US 11,987,488 B2
Module connector, module container, and sealing element therefor
Konrad Sümmermann, Wilmington, DE (US)
Assigned to VOLKMANN GMBH, Soest (DE)
Filed by Volkmann GmbH, Soest (DE)
Filed on Nov. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/099,981.
Prior Publication US 2021/0147213 A1, May 20, 2021
Int. Cl. B67D 3/00 (2006.01); B65G 65/44 (2006.01); F16L 29/02 (2006.01); F16L 37/28 (2006.01)
CPC B67D 3/0041 (2013.01) [B65G 65/44 (2013.01); B67D 3/0025 (2013.01); F16L 29/02 (2013.01); F16L 37/28 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A docking device for mechanically connecting, namely for docking and undocking, an upper container module of a multipart container for a fluid and a lower container module of the multipart container, wherein
the docking device comprises an upper docking segment, which is fastenable using an upper connecting means on an opening of the upper container module, and a lower docking segment, which is fastenable using a lower connecting means on an opening of the lower container module,
the fluid then moves due to gravity and/or due to pressure from the upper container module through a channel of the docking device into the lower container module, or moves due to buoyancy and/or due to pressure from the lower into the upper container module, if at least one valve body, which is movable by means of an actuating assembly arranged in the upper and/or in the lower docking element in the channel of the docking device is in an open valve body position,
an upper channel section is arranged in the upper docking segment and a lower channel section is arranged in the lower docking segment,
an upper docking region of the upper channel section and/or the upper docking segment and a lower docking region of the lower channel section and/or the lower docking segment can be arranged one inside the other and/or one on top of another in such a way that the fluid flows through an externally leak-tight channel in the open valve body position, and
an actuating assembly is arranged in the upper channel section and/or in the lower channel section, using which the valve body is actuatable so that it is movable from an open valve body position into a closed valve body position or from a closed valve body position into an open valve body position,
characterized in that the actuating assembly comprises at least one blocking assembly comprising at least one blocking means, wherein upper and lower docking segment are stably connectable with one another in that the blocking means is moved into a blocking position, wherein
during the docking process, upon actuation of the actuating assembly, firstly the blocking means is actuatable and subsequently the valve body, and
during the undocking process, upon actuation of the actuating assembly, firstly the valve body is actuatable and subsequently the blocking means.