GB2512026A

GB2512026A - A dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2512026A
Application number: GB1300543.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dimitar Yanchev
Original assignee: Aiger Group AG
Current assignee: Aiger Group AG
Priority date: 2013-01-11
Filing date: 2013-01-11
Publication date: 2014-09-24
Also published as: GB201300543D0

Abstract

A dispenser 10 for dispensing a measured amount of material, comprising an adjustable feeder 12, at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor 18 located in relation to the feeder 12 to provide a signal indicative of the amount of material fed therefrom, and a controller connection 30 to receive that signal from the sensor 18, and, in the event that that amount is outside a predetermined tolerance of a desired amount, to adjust the feeder 12 accordingly and/or to reject an amount fed from the feeder 12 accordingly. The present invention extends to a method of dispensing a measured amount of material using a dispenser 10 and a flow measurement apparatus. The invention is particularly suitable for use in dispensing particulate ,materials for the pharmaceutical, food, veterinary or cosmetic industries.

Description

A dispenser [0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser or dosing device for providing a dose of material or for dispensing a measured amount of material, for example for use in the pharmaceutical industry or in the food industry.

[0002] One previously proposed such dispenser ensures a measured amount of liquid is dispensed by filling a oylinder of known volume, and dispensing that volume by discharging it from the cylinder.

[0003] Such a construction is not so useful if the material to be dispensed is a powder or other particulate bulk fluid, such as may be dispensed in the food industry, or in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of tablets or capsules for example. Furthermore, the fact that the cylinder has to be refilled and discharged for every dispensed amount has an adverse effect on the overall speed of operation of the dispenser, and may introduce errors.

[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a dispenser for dispensing a measured amount of material, comprising an adjustable feeder, at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor located in relation to the feeder to provide a signal indicative of the amount of material fed therefrom, and a controller connection to receive that signal from the sensor, and, in the event that that amount is outside a predetermined tolerance of a desired amount, to adjust the feeder accordingly and/or to reject an amount fed from the feeder accordingly.

[0006] Such a construction facilitates an on-line method of control.

[0007] The sensor may comprise a capacitor sensor, an infra-red sensor, a laser sensor, or an X-ray sensor.

[0008] Preferably, however, the sensor comprises a microwave resonator, which may he a one dimensional sensor, a two dimensional sensor, or a three dimensional sensor, preferably operating at a frequency in the range from 1 to Hz, more preferably from 2 to 30 GHz.

[0009] The feeder may be constructed to feed a powder or other particulate bulk fluid by free-fall from an outlet of the feeder.

[0010] Alternatively, the feeder may be constructed to feed a liquid in the form of a spray.

[0011] The present invention extends to a method of dispensing a measured amount of material using a dispenser in accordance with the present invention.

[0012] The present invention also extends to a method of dispensing a measured amount of material, comprising feeding an amount of material from an adjustable feeder through a sensitivity region of at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor located in relation to the feeder to provide a signal from the sensor indicacive of the amount of material fed by the feeder, and adjusting the amount of material fed by the feeder and/cr rejecting an amount of material fed by the feeder in the event that the amount is outside a predetermined tolerance of a desired amount.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention relates to flow measurement apparatus comprising a flow path defining device through which material flows when the apparatus is in use, and a sensor arranged in relation to the flow path defining device to provide a measure of the amount of material flowing along the flow path when the device is in use.

[0014] An example of such apparatus is a flow meter comprising an orifice in a pipeline, and a manometer connected across the orifice to measure the pressure drop thereacross.

[0015] A disadvantage of such a flow meter is that it has a limited application in metering out a dose of material, for example in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Also, it is of limited applicability in measuring the flow of bulk fluids such as powders or other granular material.

[0016] The second aspect of the present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

[0017] Accordingly, the second aspect of the present invention is directed to flow measurement apparatus having the construction set out in paragraph 0013 of the present specification, in which the sensor comprises at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor which serves to provide a signal indicative of the amount of material which is for the time being within the region of sensitivity of the sensor that is within the flow path, and a measurement device which is connected to the sensor to receive such a signal and which is constructed or programmed to provide a measure of a sum of such amounts over a period of time.

[0018] This enables an online or real time observation or analysis of the material flowing along the flow path.

[0019] The sensor may comprise a microwave resonator, which may be a one dimensional sensor, a two dimensional sensor, or a three dimensional sensor, preferablyw ith an operating frequency in the range from 1 to 60 GHz, more preferably in the range from 2 to 30 GHz.

[0020] The present invention is also directed to feed control apparatus comprising flow measurement apparatus as set out in paragraph 0017 above, comprising a flow control device which is connected to a controller which incorporates the said measurement device, in which the flow control device is controlled by the controller in dependence upon the said measure, to control the flow of material along the flow path.

[0021] The present invention is also directed to a dispenser for dispensing a predetermined dose or amount of material, comprising feed control apparatus as set out in the immediately preceding paragraph, in which the flow control device comprises a shut-off device to shut off the flow of material along the flow path when the said measure reaches a predetermined threshold value.

[0022] The present invention also extends to a dispenser for dispensing a predetermined amount of material, comprising flow measurement apparatus as set out in paragraph 0017 of the present specification, further comprising a conveyor supporting a container, receptacle or object into or onto which the said predetermined amount of material is to be dispensed when the dispenser is in use, the dispenser further comprising a controller which incorporates the said measurement device and which operates the conveyor to move the container or receptacle out of said path when the said measure reaches a predetermined threshold value.

[0023] The material which flows through the apparatus may comprise anything which flows, such as a liguid, a gas, a gel, a mousse, a cream, a powder, or any other bulk solid, such as granular material.

[0024] The flow path defining device may comprise a feed nozzle.

[0025] The present invention extends to flow measurement apparatus comprising a plurality of flow path defining devices with respective sensors, each in accordance with

paragraph 0013 of the present specification.

[0026] Conveyor apparatus may be provided to move a container or receptacle successively into the paths of the said plurality of flow path defining devices.

[0027] Alternatively, conveyor apparatus may be provided to move a plurality of lines of containers or receptacles respectively through the paths of the said plurality of flow path defining devices.

[0028] An example of a dispenser, flow measurement apparatus, and feed control apparatus, made in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the acoompanying drawings, in which: [0029] Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic axial sectional view of apparatus comprising a dispenser made in accordance with the present invention; [0030] Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic part perspective side view of apparatus embodying the present invention incorporating a plurality of dispenser as shown in Figure 1; and [0031] Figures 3 to 8 show respective explanatory graphs illustrating the manner of operation of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0032] The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a dispenser 10 or dose applicator or dosing device having a feed nozzle 12 which defines a flow path 14 extending downwardly from its outlet 16, since material released from the outlet 16 free falls downwardly under the force of gravity. A microwave sensor 18 has the construction of the microwave resonator shown in Figure 7 of US-B-7,337,074, the whole contents of which are hereby imported into The present specification by way of reference. The sensor 18 is formed with an aperture 20 which extends all the way through the microwave sensor 18 and which defines within it a sensitivity region 22 which overlaps a portion of the flow path 14 so that material flowing from the outlet 16 downwardly along the flow path 14 flows through the aperture and hence through the sensitivity region 22 of the microwave sensor 18.

[0033] A conveyor 24 is located underneath the dispenser 10, and a container or receptacle 26 is supported by the conveyor 24 in such a manner that it can be moved to and from a position underneath the dispenser 10 so that with the position it has in Figure 1 underneath the dispenser 10, it receives material from the dispenser 10. An electrical output 28 from the microwave sensor 18 is connected to a microcontroller 30 which in turn is connected to a shut-off valve 32 of the nozzle 12 to enable the latter to be opened and closed in accordance with command signals sent from the microcontroller 30 to the shut-off valve 32.

[0034] The microwave sensor 18 incorporates circuitry which provides a signal at its output 28 indicative of the mass N of material for the time being within its sensitivity region 22, determined by the equation: N = * (1 + k2F) * A in which k1 and k. are constants ascertained from experimental tests on the apparatus (by noting the measure given by the sensor 18 for a given amount of material, and weighing the material to determine its mass) F = B/A, A is the change in the resonant freguency as compared to the resonant frequency of the sensor with absence of any material in its sensitivity region, and B is the increase in the half-value width of the resonance curve compared to that value with absence of any material in its sensitivity region.

[0035] The conveyor 24 is provided with a conveyor drive 34 connected so that its operation is controlled by the microcontroller 30.

[0036] The apparatus shown in Figure 2 comprises three dispensers ba, lob and lOc, each having the construction shown in Figure 1, and juxtaposed linearly over a common conveyor 24. The microcontroller 30 associated with the dispenser ba in this case is the master microcontroller, and the microcontroller 30 of the dispensers lob and bOo are connected to the microcontrollers 30 of the dispenser lOa so that they are slave microcontrollers 30. An ejeccion system is arranged adjacent to the conveyor 24 downstream of the dispensers bOa, bOb, and bc, and is electrically connected to the microcontroller 30 so that the latter ejects a container or receptacle 26 when the latter reaches the ejection system in the event that the amount of a material fed to it is outside a predetermined tolerance.

[0037] The apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be programmed to operate in different ways, one of which is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, and another of which is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, and a third of which is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.

[0038] The manner of operation illustrated with reference to Figures 3 and 4 is as follows. The micro controller 30 in executing the program to which it is subject, operates the conveyor device 34 to move the conveyor 24 and consequently the container or receptacle 26 supported on it until the latter is underneath the dispenser ff. At this point, represented by the time t1 in Figure 3, the micro controller sends a command signal to the shut-off valve 32 to open for a predetermined amount of time. In this method of operation, the amount of material released from the nozzle during this predetermined amount of time is intended to be the correct dose to be dispensed, and also is a sufficiently small amount so that at least at one stage it is wholly within the sensitivity region 22 of the sensor 18.

[0039] The signal that results at the output 28 of the sensor 18 is shown by the curve in Figure 3. This curve rises as more and more of the dispensed amount enters the region 22, peaks at a value m whilst the whole of the dispensed amount is within the region 22, and then tails off.

[0040] The value m is compared to the desired value m held in memory within the micro controller 30, and if it is outside the tolerance range m2 to m1 shown in Figure 4, the micro controller 30 makes a corresponding adjustment to the period of time during which the shut-off valve 32 is open.

Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller 30 may cause the rejection system 35 to reject that dose.

[0041] The manner of operation illustrated with reference to Figures 5 and 6 is as follows. The microcontroller 30, in executing the program which it is subject to, operates the conveyor drive 34 to move the conveyor 24 and consequently the container or receptacle 26 supported on it until the latter is underneath the dispenser 10. At this point, represented by the time t1 in Figures 5 and 6, the microcontroller 30 sends a command signal to the shut-off valve 32 to open the latter to cause material to start flowing out from the nozzle 16 through the microwave sensor 18 and further downwardly along the flow path 14 into the container or receptacle 26. The microwave sensor 18 issues a signal from its output 28 to the microcontroller 30 indicative of the mass of material for the time being within its sensitivity region 22, as described herein. This signal may for example appear as shown in Figure 5 as a function of time. As is evident, the flow is not entirely regular, as may well occur especially with the dispensing of a powder.

[0042] The microcontroller 30 receives this signal and generates within itself a measurement which is a sum of the values shown in the curve of Figure 5.

[0043] Thus, if the curve shown in Figure 5 is represented by the eguation m=f(t), the curve in Figure 6 would be represented by the equation m=f(t)dt.

[0044] When the value of the measurement shown in Figure 6 reaches a threshold value m the microcontroller 30 is programmed to switch shut-oft valve 32 so that the latter shuts the nozzle 12 and no further material falls from the outlet 16 after time t2 (until the next cycle) [0045] The extension of the curves in Figures 5 and 6 beyond t, represents a certain amount of material that has already dropped from the outlet 16 when the shut-off valve 32 is closed but which has not yet passed through the microwave sensor 18. With the microwave sensor 18 close to the outlet 16, this is a small amount, represented in Figure 6 by the mass m-m. Furthermore, within certain tolerances and for a given dispenser 10, this small amount is a predictable amount. The threshold level m is therefore set to ensure that the amount of material dispensed into the container or receptacle 26 is the desired amount of mass m,.

[0046] The microcontroller 30 then causes the conveyor device 34 to operate the conveyor 24 to move the next following container or receptacle 26 (not shown) underneath the nozzle 12, for the next cycle of operation.

[0047] Since the microwave sensor 18 provides a measure of the mass within its sensitivity region at any given time, independently of the speed with which that material is passing through the microwave sensor, the foregoing method of dispensing a dose md of material to the container 26 is based on the construction of the dispenser 10, so that although the amount of material flowing from the outlet 16 may vary in accordance with Figure 5, the speed with which it flows through the dispenser 18 is determined by the distance it has fallen under the force of gravity from the outlet 16 and remains substantially constant for any given such distance. It is therefore possible to ascertain the values of k: and k, in the equation appearing in paragraph 0033 to provide an accurate measure of P4.

[0048] A more absolute measurement of the mass of material flowing through the microwave sensor 18 is given by the method of operation illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.

[0049] With the microcontroller 30 programmed to operate in accordance with Figures 7 and 8, when the container or receptacle 26 is located underneath the dispenser 10 at time t: the microcontroller 30 operates the shut-off valve 32 to hold the nozzle 12 open for successive intervals of time so that successive amounts of material are dropped from the cutlet 16. As each amount of material falls from the outlet 16 of the nozzle 12 through the microwave sensor 18, the signal at the output 28 of the microwave sensor 18 which is forwarded to the microwave controller 30 increases, reaches a peak and decreases back to zero as the amount of material starts to enter the sensitivity region 22 of the microwave sensor 18, then for a brief period is wholly within that sensitivity region, and then starts to leave that region.

The peak value of the signal during this period therefore represents the whole of the mass of that amount of material as it falls towards the container or receptacle 26. This peak value is forwarded to a memory within the microcontroller 30, the value of which is the accumulated amount of material passed to the container or receptacle 26.

Thus, successive amounts or bursts of material released from the outlet 16, as shown in Figure 7, cause the measurement in this memory to have a step function as shown in Figure 8, gradually increasing. The microcontroller 30 is programmed so that when this value reaches a threshold value m at time t-, the successive intervals during which the valve 32 is open are shorter, so that smaller amounts of material drop from the outlet 16 at successive intervals to enable a mcre precise adjustment of the amount of material which is allowed to fall into the container 26. when this amount reaches the desired amount md at time t1, the microcontroller causes the shut-off valve 32 to remain closed whilst it causes the conveyor 24 to move the container or receptacle 26 forwardly so that the next container (not shown in Figure 1) is brought underneath the dispenser 10 for the next operating cycle thereof.

[0050] With the apparatus shown in Figure 2, this procedure is followed for each of the dispensers ba, lOb and 1Cc, except that the conveyor 24 does not move containers or receptacles 26 until all the dispensers ba, lOb and lOc have completed their cycles either as shown in Figures 3 and 4, or as shown in Figures 5 and 6, or as shown in Figures 7 and 8, for example. In this way, each coutainer or receptacle 26 receives the correct dose of respective different materials from the dispensers bOa, lOb and 1Cc.

[0051] Since, for all these methods of operation of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1 or 2, the information is provided by the sensor 18 in real time, or online, changes can be made to the apparatus for a different material to create a different product between each run of twenty cycles or even less.

[0052] If the material dispensed is powder, successive doses dispensed may be used to create pharmaceutical tablets. Powder or sprayed liquid may be used to create capsules.

[0053] Numerous modifications and variations to the illustrated apparatus may occur to the reader without taking the resulting construction outside the scope of the present invention. For example, the apparatus shown in Figure 2 might be modified so that instead of having one conveyor 24 which passes containers or receptacles 26 successively under the dispensers ba, lOb and 1Cc, so that for each container or receptacle these dispensers are operated in series with one another, three conveyors 24 may be provided, one for each dispenser bOa, lOb and 1Cc extending and moving in a direction at right angles to the line along which these dispensers are located, to provide three outputs of different products, so that the dispensers ba, lOb and 1Cc operate in parallel with one another.

[0054] Io give another example, the manner of operation illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 may be made even more precise by having, above the threshold value m, but below the desired value m, a further threshold value beyond which the interval during which the stop-valve 32 is open is shorter still.

[0055] The container or receptacle 26 may be in the form of a capsule, a bottle, a vial or a pot, for example.

[0056] The nozzle 12 may be adapted to enable liquid to be sprayed therefrom. The path 14 would then be determined by the direction of spray, not necessarily downwardly from the outlet 16. The operation in accordance with Figures 7 and 8 would then be effected by causing a pulsating spray from the outlet 16.

[0057] The measure of the amount of material flowing through the microwave sensor 18 may be provided by measuring the moisture content thereof.

[0058] Instead of a microwave sensor 18, a capacitor sensor, infra-red sensor, laser sensor, or X-ray sensor may be used.

[0059] Instead of using gravity to feed particulate or granular material from the nozzle 12 to the container or receptacle 26, the flow path 14 may be defined by a tube (not shown) extending through the region 22, and the material may be urged to flcw along this tube byway of an air stream passing within it. The air stream may be of a known velocity. The tube may be on a slant or may even extend substantially horizontally, although it may be upright.

[0060] The manner of operation with reference to Figures 3 and 4 may be modified so that instead of or in addition to operating on a short term basis, in whioh an adjustment is made to the very next feed after a given dose is found to he outside a predetermined tolerance, operation oould he on a long term basis in which the average amcunt of material ted per dose, for n such doses, in which n may be 1000 or any other number which can be selectively entered into a memory of the microcontroller 30, is compared to a desired value, and an adjustment is made accordingly to the period of opening of the valve 32 per dose. Such an operation enables an adjustment to be made to account for density and/cr moisture fluctuations in a single batch. Corresponding modifications could be made to the operations with reference to Figures 5 and 6, and with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

[0061] The illustrated apparatus may be used to dispense predetermined amounts at a food material for the food industry, or predetermined amounts of a pharmaceutical material for the pharmaceutical industry, but it should be appreciated that the apparatus is not restricted to such applications, and may be used in the creation of vetinary products, cosmetic products, and indeed any product where a predetermined amount of material needs to be measured out.

Claims

Claims: 1. A dispenser for dispensing a measured amount of material, comprising an adjustable feeder, at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor located in relation to the feeder to provide a signal indicative of the amount of material fed therefrom, and a controller connection to receive that signal from the sensor, and, in the event that that amount is outside a predetermined tolerance of a desired amount, to adjust the feeder accordingly and/or to reject an amount fed from the feeder accordingly.
2. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the sensor comprises an infra-red sensor, a laser sensor, or an X-ray sensor.
3. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the sensor comprises a microwave resonator.
4. A dispenser according to claim 3, in which the microwave resonator is a one dimensional sensor, a two dimensional sensor, or a three dimensional sensor.
5. A dispenser according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which the microwave resonator operates at a frequency in the range * * from 1 to 60GHz, more preferably from 2 to 30 GHz.
6. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which ** * the feeder is constructed to feed a powder or other * *** * particulate bulk fluid by free-fall from an outlet of the * *.:.: * feeder.
7. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the feeder is constructed to feed a liquid in the form of a spray.
8. A dispenser for dispensing a measured amount of material, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 to 3, of the accompanying drawings.
9. A method of dispensing a measured amount of material using a dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim.
10. A method of dispensing a measured amount of material, comprising feeding an amount of material from an adjustable feeder through a sensitivity region of at least one electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor located in relation to the feeder to provide a signal from the sensor indicative of the amount of material fed by the feeder, and adjusting the amount of material fed by the feeder and/or rejecting an amount of material fed by the feeder in the event that the amount is outside a predetermined tolerance of a desired amount.
11. Flow measurement apparatus comprising a flow path defining device through which material flows whei the apparatus is in use, and a sensor arranged in relation to * * * * * * the flow path defining device to provide a measure of the ***.. *amount of material flowing along the flow path when the * " device is in use, in which the sensor comprises at least one ***e** * electrostatic or electromagnetic radiation sensor which serves to provide a signal indicative of the amount of material which is for the time being within the region of sensitivity of the sensor that is within the flow path, and a measurement device which is connected to the sensor to receive such a signal and which is constructed or programmed to provide a measure of a sum of such amounts over a period of time.
12. Flow measurement apparatus according to claim 11, in which the sensor comprises a microwave resonator, which may be a one dimensional sensor, a two dimensional sensor, or a three dimensional sensor, preferably with an operating frequency in the range from 1 to 60 GHz, more preferably in the range from 2 to 30 GHz.
13. Feed control apparatus comprising flow measurement apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, further comprising a flow control device which is connected to a controller which incorporates the said measurement device, in which the flow control device is controlled by the controller in dependence upon the said measure, to control the flow of material along the flow path.
14. A dispenser for dispensing a predetermined dose or amount of material, comprising feed control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, in which the flow control device comprises a shut-off device to shut off the flow of material * S S * S along the flow path when the said measure reaches a 5*SeSS * S predetermined threshold value. *5 S
15. A dispenser for dispensing a predetermined amount of * material, comprising flow measurement apparatus as claimed * 55 :.. * in claim 11 or claim 12, further comprising a conveyor supporting a container, receptacle or object into or onto which the said predetermined amount of material is to be dispensed when the dispenser is in use, the dispenser further comprising a controller which incorporates the said measurement device and which operates the conveyor to move the container or receptacle out of said path when the said measure reaches a predetermined threshold value.
16. Apparatus or a dispenser, as the case may be, according to any one of claims 11 to 15, in which flow path defining device comprises a feed nozzle.
17. Flow measurement apparatus comprising a plurality of flow path defining devices with respective sensors, each as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12.
18. Flow measurement apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising conveyor apparatus which serves to move a container or receptacle successively into the paths of the said plurality of flow path defining devices.
19. Flow measurement apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising conveyor apparatus which serves to move a plurality of lines of containers or receptacles respectively through the paths of the said plurality of flow path defining devices.
20. Flow measurement apparatus or feed control apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 to 3, of the accompanying drawings. * .. * * a.. *