EP0024750B1 - Method and apparatus for the opening of defective or non defective packages provided with recesses and the simultaneous regaining of the packed objects - Google Patents

Description

The packaging of objects in thermoformable film has taken a great development in recent years.

One of the applications is the so-called “blister” packaging, in which the object or objects are placed in one or more thermoformed cells or cells, which are then closed with another film, (paper, heat-sealable aluminum foil, etc ...).

This technique is used in particular for the packaging of pharmaceutical products (dragees, capsules, tablets, ova), toys, automotive articles, etc.

In practice, a number of these packages have defects for various reasons.

As a result, they cannot be marketed.

These packaging must be disposed of.

To do this, open the packaging and collect the wrapped objects.

Until now, this work was done, either manually, or with devices which proved to be impractical in use.

The object of the device, which is the subject of the present invention, is to make the operation of opening the packages and the simultaneous recovery of the enclosed objects, simple, automatic and rapid.

It is known, according to application EP-A-9538, to be taken into account under Article 54 (3) of the EPC, to empty packages comprising blisters mounted on a thin metal sheet by pressing on the blisters at their top and thus forcing the objects they contain to pass through the metal foil.

According to this same request, the packages to be treated are stored in a vertical store open at the bottom, where they are stacked with their blisters facing up. From the lower part of this store, they are taken in a horizontal direction towards the organ which will expel the contents.

We also know from the U.S. Patent. No. US-A-2,952,372, an apparatus for expelling coins from savings sheets comprising cubicles formed in a cardboard above which is glued a sheet of paper and below which is glued another sheet of paper with semicircular openings facing the cardboard boxes. Savings sheets are placed on a rigid support pierced with holes corresponding to the arrangement of the cubicles and capable of letting the coins pass through them.

This device has a location for receiving one sheet of savings at a time, placed by hand below the expulsion members of the coins, these comprising a set of punches suitable for piercing the upper film of the savings sheet and taking out of the boxes of the cardboard the coins which will leave them under the action of gravity, said punches being mounted on an interchangeable plate. The apparatus also includes a mechanism suitable for lowering the punches towards the savings sheet placed below them, so as to allow them to pass through the upper film of the sheet, to chase the coins in front of them and to passing through openings formed in the lower film of the savings sheet and a plate having passage openings for the punches and placed above the location receiving the savings sheets; as well as an interchangeable matrix placed below the punches to support the savings sheets during the action of the punches, this matrix being pierced with openings to allow passage to the coins expelled from the cubicles.

By document EP-A-9538, it is known to use a process for opening alveolar packaging, thermoformed, defective or not, in particular for pharmaceutical products, and the simultaneous recovery of the packaged objects, according to which the packaging is stored. alveoli, with the alveoli oriented upwards, in a charger, these are expelled one by one from the base of the charger and the wrapped objects are extracted from the expelled packaging. The method according to the invention is characterized in that said extraction is carried out by a press consisting of a die and punches and that, after extraction, the punches are raised which carry with them the emptied packaging; the emptied packaging then being ejected from the punches by abutment against a retaining member.

The invention also relates to a device for opening thermoformed alveolar packaging, defective or not and simultaneous recovery of the packaged objects, for the implementation of this method, comprising the charger for storing the packages loaded with their contents, a means to expel them one by one from the base of the magazine, as is known from EP-A-9538, characterized in that it further comprises the press consisting of the punches and the die, said die being movable to serve as a means for expelling the packaging of the magazine between a first position at the base of the magazine and a second position below and facing the punches, said die being pierced with openings located opposite the punches in the second position, the punches being mounted on a tray, a mechanism being adapted to lower the punches towards the packaging, so as to drive the objects in front of them and to pass them through openings formed in the lower face of the package, in that the device further comprises the retaining member forming a plate, perforated by passage openings for the punches and fixed above the location receiving the packages to be emptied of their contents.

• la machine est constituée par trois sous-ensembles importants, à savoir :
  • - le chargeur ;
  • - la presse et la matrice ;
  • - le châssis et les mécanismes de commande.
• la figure 1 annexée est une vue en élévation de l'ensemble d'un dispositif suivant l'invention, vu de devant ;
• la figure 2 annexée est une coupe faite suivant la ligne II-II de la figure 1.

Particular embodiments are specified in the dependent claims of process and device. A form of non-limiting application of the present invention can be described as follows:

• the machine is made up of three major sub-assemblies, namely:
  • - the charger ;
  • - the press and the die;
  • - the chassis and control mechanisms.
• Figure 1 attached is an elevational view of the assembly of a device according to the invention, seen from the front;
• Figure 2 attached is a section taken along line II-II of Figure 1.

The charger

is made up of a mechanism which will allow easy adjustment of the accepted formats; considering Figure 1; it activates both front and rear sides of the charger simultaneously by a system of screws on the left and right; this screw is controlled using a small wheel (1) easily accessible.

The front and rear faces approach or move away from the axis of the loader by the same amount.

The reference will then be the axis of the press for any packaging dimensions in the direction of translation.

However, it is obvious that the rear face could be fixed and the front face alone could be moved.

In this case, the reference would therefore be the rear face of the charger. The third side between the loader and the press will then be manually moved by the handwheel with another screw (2). The fourth face (3) will be fixed, it will serve as a reference to adjust the packaging translation system.

The charger thus constituted will make it possible to load packages having variable dimensions.

The packages are arranged alveoli up.

Graduated rulers (4) can facilitate the setting of the desired format.

The charger allows to store a certain number of packages.

The lateral faces or third and fourth faces are connected to slides (5) which hold the packages during their translation towards the press, as well as to the ejector (6) or retaining member, explained below.

The distance between the slides will therefore be obtained automatically by the position of the front and rear sides of the loader.

By the chosen shape of the punches, the emptied packaging is retained by them.

This ejector pulls out the punches from the emptied packaging for their evacuation to the waste bin (12).

A drive cleat and a register (7) will serve as the basis for the stack of packages stored in the loader when the matrix (18), which is mobile, is moved under the press and will thus prevent the unwanted release of the packages during the translation of the magazine from the magazine to the press.

The register (7) will be guided in a sheath (8).

It can be made up of round wires or sheet metal.

A kind of flap or latch, adjustable in height placed at the base of the loader uprights (press side) allows the passage of packages of various thicknesses depending on the position of said latch.

The press

consists of a plate (9) guided from bottom to top by round or other guides, sufficiently rigid to reduce and even avoid their deformation during punching, possibly asymmetrical.

The stroke will be determined by an eccentric (10) fixed on the motor axis.

The tray will allow the introduction, without the aid of a tool, of a base (11) on which the punches (23) are fixed.

The number of punches will depend on the number, shape and arrangement of the cells of the package to be opened.

After the press has functioned and the tablets or other products have been ejected, the empty packaging is pushed back into a container (12) of suitable dimensions.

A brush holds the packaging against the drive stop during the translational movement towards the press.

Another repels (in the aforementioned container) any objects or waste on the upper face of the matrix.

The matrix

• - un élément supérieur démontable, sans l'aide d'un outil, qui est en l'occurrence la matrice proprement dite (18).
• - un corps (13), soit en acier, soit en métal léger chemisé par un fourreau en acier inoxydable, démontable ou non. Ce fourreau canalise les produits après l'ouverture de l'emballage.
• - un élément inférieur (14) ferme le corps précité par une trappe, fermée manuellement par un cliquet (15). Une simple traction manuelle exercée sur le cliquet permet l'ouverture de la trappe.

consists of:

• - A removable upper element, without the aid of a tool, which in this case is the actual matrix (18).
• - A body (13), either steel or light metal lined with a stainless steel sheath, removable or not. This sheath channels the products after opening the packaging.
• - A lower element (14) closes the aforementioned body by a hatch, closed manually by a pawl (15). A simple manual pull exerted on the pawl allows the opening of the hatch.

The matrix is moved for example from the bottom of the loader to the press by a linkage system described later in the text.

This movement, by means of rectilinear bearings, takes place on horizontal case-hardened shafts or, in certain cases, could be inclined by a certain angle.

When the matrix is under the magazine, it receives a single package which extracts from the magazine by a driving cleat; this one slides then under the following packaging.

One or more lugs placed on the upper face in front of the first package prevents it from moving on top of the matrix during the translational movement of the latter. It is thus brought precisely under the punches of the press.

The chassis

The loader and the press, as well as the power unit are mounted on a vertical plate (21 ') of steel or other metal, which is mounted on a solid profile frame particularly resistant to torsion.

This frame is an integral part of the chassis.

The matrix and the translation system are mounted on a horizontal plate (21) of steel or other metal, which it is also mounted on a solid frame (20, 20 ') like the aforementioned vertical plate.

On the front face of the chassis, a pivoting door with one leaf opens and allows access to the matrix hatch.

The door is closed by known magnetic mechanical elements. At the rear, removable panels allow access to the connecting rods and the electrical box.

These upper and lower panels are provided with air vents.

The chassis is placed on casters, either fixed or swivel, made of plastic or any other material, which allows easy movement of the machine.

The interior of the chassis allows the introduction of the container (12), which will receive the emptied packages. A system for grinding empty packaging can be added to the assembly.

Control mechanisms

The drive system described by way of example comprises the motor shaft, which controls the eccentric (10) of the press on one side and a gear train (16) on the other which in turn controls the rotation of the cam and the cam follower. The motor shaft is introduced into the reducer of a hollow shaft motor-reducer. The gear train with three or more gears makes it possible to advance or delay the descent of the press with respect to the stop time of the die under the press.

The cam and a cam follower actuate a connecting rod which drives the matrix in a reciprocating movement with a predetermined stop time under the press.

A spring system holds the linkage against the cam.

Rollovers

The closing covers are easily removable.

Their dismantling will allow access to the vital organs of the machine.

Electrical accessories

A switch will allow either impulse operation by the manual action of the operator on a push button, or automatic operation.

When there are only a few packages left in the machine, it will stop automatically.

It will restart, either as soon as the charger is refilled without further intervention, or by the action of the operator on a push button.

Claims (8)

1. Process for the opening of heat-formed alveolate packs whether defective or otherwise, in particular for pharmaceutical products, and the simultaneous recuperation of the objects packed, according to which the alveolate packs are stocked with the alveolates facing upwards in a magazine, they are expelled one by one from the base of the magazine, and the objects packed are extracted from the packing, characterised by the fact that said extraction is carried out by a press consisting of a die and punches, and that, after extraction, the punches are lifted and carry away with them the emptied pack, the emptied pack being then ejected from the punches by knocking against an organ of retention.

2. Process according to claim one, according to which expulsion from the magazine is carried out by the die which moves between the magazine and the press.

3. Process according to claim 2, according to which the ejection of the emptied packs takes place after withdrawal of the die.

4. Device for carrying out the process according to one of the claims 1 to 3, comprising the magazine and a means of expelling the packs one by one from the base of the magazine, characterised by the fact that it also comprises the press constituted by the punches and the die, said die being mobile to serve as the means of expelling the packs from the magazine, between a first position at the base of the magazine and a second position below it and in respect of the punches, said die being pierced by openings situated in the second position with respect to the punches, the punches being mounted on a plate (9), a mechanism (10, 16) being designed to lower the punches towards the pack so as to chase the objects in front of them and make them pass through openings formed in the lower face of the pack, in that the device also comprises the organ of retention forming a plate (6), perforated with openings for the punches to pass through and fixed above the place receiving the packs which have been emptied of their contents.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that it comprises a recipient (13) suitable for receiving the objects extracted from the packs.

6. Device according to claim 5, characterised by the fact that the mobile recipient (13) comprises a cover (18) constituted by the die and also presents an opening closed by a flap (14) to allow the objects which have fallen into the recipient to be removed from it.

7. Device according to any one of the claims 4 to 6 and according to which the displacement of the die is synchronised with the punches.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterised by the fact that the die is fitted with a stop (22) prolonged by a damper (7) which, when the pack to be opened is brought under the punches (23), stretches out below the magazine to obstruct the lower passage of the magazine and prevent the fall of the packs contained in the latter.

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