EP0658489B1 - Device for the delivery of spherical products of the same dimensions, such as pills - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a device for removing spherical components of identical sizes, contained in a container with a cylindrical neck and a circular mouth, the main application of which is the distribution and counting of small granules for medical use, and more precisely homeopathic granules.

Previous techniques

In document FR-A-2 492 777, a granule dispensing device has been proposed comprising a plug having a recess which acts as an airlock, said plug being crossed by an axis connecting two movable discs each provided with a light. During the rotation of the outer disc, the interior of the tube is brought into communication with the airlock via the light placed on the inner disc. The granules accumulate in the airlock, then during an additional rotation, this airlock is placed in communication with the outside space of the tube, which allows the distribution of the number of granules that can be stored in the airlock.

Such a device does not allow the feeding of granules per unit. In addition, all the dispensing body is inside the tube, which decreases the residual volume for the granules.

In document FR-A-2 625 982, which corresponds to the preamble, a granule dispenser has been described with a receptacle stopper fitting onto the mouth of the container and having means for driving the dispenser body in rotation. The distributor is composed of a base fixed on the neck of the tube and crossed by at least one opening and the central part of which is crossed by a freely rotating axis, connecting two parts located on either side of the base. The part placed inside the tube is composed of several radial arms between each of which is defined a housing capable of receiving a granule. The second part placed outside the base is a disc pierced with a light intended to come opposite the opening of the base acting as an airlock. Like the first embodiment, the distributor body is largely inserted inside the tube, which reduces the remaining volume available for the granules. In addition, the parts proposed to make this dispenser assembly are of complex shape, therefore very difficult to produce by molding. Last but not least, the proposed assembly has no symmetry, which increases the difficulties in automating the positioning of this device at the end of the tube.

Brief description of the invention

The invention overcomes these drawbacks, that is to say that it provides a device of simple shape and easy to mold, and having a symmetry making it easy to automate its implementation.

• . un corps distributeur de produits constitué de deux parties cylindriques parallèles, respectivement une première et une deuxième partie, reliées à leur centre par un axe, ladite partie cylindrique présentant des encoches destinées à recevoir un produit, lesdites encoches étant décalées d'une partie à l'autre, de manière qu'une section pleine d'une partie corresponde à une encoche de l'autre partie;
• . une rondelle cylindrique présentant une fente radiale reliée à un perçage axial, destinée à venir coopérer avec l'axe, et au moins un évidement axial pour permettre le passage des produits de la première à la deuxième partie, ladite rondelle ayant un diamètre légèrement supérieur au diamètre interne du col du récipient pour permettre un emmanchement à l'extrémité circulaire du récipient;
• . un bouchon réceptacle s'adaptatant sur l'embouchure circulaire du récipient et présentant des moyens d'entraînement en rotation du corps distributeur,

caractérisé:

• en ce que la première et la deuxième partie sont identiques ;
• et en ce que la première partie, la deuxième partie et la rondelle ont une épaisseur légèrement supérieure au diamètre d'un produit.

The invention relates to a device for collecting spherical products of the same dimensions, such as globules or granules, contained in a container having a cylindrical neck and a circular mouth, of the type comprising:

• . a product dispensing body consisting of two parallel cylindrical parts, respectively a first and a second part, connected at their center by an axis, said cylindrical part having notches intended to receive a product, said notches being offset from one part to the other 'other, so that a solid section of one part corresponds to a notch of the other part;
• . a cylindrical washer having a radial slot connected to an axial bore, intended to cooperate with the axis, and at least one axial recess to allow the passage of the products from the first to the second part, said washer having a diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter of the container neck to allow fitting at the circular end of the container;
• . a receptacle cap adapting to the circular mouth of the container and having means for driving the distributor body in rotation,

characterized :

• in that the first part and the second part are identical;
• and in that the first part, the second part and the washer have a thickness slightly greater than the diameter of a product.

In other words, the invention consists in installing at the end of the tube a washer having an opening capable of allowing a granule to pass and a central hole capable of receiving an axis. This axis connects two identical parts in the general shape of a disc having notches, the two discs being angularly offset so that the opening of the washer can only be on one side at a time. Thus, the distributor body has a symmetry allowing it to be installed on the washer in either direction.

Advantageously, in practice, the radial slot of the washer consists of an axial bore proper, intended to be clipped onto the axis of the distributor body, and the axial slot proper is flared to form the recess intended to receive a product, in the form of a cylinder sector.

In one embodiment, the cylindrical washer is supported in the neck on tabs formed for this purpose on the inside of the neck.

In another embodiment, the cylindrical washer has on one of its two edges, a support flange on the circular mouth of the container.

Advantageously, to ensure good flow of the granules, the edges of the notches of the distributor body and of the washer are chamfered. Preferably, the inclination of the chamfer of the external faces of each of the two parts of the distributor body is greater than that of the internal chamfer. This geometry makes the flow reversible, that is to say from the tube to the receptacle, or from the receptacle to the tube in the case where too many granules have been delivered.

• un pivot central, disposé à l'intérieur du bouchon réceptacle selon l'axe de symétrie du bouchon, ledit pivot présentant à son extrémité une empreinte d'entraînement ;
• une empreinte complémentaire disposée au centre de la face extérieure de chacune des deux parties du corps distributeur.

As regards the drive device, in a variant, it consists of:

• a central pivot, disposed inside the receptacle stopper along the axis of symmetry of the stopper, said pivot having at its end a drive imprint;
• a complementary imprint disposed in the center of the outer face of each of the two parts of the dispenser body.

In another embodiment of the drive means, the solid sectors of the two parts of the distributor body are provided with at least one drive tooth situated on their external face ending in the receptacle, the receptacle being provided on its partition internal of a ring gear located in a plane parallel to the faces of the distributor, to ensure the rotation of the latter by gear with the teeth of its external face.

In a preferred embodiment, the notches of the dispenser body are formed by three regularly spaced radial sectors. This allows the distribution of two or three granules per revolution of the distributor body.

To facilitate counting and viewing the granules dispensed, the receptacle cap is preferably made of transparent plastic, while the container containing the granules is a cylindrical tube of colored plastic to protect said granules from light.

Brief description of the drawings

The manner in which the invention can be implemented and the advantages which result therefrom will emerge more clearly from the embodiment which follows, with the support of the appended figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view which shows the dispenser body according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view which shows the open washer according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view which shows the distributor body and the washer assembled.

Figure 4 is a perspective view in partial longitudinal middle section of the granule receptacle according to a variant of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dispenser body according to another alternative embodiment.

Figure 6 is a perspective view in partial longitudinal central section of the granule receptacle according to an alternative embodiment.

Figure 7 is a general exploded perspective view of the entire sampling device.

FIG. 8 is a section through a tube comprising the sampling device.

Figures 9, 10, 11 are sections of the tube equipped with the sampling device, allowing to progressively visualize the movement of a granule inside the dispensing device.

Figures 12, 13, 14 are sections of Figures 9, 10, 11 made respectively according to the planes identified by the arrows of Figures 9,10,11.

Way of carrying out the Invention

As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the granule dispensing device essentially consists of three parts, namely a washer (6) placed at the mouth of the tube, a dispensing body pivoting in the center of the cap, and a receptacle (11) suitable for receiving the granules.

The granule distributor body (1), as shown in FIG. 1, consists of two cylindrical parts A and B which are symmetrical with respect to an axis (2) connecting them through the center. These two parts A and B are identical and each consists of sectors of cylinders (3), concentric, equal to each other, cut vertically in the thickness of said part, and separated from each other by openings (4) equal between they and concentric with the cylinder sectors (3) whose dimensions are adapted to the diameter of the granules to be sampled. The two parts A and B symmetrical and opposite with respect to the axis (2), are offset so that a full cylinder sector (3) of part A corresponds to an empty cylinder sector (4) of part B. As shown in FIG. 1, the solid sectors (3) and the empty sectors (4), equal to each other, are in a preferred version three in number, thus allowing the distribution of a granule every third of a turn of the distributor body (1). This distribution rate is particularly well suited for counting conventional prescriptions generally corresponding to three or even five granules.

The two parts A and B are of an identical size, which allows indifferently, in a quick assembly, manual or automatic, to constitute one or the other face of the distributor body, which avoids any loss of time and eliminates any possibility of error.

The cylindrical washer (6) has an outer peripheral shoulder (9) which acts on the mouth of the container of granules (10), as shown in FIG. 3. The thickness of this washer (6) is slightly greater than the diameter d 'a granule to be sampled. This washer (6) is traversed by an axial bore (7) and an axial recess (8). The axial bore (7), located in the center of said washer (6), is of an adequate diameter to grip, with a light force, the axis (2) of the distributor body (1). The recess (8) is slightly secant from the axial bore (7) and also has an opening towards the outside of the washer, so as to allow the washer (6) to be able, thanks to the opening formed by the bore (7) and the recess (8), on the one hand come to be positioned on the axis (2) of the distributor body (1), and on the other hand, allow the passage of a granule between the parts A and B symmetrical to the distributor body (1) when these two parts A, B and the washer (6) are secured and positioned horizontally under the vertical tube (10) relating to the granules to be sampled.

The main function of the granule receptacle (11), made of transparent material, is to receive the granules when they exit the tube, and to allow the dispensing body (1) to be driven.

To this end, and in a variant shown in FIG. 4, this receptacle comprises a toothed crown (12), situated in a plane parallel to that of the mouth of the container of granules, inside the receptacle integral with the latter, and whose teeth are directed towards the container of granules. Furthermore, on each part A, B of the dispenser body, at least one of the solid sectors (3) has a drive tooth (5) meshing with that of the ring gear (12) of the granule receptacle. This ring gear has a thickness suitable for that of the drive teeth (5) of the distributor body (1). This fits into a cylinder whose generator diameter roughly corresponds to the diameter of the cylinder's generator circle. interior of the receptacle, for rotations in optimal condition. The teeth of the crown are identical to those of the distributor body (1) for a perfect rotating gear.

FIG. 6 shows another means of driving the dispenser body by rotation of the receptacle, means in which the central core (14) disposed at the bottom and inside the receptacle (11), comprises a female end piece (17) polyhedral which cooperates with a complementary drive system (16), located in the center of the external part of the distributor body to drive the latter in rotation.

In the variant shown in Figure 7, the central core (14) receives a cruciform male end piece cooperating with a complementary cavity (16) formed on the center of the external part of the dispenser body.

It goes without saying that the drive can be carried out by any type of tip, male or female, internal or external, of the polyhedral cruciform type or of any other self-centering type.

In order to ensure a sufficient volume for the reception of the granules in the receptacle (11), the dimension between the base of the ring gear and the bottom of said receptacle should be at least equivalent or preferably slightly greater than the diameter of the granules to be sampled.

The use of a central core for the drive of the dispenser body makes it possible to maintain a seal between the inside of the tube and the outside when the receptacle is in the closed position. This sealing is not ensured in existing devices in which the drive is done by a fluted ring located on the periphery of the dispensing body and cooperating with a fluted ring placed inside the receptacle.

The operation of this pellet dispenser is illustrated in Figures 9 to 14. First, the tube is inverted so that the receptacle is oriented downward. By gravitation, the granules (15) are positioned in all the cylinder sectors (4) of part A of the distributor body (1), as shown in Figures 9 and 12. Then, as seen in Figures 10 and 13 , as soon as one of the cylinder sectors (4) of part A of the distributor body (1) is in correspondence with the passage of the granules constituted by the recess (8) of the washer (6), a first granule (15) descends by gravitation in said passage and remains waiting on the upper face of a solid sector of part B, while a second granule is superimposed on the first in the empty cylinder sector (4) of the part A of the distributor body (1).

After having turned the receptacle (11) by a third of a turn, the first granule (15) falls into said receptacle (11) while the second is entrained on the washer (6) by one of the two sectors of full cylinders (3) of part A of the distributor body (1). This rotation brings one of the sectors of full cylinders (3) of part A into a position for closing the passage (8) of the washer (6) and one of the sectors of empty cylinders (4) of part B in an open position of said passage (8), which allows the descent of the first granule into the receptacle.

From a distributor body (1) with three sectors of full cylinders on each part, it can be seen that with each complete rotation, three granules are distributed.

To further improve the symmetry of the system, the washer (6) can be made symmetrically. In this case, the washer (6) is introduced into the neck of the tube until it rests on the tabs formed inside this tube.

The symmetry of the dispensing body advantageously makes it possible to circulate the granules from the receptacle towards the interior of the tube, in the event that an excessively large number of granules has been dispensed.

It is clear from the above description that the sampling device according to the invention has many particularly advantageous advantages. On the one hand, in terms of operation, the system makes it possible to control the number of granules distributed, both in distribution and in recovery, as well as maintaining the seal necessary for optimal conservation of the granules. On the other hand, with regard to the manufacture and implantation of the device, the symmetry of the dispensing body allows a great simplification of the injection molds and also an ease of automation of the positioning operation, which results in a reduction in the investments required, an increase in yield and production rates.

Claims (10)

1. A device for withdrawing spherical products of the same dimensions, such as granules, contained in a container (10) exhibiting a cylindrical neck and a circular mouth, of the type comprising:

   - a body (1) for dispensing products, this body consisting of two parallel cylindrical parts A, B, respectively a first part A and a second part B, joined together by a spindle (2), said cylindrical parts A, B exhibiting notches (4) intended to receive a product, said notches (4) being offset from one part A to the other B so that a solid section (3) of one part A corresponds to a notch (4) in the other part B;

   - a cylindrical roundel (6) exhibiting a radial slit connected to an axial passage (7) intended to interact with the spindle (2), and at least one axial recess (8) to allow the products to pass from the first part A to the second part B, said roundel (6) having a diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter of the neck of the container to allow tight fitting at the circular end of the container;

   - a receptacle stopper (11) fitting onto the circular mouth of the container and exhibiting means (12, 17) for driving the dispensing body in terms of rotation,

   characterized in that:

   - the first part A and second part B are identical;

   - and the first part A, the second part B and the roundel (6) have a thickness slightly greater than the diameter of a product.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the radial slit in the roundel (6) is composed of a central axial passage (7) proper, designed to clip over the spindle (2) of the dispensing body (1), and the axial slit proper is flared into the shape of a sector of a cylinder in order to form the recess (8) designed to receive a product.
3. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cylindrical roundel (6) bears, inside the neck, on rests (20) formed for this purpose on the internal face of the neck.
4. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cylindrical roundel (6) on one of the two edges, exhibits a collar (9) for bearing on the circular mouth of the container (10).
5. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the solid angles of intersection of the notches (4) of the dispensing body (1) and of the recess (8) in the roundel (6) are chamfered.
6. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the inclination of the chamfer on the external faces of each of the two parts of the dispensing body (1), is greater than that of the internal chamfer.
7. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the means for driving the dispensing body (1) in terms of rotation consists of:

   - a central pivot (14) located inside the receptacle stopper (11) on the axis of symmetry of the stopper, said pivot (14) exhibiting a driving shape (17) at its end;

   - and a complementary shape (16) located at the center of the external face of each of the two parts A, B of the dispensing body (1).
8. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the solid sectors (3) of the two parts A, B of the dispensing body (1) are provided with at least one driving tooth (5) situated on their external face ending in the receptacle, and the receptacle (10) is provided on its internal partition with an annulus gear (12) situated in a plane parallel to the faces of the dispenser in order to rotate the latter through meshing with the teeth (5) of its external face.
9. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the notches (4) of the dispensing body (1) consist of three evenly spaced radial sectors.
10. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the receptacle stopper (10) is made of a transparent plastic substance and the container (10) containing the granules is a cylindrical tube made of a colored plastic substance.

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