EP2135810B1 - Rotary table actuated in cycles for filling containers with powder - Google Patents

Abstract

Round switching table (10) comprises upper holders (24) and lower holders (26) which can be adjusted so that the upper holders pivot in a pivoting plane parallel to the rotating plane and the lower holders can be adjusted in a lifting-lowering movement perpendicular to the pivoting plane. Preferred Features: Each upper holder has a pivoting shaft which is connected to a roller which is guided in a peripheral groove.

Description

The invention relates to a rotary indexing table which is driven cyclically while being used as part of a filling plant for filling containers with powdery materials. The containers may be, for example, capsules which are filled with powdery substances such as, for example, powdered medicaments. Depending on the nature of the medicament drug, for example, the medicaments introduced into the capsule may be more or less powdery or coarse-grained. Often, a combination of different medicinal powdery components may be present in each container.

From the EP 1 415 637 A1 is a rotary indexing table of the aforementioned generic type known. This rotary indexing table can be used for filling capsules, such as gelatine capsules, each of which consists of a cup-shaped lower part and a cap-shaped upper part which can be pushed onto the lower part. In the separate state of these two parts in one or more corresponding workstations of the rotary indexing table, the one or more lower parts available for it are filled. Subsequently, the filled bottoms are then closed again with the respective upper parts. In this rotary indexing table, the upper parts can be moved away from the lower parts by moving the upper parts or the receptacles provided therefor away. For the corresponding recordings of the lower parts and these lower parts receiving lower receptacles are lifted upwards, then additionally pivoted inwards in a plane parallel to the plane of the turntable and then lowered again, so that the inwardly pivoted shots for the tops level not higher than the lower parts remaining in the same height and the lower receptacles receiving them are. In this way, the free space above the lower parts for filling the lower parts is freely available, without being limited in space by machine parts such as the receptacles for the tops of the capsules.

Since the movement of the upper receiving receptacles (lift-pivot-lower) takes place in the spin-resting phase of the indexing table and takes a relatively long time, the individual rest periods prove to be relatively short. The time available for filling the capsule bases, which takes place in the resting phase of the rotary indexing table, is therefore comparatively small.

Based on this prior art, the present invention seeks to provide a particular economically improved rotary indexing table of the type mentioned.

This invention is given by the features of the main claim. Useful developments of the invention are the subject of further claims appending to the main claim. Accordingly, the rotary indexing table according to the invention is characterized in that, on the one hand, the upper receptacles for the upper parts of containers, in particular upper parts of capsules, are pivoted back and forth in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of the rotary indexing table and, in addition, the lower parts of containers, such as, in particular, of lower capsules Recordings can be lowered and raised down and up. The time required to move away an upper receptacle from a lower receptacle is shorter than the time required for this in the prior art, since the respective upper receptacle only has to be pivoted and not additionally raised and lowered.

Constructive details for adjusting the upper and lower seats during their further transport from one workstation to the next workstation of the rotary indexing table are the subject of subordinate claims to the main claim and the subject of an embodiment shown in the drawing. It turns out that according to the invention it is possible to form the alternating phases of rotation and rest for about the same length of time in contrast to the rotational and resting phases known in the prior art, in which the resting phases are considerably shorter than the respective rotational phases.

To increase the performance of the rotary indexing table, several upper parts and a plurality of lower parts can each be held together and guided by a corresponding individual upper or lower receptacle. In addition, it is also possible to hold several such upper and lower images also summarized and lead.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische schematische Draufsicht auf einen Rundschalttisch nach der Erfindung,

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt durch eine vom Rundschalttisch nach Fig. 1 zu handhabende Hartgelatinekapsel,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht in Richtung des Pfeils 3 der Fig.1,

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht auf die oberen und unteren Aufnahmen des Rundschalttisches gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 5

eine Schemaübersicht mit den Bewegungsabläufen der oberen und unteren Aufnahmen während der aufeinanderfolgenden Ruhe- und Drehphasen des in zehn Taktschritten um 360 Grad getaktet umlaufenden, erfindungsgemäßen Rundschalttisches.

The invention will be described and explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective schematic plan view of a rotary indexing table according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a section through one of the rotary indexing table Fig. 1 to be handled hard gelatin capsule,

Fig. 3

a view in the direction of arrow 3 of Fig.1 .

Fig. 4

a plan view of the upper and lower images of the indexing table according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 5

a schematic overview of the movements of the upper and lower shots during the successive rest and rotational phases of clocked in ten steps by 360 degrees rotating, rotary indexing table according to the invention.

A rotary indexing table 10 is part of a filling system with which hard gelatin capsules 12 can be filled with similar or different types of powdered medicaments.

The rotary indexing table 10 has a motor drive, not shown in the drawing, by means of which it can be rotated clockwise about a central axis of rotation 14 in the direction of rotation 16. The device platform representing rotary plane 18 of the rotary indexing table 10 is perpendicular to the central axis of rotation 14. Distributed circumferentially evenly on the plane of rotation 18 a plurality of upper and lower recording medium 20, 22 are arranged. According to the present example case ten workstations 30 (30.1, 30.2, 30.3, 30.4, 30.5, 30.6, 30.7, 30.8, 30.9, 30.10), ten upper receiving medium 20 and ten lower receiving medium 22 are circumferentially evenly distributed.

In each upper receiving carrier 20, a plurality of channel-like upper receptacles 24 and in each lower recording medium 22 a comparable number of channel-like lower receptacles 26 are present. Upper and lower receiving carriers 20, 22 can be arranged in the axial direction one above the other so that their upper and lower seats 24, 26 are aligned. Thus, for example, in the first workstation 30.1, the upper part 28 of a capsule 12 which is in an upper receptacle 24 is in alignment with the lower part 29 of the same capsule in a lower receptacle 26, in which state the upper part 28 and the lower part 29 of the respective capsule are separated - On the one hand in an upper receptacle 24 and on the other hand in a lower receptacle 26 - are present. In the upper channel-like receptacle 24 a recess with a circumferential shoulder training is present, on which the cap-like einitzende upper part can be supported with its free edge. In contrast, the lower part 29, which has a comparatively smaller diameter, sits in a channel-like lower receptacle 26, which accordingly has a smaller diameter.

In Fig. 1 a state of the rotary indexing table 10 is shown, in each of which an upper and lower recording medium 20, 22 is located in one of the ten workstations 30. In ten equal steps T ( Fig. 5 ) the rotary indexing table 10 rotates 360 degrees once. Each of the clock steps is composed of a rest phase t1 and a rotation phase t2, which are the same size in the present example case.

In the first workstation 30.1, closed, empty capsules 12 are in the correct position during the resting phase (standstill phase) t1 of the rotary indexing table 10 in the upper receptacles 24, with their lower part 29 ahead, from above. With the help of vacuum then the lower part 29 of each of these capsules 20 has been pulled away from the associated upper part 28 down and pulled into a lower receptacle 26 of the lower recording medium 22. Even in this resting phase t1 is then in the first workstation 30.1 then the lower receiving support 22 together with the in-situ in his lower parts 29 in an extremely lower layer 22b ( Fig. 5 ) has been moved down. This condition is in Fig. 1 shown. The above-mentioned insertion of even empty, closed capsules 12 in upper receptacles 24, the subsequent separation of tops 28 and lower parts 29 and the lowering of the upper recording medium 22 takes place in a period of time tla (FIG. Fig. 5 ), which is shorter than the resting phase t1. In the remaining period tlb of the resting phase t1, the lower recording medium 22 is pulled down to its extremely low position. In Fig. 5 This deep position is designated by the reference numeral 22b. In the subsequent rotation phase t2 of the rotary indexing table, the upper and lower recording medium 20, 22 moves from the first workstation 30.1 into the second workstation 30.2. During this rotational movement of the upper receiving carrier 20 is brought in a pivoting movement (78) in an inwardly pivoted position 22i. At the same time during this phase of rotation of the lower recording medium 22 in a likewise lowered position with the reference numeral 22a (FIG. Fig. 5 ), which is still below the starting position "0" originally present in workstation 30.

The resting phase present in the second workstation 30.2 is used to check whether the separation of upper part 28 and lower part 29 in the first workstation 30.1 has taken place and whether a lower part 29 is thus present in each lower receptacle 26.

Upon further rotation of the rotary indexing table 10 of the second workstation 30.2 in the third workstation 30.3 of the existing in the second workstation at the level 22a lower recording medium 22 is raised to an extremely high level, the Fig. 5 the reference numeral 22c has. The lifting of the lower recording medium 22 to a height level, which in the present example case by a smaller amount 35 (FIG. 3) above the level 33 of the upper Receiving carrier 20 is is possible because between the second 30.2 and fifth workstation 30.5, the upper receiving carrier 20 has an inwardly pivoted away position 20i and therefore is not interfering with the lower recording medium 22 in the way.

In the third 30.3, fourth 30.4 and then in the fifth work station 30.5, three sub-steps of powder can be successively filled into the lower parts 29 of the receiving carrier 22 located in an extremely elevated position 22c one after the other, in this number of work stations.

The filling always takes place during the resting phase of the rotary indexing table 10.

At the end of the idle phase t1 of the fifth work station 30.5, the corresponding lower receiving carrier 22 is lowered again from its extremely high position 22c and the inwardly pivoted upper receiving carrier 20 is swung back out of its position 20i in a pivoting movement (76). The pivoting movement 76 for the upper receiving carrier 20 begins slightly later than the downward movement of the associated lower receiving carrier 22 in order to avoid a collision between the two receiving carriers 20, 22. The lower recording medium is thereby lowered to the level 22a of the second workstation 30.2 ( Fig. 5 ). In the rotational phase between the sixth work station 30.6 and the seventh workstation 30.7, the lower recording medium 22 is raised so far that it rests with its lower receptacles 26 from below to the upper receptacles 24 of the upper recording medium 26. The upper and lower images are then without gaps. In this case, a pin 40 projecting upwards from the lower receiving carrier 22 then dips into a corresponding depression in the underside of the upper receiving carrier 20. The dipping of the pin ensures the exact mutual alignment of upper receptacles 24 and lower receptacles 26 of the associated recording media 20, 22 in the seventh workstation 30.7.

In the resting phase of the seventh workstation 30.7 is then inserted by inserting another pin from below against the bottom of a lower part 29 such lower part of the lower receptacle 26 of a lower recording medium 22 upwards and from below into the einitzende in an upper receptacle 24 upper part 28th pushed. The gapless plants of the lower Shots 26 on the upper receptacles 24 thus allow easy reclosing of the respective capsules 12; the respective lower part 29 can be nondestructively pushed from below into a respectively ready upper part 28.

After turning into the eighth workstation 30.8, BAD capsules, which could not be properly filled or properly closed, are ejected upwards. In a subsequent ninth workstation 30.9 then the remaining GUT capsules are also ejected upwards in a resting phase.

In the last, tenth workstation 30.10, the now empty upper and lower receptacles 24, 26 are cleaned by introducing compressed air. By concluding further rotation, the respective upper and lower receiving carriers 20, 22 return to the first work station 30.1. It then begins the workflow shown above through the ten workstations 30 through again.

From Fig. 3 it can be seen that the upper recording medium 20 in height in its inwardly pivoted position 20i have the same level 33, ie in a direction parallel to the plane of rotation 18 back and forth. Each upper receiving carrier 20 is cantilevered on a pivot shaft 60. The - as will be explained below - can be rotated back and forth. The rotation of the pivot shaft 60 takes place in each case during the rotational movement of the rotary indexing table in the direction of rotation 16.

Each lower recording medium 22 is T-shaped on a perpendicular to the plane of rotation 18 aligned axis 44. Along this axis, it can be moved in the vertical direction. For this purpose, the lower receiving carrier 22 is seated on a carriage 46 which is seated with a guide roller 48 in a spiral groove 50 so that by rotating a spiral groove 50 having perpendicularly arranged axial member, the guide roller 48 along the axis 44 down or up , In this vertical adjustment 80 of the carriage 46 moves accordingly with downwards or upwards along the axis 44, so that thereby attached to the carriage 46 lower recording medium 22 with after down or up along the axis 44 is adjusted. In Fig. 3, the lower carrier 22 is shown in its position 22b. He is thus in his extremely lowered position. This vertical adjustment takes place, as already stated, in the resting phase of the rotary indexing table 10.

The guide roller 48 moves, during the rotation of the rotary indexing table 10 in the direction of rotation 16, in a groove 51 which is circumferentially provided on the outside of the rotary indexing table 10. The groove 51 has between the first and second workstation 30.1, 30.2 a slightly upwardly rising groove portion 52. When walking along the groove portion 52, ie in Fig. 3 from right to left, the carriage 46 and thus also the lower recording medium 22 on raised a level 22a. Upon further rotation of the rotary indexing table 10 in the third workstation 30.3 is also a rising groove portion 54 is present, which causes the along this groove portion 54 moving carriage 46 is finally lifted into the extremely upper layer 22c. The circumferential groove 51 is so directional that when turning the rotary indexing table 10 from the fifth 30.5 in the sixth workstation 30.6 of the lower recording medium 22 is lowered again and then raised when turning from the sixth 30.6 in the seventh workstation 30.7 back to its original starting position as described above in connection with the Fig. 5 already described.

The swinging back and forth of the upper recordings between the individual workstations takes place with reference to particular Fig. 4 in the following way.

Each upper receiving carrier 20 projects at right angles from its pivot shaft 60 such that the upper receptacles 24 present in it are aligned in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation 18. The pivot shaft 60 thus extends parallel to the central axis of rotation 14. On the pivot shaft 60, a gear 62 is rotatably disposed in the Fig. 4 dotted is indicated. This gear 62 meshes with a likewise stationary on the plane of rotation 18 existing gear 64. At this gear 64, a cantilevered lever 66 is fixed, the end carries a groove roller 68. This groove roller 68 is seated in a circumferentially closed groove 70 from above.

When turning the rotary indexing table 10, the groove roller 68 rolls in the groove 70 along. The longitudinal orientation 72 of the groove 70 may have different orientations relative to the radius of the groove. If the longitudinal orientation 72.1 of the groove 70 has a constant radius 73, the position of the lever 66 attached to the respective groove roller 68 does not change. Therefore, the gear 64 does not rotate about the rotation axis 65 of the gear 64. Consequently, the pivot shaft 60 does not rotate either. As a result, in the portion of the groove 70 in which the groove 70 has a constant radius 73 to the central axis of rotation 14, no rotation of the upper recording medium 20 takes place. In the following on the sixth workstation 30.6 in the direction of rotation 16 workstation 30.7, 30.8, 30.9, 30.10, 30.1 of the respective upper recording medium 20 therefore remains in its outwardly pivoted position in which its upper receptacles 24 each in the axial direction above the lower receptacles 26 are located.

When turning the rotary indexing table 10 from the first workstation 30.1 into the second workstation 30.2, the groove 70 runs into a groove section which has a radius 75 which is comparatively larger than the radius 73. This means that an existing in this area Nutrolle 68 moves radially outward and thereby pivots the lever 66 carrying them about the axis of rotation 65 of the gear 64 in a clockwise direction 76. This rotation of the gear 64 in the clockwise direction 76 means a rotation of the pivot shaft 60 in the counterclockwise direction 78, which in turn has a pivotal movement of the upper recording medium 22 in the counterclockwise direction, that is in an inner layer 20i result.

The groove 70 has between the second 30.2 and fifth workstation 30.5 has a radius 77 relative to the central axis of rotation 14, which is greater than the radius 73 but also how this is constantly large. Therefore, when moving through the groove roller 68 in this groove portion no pivoting movement of the upper recording medium takes place.

At the transition from the fifth workstation 30.5 to the sixth workstation 30.6, the groove 72 pivots back into the groove portion with the constant smaller radius 73. In the transition region with a decreasing radius 79, the lever 66 and attached to him gear 64 pivots counterclockwise 78. This in turn causes that with this gear 64 meshing gear 62 and thus the pivot shaft 60 in the clockwise direction 76th rotate and thus the upper recording medium 20 from its position 20i pivots back to its outwardly pivoted position back. In this pivoted-back position, the upper receiving carrier 20 remains until it leaves the first station 30.1 in the direction of rotation 16 again.

The pivoting 76, 78 of the upper receiving carrier 20 includes the only movement that make these upper receiving carrier 20. The pivoting takes place in each case in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation 18. The lower recording media move in one revolution of the rotary indexing table 10 in a parallel to the rotation axis 14 lifting and lowering movement 80 (Fig. 3) between an extremely upper layer 20c and an extremely low layer 20b back and forth.

The required, for example, for assembly, retooling or repairing free access from the outside to the individual modules of the indexing table is thereby decisively supported that equipment for properly aligned feeding of still empty, closed containers in upper receptacles 24 in of these shots 24th limited interior of the rotary indexing table 10 can be arranged.

Claims (17)

1. Rotary indexing table (10) for filling containers (12) with powder,

   - having containers (12) which each have a pot-like bottom part (29) and a top part (28), wherein, when the bottom part (29) and the top part (28) are in the state in which they are separated from one another, each bottom part (29) of a container (12) can be filled and wherein, when they are in the state in which they are firmly joined together, the container (12) which is formed by them and is filled with powder is directly closed,

   - having a rotary drive for the cyclical further transport of the containers (12) in a rotary plane (18) from workstation (30) to workstation (30),

   - having a plurality of upper receptacles (24) for in each case at least one top part (28),

   - having a plurality of lower receptacles (26) for the at least one bottom part (29) assigned in each case to a top part (28),

   - wherein the upper and lower receptacles (24, 26) are adjustable in relation to one another in a first direction of movement and in the opposite direction (80) thereto, in order to separate a top part (28) from a bottom part (29) and in order to put the top part (28) and the bottom part (29) back together to form a container (12),

   - wherein the upper and lower receptacles (24, 26) are adjustable in relation to one another in a second direction of movement (76) and in the opposite direction (78) thereto, which second directions of movement (76, 78) are producible by pivoting movements about an axis (60) parallel to the rotational axis (14) of the rotary indexing table (10),

   - characterized in that

   - the adjustments of the upper and lower receptacles (24, 26) are such that

   - the upper receptacles (24) are pivotable (76, 78) in a pivoting plane parallel to the rotary plane (18) and the lower receptacles (26) are adjustable in a lifting and lowering movement (80) perpendicular to the pivoting plane.
2. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 1,

   - characterized in that

   - in each case a plurality of upper receptacles (24) are present in a fixed manner in an upper receptacle carrier (20) and in each case a plurality of lower receptacles (26) are present in a fixed manner in a lower receptacle carrier (22).
3. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 1 or 2,

   - characterized in that,

   - in a first workstation (30.1), lower receptacles (26), or a lower receptacle carrier (22) having lower receptacles (26), are or is adjustable downwardly from the rotary plane (18) to an extremely low level (22b) along a groove section that is oriented perpendicularly to the rotary plane (18).
4. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

   - characterized in that,

   - during a cyclical rotary movement (t2) of the rotary indexing table (10) from one workstation to a following workstation, lower receptacles (26), or a lower receptacle carrier (22) having lower receptacles (26), are or is adjustable upwardly or downwardly along a groove portion that is oriented obliquely to the rotary plane (18).
5. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

   - characterized in that,

   - during a cyclical rotary movement (t2) of the rotary indexing table (10) from one workstation to a following workstation, lower receptacles (26), or a lower receptacle carrier having lower receptacles (26), are or is adjustable along a groove portion parallel to the rotary plane (18) at a level parallel to the rotary plane (18).
6. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

   - characterized in that

   - each upper receptacle (24), or each upper receptacle carrier (20), has a pivoting shaft (60),

   - each pivoting shaft (60) is connected via a respective gear mechanism (62, 64) to a groove roller (68) guided in an encircling groove (72),

   - the longitudinal orientation of this groove (72) has a constant radius (73, 77) within a first groove region, a radius (75) that increases in comparison thereto in a second groove region and a radius (79) that decreases again in comparison thereto in a third groove region, so that, during a rotary movement of the rotary indexing table,

   - there is no rotation of the pivoting shaft (60) in the first region,

   - there is a rotation of the pivoting shaft (60) in the second region, said rotation pivoting the upper receptacles (24), or an upper receptacle carrier (20) that has upper receptacles (24), radially inwards,

   - there is a rotation of the pivoting shaft (60) in the third region, said rotation pivoting the upper receptacles (24) radially outwards again.
7. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

   - characterized in that,

   - in succession during a rotation rest phase (t1) in a first workstation (30.1),

   - - closed containers (12) can be inserted into upper receptacles (24),

   - - the bottom parts (29) of these containers (12) can be pulled downwardly by their top parts (28) into lower receptacles (26), and

   - - these lower receptacles (26) can be moved away downwardly from the upper receptacles (24).
8. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 7,

   - characterized in that

   - bottom parts (29) can be filled during a rotation rest phase (t1) in at least one other workstation (30.3, 30.4, 30.5), wherein the lower receptacles (26) carrying these bottom parts (29) are at a level (22c) which is the same as or higher than the level (33) of the upper receptacle (24) carrying the associated top parts.
9. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 7,

   - characterized in that,

   - during a rotation rest phase (t1) in another workstation (30.7), an upper and a lower receptacle (24, 26), or the upper and lower receptacle carriers (20, 22) that have the latter, can be positioned one above the other such that bottom parts (29) can be pushed into associated top parts (28).
10. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 9,

    - characterized in that,

    - in the position of a lower receptacle (26) in which it rests from below against an upper receptacle (24), the bottom part (29) which is present in this lower receptacle (26) can be pushed upwards into the top part (28) which is present in the upper receptacle (24).
11. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 9 or 10,

    - characterized in that

    - BAD containers (12) can be ejected during a rotation rest phase (t1) in a further workstation (30.8).
12. Rotary indexing table according to one of Claims 9 to 11,

    - characterized in that

    - GOOD containers (12) can be ejected during a rotation rest phase (t1) in a further workstation (30.9).
13. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 12,

    - characterized in that

    - cleaning air can be passed through empty upper and lower receptacles (24, 26) during a rotation rest phase (t1) in a further workstation (30.10).
14. Rotary indexing table according to Claim 7,

    - characterized in that

    - the means for the correctly oriented insertion of still empty, closed containers (12) into available upper receptacles (24) are present in the interior space of the rotary indexing table (10), said interior space being bounded towards the outside by these upper receptacles (24).
15. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

    - characterized in that

    - its alternating rotating and rest phases (t1, t2) have approximately the same temporal length.
16. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

    - characterized in that

    - a single motor drive for cyclically driving the rotary indexing table (10) in rotation and for adjusting both the upper receptacles (24) and the lower receptacles (26) is present.
17. Rotary indexing table according to one of the preceding claims,

    - characterized in that

    - the top parts (28) and the bottom parts (29) are in each case top parts and bottom parts of capsules, in particular of hard gelatin capsules.

Images