EP4074609B1

EP4074609B1 - Filling station for containers of the pharmaceutical field and method thereof

Info

Publication number: EP4074609B1
Application number: EP22167404.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luca Testoni; Paolo Degliesposti; Luca Lanzarini
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 2021-04-12
Filing date: 2022-04-08
Publication date: 2025-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 2042-04-08
Also published as: EP4074609A1; ES3014134T3; IT202100009086A1

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Patent Application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102021000009086 filed on April 12, 2021 .

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a filling station for containers of the pharmaceutical field and method thereof.

PRIOR ART

A filling station for containers of the pharmaceutical field comprises a conveyor device that conveys the containers (for example vials or bottles) along a filling path, a filling head arranged along the path which comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles arranged to dispense a filling material (for example liquid or powder) inside the containers. In this arrangement the head results in the respective filling configuration.
Filling stations of the pharmaceutical field often provide for a dedicated automatic washing and/or sterilization system of the filling circuits on site (namely, the so-called CIP/SIP systems), allowing the latter to be cleaned without having to completely disassemble the filling system. The washing/sterilization cycle is necessary periodically or, in any case, between two filling cycles which involve two different products.
For example, the washing/sterilization can take place by means of chemical agents and/or steam at high temperatures which are passed through the circuit and then collected for disposal. For this purpose, the filling station is brought into a washing configuration: in detail, the dispensing nozzles are removed from the filling head and inserted into corresponding washing collectors (also called "false bottles") arranged adjacent to the conveyor. The nozzles are connected by means of pipes to the washing circuit for dispensing the washing fluid to the collectors through the respective opening. These operations of setting up the filling head in the washing configuration are done manually by an operator. At the end of the cleaning cycle, the operator also takes care of returning the filling head to the filling configuration described above.
However, the known solutions described above require a long time to prepare the filling station from the respective filling configuration to the washing configuration, and vice versa, and this negatively affects the productivity of the filling station as it determines considerable downtime.
Patent application DE102019211885A1 describes a device for handling containers comprising: a support with at least a filling and/or closing element suitable for filling and/or closing a container, and at least an extension arm connected to the support,
Patent application GB2324999A describes an evacuation and sealing device comprising a module which is provided with a plurality of evacuation and sealing units and is independently movable along three mutually perpendicular axes; the module cooperates with a first conveyor device for small containers and a second conveyor device for container caps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to overcome said drawback. This object is achieved by means of a filling station and method according to the attached claims.
Advantageously, the proposed filling station and method allow to reduce the time required for the preparation of the filling station, from the filling configuration to the washing one, and vice versa, with respect to the known art. In other words, the proposed filling station and method reduce machine downtime related to the cleaning cycles of the filling station compared to the prior art.
This is ensured by the fact that the filling head is automatically movable from the respective filling configuration to a washing configuration (and vice versa), where the respective nozzle is arranged at the opening of the washing collector to fill the washing collector with the washing fluid through the opening of the collector. The manual intervention of the operator is therefore no longer necessary for carrying out the cleaning cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages will be made clearer in the following description with the help of the attached drawing tables:

Figures 1-4 are as many perspective views of a filling station for pharmaceutical containers according to the invention in different operating configurations;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a washing collector of the filling station of Figures 1-4; and
Figure 6 is an enlarged scale view of a detail of Figure 5.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the Figures, with 1 has been indicated as a whole a filling station for pharmaceutical containers C (for example bottles or vials) according to the invention (represented in the figures by way of example).
The station 1 comprises: a conveyor 2 for conveying the containers C along a filling path P (the direction of which is indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 4) and a filling head 3 comprising in turn at least a dispensing nozzle 30 (preferably more than one, as in the illustrated case).
The filling head 3 can assume the filling configuration F (see Figure 1) in which the dispensing nozzle 30 is ready for filling the containers C conveyed by the conveyor 2 with a product (for example liquid or powder, not shown).
The filling station 1 further comprises at least a washing collector 4 (preferably more than one, as in the illustrated case), arranged adjacent to the filling path P and comprising an opening 40 (indicated in Figures 1-3) for receiving a washing fluid. The dispensing nozzle 30 can be coupled with the opening 40 (preferably insertable in the opening 40, as shown in Figure 4) of the washing collector 4 for dispensing a washing fluid in the washing collector 4 through the opening 40. For example, the washing fluid can comprise chemical agents and/or steam at high temperatures (e.g., 120°C). Preferably, the number of washing collectors 4 corresponds to the number of dispensing nozzles 30. In particular, the filling head 3 is automatically movable from the filling configuration F (Figure 1) to a washing configuration S (Figures 3 and 4), where the respective dispensing nozzle 30 is at the opening 40 of the washing collector 4 (preferably in the washing collector 4) to fill the washing collector 4 with the washing fluid through the opening 40, and vice versa.
Advantageously, the proposed filling station 1 allows to reduce the machine downtime which, in the known art, was necessary to allow the operator to manually disconnect the dispensing nozzle from the filling head and place it in the washing collector, to which it was necessarily connected by piping and fixed for dispensing the washing fluid into the collector. Therefore, the productivity of the filling station 1 is significantly increased compared to the known art.
According to the preferred embodiment illustrated, the movement of the filling head 3 from the filling configuration F to the washing configuration S (and vice versa) takes place along a first direction D1, transversal to the filling path P. This specification is particularly effective and simple to implement. Preferably, the filling head 3 is further movable along a second direction D2, transversal to the filling path P, between a lowered position in which the dispensing nozzle 30 is inserted in the washing collector 4 and a raised position in which the dispensing nozzle 30 is not inserted in the washing collector 4 (see Figures 3 and 4). This movement of the filling head 3 along the second direction D2 (vertical with respect to the conveyor 2) also allows the dispensing nozzle 30 to enter the container C to be filled (lowered position), and to exit therefrom (raised position, see the Figures 1 and 2). Advantageously, therefore, the insertion and removal of the dispensing nozzle 30 in the washing collector 4 exploits a movement already possible for the filling head 3, without creating structural and functional complications.
With reference to the attached figures, the station 1 comprises a support arm 5, and the filling head 3 further comprises: a dispensing portion 31 (substantially parallel to the conveyor 2), which carries the dispensing nozzle 30, and an advancing portion 32 (substantially transversal and preferably perpendicular to the conveyor 2) which is connected to the dispensing portion 31 and bound to the support arm 5. The advancing portion 32 is movable with respect to the support arm 5 to bring the filling head 3 from the filling configuration F to the washing configuration S, and vice versa.
The advancing portion 32 has a substantially cylindrical shape. According to an example, the advancing portion 32 is slidable with respect to the support arm 5
Preferably, the advancing portion 32 is telescopic, namely, it comprises a plurality of tubular portions sliding relative to one another to determine the movement of the filling head 3 from the filling configuration F to the washing configuration S, and vice versa. Advantageously, this specification guarantees a high structural simplicity of the filling head 3.
For example, the movement of the advancing portion 32 with respect to the support arm 5 is motorized.
According to the attached figures, the support arm 5 is movable at least along a rotation direction O which is transversal to the first direction D1 of movement of the filling head 3 (namely, it is at least partially parallel to the filling path P of the containers C and to the conveyor 2 in the case illustrated).
Preferably, the support arm 5 is movable along said rotation direction O to move the filling head 3 along said second direction D2 (namely, from the respective lowered to the raised position, and vice versa).
Again, with reference to the attached figures, the station 1 comprises a base 50 arranged adjacent to the conveyor 2 and with respect to which the support arm 5 is bound (preferably hinged). The support arm 5 is movable with respect to the base 50 along said rotation direction O.
With reference to the figures, the conveyor 2 has a linear development direction V (namely, it is a linear conveyor 2, for example with a closed loop comprising pockets 20), preferably parallel to the filling path P, and the filling head 3 comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles 30 arranged in a row. Still with reference to the figures, the filling station 1 comprises a plurality of washing collectors 4 arranged in a row (with the number of dispensing nozzles 30 preferably coinciding with the number of washing collectors 4). According to this embodiment, the row of dispensing nozzles 30, the row of washing collectors 4 and the development direction V of the conveyor 2 are parallel to one another. This embodiment guarantees the system an optimal effectiveness and at the same time a high compactness (namely, it results in contained overall dimensions of the filling station 1).
As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, in the washing configuration S each dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 is arranged inside the corresponding washing collector 4 passing through the opening 40; namely, in the washing configuration S each dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 is inserted into the corresponding washing collector 4 engaging the opening 40. Furthermore, in the washing configuration S each dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 seals the opening 40 of the washing collector 4 to prevent the overflow of the washing fluid from the opening 40; in this regard, each dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 or each washing collector 4 has an elastically deformable annular seal 41 which ensures the hydraulic seal between the dispensing nozzle 30 and the opening 40 of the washing collector 4.
Each washing collector 4 has a cup-like shape which is delimited at the bottom by a bottom wall 42 (completely devoid of holes) opposite the opening 40 and is laterally delimited by a side wall 43 which is configured to contain, with a given clearance, the dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 arranged in the washing configuration S (namely, between the dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 and the side wall 43 of the washing collector 4 free space is provided). The side wall 43 of the washing collector 4 has at least a drain hole 44 (in effect a plurality of uniformly distributed drain holes) which is arranged on the opposite side of the bottom wall 42 near the opening 40 and is designed to allow the outflow of the washing fluid once the washing fluid has filled the washing collector 4.
In use, each dispensing nozzle 30 of the filling head 3 enters, through the opening 40, into the corresponding washing collector 4, sealing the opening 40 in a hermetic manner. Once the opening 40 has been sealed, through the dispensing nozzle 30 the washing fluid is dispensed which, passing through the dispensing nozzle 30, cleans the inside of the said dispensing nozzle 30; when the washing fluid comes out of the dispensing nozzle 30 "hits" against the bottom wall 42 of the washing collector 4 and therefore, filling the washing collector 4, is forced to rise upwards until it reaches the drain hole 44 from which the washing fluid flows towards a drain. When the washing fluid rises from bottom to top to reach the drain hole 44, it externally cleans the dispensing nozzle 30 as it flows over the outer surface of the dispensing nozzle 30.
In this way, the fact that each washing collector 4 is "filled" by the washing fluid allows the corresponding dispensing nozzle 30 to be cleaned not only internally but also externally.
The present invention further relates to a method for filling containers C of the pharmaceutical field (for example bottles or vials), which can be implemented by means of a filling station 1 of the type described above.
The method comprises the steps of:

conveying at least a container C along the filling path P; and
bringing the filling head 3 into the respective filling configuration F and fill the container C through the dispensing nozzle 30.

In particular, following said steps, the method comprises the step of: automatically bringing the filling head 3 into the corresponding washing configuration S and filling the washing collector 4 with the washing fluid by means of the dispensing nozzle 30.
Subsequently, the method comprises the step of automatically returning the filling head 3 to the corresponding filling configuration F.
The method described above essentially comprises a filling and subsequent cleaning cycle that can be performed for example by means of the filling station 1, which is also the subject of the invention and described above.
The method according to the invention therefore has the same advantages identified with reference to the filling station 1. In other words, the proposed method allows to reduce the downtimes that were necessary in the known art by increasing the productivity of the filling station 1 by which it is implemented.

Claims

A filling station (1) for containers (C) of the pharmaceutical field, comprising:
- a conveyor (2) for conveying containers (C) along a filling path (P);

- a filling head (3) comprising at least a dispensing nozzle (30); the filling head (3) can assume a filling configuration (F) in which the dispensing nozzle (30) is ready for filling the containers (C) conveyed by the conveyor (2) with a product; and

- a washing collector (4), arranged adjacent to the filling path (P) and comprising an opening (40) for receiving a washing fluid; wherein the dispensing nozzle (30) can be coupled with the opening (40) of the collector for dispensing a washing fluid in the washing collector (4) through the opening (40);
characterized in that the filling head (3) is automatically movable from the filling configuration (F) to a washing configuration (S), in which the respective dispensing nozzle (30) is at the opening (40) of the washing collector (4) for filling the washing collector (4) with the washing fluid through the opening (40), and vice versa.
The station (1) according to claim 1, wherein in the washing configuration (S) the dispensing nozzle (30) of the filling head (3) is arranged inside the washing collector (4) passing through the opening (40).
The station (1) according to claim 2, wherein in the washing configuration (S) the dispensing nozzle (30) of the filling head (3) seals the opening (40) of the washing collector (4) to prevent the washing fluid from overflowing from the opening (40) .
The station (1) according to claim 3, wherein:
the washing collector (4) has a cup-like shape, which is delimited at the bottom by a bottom wall (42) without holes and opposite the opening (40) and is laterally delimited by a side wall (43), which is configured to contain, with a given clearance, the dispensing nozzle (30) of the filling head (3) arranged in the washing configuration (S); and

the side wall (43) of the washing collector (4) has at least a drain hole (44) which is arranged on the opposite side of the bottom wall (42) near the opening (40) and is designed to allow the outflow of the washing fluid once the washing fluid has filled the washing collector (4).
The station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement of the filling head (3) from the filling configuration (F) to the washing configuration (S), and vice versa, takes place along a first direction (D1), horizontal and transversal to the filling path (P).
The station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling head (3) is movable along a second direction (D2), vertical and transversal to the filling path (P), between a lowered position in which the dispensing nozzle (30) is inserted in the washing collector (4) and a raised position in which the dispensing nozzle (30) is not inserted in the washing collector (4).
The station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a support arm (5); and in which the filling head (3) comprises: a dispensing portion (31), which carries the dispensing nozzle (30), and an advancing portion (32), which is connected to the dispensing portion (31) and bound to the support arm (5); the advancing portion (32) being movable with respect to the support arm (5) for bringing the filling head (3) from the filling configuration (F) to the washing configuration (S), and vice versa.
The station (1) according to claim 7, wherein the advancing portion (32) is telescopic.
The station (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the advancing portion (32) is slidable with respect to the support arm (5) .
The station (1) according to claims 7, 8 or 9, wherein the support arm (5) is movable along a rotation direction (O) that is at least partially transversal to the first direction (D1) of movement of the filling head (3).
The station (1) according to claims 10, wherein:
the filling head (3) is vertically movable along a second direction (D2), transversal to the filling path (P), between a lowered position in which the dispensing nozzle (30) is inserted in the washing collector (4) and a raised position in which the dispensing nozzle (30) is not inserted in the washing collector (4); and

the support arm (5) is movable along said rotation direction (O) for moving the filling head (3) along said second direction (D2) .
The station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein:
the conveyor (2) has a linear development direction (V);

the filling head (3) comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles (30) arranged in a row;

the station (1) comprises a plurality of washing collectors (4) arranged in a row; and

the row of the dispensing nozzles (30), the row of the washing collectors (4) and the development direction (V) of the conveyor (2) are parallel to one another.
A filling method for filling containers of the pharmaceutical field performed by the filling station (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:
- conveying at least a container (C) along the filling path (P); and

- bringing the filling head (3) into the respective filling configuration (F) and filling the container (C) by means of the dispensing nozzle (30);
characterized in that it comprises, afterwards, the step of: automatically bringing the filling head (2) into the respective washing configuration (S) and filling the washing collector (4) with the washing fluid by means of the dispensing nozzle (30); and afterwards, the step of:
automatically bringing the filling head (3) into the respective filling configuration (F).