JP2001063798A - Device for pushing stopper into opening of bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a device which is compact, simple in a maintenance and inspection work, low in cost by concentrically synchronizing a stopper with a container vertically to transfer them and making the container travel on a sliding rail inclined to raise it and pushing the stopper body into the opening of the container. SOLUTION: A bottle-shaped container 16 is fed to a rotary disc 26 along a sliding rail 18 of a first transfer device 12. Stopper bodies 20 are fed to the rotary disc 26 one by one through a stopper body rail 24 from a transfer-cum- classification pot 22 of a second transfer device 14. The container 16 and the stopper body 20 are synchronously moved with each other in a part of the transfer passageway and one stopper body 20 is conveyed while concentrically positioning right on one container opening. The sliding rail 18 has a rising section in circular sections 18' and the container 16 is gradually raised as it is conveyed on the circular rail section 18', and a stopper body 20 positioned right on the container is pushed into the opening of the container 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to, for example, DE165
Device for pushing a plug, an insert or the like into the opening of a bottle-shaped container (plug stopper station), having the features described in the preamble of claim 1, known from DE 7189 A1 .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such a plug pushing station is used in particular in an exhaust and closing device, for example as known from DE 197 16 846 C1.
Such devices are used in the pharmacy industry for filling and closing, inter alia, small containers, such as vials or injection or infusion bottles.

A known plug pushing station according to DE 197 16 846 C1 is shown schematically in FIG.

[0004] A known plug pushing station 100 is used to transfer a bottle-like container 104, especially a small container, a vial or the like, along a straight transport rail 106.
It has a first transport device 102 that transports at equal intervals in the direction of the written arrow P '. Plug body pushing station 10
0 further sorts the plugs into plug rails 114 that supply the plugs to the push ring 116 at equal intervals.
08. The push ring 116 has a number of entraining members arranged to rotate symmetrically about a rotation axis 118. Each of these entraining members is a plug holder 12 which can be loaded under a negative pressure via an associated conduit.
It has 0.

The plug holder 120 receives the plug 112 supplied via the plug rail 114 in sequence by receiving a negative pressure through the conduit 122, and the plug 112 receives the plug 112.
Is transported in a direction indicated by an arrow P ″ onto the bottle-shaped container 104 transported along the transport rail 106 based on the rotational motion about the rotation axis 118. Both transport devices 107 and 108 The straight path of the container 104 traverses the circular path drawn by the plug 112 in a chord-like manner, and is accurately centered on each container 104 so that the plug 112
Are coordinated with each other so that they are synchronously entrained. Immediately before and during the tangential intersection of both transport paths, each plug holder 12 is individually moved in the direction in which the plug held by plug holder 112 is directed toward the opening of the underlying container. And lowered so as to be pushed into the opening. At the lowest point of the lowering movement, the vacuum load via the conduit 122 is interrupted, the plug holder is then lifted up again, and the plug is kept pressed into the corresponding opening. The containers are now closed and continued to be transported along the transport rail 106, for example, to a packaging station.

[0006] Known pushing stations according to DE 197 16 846 C1 are also used for inserting or placing plugs / drip inserts or spray pumps, as well as the device of the invention described below and the principles based thereon. Is also applicable. "Plug" and "push" used in the claims and the preceding and following description
Alternatively, the term "closed" should be understood to include, for example, the insertion of a drip insert and the mounting of a mounting closure, a spray pump or the like.

[0007]

Starting from the known art,
It is an object of the present invention to reduce the maintenance work of a device for pushing a plug, an insert or the like into the opening of a bottle-shaped container and to make the device simple, cost-effective and space-saving. Is to have no structure.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problem of the present invention, there is proposed an apparatus for pushing a plug, an insert or the like into an opening of a bottle-shaped container having the features of claim 1. . The device according to the invention has a reduced number of components with respect to the prior art. The plugs do not need to be individually grasped and lowered. Therefore, the device can be constructed very compactly and at low cost. Furthermore, the reduced number of components also reduces the need for maintenance.

[0009] In the configuration of the present invention, the second transporting device has, at the lower side, a driving member that at least temporarily drives the plug at regular intervals along the circumference thereof. .
The use of a rotating disk helps to achieve the object of the present invention of simplifying the structure. This is because the rotating disk is easier to operate than a push ring assembled from a number of plug holders as is known in the art.

In another embodiment of the invention, the entraining member has means for pressing down on the plug to be entrained.

[0011] In order to further improve the correct transport of the plug, it is advantageous if the entraining element of the device according to the invention has a notch which positively receives the plug to be entrained. .

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the container is lifted in at least a partial circular orbit during the synchronous transport of the container to the circular movement of the closure retained by the entraining member of the rotating disk. It is configured as follows. This measure, on the one hand, makes the configuration of the device according to the invention compact, and on the other hand simplifies the pushing of the plug into the corresponding container. This is because now the plug and the container are synchronized with each other and are moved on a relatively long transport path, so that not only do both transport paths intersect tangentially or chordwise.

[0013] Further advantages and features of the present invention are disclosed by reference to the accompanying drawings.

It goes without saying that the features already described and those to be described hereinafter can be used not only in the described combinations, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a device according to the invention for forcing a plug, an insert or the like into the opening of a bottle-shaped container. For the sake of simplicity, the device according to the invention will be referred to as a plug pushing station 10. As already mentioned, this designation refers to components other than the plug, for example, the insertion of the drip insert and the closure,
Mounting a spray pump or the like is also included.

The plug pushing station 10 according to the present invention.
Has a first transfer device 12 and a second transfer device 14. The first transport device 12 serves for transporting the bottle-shaped container 16 on the slide rail 18 along it. The bottle-shaped container 16 is, for example, a small container, a vial bottle or the like as used in the pharmacological field. For the sake of simplicity, bottle-shaped containers will be referred to simply as containers hereinafter.

The second transfer device 14 serves to transfer the plug 20 or the like, and has a transfer / sorting pot 22 in which a large number of plugs 20 (FIG. The plug 20 is fed into the plug rail 24 by the transfer / sorting pot 22. The plug 20 is sequentially supplied to the rotating disk 26 via the plug rail 24. The rotating disk 26 is arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotating shaft 28 in the direction of the arrow indicated.

The transition of the plug 20 from the plug rail 24 to the corresponding entraining member of the rotating disk 26 is shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. The plug 20 is conveyed via the plug rail 24 to the rotating rotating disk 26 in the direction of the arrow. Rotating disk 2
6 is provided with a conduit 28 which is open along the outer periphery of the rotating disk 26 in cutouts 30 arranged at regular intervals on the lower surface of the rotating disk 26. (See also FIG. 4). Conduit 28 may be a simple hole or passage in rotating disk 26.

When the rotating disk 26 rotates, the openings of the conduits or holes arranged in the rotating disk 26 in a star-shaped manner, which are arranged in the cutouts 30, are, in turn, above the respective last plug of the plug rail. Will be located. When the conduit 28 is loaded with a negative pressure or vacuum, the respective front plugs on the plug rails 24 are fixed to the notches 30 and are entrained. By the entrainment of the plug 20 on the rotating disk 26, this plug 2
6 depicts a (partial) circular motion in the transport path.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the slide rail 18 of the first transport device 12 has a partially circular rail section 18 '. The radius of this rail section 18 'is
Corresponds to the radius of the circular orbit on which the plug 20 is moved. Circular rail section 18 'of sliding rail 18
Is such that the container 16 and the closure 20 move synchronously with each other over a portion of their transport path, during which movement the closures are each concentrically positioned over one container opening. ,
It extends below the rotating disk 16. For this purpose, there is provided a double rotating ring 32 which is arranged coaxially below the rotating disk 26 with respect to the rotating disk 26 and rotates at the same angular velocity as that at which the rotating disk 26 rotates. The rotating ring 32 has an entrainment notch 34 of the container 16. Entrainment notch 34
Is arranged below the cutout 30 for the plug 20 in the rotating disk 26 (see also FIG. 4).

According to the invention, the sliding rail 18 has a rising rail section in its circular rail section 18 '(see in particular FIG. 3). By transporting the container 16 on the circular rail section 18 ′ of the slide rail 18, the container 16 is progressively positioned concentrically on the container 16 and synchronously with the aid of the entrainment notch 34 of the rotating ring 32. Lifted toward the plug that is entrained to The spacing of the rotating disc 26 with respect to the slide rail 18 and the inclination of the rail section 18 ′ may be such that the plug is completely or only partially frozen if the plug dries at the highest point of the circular rail section 18 ′ of the slide rail 18. It is set to be pushed into the opening of the corresponding container.

After the plug has been pushed in, the container is lowered again via the descending rail section of the slide rail,
This is not necessary. Negative pressure loading of the pushed-in plug via the associated conduit in the rotating disc 26 can be interrupted at the time of the complete push-in and the plug can be released. On the other hand, the negative pressure load is selected such that the plug is securely retained and entrained in the notch 30 of the rotating disc 26 but does not exceed the frictional resistance of the pushed plug. Thus, the pushed plug remains in the container opening despite the negative pressure being still connected.

After the plug is pushed in, the container is conveyed from the plug pushing station 10 by another conveying member 36, 38 of the first conveying device 12, for example, to a packaging station. When the drip insert or the like is pushed in at the stopper push-in station, the container is fed to the threaded closure of the device.

The transport of the plug and the container at the plug pushing station of the present invention can be selectively performed continuously or intermittently. The depth of pushing of the plug into the container can be determined through height adjustment of the rotating disk 26.

According to the invention, a compact, low-cost arrangement can be provided for pushing or placing a plug, insert, spray pump or the like in or on the opening of a bottle-shaped container, In practice, a robust and reliable device (plug body pushing device) has been provided.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described. The idea of lifting a bottle-shaped container can be constitutively transformed in another way. For example, a conventional type of circular conveyor as shown in FIG. 5 can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an apparatus according to the invention having a first transport device and a second transport for pushing a plug into a bottle-shaped container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the apparatus of the present invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view showing an apparatus for pushing a stopper into a bottle-shaped container according to a known technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 devices, 12 transport devices, 14 transport devices,
16 containers, 18 slide rails, 20 plugs, 22
Sorting pot, 24 plug body rail, 26 rotating disk, 30 notch, 32 rotating ring, 34 driving notch

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A device for pushing a plug, an insert or the like into an opening of a bottle-like container, said device comprising a first transport device (1) for transporting said containers (16) in particular at equal intervals.
2) and a second step in which the plug (20) can be progressively brought concentrically over the container opening over at least part of the conveying path in a movement synchronous with the conveyance of the container (16). And a bottle-shaped container (1) below the plug (20) for pushing the plug (20).
6) can be lifted, and in order for the first transport device (12) to lift the container (16), at least in an area where the stopper (20) and the container (16) are synchronously transported,
In the type having an upwardly inclined slide rail (18, 18 ') for the container (16) to be conveyed, the container (16) is provided with a slide rail (18, 1').
8 ') A device for pushing a plug into a bottle-shaped container, characterized in that it is arranged directly on top of 8'). 2. A second transfer device (14) comprising a rotating disk (2).
6), wherein the rotating disk (26) is at least temporarily entrained with the plug (20) at regular intervals along the lower surface, in particular along its circumference. , 30). 3. A means (2) for pushing down the plug (20) to be entrained by the entraining member (28, 30).
3. The device according to claim 2, comprising: 8). 4. A notch (30) for receiving the plug (20) to be entrained by the entraining member (28, 30) in a positive connection.
The device according to claim 2, comprising: 5. A driving member (28, 3) of a rotating disk (26).
3. The container (16) is lifted over at least a partial circular orbit (18 ') during the synchronous transport of the container adapted to the circular movement of the closure retained by 0).
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.