ITBO20100656A1 - METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FILLING CAPSULES OR SIMILAR WITH AT LEAST TWO PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR PHARMACEUTICALS IN GRANULES - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the Patent for Industrial Invention entitled:

â € œMETHOD AND MACHINE FOR FILLING CAPSULES OR SIMILAR WITH AT LEAST TWO PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS IN GRANULESâ €

The present invention relates to a machine for filling capsules or the like with at least two products.

In particular, the present invention relates to a machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products in granules, to which the following discussion will make explicit reference without thereby losing generality.

In the pharmaceutical sector, it is known to produce a machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products in granules of the type comprising a conveyor device, which is continuously advanced along a determined path, and is provided with a plurality of pockets suitable for receiving , each, a respective bottom of a capsule; two tanks for the containment of respective products; and a metering wheel mounted to rotate continuously around its own substantially vertical longitudinal axis.

The metering wheel is equipped with a plurality of metering devices, each of which is advanced by the metering wheel along a section of the path of the bottoms in phase with a relative bottom in order to transfer a determined quantity of each product into the bottom itself.

Each metering device comprises a substantially cylindrical metering chamber suitable for receiving a determined quantity of product from each tank, a chute for discharging the product from the metering chamber into the relative bottom, and a piston, which limits the metering chamber below, and is moved along the dosing chamber between an open position and a closed position of the discharge chute itself.

Since the second product is fed into the dosing chamber once the first product has been fed to the discharge chute and the piston has been moved back to its closed position, the weight of the product is contained each time. inside the dosing chamber it is measured by means of a measuring device, in this case a capacitive transducer, mounted in the dosing chamber itself.

The operating sequence that allows measuring the weight of the product contained in the dosing chamber from time to time starting from an instant in which the dosing chamber is empty and the piston is disposed in its closed position includes, in succession and in order, the phases of:

lower the piston to allow the measuring device to measure the weight of the portion of the piston protruding inside the dosing chamber;

raising the piston to a position corresponding to a determined volume of the dosing chamber;

fill the dosing chamber with the product in question;

lower the piston so as to allow the measuring device to measure the sum of the weight of the portion of the piston protruding inside the dosing chamber and the weight of the product contained in the dosing chamber itself; And

further lower the piston in its open position to allow the product to advance along the discharge chute and inside the bottom.

The two weight measurements are carried out by moving the piston with a constant forward speed and starting from the same position of the piston along the dosing chamber so that the weight of the portion of the piston protruding inside the dosing chamber exactly affects in the same way in both measurements and that the weight of the product contained in the dosing chamber can therefore be correctly calculated as the difference between the two values detected by the measuring device.

Since the operating sequence described above must be repeated twice, once for each product fed into the dosing chamber, during a complete rotation of the dosing wheel around its longitudinal axis and that the piston must perform a relatively high number of times each time. displacements along the metering chamber, some of which exclusively for the purpose of allowing the weighing of the portion of the piston protruding inside the metering chamber itself, known machines of the type described above have some drawbacks mainly due to the fact that the piston must be moved along the dosing chamber with a relatively high feed speed thus compromising both the correct filling of the dosing chamber and the correct measurement of the weight of the portion of the piston protruding inside the dosing chamber and the weight of the product from time to time contained in the chamber dosage itself.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for filling capsules or the like with at least two products which is free from the drawbacks described above.

According to the present invention, a machine is provided for filling capsules or the like with at least two products according to what is claimed in claims 1 to 13.

The present invention also relates to a method for filling capsules or the like with at least two products.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for filling capsules or the like with at least two products according to what is claimed in claims 14 to 20.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the machine of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of the machine of Figure 1; And

Figure 3 schematically illustrates the operation of the machine of Figure 1.

With reference to Figures 1 and 3, 1 indicates, as a whole, a machine for filling capsules (not shown) of a known type with at least one pharmaceutical product in granules. Each capsule (not illustrated) comprises a bottom 2 substantially cup-shaped and a lid (not illustrated) for closing the bottom 2 itself.

The machine 1 comprises a metering wheel 3 comprising, in turn, a support shaft (not shown), which has a substantially vertical longitudinal axis 4, is rotatably coupled to a fixed frame 5 of the machine 1 to rotate in continuously, with respect to the frame 5 and under the thrust of an actuation device of a known type and not shown, around the axis 4, and supports a dosing drum 6.

The drum 6 comprises, starting from the bottom, a lower disc 7, an intermediate disc 8, and an upper disc 9, which extend orthogonally to the axis 4, are coaxial to the axis 4, and are coupled in a manner angularly fixed to each other and to the aforementioned support shaft (not shown) to rotate around the axis 4 itself.

On the external surface of the disk 7 there are obtained a spool 10, which is coaxial to the axis 4, and defines part of a conveyor device 11 of a known type able to advance the bottoms 2 along a determined path P, and a funnel 12 annular, which extends between the reel 10 and the disc 8, and is shaped so as to converge towards the reel 10 itself.

The device 11 comprises a chain conveyor 13, which is wound in a ring around a plurality of motorized reels (of which only the reel 10 is illustrated in Figure 3), and is provided with a plurality of pockets 14, which substantially have a cup shape with a concavity facing upwards, are uniformly distributed along the conveyor 13, are able to receive, each, a respective base 2 arranged with its own concavity facing upwards, and are advanced from the conveyor 13 itself continuously along the path P and below the funnel 12.

To the frame 5 are fixed, in this case, two tubular containers 15, 16 (figures 1 and 3b), which are mounted above the disk 9, are distributed around the axis 4, each extending according to a respective angle less than 180 ° around axis 4, they are open above and below in a direction 17 parallel to axis 4 itself, and each house a respective pharmaceutical product in granules.

The drum 6 is provided with a plurality of dosing devices 18, which are uniformly distributed around the axis 4, and are advanced by the drum 6 around the axis 4 and along a section of the path P in phase with respective pockets 14 so as to allow each device 18 to withdraw a determined quantity of pharmaceutical product from each container 15, 16 and to feed the pharmaceutical product from time to time withdrawn inside the relative bottom 2.

Each device 18 comprises a substantially cylindrical metering chamber 19, which extends through the upper disc 9, has a longitudinal axis 20 parallel to the axis 4, and is radially offset with respect to the funnel 12; and a substantially cylindrical transfer chamber 21, which is obtained through the intermediate disk 8, has a longitudinal axis 22 parallel to the axis 4, and is aligned with the funnel 12 in the direction 17.

The chamber 21 is laterally limited by a bushing 23, which is mounted inside the chamber 21 coaxially to the axis 22, and is provided with a capacitive transducer 24, which is integrated in the bushing 23, and defines part of a device 25 for measuring the weight of the product contained each time in the chamber 21 itself.

The device 25 also comprises a known and not illustrated electrical connector, which is mounted coaxially to the axis 4, and in turn comprises a fixed element mounted on the frame 5 and a movable element fixed to the drum 6 and electrically connected with the capacitive transducers 24 of the devices 18.

The bushing 23, the capacitive transducer 24, and the measuring device 25 are described and illustrated in the patent application WO-2006/035285-A2 by the same Applicant, the content of which is fully incorporated in the present patent application.

Chamber 19 is connected to chamber 21 by means of an inclined discharge chute 26 obtained through disc 9, and is closed at the bottom by the upper end of a piston 27, which is mounted coaxially to axis 20, it extends through the discs 7, 8, and 9, and is coupled in an axially sliding and angularly fixed manner to the drum 6 to perform, with respect to the drum 6 itself, rectilinear displacements along the chamber 19 in the direction 17.

The piston 27 comprises an interchangeable upper portion 27a, which is limited at the top by a flat surface 28 inclined with respect to the axis 20, is mounted in a detachable manner on a lower portion 27b of the piston 27, and is adapted to be replaced according to the size of the chamber 19.

As illustrated in Figure 3e, the pistons 27 are moved along the relative chambers 19 by an actuation device 29 comprising a known type of cam 30 and, for each piston 27, a respective tappet roller 31 engaged in the cam 30 itself.

The cam 30 extends around the axis 4, and has, in correspondence with each container 15, 16, a respective movable portion able to be moved in the direction 17 independently from the other movable portion to selectively control the volume of the chambers 19 at each container 15, 16.

Each roller 31 is rotatably coupled to an upper sleeve 32, which is fitted on the relative piston 27 coaxially to the relative axis 20, is coupled in a sliding manner to the relative piston 27, and is normally kept in contact with an upper end-stroke ring 33 fixed on the piston 27 by a spring 34, which is mounted on the piston 27 coaxially to the axis 20, and is interposed between the sleeve 32 and a lower sleeve 35 fixed on the piston 27 coaxially to the € ™ axis 20 itself.

The chamber 21 is closed at the bottom by an obturator 36, which extends through the discs 8 and 9 in the direction 17, has a longitudinal axis 37 eccentric with respect to the axis 22, protrudes above the disc 9 in the direction 17, and is It is slidingly coupled to the drum 6 to perform, with respect to the drum 6, rectilinear displacements in the same direction 17 between an open position (figure 3a) and a closed position (figure 3b) of the chamber 21.

The shutter 36 is normally kept in its closed position by a spring 38 interposed between the disc 9 and the shutter 36, and is moved into its closed position by the engagement of one of its upper ends in a cam 39 fixed to frame 5 (figure 3a).

The shutter 36 comprises a lower portion 36a made of insulating material with reduced or zero dielectric constant and an upper portion 36b made, for example, of metallic material.

The portion 36a has a substantially L-shape, and comprises a support rod 40, which slidingly engages a groove (not shown) obtained through the bushing 23 parallel to the direction 17, has a wedge-shaped portion 41 suitable for disrupting any product clogging inside the chamber 21, and is provided, at one of its free lower extremities, with a closing plate 42 inclined with respect to axis 37.

The operation of the machine 1 will now be described with reference to figure 3, assuming the filling of only one bottom 2, and starting from an instant in which (figure 3a):

the metering device 18 considered is arranged upstream of the container 15 in the direction of advancement of the wheel 3 around the axis 4;

the relative shutter 36 is arranged in its open position; And

the relative piston 27 protrudes outside the chamber 19 and cooperates with a suction device 43 to clean the chamber 19 itself from any product residues.

At this point, the device 18 and the relative bottom 2 are advanced in phase with each other; the piston 27 is lowered in the direction 17 into a closing position of the chute 26 corresponding to a determined volume of the chamber 19; the shutter 36 is moved to its closed position so as to allow the capacitive transducer 24 to measure the weight of the portion of the shutter 36 protruding inside the chamber 21; and the device 18 is advanced below the container 15 to allow a determined quantity of the first product to descend by gravity into the chamber 19 (Figure 3b).

Subsequently, the device 18 disengages the container 15 (Figure 3c); and the piston 27 is moved to an opening position of the chute 26 to allow the product contained in the chamber 19 to descend along the chute 26 inside the chamber 21 (figure 3d).

Finally, the shutter 36 is moved into its open position so as to allow the product contained in the chamber 21 to fall into the bottom 2 and the capacitive transducer 24 to measure the sum of the weight of the portion of the shutter 36 protruding from the ™ inside the chamber 21 and the weight of the product contained in the chamber 21 itself; and the piston 27 is raised again so as to close the chute 26, protrude outside the chamber 19, and cooperate with a second suction device 44 arranged upstream of the container 16 in a direction of advancement of the wheel 3 around the ™ axis 4 (figure 3a).

Since the two weight measurements are made by advancing the shutter 36 in the direction 17 with a constant forward speed and between the same positions of the shutter 36 along the axis 22, the weight of the shutter portion 36 protruding inside the chamber 21 affects exactly the same way in both measurements. Consequently, the weight of the product contained each time in the chamber 21 can be correctly calculated by the measuring device 25 as the difference between the two values detected by the capacitive transducer 24.

Obviously, the operating sequence just described with reference to the container 15 is repeated with reference to the container 16.

Finally, it should be specified that each piston 27 can be selectively locked in its closed position in order to avoid the discharge of the product along the chute 26 and, therefore, in the chamber 21 both when the pocket 14 has no bottom. 2, and when only one product must be fed into the bottom 2, the weight of which must be further controlled by an auxiliary weighing device external to wheel 3.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3e, the pistons 27 are selectively locked in their closing positions of the relative slides 26 by means of a stop device 45 comprising, in correspondence with each container 15, 16, a respective actuator cylinder 46, which is fixed to the frame 5 below the metering devices 18, it has a longitudinal axis 47 parallel to the direction 17 and radially offset with respect to the axes 20, and supports a substantially flat cam 48 mounted on the output rod of the cylinder 46 perpendicular to the axis 47 itself.

The device 45 further comprises, for each device 18, a respective crank 49 hinged to the disc 7 to rotate, with respect to the disc 7 itself, around a fulcrum axis 50 substantially parallel to the direction 17.

The cam 48 is moved by the cylinder 46 in the direction 17 between a lowered rest position, in which the cam 48 is disposed outside a path of advancement of the cranks 49 around the axis 4, and a raised operating position , in which the cam 48 is arranged inside the advancement path of the cranks 49 to intercept the crank 49 of the device 18 in question and move it into an operative position (illustrated in Figure 3e and in broken line in Figure 2), in which the crank 49 is arranged below the piston 27 to prevent its descent into the open position of the chute 26.

The crank 49 is moved from its operative position to a rest position (shown in broken line in Figure 3e), in which the crank 49 disengages the piston 27, by a return spring (not shown) or by a further cam (not shown). illustrated) completely analogous to cam 48.

With regard to the above, it should be noted that the upward thrust exerted by the spring 34 on the upper sleeve 32 is in any case less than the downward thrust exerted by the cam 30 on the tappet roller 31 and, therefore, on the sleeve 32 when the piston 27 is locked in its closed position allowing, consequently, the sleeve 32 to move downwards against the action of the spring 34 and the piston 27 to remain stationary in the direction 17.

The machine 1 has some advantages mainly deriving from the fact that the presence of the transfer chamber 21, that is to say of an intermediate chamber between the dosing chamber 19 and the bottom 2, allows the dosing device 18 to correctly fill the chamber 19 with each product and to the measuring device 25 to correctly detect the weights of the portion of the shutter 36 projecting inside the chamber 21 and of the product contained in the chamber 21 from time to time.

Claims (1)

R I V E N D I C A Z I O N I 1.- Machine for filling capsules or the like with at least two products, in particular pharmaceutical products in granules, each capsule comprising a bottom (2) and a lid for closing the bottom (2) itself; the machine comprising conveyor means (11) for continuously advancing each bottom (2) along a determined path (P); at least two tanks (15, 16) for containing respective products; at least one metering wheel (3) mounted to rotate continuously around its own substantially vertical longitudinal axis (4); and a plurality of dosing devices (18), each of which is advanced by the dosing wheel (3) along a section of the path (P) in phase with a relative bottom (2) to feed the products inside the bottom (2 ) itself, and comprises a metering chamber (19) adapted to receive a determined quantity of product from each tank (15, 16); and being characterized by the fact that each dosing device (18) also comprises a transfer chamber (21), which is adapted to receive the product contained in the relative dosing chamber (19) and to transfer it into the relative bottom (2 ), and is equipped with a measuring device (25) to measure the weight of the product contained in the transfer chamber (21) itself. 2.- Machine according to Claim 1, wherein the measuring device (25) comprises at least one capacitive transducer (24). 3. A machine according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the measuring device (25) comprises a bushing (23) defining at least in part the said transfer chamber (21). 4.- Machine according to Claim 3, in which the bushing (23) is provided with at least one capacitive transducer (24). 5.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each metering device (18) further comprises a chute (26) for discharging the products from the metering chamber (19) to the transfer chamber (21), and a piston (27), which is able to limit the dosing chamber (19) at the bottom, and is movable along the dosing chamber (19) parallel to said axis (4) between an opening position and a closing position of the discharge chute (26). 6. A machine according to Claim 5 and further comprising first actuator means (29) for moving the pistons (27) to and from the relative said opening positions; the first actuator means (29) comprising a first cam (30) extending around said axis (4) and, for each piston (27), at least one respective first tappet (31) carried by the piston (27) and engaged in the first cam (30) itself. 7. A machine according to Claim 5 or 6 and further comprising a stop device (45) for selectively stopping each piston (27) in its closed position. 8.- Machine according to Claim 7, wherein the stop device (45) comprises, for each metering device (18), a respective coupling member (49) movable between a stop position of the relative piston (27) in its closed position and a release position. 9.- Machine according to Claim 8, in which each first tappet (31) is coupled in a sliding manner to the relative piston (27); a locking device (34, 35) being provided to axially lock the first tappet (31) on the piston (27) when the coupling member (49) is arranged in its release position. 10.- Machine according to Claim 9, in which the locking device (34, 35) is shaped to axially lock the first tappet (31) on the piston (27) with a force in any case lower than that exerted by the first cam (30) on the first tappet (31) itself when the coupling member (49) is disposed in its stop position. 11.- Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each metering device (18) further comprises a shutter (36), which is able to limit the transfer chamber (21) below, and is movable between an open position and a closed position of the transfer chamber (21) itself. 12. A machine according to Claim 11 and further comprising second actuator means (39) for moving the shutters (36) between the relative said opening and closing positions; the second actuator means (39) comprising a second cam (39) engaged by the shutters (36) themselves. 13.- Machine according to Claim 11 or 12, in which the shutter (36) has a substantially L-shape, and comprises a closing plate (42) and a support rod (40) for the closing plate (42) himself; the support rod (40) being substantially parallel and eccentric with respect to a longitudinal axis (22) of the transfer chamber (21) and presenting a wedge-shaped portion (41) capable of breaking up any product clogging inside the chamber transfer (21). 14.- Method for filling capsules or the like with at least two products, in particular pharmaceutical products in granules, in a machine comprising at least two tanks (15, 16) for containing respective products, and at least one metering wheel (3) , which is mounted to rotate continuously around its own substantially vertical longitudinal axis (4), and is provided with a plurality of metering devices (18); each capsule comprising a bottom (2) and a lid for closing the bottom (2) itself; the method including the steps of: continuously advance the bottoms (2) along a determined path (P); advancing each metering device (18) along a portion of the path (P) in phase with a relative bottom (2); And transferring a determined quantity of each product from the relative tank (15, 16) into a dosing chamber (19) of the dosing device (18); and being characterized by the fact that it also includes the phases of: transferring the product contained in the metering chamber (19) into a transfer chamber (21) of the metering device (18); measure inside the transfer chamber (21) the weight of the product contained in the transfer chamber (21) itself; And transfer the product contained in the transfer chamber (21) into the relative bottom (2). 15. A method according to Claim 14, wherein the weight of the product contained in each transfer chamber (21) is measured by means of at least one capacitive transducer (24). 16.- Method according to Claim 14 or 15, in which the weight of the product contained in each transfer chamber (21) is measured inside a bushing (23) defining at least in part the transfer chamber (21) itself . 17. Method according to claim 16, wherein the bushing (23) is provided with at least one capacitive transducer (24). 18. Method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the metering chamber (19) of each metering device (18) is closed at the bottom by a piston (27), the method further comprising the step of : move the piston (27) between a closed position, in which the dosing chamber (19) is separated from the transfer chamber (21), and an open position, in which the dosing chamber (19) is connected with the transfer chamber (21). 19.- Method according to claim 18 and further comprising the step of: selectively stop each piston (27) in its closed position. 20.- Method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, in which the transfer chamber (21) of each metering device (18) is closed at the bottom by a relative shutter (36), the method further comprising the step from: move the shutter (36) between a closed position, in which the transfer chamber (21) is separated from the relative bottom (2), and an open position, in which the transfer chamber (21) communicates with the relative bottom (2).