Coupling fastener for a flexible container, a docking device for flexible containers, a method for emptying, filling or refilling bulk material from flexible containers, and two flexible containers which are coupled tightly with respect to the environment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling seal for a container flexible at least in sections, for example a bag or a hose, comprising a first and a second longitudinal sealing bead, which in each case are fitted with first and second sealing elements, and a coupler seal, which is provided with a longitudinal bead with adjacent third and fourth sealing elements, which can be connected reversibly, in particular sealed to the environment, with the first or respectively second sealing elements of the first and second sealing beads. Furthermore, the invention relates to a docking device, formed by two inventive coupling seals. At this point, the first and second sealing elements of the first coupling seal engage in each case in complementary first and second sealing elements of the second coupling seal. In addition, the invention relates to a container flexible at least in sections, whereof the opening is fitted with an inventive coupling seal. Finally, the invention relates to a process for in particular filling, refilling and/or emptying containers sealed to the environment by means of inventive coupling seals or respectively the inventive docking device.

1 . A first coupling seal for a container that is flexible at least in sections, comprising:
 a first sealing bead having a first end, an opposite second end in longitudinal extension, an inside, an outside, and a feed side, joining together the inside and the outside, wherein the feed side includes at least one first sealing element;   a second sealing bead having a first end, an opposite second end in longitudinal extension, an inside, an outside, and a feed side, joining together the inside and the outside, wherein the feed side includes at least a second sealing element,   wherein the first and second ends of the first sealing bead and the second sealing bead are adjacent with interdependent positioning of the insides of the first and second sealing beads, and wherein the first and second sealing elements extend to at least one of the adjacent first and second ends; and   a coupler seal comprising a bead having a first end and a second end in longitudinal extension from the first end, wherein at least one of the first and second end of the coupler seal has a limit stop, and a bearing side comprising a third sealing element in longitudinal extension on the bearing side connected reversibly to the first sealing element, and a fourth sealing element connected reversibly to the second sealing element.   
     
     
         2 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second end of the coupler seal has a limit stop, the first and/or second end of the first sealing bead has a limit stop, and the first and/or second end of the second sealing bead has a limit stop,
 wherein adjacent ends of the coupler seal and of the first and second sealing bead have a limit stop, the first and second sealing elements extending to the adjacent limit stops of the first and second sealing bead, and the third and the fourth sealing elements extending to the limit stop of the coupler seal, which adjoins the mutually adjacent limit stops of first and second sealing bead.   
     
     
         3 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second sealing bead has a retainer section in longitudinal alignment at the first and/or second end containing first or second bearing faces, an outside. 
     
     
         4 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first and second sealing bead in longitudinal alignment at the first and/or second end are elongated out over the first or second limit stop respectively and in transverse alignment, are spaced apart from the stop sides and in contact with the first or second limit stop in the form of retainer sections, containing the first or second bearing face respectively and extending from the first or second limit stop, and an inside and an outside, such that the first and second limit stop are positioned to bear on corresponding limit stops of a coupler seal of a second coupling seal. 
     
     
         5 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the coupler seal in transverse alignment between the bearing side and the side opposite the bearing side has a thickness, in the vicinity of the limit stop of the coupler seal which corresponds substantially to the distance between the bearing face of the retainer section of the first or second sealing bead, at a point where the bearing face meets the first or second limit stop, and the feed side of the first or second sealing bead respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sealing beads are made substantially from a flexible synthetic material and the coupler seal is made from at least one of a flexible synthetic material and a rigid material. 
     
     
         7 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing elements of the first and second sealing bead constitute a groove, and the third and fourth sealing elements of the coupling seal constitute a spring, which is complementary to the groove of the first or second sealing bead, such that the groove and the spring are reversibly engageable. 
     
     
         8 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the vicinity of the first and second end of the coupler seal, the bead of the coupler seal has in longitudinal alignment a take-up device, comprising a recess for receiving the retainer section of a first and/or second sealing bead of a second coupling seal, in the form of spaced-apart side walls, stretching away from the side opposite the bearing side of the bead. 
     
     
         9 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the take-up device is connected to the bead by at least one of a plug-in and a clip connection. 
     
     
         10 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the take-up device has at least one guide element on an inside of the spaced-apart side walls of the take-up device, which is engageable with a complementary guide element of the retainer section of the first and/or second sealing bead of a second coupling seal. 
     
     
         11 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein at least one retainer section of the first and/or second sealing bead has on its outside at least one guide element, which is engageable with a complementary guide element of the coupler seal of a second coupling seal. 
     
     
         12 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and third sealing elements and the second and fourth sealing elements match each other such that the feed side of the first or second sealing bead and the bearing side of the coupler seal fit tightly together in a connected state; and
 wherein the third and fourth sealing elements are at such a distance from one another that the inner sides of the first and second sealing bead, when connected with the first or second sealing element, fit tightly together.   
     
     
         13 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sealing element in longitudinal alignment are substantially the same length and the third and fourth sealing element in longitudinal extension are substantially the same length and are parallel, and the first and third sealing element and the second and fourth sealing element are substantially the same length in longitudinal alignment. 
     
     
         14 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second sealing bead are connected to one another by the retainer sections of their adjacent ends and by the inner side regions of adjacent limit stops, forming a closed periphery. 
     
     
         15 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container that is flexible at least in sections, comprises a bag, wherein an opening edge of the bag is connected separately or one-storied to the first and or second sealing bead. 
     
     
         16 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least first adjustment means at the first and/or second end of the coupling seal in the form of at least one of a pin and an inlet, for accommodating second adjustment means of a second coupling seal to be connected, by taking up complementary adjustment means of a first and/or second sealing bead of a dockable second coupling seal and   at least second adjustment means of the first and/or second sealing bead at the first and/or second end in the form of at least one of a pin and an inlet, for taking up complementary adjustment means of a second coupling seal to be connected, for by taking up complementary adjustment means of a coupling seal of a dockable second coupling seal.   
     
     
         17 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising first centring means on the bearing face of a first and second retainer section in longitudinal alignment, which are engageable with complementary second centring means on the side of the coupling seal of a dockable coupling seal opposite the bearing side. 
     
     
         18 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second sealing bead, distant from the feed side, has a connection surface, for the opening edge of containers, having a thickness which is less than the thickness of the first or second sealing bead in the vicinity of the limit stops. 
     
     
         19 . A docking device for emptying and filling bulk goods, comprising a first and a second coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second sealing bead of the first coupling seal and the first and the second sealing bead of the second coupling seal are substantially the same length, and wherein the first and second sealing elements of the first and second sealing bead of the first coupling seal are complementary to the first and second sealing elements of the first and second sealing bead of the second coupling seal, such that the first and second sealing beads of the first and second coupling seal are reversibly connectable to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The docking device as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first and second coupling seal are connectable separately or one-storied to a flexible container. 
     
     
         21 . The docking device as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first and second coupling seal are substantially identical. 
     
     
         22 . The docking device as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the third and the fourth sealing elements of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal, while in the docked state of the first and second coupling seal, remain engaged with the first and second sealing elements of the first and second sealing bead of the first coupling seal, and the third and the fourth sealing elements of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal, while in the docked state, remain engaged with the first and second sealing elements of the first and second sealing bead of the second coupling seal. 
     
     
         23 . A container that is flexible at least in sections, containing at least a coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         24 . A method for filling and emptying containers, the method comprising:
 providing a first container flexible at least in the opening region, as claimed in  claim 23 , containing at least a first, coupling seal as claimed  claim 1 ;   providing a second container that is flexible at least in an opening region, as claimed in  claim 23 , containing at least a second coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 ;   applying the first end of the first sealing element of the first sealing bead of the first coupling seal to the first end of a complementary first sealing element of a first sealing bead of the second coupling seal;   applying the first end of the second sealing element of the second sealing bead of the first coupling seal to the first end of a complementary second sealing element of the second sealing bead of the second coupling seal, such that the complementary first and second sealing elements of the first and second coupling seal are engaged by an axial motion thereby interlocking the respectively complementary first and second sealing elements by axial sliding,   wherein the third and fourth sealing elements of the coupler seals of the first and second coupling seal are released successively from the connection with the first and second sealing element of the first and second coupling seal;   transferring bulk goods from the first container to the second container;   moving the first end of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal in the direction of the first end of this coupling seal;   moving the first end of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal in the direction of the first end of this coupling seal, such that the third and fourth sealing elements of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal are engaged successively with the complementary first and second sealing elements of the first and second sealing beads of the first coupling seal, and the third and fourth sealing elements of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal are engaged successively with the complementary first and second sealing elements of the first or second sealing bead of the second coupling seal, until the first and second sealing elements of the first coupling seal are no longer engaged with the complementary first and second sealing elements of the second coupling seal.   
     
     
         25 . The method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the limit stop of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal is brought up to the limit stops of the first and second sealing bead of the second coupling seal and the limit stop of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal is brought up to the limit stops of first and second sealing bead of the first coupling seal, so that at least in the vicinity of the limit stops, the bearing side of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal is substantially parallel to the stop sides of the first and the second sealing bead of the second coupling seal, and the bearing side of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal is substantially parallel to the stop sides of the first and second sealing bead of the first coupling seal. 
     
     
         26 . The method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the first and second bearing face of the first and second retainer section of the first coupling seal in axial alignment fits on the side opposite the bearing side of the bead of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal, and the first and the second bearing faces of the first and second retainer section of the second coupling seal fits on the side opposite the bearing side of the bead of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal. 
     
     
         27 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the first and second retainer sections of the first coupling seal are introduced to a recess of the coupler seal of the second coupling seal, and the first and second retainer sections of the second coupling seal are introduced to a recess of the coupler seal of the first coupling seal. 
     
     
         28 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sealing elements of first and second sealing bead constitute a spring and that the third and fourth sealing elements of the coupling seal constitute a groove, complementary to the spring of first or respectively second sealing bead, so that the groove and the spring are reversibly engageable. 
     
     
         29 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first sealing element of the first sealing bead constitutes a groove and the second sealing element of the second sealing bead constitute a spring, and the third sealing element of the coupling seal constitutes a spring, complementary to the groove of the first sealing bead, and the fourth sealing element of the coupling seal constitutes a groove, complementary to the spring of the second sealing bead, so that the groove and the spring are reversibly engageable. 
     
     
         30 . The coupling seal as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein, on the side opposite the bearing side of the coupling seal, there are at least second centring means, in longitudinal alignment, which are engageable with complementary first centring means on the bearing face of a first and second retainer section of a dockable coupling seal.