Sanitary sampling system

A sanitary sampling system for attachment to a tube portion of a fluid containing enclosure. The sanitary sampling system is comprised of a rigid stem portion for attachment to the tube portion of the fluid enclosure, a stopper portion having a lower portion for insertion into the rigid stem portion and tube portion, a disk-shaped orifice plate fitting for placement on the upper surface of the stopper portion and an adjustable clamp for adjustment around the stem portion, orifice plate fitting and stopper portions of the sanitary sampling system. The sanitary sampling system is designed to enable the stem portion, stopper portion and orifice plate fitting to interlock to form an air-tight and leak-free seal when the adjustable clamp is tightened.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a sanitary sampling system and, more 
particularly, to a reusable multi-portioned leak-free device for 
attachment to a fluid containing enclosure. 
During research, development, production or similar procedures in working 
with specialty fluids, a sanitary means of taking aliquot samples of the 
fluid of interest is often necessary. Although various devices which allow 
aliquot sampling to be taken have heretofore been provided, none have been 
particularly adapted for easily repeated sanitary intrusive sample taking 
of a contained fluid. There is, therefore, a need for the present sanitary 
sampling system which particularly lends itself to ease of repeated use 
without loss of fluid or contamination thereof. 
In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reusable 
sanitary sampling system to provide a means of taking numerous fluid 
samples without contaminating the fluid source and fluid sample. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary sampling system of 
the above character which is easy and convenient to use. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary sampling 
system of the above character which is inexpensive and can be constructed 
with ease. 
Additional objects and features of the present invention will appear from 
the following description in which the preferred embodiment is set forth 
in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIGS. 1-7, a preferred embodiment of a sanitary sampling system 10 made 
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is shown. As 
best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the present invention comprises four 
essential portions; the stem portion 14, stopper portion 16, orifice plate 
fitting 18 and clamp 20, which when assembled form an air tight and 
sanitary seal with the free end 13 of a tube 12 so as to be in direct 
fluid communication with a fluid containing enclosure (not pictured). 
In assembling the subject device on must first have a tube 12 which is 
connected and in fluid communication with a fluid enclosure (not 
pictured). The free end 13 of tube 12 is of a standardized size which 
enables stem portion 14 to be slipped thereon and may be held in position 
by friction fit or by an adhesive. 
Stem portion 14 is substantially tubular in shape having an outwardly 
extending area 69 which ultimately forms an upper ridge 70 having a larger 
diameter than that of the lower portion 71 just below extending are 69. As 
illustrated in FIG. 6, the upper surface 72 of stem portion 14 has a 
channel 73 which extends there around an equidistance from opening 77. The 
interior edge 74 of upper surface 72 extends inwardly whereby opening 77 
has a smaller diameter than that of the stem interior surface 76. This 
forms a seat member 75 as shown in FIG. 7 which when stem portion 14 is 
attached to tube 12 causes free end 13 of tube 12 to abut seat member 75 
to ensure a tight seal. 
Stopper portion 16 is designed to fit securely within stem portion 14 and 
tube 12. The stopper portion 16 has a lower tail portion 19 which is 
cylindrical in shape and has a disk-shaped head portion 21 integrally 
formed therewith. On the exterior surface 23 of tail portion 19 are 
various wedge-shaped bumps 17 which prevent any slippage of stopper 
portion 16 from within stem portion 14. Likewise, channel 73 on upper 
surface 72 of stem portion 14 is in direct contact with lower surface 25 
of head portion 21 to prevent movement of or fluid leakage around stopper 
portion 16 which is discussed in more detail below. 
Positioned on the top surface 27 of head portion 21 of stopper member 16 is 
orifice plate fitting 18. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, orifice plate 
fitting 18 is substantially disk-shaped with a slightly upwardly sloped 
upper surface 63 and an opening 66 which extends through the center 
thereof. On the lower surface 64 of orifice plate fitting 18 is a channel 
62 which, like channel 73, prevents movement of stopper portion 16 and 
prevents fluid leakage when fully assembled. 
Holding stem portion 14, stopper portion 16 and orifice plate fitting 18 in 
tight sealed communication is clamp 20 shown in detail in FIG. 4. Clamp 20 
is a 360.degree. clamp having two portions, a major arm portion 22 and a 
minor arm portion 24. Major arm portion 22 has a rod means 60 fixed by 
means of a pin 30 between an extended upper extension means 32 and an 
extended lower extension means 34. The free end 78 of rod means 60 has 
threaded engagement means 28 and a wing nut handle 26 which engages 
therewith. Major arm portion 22 likewise has an extended upper extension 
means 40 and an extended lower extension means 42 opposite extension means 
32 and 34. Major arm portion 22 has an 180.degree. curve as does minor arm 
portion 24. Minor arm portion 24 additionally has a mid extender 46 which 
fits between upper extension means 40 and lower extension means 42 of 
major arm portion 22 which serves as a hinge when pinned there between by 
pin member 44. Opposite mid extender 46 of minor arm portion 24 is upper 
extension 56 and lower extension 58. Rod member 60 may be positioned 
between upper and lower extensions 56 and 58 respectively. When rod member 
60 is so positioned, wing handle 26 is capable of being tightened by means 
of threaded engagement means 28 thereby locking clamp 20 around stem 
portion 14, stopper portion 16 and orifice plate fitting 18. When clamp 20 
is so positioned, upper edge 36 of major arm portion 22 and upper 
extending edge 48 of minor arm portion 24 overlap a portion of upper 
surface 63 of orifice plate fitting 18. Likewise, lower edge 38 of major 
arm portion 22 and lower extending edge 50 of minor arm portion 24 overlap 
a portion of outwardly extending area 69 of stem portion 14. 
Once clamp 20 is securely tightened around the other three portions of the 
device head portion 21 of stopper 16 is compressed between stem portion 14 
and orifice plate fitting 18. However, stopper portion 16 is constructed 
of a resilient material such that in the area of channel 73 and channel 
62, head portion 21 is not compressed and thereby extends into channel 73 
and channel 62 to interlock therewith as illustrated in FIG. 7. A strong 
air-tight seal is created by this interlocking action preventing any fluid 
communcation between the inside and outside of pipe 12. This prevents 
contaminants from entering the fluid within tube 12 as well as preventing 
any leakage. 
Once assembled, sanitary samples may then be collected by piercing a needle 
portion 80 of a syringe 82 through upper opening 84 in clamp 20, through 
opening 66 in orifice plate fitting 18 and piercing through stopper 16 so 
as to be in direct communication with the fluid in the interior of pipe 
12. A sample may then be extracted from pipe 12 by pulling plunger 86 
outwardly from within the syringe housing 88 and then removing the needle 
portion 80 from within the stopper 16 as well as the sampling system. This 
process may be repeated numerous times without leakage or contamination of 
the sample. 
The stopper portion 16 of the preferred embodiment may be constructed from 
a resilient synthetic material or natural rubber. The remaining portions 
of the sanitary sampling system according to the present invention may be 
constructed from rigid synthetic material, metal, wood or any combination 
of other similar rigid materials. 
The dimensions of the present invention will be standardized so as to be 
compatible with a variety of standard sized tubes. 
The foregoing been a description of the preferred embodiment of the present 
invention. Although many specific details have been described, it should 
be understood that the description is only for the purposes of explaining 
the invention and not limiting it. It should be further understood that 
the configuration of the sanitary sampling system proposed herein is not 
limited in any way except by the limitations contained in the claims which 
follow.