separated, but also these substances can be identified and quantified by means of standards. Unlike gas chromatography, with the help of high-performance liquid chromatography, non-volatile substances can also be analyzed. Typically hazardous materials or solvents are needed for this.

In general, the respective substance or sample to be studied is pumped through a separation column together with a so-called eluent, for example, a solvent or in general the hazardous material, to retain the impurities. Some substances of the sample to be studied have a different flow velocity in the separation column, so that they appear temporarily one after the other at the outlet of the separation column. This occurrence is temporarily displayed on a fan of some substances in the sample at the exit of the separation column and this makes it possible to analyze the sample in terms of certain substances, specifically both quantitatively and qualitatively. Further details of corresponding analysis apparatuses are described by way of example in DE 39 27 863 C2 with additional bibliographical citations.

The safety cabinet in the combination according to the invention is typically configured as a table cabinet equipped with equipment placed on a table surface. This means that the safety cabinet has, on the side of the head or on the side of the roof, a table surface which in turn receives the equipment that works with the at least one hazardous material. This is, advantageously and in a non-limiting manner, a high-performance liquid chromatography equipment as described above. The writing itself can be placed removably on the table surface, that is to say that in general it is not mechanically linked to the table top and, consequently, is not connected to the security cabinet, although a variant of the table is possible.

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this class within the framework of the invention. In fact, the coupling or joining of the equipment to the safety cabinet in the sense of the combination according to the invention is carried out regularly through one or more hoses and / or cables, as explained below in more detail.

The security cabinet or the table cabinet can be designed as a low cabinet and, consequently, it can have a mounting height or working height corresponding to that of a usual table top or a table surface. A user can thus immediately use the combination according to the invention for his work in the analysis of substances, since the equipment working with the at least one hazardous material is disposed at a usual working height.

By way of example, it could be a security cabinet as described in more detail in DE 20 2008 016 975 U1 of the applicant. Of course, the invention is not limited to this. The security cabinet regularly presents one or several containers inside it. In the container in question the one or more hazardous materials are stored for the supply of the equipment and / or the disposal of the same. This is generally carried out in a flexible manner, since the safety cabinet is made as a whole as transportable. Since the equipment is placed on the table surface of the safety cabinet, the transportable design of the combination according to the invention is provided as a whole.

To this end, the safety cabinet could be equipped with lower rollers. At this point, both rotating rollers and stationary support rollers, as well as combinations thereof, have proved to be particularly favorable. Furthermore, one or more rollers could be equipped with an interlock or brake to immobilize the combination according to the invention in the desired work station.

The table surface of the security cabinet has at least one perforation for at least one hose that communicates with the equipment and / or an electrical supply line and / or a data line. In general, several hoses are provided which are arranged between, on the one hand, the perforation of the surface of the table of the security cabinet and, on the other hand, the equipment.

Since the corresponding hoses are generally connected in a hermetic manner to means and especially to air, on the one hand, to the equipment and, on the other hand, to the perforation of the table surface, any contamination of the equipment can be avoided in a simple manner. . In addition, a hermetic and airtight design and air-tight can be achieved as a whole. This is of special importance taking into account the background that any contamination during the high-performance liquid chromatography used in general must be avoided in any case, since, otherwise, these soiling would distort the result of the analysis.

The drilling generally consists of a discarded drill to connect waste hoses to the corresponding equipment. In this case, the security cabinet works, so to speak as a discarding cabinet. However, the drilling may also be designed as a provisioning drill to connect supply hoses. In this case, the security cabinet works as a provisioning station for the equipment.

The security cabinet as such is typically designed in at least two parts. In this context, most of the time a hazardous material compartment and an additional compartment or storage compartment are used. In the hazardous material compartment are the one or several containers to receive the hazardous material. On the contrary, the storage compartment or additional compartment can be designed to receive, for example, a computer or in general a control device or other necessary equipment. According to the invention, a computer of this kind or, in general, a control unit with the control device and a display unit as integral parts thereof have been implemented and this control unit serves to record the processed quantity of hazardous materials. This means that with the help of the control unit and the volume measurement sensor, the consumption of the corresponding hazardous material can be measured and recorded during the provisioning of the equipment.

With the control unit, the produced waste or the amount of hazardous materials contaminated can also be determined. In addition, the plausibility of the values in question is checked and they are compared with each other.

As a result, a combination of at least one equipment working with at least one hazardous material and a safety cabinet for storing the corresponding hazardous material is provided, in which the equipment and the security cabinet form the transportable work unit described. In this way, the security cabinet works, so to speak, as a work table to receive the equipment and at the same time as a supply / disposal station for the necessary hazardous materials.

In addition, the complete work unit is designed as transportable, which can be used and placed flexibly in different jobs. Finally, there is the possibility of coupling the security cabinet with the equipment in a hermetic way to means and even hermetica to air, so there is no fear of eventual

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equipment fouling. In this you can see the essential advantages.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with the help of a drawing that represents only an example of embodiment; show:

Figures 1 and 2, different perspective views of the combination according to the invention and Figure 3, a schematic front view of the combination according to Figures 1 and 2.

The figures show a combination of at least one equipment 1 that works with at least one hazardous material and a security cabinet 2. The equipment 1 is constituted in the present case by a team 1 with whose help samples can be analyzed in the sense of a high-performance liquid chromatography, typically being necessary for this one or more hazardous materials in the form of solvents. The safety cabinet 2 is now used to store the corresponding hazardous material or solvent in the case of the example.

According to the invention, the equipment 1 and the safety cabinet 2 form a transportable work unit 1, 2. According to the embodiment, the equipment 1 and the safety cabinet 2 are coupled to each other through several hoses 3 only and thus define the corresponding work unit 1, 2. The hoses 3 consist of the exemplary embodiment in waste hoses 3. This means that the hazardous materials or solvents processed inside the equipment 1 that have been soiled by the corresponding process they are discarded to the safety cabinet 2 through the corresponding waste hoses 3.

To this end, the security cabinet 2 is equipped inside with one or more containers not expressly represented which, in the case of the example, receive and store the contaminated hazardous materials. The containers in question or the at least one container can be removed from the safety cabinet 2 to dispose of the corresponding hazardous materials.

To this end, the security cabinet 2 has, on its front side, one or more doors 4. In principle, it is also possible to work with a cabinet and a corresponding drawer thereof. The two doors 4 of the cabinet are equipped in the case of the example shown with an automatic closing mechanism provided with a thermal safety that guarantees that both doors 4 of the cabinet close or remain closed when certain pre-set environmental conditions (ambient temperature) are exceeded.

The security cabinet 2 generally has a body 5 and a socket 6. In the base 6 there are provided some air inlet openings 7 which are connected or can be connected to a ventilation and venting equipment. Thus, the area immediately in front of the security cabinet can be ventilated. Of course, the interior space of the security cabinet 2 is also connected to the ventilation and venting equipment. In addition, the security cabinet 2 also has a table surface 8.

The security cabinet 2 is constituted in the present case by a table cabinet in the manner of a low cabinet, that is to say, a cabinet in which the table surface 8 presents on the side of the head a height as that observed or it exists in usual laboratory tables. In this way, the high-performance liquid chromatography equipment 1 can be placed on the corresponding table surface 8 at a favorable working height for a user.

As already explained, the security cabinet 2 has inside one or several containers not expressly represented. The containers are constituted in the exemplary embodiment by containers that are designed to receive the hazardous material in the course of their evacuation of the equipment 1. This means that the corresponding container receives contaminated hazardous material or contaminated solvent that has been produced in the container. course of liquid chromatography in equipment 1 during the analysis of a desired sample.

It is appreciated that the entire combination is designed together as a transportable work unit 1, 2. The safety cabinet 2 itself is designed to be transportable. For this purpose, the safety cabinet 2 has lower rollers 9 which can be designed as rotating rollers or as stationary support rollers and also as combinations thereof. Furthermore, a brake / interlock could be associated with one or more rollers 9 in order to be able to immobilize the combination or the transportable work unit 1,2 at the desired place of use.

The table surface 8 of the safety cabinet 2 has at least one perforation 10, 11. In the exemplary embodiment, two perforations 10, 11 are formed, namely a perforation 10 for hoses 3 communicating with the equipment 1 and an additional perforation. 11 for power supply lines 12. Furthermore, drilling 11 could also be used for data lines not expressly represented. As already explained above, the hoses 3 consist of discarded hoses 3 and, consequently, the perforation 10 is designed as a discarding perforation 10. The discarded hoses 3 provide airtight connection to air and media between, for a side, drilling 10 and, on the other hand, the equipment 1, with what of this

air or other dirt can not reach the high-performance liquid chromatography equipment 1.

In the present case, the security cabinet 2 is constructed in at least two parts comprising a hazardous material compartment 2a and an additional compartment or storage compartment 2b. Each compartment 2a, 2b is associated with a respective cabinet door 4. The additional compartment or storage compartment 2b serves in the exemplary embodiment for receiving a computer. Furthermore, in the case of the example, a control unit 13, 13 'can also be seen with the help of which several individual parameters can be recorded. In the exemplary embodiment, the control unit 13, 13 'is coupled to a sensor with the help of which the volume of hazardous materials contaminated and stored in the container can be measured.

In this way, the level of the liquid in the container can also be determined and, for example, a warning can be transmitted to a remote control station indicating that the container in question has to be emptied and changed. Furthermore, it can be seen with the help of FIG. 1 that the control unit 13, 13 'can be divided into two parts comprising a display unit 13 and a control device 13'. The control device 13 'could be the computer. The control apparatus 13 'is arranged in the storage compartment or additional compartment 2b.

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Claims (6)

1. Combination of at least one equipment (1) that works with hazardous material and a safety cabinet (2) to store the corresponding hazardous material, in which - the safety cabinet (2) is equipped with lower rollers (9) and the equipment (1) and the safety cabinet (2) 5 thus form a transportable work unit (1,2), and in which - the security cabinet (2) has inside one or several containers to receive the hazardous material destined to be evacuated from the equipment (1), characterized by - a control unit (13, 13 ') is provided to record the processed amount of hazardous material, 10 - the control unit (13, 13 ') being coupled to a sensor with whose help the volume of the materials is measured dangerous doped and stored in the container. Combination according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety cabinet (2) is configured as a table cabinet with the equipment (1) placed on a table surface (8). Combination according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the table surface (8) of the security cabinet (2) has at least one perforation (10, 11) for hoses (3) communicating with the equipment (1). ) I electrical supply lines (12) and / or data lines. Combination according to claim 3, characterized in that the perforation (10) is configured as a discarding perforation (10) for the connection of waste hoses (3). Combination according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the safety cabinet (2) 20 is constructed in its interior as at least two parts comprising a compartment of dangerous material (2a) and an additional storage compartment or compartment (2b). Combination according to claim 5, characterized in that the storage compartment or additional compartment (2b) is equipped to receive a computer or in general a control device (13 ').