GB2246550A

GB2246550A - Filling containers with cosmetic pastes

Info

Publication number: GB2246550A
Application number: GB9114591A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mitsuo Arashida
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-07-14
Filing date: 1991-07-05
Publication date: 1992-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-05
Also published as: GB2246550B; FR2664567A1; ITMI911920A1; JPH0473005A; GB9114591D0; FR2664567B1; IT1250673B; ITMI911920A0

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLEIG CONTAINERS WITH COSMETIC PASTES This invention relates to an apparatus for filling containers with cosmetic slurries, pastes or creams.

As prior art means for filling containers with cosmetic slurries, a slurry filling method is used. In this filling method, a commonly termed back injection system can not be adopted.

This is so because in the prior art slurry filling method the filling pressure (in the container) is as low 9 as 10 kg/cm or below, thus leading to low filling density. With such low filling density, after the material filling the container is dried, it shrinks and is detached from the container. Moreover, with the low filling pressure the solvent in the slurry can not be discharged from the product, leading to density fluctuations of the filling material. Further, after drying of the product, a hardness comparable to that of powder press molding products can not be obtained.

In the meantime, there is a method of filling with powdery cosmetics. In this method, a powdery cosmetic is supplied for constant quantity filling or measured filling using an apparatus commonly termed powder molder and compressed by a mechanical compression method using a hydraulic press, a kneumatic press, a servo press, etc.

Such prior art method, however, have the following problems.

The method of measuring powder is subject -to-fluctuations, and containers can not be filled with a constant quantity of powder. In addition, the method of filling with powder is also subject to fluctuations. That is, the filling density fluctuates, resulting in hardness fluctuations of the product and variations of the sense of use of the product when used. Further, at the time of compression molding, air pools are formed in the molding, giving rise to a commonly termed two-layer phenomenon.

This is a grave drawback that leads to the rupture or drop-out of the molding. Furthermore, at the time of the compression molding and measuring, 5 to 15 % of the powder is lost, which is very undesirable in view of economy.

Yet further, filling and molding irregularities arise from introduction of oil into the powder and considerably reduce the production efficiency. (If oil is introduced by 20 % or more, it will result in incapability of filling.) Further drawbacks are polution problems in the molding pla-ce, difficulty of cleaning of the molder body, increased equipment cost and large space occupation of the molder.

The present invention, which seeks to solve the above problems inherent in the prior art, has an object of providing an apparatus for filling with cosmetic pastes and a method of filling using the same apparatus, which can be used for various forms of cosmetics, can ensure constant quantity filling of containers, uniform filling density and constant hardness of product, can reduce loss of cosmetic, permit size reduction of the apparatus itself, provide for high production efficiency suited for mass production and permit realization of sanitary environments of production.

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for filling with cosmetic pastes compritsing: conveying means for carrying one or more containers having a filling port formed at the bottom and open at the top and conveying said containers with said filling port down; cosmetic paste accommmodation means accommodating a cosmetic paste for filling said containers; withdrawal/discharge means of self-withdrawal/discharge type for withdrawing and discharging said cosmetic paste from said cosmetic paste accommodation means to the outside in constant quantities;; filling means disposed beneath said containers conveyed by said conveying member of said conveying means and having a filling nozzle section facing said filling ports of said containers for supplying the cosmetic paste discharged from said withdrawal/discharge means through said filling nozzle section toward said filling ports of said containers to fill said containers; and withdrawing means disposed on the open top side of said containers for withdrawing a solvent in the cosmetic paste for filling said containers.

Said containers may be conveyed with said filling ports up on said conveying member of said conveying means, said filling means is disposed over said containers conveyed, and said withdrawing means may be disposed beneath the opening side of said containers.

Said conveying means may be a uni-directional conveying system using a chain or a belt as said conveying means.

Said conveying means may be a circular orbit conveying system using a turntable, said turntable supporting a work station for supplying said containers, a work station for checking whether there is any container and also for checking whether there is any erroneous setting of any container, a work station for performing the filling with said cosmetic paste and recovering the solvent in said cosmetic paste and a work station for automatically taking out the containers containing the cosmetic having been solidified after filling.

According to the invention, there is also provided a method of filling with cosmetic pastes using a cosmetic paste filling apparatus comprising: withdrawing a cosmetic paste in constant quantities from cosmetic paste accommodation means with withdrawal/discharge means of self-withdrawal/discharge type; conveying one or more containers having a filling port formed at the bottom and open at the top with the filling port up or down with conveying means; discharging said cosmetic paste from said withdrawal/discharge means toward said filling means; filling containers conveyed by said conveying means with said cosmetic paste from a filling nozzle section provided in said filling means through the filling ports of said containers; and withdrawing the solvent in the cosmetic paste filling said containers from withdrawing means via a solvent withdrawal auxiliary member such as paper or cloth.

With the apparatus and method as above according to the invention, the containers having a filling port formed at the bottom and open at the top are conveyed with the filling port up or down by the conveying means. The withdrawal/discharge means of self-withdrawal/discharge type withdraws a cosmetic in the form of the paste or the like in constant quantities from the cosmetic accommodation means. The filling means which is disposed beneath or over the conveying path of the conveying means supplies the cosmetic from the withdrawal/discharge means through the filling nozzle section provided in the filling means for filling the containers through the filling ports thereof. The withdrawal means performs a solvent withdrawl operation to withdraw the solvent in the cosmetic now filling the containers. This solvent withdrawal operation by the withdraw means may be effected via the solvent withdrawal auxiliary member having a filter function.

With the method according to the invention, the conveying of the containers by the conveying means, the withdrawing and discharging of the cosmetic paste or the like from the cosmetic accommodation means to the outside in constant quantities by the withdrawal/discharge means, filling the containers with the cosmetic by the filling means and withdrawing of the solvent in the cosmetic may be performed efficiently and automatically, and it is possible to obtain a product with a constant cosmetic filling rate, with a uniform filling density and with a constant hardness.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view showing an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged-scale sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged-scale elevational view showing cosmetic accommodation means and withdrawal/discharge means in the embodiment of the apparatus; Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale sectional view showing filling means of the apparatus; Figure 5 is an enlarged-scale plan view showing a guide frame and containers in the apparatus; Figure 6 is an enlarged-scale fragmentary sectional view showing a part of the apparatus, in which the containers are filled with a cosmetic;; Figures 7 to 9 are enlarged-scale fragmentary sectional views for explaining the operation of the withdrawal/discharge means; Figure 10 is an enlarged-scale fragmentary sectional view showing a modification of a part of the embodiment, in which the containers are filled with the cosmetic; and Figure 11 is an enlarged-scale sectional view showing a modification of the withdrawal/discharge means.

Now, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown an apparatus 1 for filling with cosmetics. The apparatus comprises cosmetic accommodation means 50 using an open hopper 2 and withdrawal/discharge means 60 of self-withdrawal/discharge type for withdrawing and discharging a cosmetic accommodated in the cosmetic accommodation means 50 in constant quantities through a discharge tube 9 to the outside, these means being provided on a horizontal plate 101 supported by four support pillars 100 erected from a base 1A of the apparatus 1.

On the base 1A conveying means 111A is disposed, which includes a pair of parallel chains 111 as conveying members. More specifically, paired side plates 112a and 112b extendfrom the base 7A on the outer side of the four support pillars 100, and the two chains 111 are passed round four sprockets supported at the four corners of the two side plates 112a and 112b and driven in the direction of arrow X in Figure 1 by drive means (not shown).

As shown in Figure 5, the chains 111 are provided with four hook members 122 for hooking a rectangular guide frame 121 which can carry four containers 120 each having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, the hook members 122 being provided at positions corresponding to the four corners of the guide frame 121 and adapted to support the guide frame 121 between the two chains 111. As shown in Figure 6, the containers 120 each have a filling port 120b formed at the center of the bottom 120a and open at the top.

The number and shape of the containers 120 mounted in the guide frame 121 are by no means limited to those in this embodiment. For instance, the containers 120 may have a rectangular shape. Also, it is possible to mount one or more containers 120 in the guide frame 121.

In this embodiment, the guide frame 121 has four recessed portions, in which the four containers 120 may be mounted. Communication holes 121a extend from the respective recessed portions to the lower surface of the guide frame 121. More specifically, these holes 121a terminate in filling ports 120b exposed at the lower surface of the guide frame 121.

Withdrawing means 80 is disposed on the horizontal plate 101 at a position thereof corresponding to a filling nozzle section 51 of filling means 70. The withdrawing means 80 has a perforated plate 81, through which the solvent in a cosmetic or the like for filling the containers 120 passes when withdrawn by suction.

A solvent withdrawal auxiliary member 91 is adapted to intervene between the bottom of the perforated plate 81 and top opening of each of the containers 120. The solvent withdrawal auxiliary member 91 is made a waterabsorbing material such as paper or cloth and has a filter function. As shown in Figure 2, the member 91 is paid off and taken up in contact with the open top of each of the containers 120.

As shown in Figure 1, secondary press means 95 is disposed on the horizontal plate 101 at a position thereof rightwardly of the withdrawing means 80. The secondary press means 95 includes a drive section 96 and a press member 97, which can be driven toward each of the containers 120 in the guide frame 121 being conveyed by the chains 111 in the direction of arrow X.

Withdrawal/discharge means 60 which is coupled to the open hopper will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 3.

The withdrawal/discharge means 60 has a cylindrical pump body 3 disposed beneath the open hopper 2, a discharge nozzle section 4 disposed beneath the pump body 3 for discharging a cosmetic paste P for filling the containers 120 and a drive source 5 disposed beneath the discharge nozzle section 4 and having a stroke adjustment function.

The open hopper 2 and pump body 3, and also the pump body 3 and discharge nozzle section 4, can be coupled and decoupled by a coupler, which includes a belt 6 and a tightening member 8.

The discharge nozzle section 4 has a hollow cylindrical shape communicating with the pump body 3, and it has a discharge cylinder 10 having a discharge pipe 9 projecting sidewise and a nozzle tube 11 coupled to the discharge pipe 9. The other end of the nozzle tube 11 is connected to the filling means 70. The discharge pipe 9 and nozzle tube 11 can be coupled and decoupled by a coupler 15 having a belt 13 and a tightening member 14.

The pump body 3, as shown to an enlarged scale in Figure 7, accommodates a filling material withdrawal/discharge section 20 including a main piston 16 disposed for vertical movement in frictional contact with its inner periphery, an auxiliary pistion 17 coaxial with the main piston 16 and a piston rod 18 coupled at the upper end to the auxiliary piston 17.

The outer periphery of the main piston 16 is in contact with the inner periphery of the pump body 3, and O-rings 19 are fitted on the outer periphery noted above to prevent leakage of the filling material between the outer periphery of the main piston 16 and inner periphery of the pump body 3.

The main piston 16 has a central circular hole 16a, through which a cosmetic paste P passes.

The auxiliary piston 17 is a disk-like member 17 having an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the circular hole 16a and greater than the diameter of an inlet 3a of the pump body 3, and it is disposed between the main piston 16 and inlet 3a. The piston rod 18 has its upper end coupled to the auxiliary piston 17, and it penetrates the circular hole 16a and discharge cylinder 10. Its lower end is coupled to the drive source 5.

The drive source 5, as shown in Figure 3, includes a pneumatically operable jig cylinder 21 disposed vertically on a support 20, a stationary frame 23 disposed horizontally on a vertical frame 23a erected on the support 20, a guide screw 24 and a stroke adjustment screw 25 disposed vertically between the support 20 and stationary frame 23, a side support plate 26 mounted on the vertical frame 23a, a revolving screw member 28 meshed with the stroke adjustment screw 25 and a handle 30 coaxial with the revolving screw member 28. Thus, the stroke adjustment of the piston rod 18 may be made by varying the position of the stroke adjustment screw 25 with respect to the guide screw 24 with the screw 25 turned with the revolving screw member 28 operated by turning the handle 30.

The filling means 70 will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 4.

The filling means 70 includes a filling unit body 45, which is provided with a filling valve cylinder 46. A filling rod 47 projects from the filling valve cylinder 46 into the filling unit body 45 and is in contact with a needle 48.

Designated at 51a and 51b in Figure 4 are filling manifolds secured to the filling unit body 45 and forming a filling nozzle section 51. The manifold 51a is formed with a plurality of passages 52 and 53, while the other manifold 51b is formed with nozzles 54 and 55. As the nozzles 54 and 55 may be used open nozzles or pressure injection nozzles or other suitable nozzles.

The filling unit body 45 is provided with a temperature sensor and a heater for maintaining a constant temperature of its inside. Designated at R in Figure 4 are O-rings.

The tube 11 noted before is connected by a joint 33 to the filling unit body 45. The manifold 5b communicates with the filling ports 120b of the individual containers 120 through the communication holes 121a formed in the guide frame 121 for supplying the cosmetic P to the containers 120.

Now, a method of filling the four containers 120, for instance, with the cosmetic paste P using the apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9.

It is assumed that the cosmetic paste P is contained in the pump body 3 and open hopper 2.

Figure 7 shows a state of he apparatus, in which the auxiliary piston 17 coupled to the piston rod 18 is at the uppermost position and the main piston 16 is at a position slightly below the auxiliary piston 17.

From this state, the piston rod 18 is driven downwardly at a constant speed by supplying air under a predetermined pressure to the jig cylinder 21 of the drive source 5. As a result, the auxiliary piston 17 is eventually brought into contact with the main piston 16, as shown in Figure 8. In this stage, no withdrawing force is acting yet on the cosmetic paste P above the auxiliary piston 17.

As the auxiliary piston 17 is further driven, the main piston 16 is moved downwardly in unison with the auxiliary piston 17 to eventually bring about a state as shown in Figure 9. In this operation, the cosmetic paste P under the main piston 16 is pushed and forced out under a high pressure through the discharge cylinder 10 of the discharge nozzle section 4, discharge pipe 9 and nozzle tube 11 into the filling unit body 45. In addition, with the above operation of the main and auxiliary pistons 16 and 17 a withdrawing force is provided from the open hopper 2 to the pump body 3, and thus the cosmetic paste P is withdrawn into the pump body 3.

Now, the operation of the filling means 70, to which the cosmetic paste P is supplied, will be described.

It is assumed that the the containers 120 and guide frame 121 have been conveyed to and are stationary at a position corresponding to the manifold 51b.

The cosmetic paste P supplied to the filling unit body 45 fills the containers 120 as follows.

The filling valve cylinder 46 provided on the filling unit body 45 is driven to extend the rod 47. The rod 47 thus pushes the needle 48, whereby a predetermined amount of the cosmetic paste P is fed into the manifold 51a and thence the plurality of passages 52 and 53 formed in the manifold 51a, nozzles 54 and 55 provided in the other manifold 51b, communication holes 121a and filling nozzles 120b to fill the containers 120.

At the same time, the withdrawing means 20 withdraws by suction the solvent in the cosmetic paste P passed through a large number of small holes in the perforated plate 81 via the solvent suction auxiliary member 91 in contact with the top of the containers 120 in the guide frame 121.

In this way, one cycle of filling the four containers 120 is completed entirely automatically, at a constant rate and with a constant density.

Subsequently, the containers 120 in the guide frame 121 are conveyed by the chains 111 in the direction of arrow X1 to a position right beneath the secondary press means 95. At this position, the cosmetic paste P filling the containers 120 is pressed and molded by the molding press ,, .

member 97 which is driven vertically by the drive section 96.

Thereafter, the guide frame 121 is further conveyed in the direction of arrow X1, and in this way four pieces of product with the cosmetic contained and solidified in the respective containers 120 can be obtained at a time.

With the method of filling using the embodiment of the apparatus described above, it is possible to obtain constant rate filling of the containers 120 by setting a constant speed of driving of the auxiliary piston 17 and also the main piston 16. In addition, it is possible to optimize the filling density without possibility of the double layer phenomenon and obtain a constant hardness of the product by adjusting the stroke of the piston rod 18 with the drive source 5.

Further, since in the apparatus 1 the open hopper 2, pump body 3, discharge nozzle section 4 and drive source 5 are disposed one above another, it is possible to reduce the size, weight and cost of the apparatus. Further, it is possible to quickly prearrange the apparatus for a color change of the cosmetic paste P by suitably replacing the open hopper 2 and also replacing the nozzle tube 11 of the discharge nozzle section 4. Further, while the above embodiment has used the open hopper 2, the apparatus 1 is also applicable to the use of a pressure application hopper for supplying the cosmetic paste P while applying pressure to the hopper itself.

Since the embodiment of the apparatus 1 uses the withdrawal/discharge means 60, which effects the withdrawal and discharge of the cosmetic paste P forcibly with a back injection system, it is possible to reduce the filling loss of the cosmetic paste P to a very slight extent, which is desired in view of economy. Further, there is no possibility of introduction of oil into the cosmetic paste P, and it is possible to eliminate filling irregularities and molding irregularities. Further, unlike the prior art powder molder, no polution problems due to powder are posed. Furthermore, the hopper 2 and nozzle tube 11 can be removed by one-touch operation and can be readily cleaned.

Figure 10 shows a different example of the system of filling the containers 120 with the cosmetic paste P. In this example, the direction of filling the containers 120 is reversed compared to the case described before in connection with Figure 6, and the withdrawal means 80 is disposed beneath the containers 120. With this converse filling direction, the same function and effects as described above can be obtained, and also the same filling method as above can be used.

The above embodiment is by no means limitative, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the conveying means 111A may use belts in lieu of the chains 111, or it may be replaced by a circular orbit conveying system using a turntable. In such a circular orbit conveying system using a turntable, the turntable may carry a work station for supplying containers to be filled with a cosmetic paste, a work station for checking whether there is any container and also for checking whether there is any erroneous setting of any container, a work station for performing the filling with the cosmetic paste and recovering the solvent in the cosmetic paste and a work station for automatically taking out the containers containing the cosmetic having been solidified after filling.

Further, it is possible to use withdrawal/discharge means 60A shown in Figure 11 in lieu of the withdrawal/discharge means 60 used in the above embodiment.

The withdrawal/discharge means 60A shown in Figure 11 includes a cylinder 36 and a free piston 37 slidably disposed in the cylinder 36. The free piston 37 penetrates a wall 38 into the cylinder 36. This structure constitutes a plunger pump 35 of self-withdrawal/discharge type, and its other elements are a rod 39 capable of being inserted through and detached from a central hole 37a formed in the free piston 37, a guide member 41 secured by a support rod 40 to the end of the rod 39, a flange 42 secured to an intermediate portion of the rod 39, a supply port 44a, through which the cosmetic paste P is supplied into the cylinder 36, an outlet port 44a, through which the cosmetic paste P in the cylinder 36 is supplied to the next work step and a drive source 43 for driving the rod 39 into and out of the cylinder 36.

Designated at R in Figure 11 are O-rings.

With this withdrawal/discharge means 60 A, the function and effects as in the case of the withdrawal/discharge means 60 in the embodiment can be obtained.

As has been described in the foregoing, according to the invention it is possible to obtain the following effects.

The apparatus having the above construction embodying the invention can accomodate cosmetics in various forms such as pastes and creams, can be reduced in size, permits high production efficiency to be obtained and permits realization of sanitary working environments.

Further, the method of filling embodying the invention permits obtaining constant rate and uniform density filling of containers and constant hardness of product, and also it can reduce loss of cosmetics for filling, which is desired in view of economy.

Claims

1. An apparatus for filling containers with cosmetic pastes or the like comprising: conveying means for carrying one or more containers, each having a filling port formed at its bottom and an opening at its top, and for conveying said containers with said filling ports arranged in a predetermined direction; cosmetic paste accommodation means for accommodating a cosmetic paste for filling said containers; withdrawal/discharge means of a selfwithdrawal/discharge type for withdrawing and discharging said cosmetic paste from said cosmetic paste accommodation means in substantially constant quantities;; filling means disposed so as, in operation, to be positioned adjacent said containers conveyed by said conveying means, and having a filling nozzle section facing said filling ports of said containers for supplying cosmetic paste discharged from said withdrawal/discharge means through said filling nozzle section towards said filling ports of said containers to fill said containers; and withdrawing means disposed so as, in operation, to be positioned adjacent the openings of said containers for withdrawing a solvent in the cosmetic paste for filling said containers.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein , in operation, said containers are conveyed with said filling ports down by conveying members of said conveying means, said filling means is disposed beneath said containers being conveyed, and said withdrawing means is disposed above the openings in said containers.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in operation, said containers are conveyed with said filling ports up by conveying members of said conveying means, said filling means is disposed over said containers being conveyed, and said withdrawing means is disposed beneath the openings in said containers.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, which further comprises a solvent absorption auxiliary member having a filtering function, such as paper or cloth, disposed, in operation, between the openings in said containers and said withdrawal means in contact with the open sides of said containers.

5. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said conveying means is a uni-directional conveying system using a chain or belt arrangement as said conveying means.

6. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said conveying means is a circular-orbit conveying system using a turntable, said turntable supporting a work station for supplying said containers, a work station for checking whether containers are present and also for checking whether containers are incorrectly positioned, a work station for performing the filling of containers with said cosmetic paste and extracting the solvent from said cosmetic paste,and a work station for automatically removing the containers containing the cosmetic paste which has been solidified after filling.

7. A method of filling containers with cosmetic pastes or the like using a cosmetic paste filling apparatus, comprising: withdrawing a cosmetic paste in substantially constant quantities from cosmetic paste accommodation means by means of withdrawal/discharge means of a selfwithdrawal/discharge type; conveying one or more containers, each having a filling port formed at its bottom and an opening at its top, with the filling port up or down, by means of conveying means; discharging said cosmetic paste from said withdrawal/discharge means toward said filling means; filling containers conveyed by said conveying means with said cosmetic paste from a filling nozzle section provided in said filling means, through the filling ports of said containers; and withdrawing the solvent in the cosmetic paste filling said containers by withdrawing means via a solvent withdrawal auxiliary member, such as paper or cloth.

8. Apparatus for filling containers with a cosmetic paste, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.

11. The methods of filling containers with cosmetic pastes, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.