JPH11165798A - Syringe manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry a carrier to a feed section without operating a filling capper when manufacturing is started after the completion of the operation. SOLUTION: A sterilization drier and a filling capper are provided in a conveyor for circulating a carrier for storing and carrying an injection cylinder. An inversion extractor is set on the inlet side of the filling capper, and an inversion inserting machine is provided on the outlet side. The inversion cylinder is drawn out of a carrier by a gripper and fed into the filling capper, and the carrier 4 is transferred into a bypass line 24 by a screw 50. The screw 50 is synchronously operated by a main motor which is used also for the capper. Also the screw can be driven independently by another second motor 80. A driving shaft 68 of the screw 50 can be changed over to respective motors by using clutches 74 and 76, and the driving shaft is driven independently by the second motor 80 at the time of start of operation, and then when the manufacturing operation is started, the driving shaft is operated synchronously with the filling capper by the main motor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a syringe (syringe), and more particularly, to an apparatus in which an empty syringe (syringe) is accommodated in a carrier for conveyance, and is dried, sterilized, and stoppered. The present invention relates to a syringe manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a syringe by performing various processes such as filling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A syringe 2 (in this specification, a state before filling and stoppering are performed to complete a syringe is referred to as a syringe, and a state after completion is referred to as a syringe).
As shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical long main body 2b, an injection needle attachment port 2a having a thin cylindrical opening provided at the tip (upper end in FIG. 2), and a syringe (syringe) later A large-diameter opening 2c into which the plunger rod is inserted when used; a flange 2d is formed around the opening 2c on the side where the plunger rod is inserted.

[0003] Since the injection cylinder 2 has a shape that cannot stand on its own, it must be always accommodated in the carrier 4 and transported unless it is gripped by a handling mechanism or the like. An example of an apparatus that accommodates and transports the syringe barrel 2 in such a transport carrier 4 and performs each step to manufacture a syringe will be described. FIG. 1 shows processing such as filling with a chemical solution and stoppering while the syringe barrel 2 is inserted into the carrier 4 for conveyance and moved while being taken out of the carrier 4 for conveyance. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a syringe manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a syringe by performing the above operation. The injection cylinder 2 is carried into the manufacturing apparatus by a supply conveyor (not shown) while being supported by a tray or the like. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a syringe manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration of a general syringe manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to this figure.

[0004] A predetermined number of the injection cylinders carried into the manufacturing apparatus are taken out by the take-out means provided with a robot hand or the like in the ant layer 6, and are sent into the washing machine 8. The syringe 2 washed in the washing machine 8 is then sent to a supply unit 10 for the syringe, and is supplied onto a conveyor 12 that transports the carrier 4. This conveyor 12
Above the carrier 4 for carrying the syringe barrel is continuously carried, and each syringe barrel 2 is in an inverted state (the needle mounting port 2).
It is inserted into the transport carrier 4 with the “a” facing upward (see FIG. 2).

[0005] The injection cylinder 2 housed in the transport carrier 4 in an inverted state is transported together with the transport carrier 4 into the drying sterilizer 16 via a conveyor 14 arranged orthogonally to the downstream side of the transport conveyor 12. Is done. The syringe 2 dried and sterilized in the dry sterilizer 16 is sent to the reversing and extracting machine 20 by the conveyor 18 while being stored in the carrier 4 for conveyance. In the reversing extractor 20, the syringe barrel 2 is gripped by a gripping mechanism (not shown) or the like, pulled out from the carrier 4, and turned upside down, that is, the injection needle mounting port 2a faces downward and faces the flange 2d. The opening 2c is turned upward.

[0006] The inverted injection cylinder 2 withdrawn from the transport carrier 4 is delivered to a rotary transport means 22 such as a star wheel provided in a filling and filling machine 21. In the rotary conveying means 22, the surface inside the flange 2d of the injection cylinder 2 (on the side of the cylindrical main body 2b) is rotatably conveyed while being supported from below and suspended. The transport carrier 4 from which the syringe barrel 2 has been extracted is transported by a transfer means (not shown in FIG. 1) such as a screw provided in the reversing extractor 20, and is sent to the reversing inserter 26 via the carrier bypass path 24. Can be

[0007] The injection cylinder 2 which has been brought upright by the reversing and extracting machine 20 and delivered to the rotary transport means 22 is sent to a rotary top cap stopper 28 while being suspended. In this top cap tapping machine 28, a top cap supplied from a top cap feeder (not shown) is plugged into the injection needle attachment port 2a. In the upright position, the lower end of the flange 2d is supported and suspended while being rotatably conveyed while being suspended, and a top cap is plugged into the lower injection needle mounting port 2a and hermetically sealed. Is fed to the filling machine 32 via the rotary conveying means 30 of the above, and the inside is filled with a chemical solution or the like. After the filling of the medicinal solution is completed, the syringe 2 is sent to the gasket tapper 36 via another rotating / conveying means 34, and the gasket supplied from the gasket feeder (not shown) is opened to the upper flange 2d side. It is driven into the part 2c.

[0008] The syringe (syringe) 2 completed by the gasket being plugged into the opening is further delivered to the reversing and inserting machine 26 via the rotary conveying means 38. This inverted insertion machine 26
Then, the syringe 2 is held by the gripping mechanism, turned over, returned to the original inverted state, and inserted again into the transport carrier 4 transported by the carrier bypass passage 24. The syringe 2 inserted into the transport carrier 4 is transported by the transport conveyor 40, taken out of the transport carrier 4 at the syringe discharge section 42, and sent to a post-process such as a plunger rod mounting device and a labeler. On the other hand, the empty carrier 4 from which the syringe 2 has been taken out is again supplied by the conveyor 12 to the supply portion 1 of the syringe.
0, and the syringe 2 is inserted. As described above, the transport carrier 4 is transferred to the drying sterilizer 16 and each of the conveyors 1.
The syringe 2 is inserted and removed while circulating on the tubes 2, 14, 18, 24, and 40, and various processing steps such as filling and stoppering are performed on the syringe 2.

In the syringe manufacturing apparatus, during the production operation, the steps of washing, drying, sterilization, filling, and stoppering are performed as described above. After the production is completed, the transport carrier 4 is stored in the dry sterilizer 16 because a separate storage requires a large space and is expensive. Then, when starting the next production, the drying sterilizer 1
The carrier 4 in the cartridge 6 is sequentially supplied to the supply unit 10 of the syringe.
To insert the syringe 2. In this case, the transport carrier 4 housed in the drying sterilizer 16 is carried out of the drying sterilizer 16 and passes through the screw (carrier transfer means) of the reversing extractor 20, further passes through the bypass path 24 and the reversing path. It passes through the screw (carrier transfer means) of the inserter 26 and is sent to the supply section 10 of the syringe barrel.

[0010]

The reversing extraction machine 20 and the reversing insertion machine 26 are operated synchronously by the same driving source as the filling and filling machine 21. Therefore, the transport carrier 4
In order to pass the oil through the screws of the reverse extractor 20 and the reverse inserter 26, the filling and stoppering machine 21 must be operated. In addition, since the processing in the drying sterilizer 16 takes an extremely long time, the injection tube 2 inserted into the transport carrier 4 in the injection tube supply unit 10 is carried into the drying sterilizer 16 to be dried and sterilized. Before sending it to the stopper machine 21,
There was a problem that the filling and filling machine 21 had to be idle for a long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and there is no need to provide a separate storage for storing a carrier for transport, and further, the carrier is stored in a dry sterilizer after the operation is completed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a syringe manufacturing apparatus that does not need to idle a filling and filling machine when transporting a transport carrier to a supply unit.

[0012]

A syringe manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a dry sterilizer for drying and sterilizing an injection cylinder accommodated in a carrier; a syringe plugged into an opening of the injection cylinder; Filling and filling machine, a sampling machine provided at the entrance of the filling and filling machine, for extracting the syringe contained in the carrier, and a carrier transport path for emptying the carrier provided for the sampling machine. Transporting means, and a first driving means for synchronously operating the filling and filling machine and the extracting machine, a second driving means for driving the carrier transporting means of the extracting machine, and a carrier transporting means And a drive switching means for switching connection between the first drive means and the second drive means.

[0013] In the syringe manufacturing apparatus, during the production operation, the carrier transfer means of the extractor is connected to the first drive means to operate synchronously with the filling and filling machine. When starting the operation, first, the carrier transport means of the extractor is connected to the second drive means, the filling and filling machine is not operated, and only the carrier transport means is operated to transport the empty carrier. When the syringe can be supplied to the filling and filling machine, the second driving means is switched to the first driving means, and the carrier transfer means is operated synchronously with the filling and filling machine.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a syringe manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a main part of the syringe manufacturing apparatus (the inlet side of a filling and filling machine), and FIG. FIG. 4 is a right side view of FIG. During normal production operation, the injection cylinder 2 accommodated in the carrier 4
2 (see FIG. 2) is dried and sterilized in the dry sterilizer 16 and then carried into the reverse sampling machine 20 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. In the reversing and extracting machine 20, while the transporting carrier 4 is engaged with the screw 50 and moves, the syringe barrel 2 is gripped by a gripper (not shown), pulled out from the transporting carrier 4, and inverted. The inverted syringe 2 is rotatably transported by the star wheel 22 and delivered to the rotary top cap stopper 28. The transport carrier 4 from which the syringe barrel 2 has been extracted and emptied by the gripper is sent to the rotating screw 50 and placed on the bypass path (carrier transport path) 24, and the downstream side of the filling and stoppering machine 21 is inverted. It is conveyed to the insertion machine 26.

The reversing extraction machine 20, filling and filling machine 21 and reversing insertion machine 26 are driven synchronously by the same main motor. The drive shaft 58 of the filling and filling machine 21 is rotated by the main motor. Drive shaft 58
Although not shown, is connected to the tapping machines 28 and 36, the filling machine 32, and the like, and these machines 28, 32, and 36 are synchronously operated by being rotated by a main motor. Further, a wheel 60 is fixed to an end of the drive shaft 58, and the wheel 60 and the speed reducer 5 are fixed.
The timing belt 62 is wrapped around the wheel 56 of the driven shaft provided at 2 to transmit the rotation.

Further, another wheel 66 is connected to an output shaft 64 rotated via the speed reducer 52. On the other hand, the screw drive shaft 6 arranged in parallel with the output shaft 64
8 are also fitted with wheels 70,
A timing belt 72 is stretched between 6, 70. The wheel 70 of the screw drive shaft 68 is
Can be connected to or disconnected from the drive shaft 68 by the clutch 74. When connected, the screw 50 is rotated and disconnected in synchronization with the operation of the filling and filling machine 21 by the main motor. Sometimes
The screw drive shaft 68 is in a free state. A transmission gear 65 for operating the gripper of the reversing extractor 20 is attached below the wheel 66 connected to the output shaft 64, and meshes with the gripper driving gear 67.

A screw driving gear 78 is fitted on the screw driving shaft 68 via a second clutch 76. The screw driving gear 78 meshes with a gear 82 rotated by a second motor 80,
When the screw driving gear 78 is connected to the screw driving shaft 68 by the second clutch 76, the second motor 80
Is transmitted, and the screw 50 is rotated. Therefore, when the wheel 70 is connected to the screw drive shaft 68 by the first clutch 74 and the screw drive gear 78 is separated from the screw drive shaft 68 by the second clutch 76, the screw 50 is driven by the main motor to fill the plugging machine. 21 and, conversely, disengage the wheel 70 and connect the gear 78 to the screw drive shaft 6.
8, the screw 50 is rotated by the second motor 80 independently of the filling and filling machine 21.

Further, the syringe manufacturing apparatus has a structure shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a first sensor 82 provided between the reversing insertion machine 26 and the syringe discharge part 42 to detect the presence or absence of the transport carrier 4, and provided slightly upstream of the reversing extractor 20. In addition, a second sensor 84 for detecting the presence or absence of the syringe barrel 2 accommodated in the carrier 4 is provided. The first sensor 82 detects that the transport carrier 4 carried out and sent from the drying sterilizer 16 at the start of operation,
It is stopped by a stopper (not shown) provided immediately before the syringe supply unit 10 and detects that it has accumulated to this position, and activates the syringe supply unit 10. Also, the second
The sensor 84 detects that the syringe barrel 2 containing the carrier that has been dried and sterilized by the dry sterilizer 16 has arrived, and switches the drive by the two clutches 74 and 76.

The reversing insertion machine 26 is also driven similarly to the reversing extraction machine 20 via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). That is, by switching the clutch, it is driven together with the filling and filling machine 21 during the production operation,
At the start of production, only the screw (not shown) is rotated.

The operation of the syringe manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration will be described. After the production operation is completed and the transport carrier 4 is stored in the drying sterilizer 16,
When starting production, the wheel 70 of the screw drive shaft 68 is disengaged by the first clutch 74,
The gear 78 is connected by the second clutch 76, the screw drive shaft 68 is rotated by the second motor 80, and the driving of the main motor is stopped. When the operation is started, the transport carriers 4 housed in the drying sterilizer 16 are sequentially discharged and sent to the reversing and extracting machine 20 via the conveyor 18. The second sensor 84 provided on the upstream side of the reversing extractor 20 does not detect the injection cylinder 2 because the carrier 4 is empty.

As described above, the screw drive shaft 68 for rotating the screw 50 of the reversing extractor 20 is disconnected from the main motor and connected to the second motor 80, so that the screw drive shaft 68 rotates independently of the filling and stoppering machine 21. The carrier 4 conveyed by the conveyor 18 is sent to the screw 50 to be placed on the bypass path 24,
Move to 6. Similarly, the screws of the reversing insertion machine 26 are independently rotated, and the carriers 4 are fed by the screws and are conveyed by being placed on the conveyor 40.

When the carrier 4 conveyed by the conveyor 40 is stopped at a stopper (not shown) of the syringe supply unit 10 and is gradually accumulated, and reaches the position of the first sensor 82, the syringe supply unit 10 is activated. To start. In the syringe supply unit 10, the syringes 2 are inserted into the respective transport carriers 4, and are sequentially carried into the drying sterilizer 16. Dry sterilizer 16
The syringe 2 dried and sterilized therein is discharged onto a conveyor 18 and conveyed to a reversing extractor 20.

When the second syringe 84 detects the leading syringe 2 housed and transported in the carrier 4,
The screw driving gear 78 that has rotated the screw 50 of the reversing extractor 20 so far is separated from the screw driving shaft 68 by the second clutch 76. On the other hand, the wheel 70 is connected to the screw drive shaft 68 by the first clutch 74, and the operation of the main motor is started. Then, the filling and filling machine 21 starts to operate, and the reversing sampling machine 20
The screw 50 rotates in synchronization with the filling and filling machine 21 and the gripping mechanism also starts to operate.
The carrier 4 is fed to the screw 50 while being held, inverted and supplied into the filling and filling machine 21, and the carrier 4 is transported to the bypass path 24. In this way, after the operation is completed, the transport carrier 4 stored in the drying sterilizer 16 is paid out, sent to the syringe supply unit 10, and the syringe 2
After inserting and performing dry sterilization, the operation of the filling and stoppering machine 21 can be stopped and only the screw 50 can be rotated until it is supplied to the filling and stoppering machine 21.
There is no need to uselessly run the filling and filling machine 21. In addition, since it is not necessary to operate the filling and filling machine 21, it is possible to perform an adjustment operation or the like during the operation.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, a drying sterilizer for drying and sterilizing an injection cylinder accommodated in a carrier, a stopper is inserted into an opening of the injection cylinder, and a chemical solution is filled therein. Filling and filling machine, a sampling machine provided at the entrance of the filling and filling machine, for extracting a syringe contained in a carrier, and an empty carrier provided in the sampling machine for sending an empty carrier to a carrier transport path. In a syringe manufacturing device including a carrier transfer unit and a first drive unit that synchronizes the filling and filling machine and the unloader, a second drive unit that drives the carrier transfer unit of the unloader, and a carrier transfer unit. The first
By providing the drive switching means for switching to the drive means and the second drive means, there is no need to idle the filling and filling machine at the start of production. In addition, adjustment work and the like can be performed while the operation of the filling and filling machine is stopped. Further, since there is no inconvenience even if the drying sterilizer is used for storing the carrier, it is not necessary to provide a separate storage for the carrier.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of a syringe manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an injection cylinder is accommodated in a carrier for transportation.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a driving part of a main part of the syringe manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Syringe 2a Syringe opening 2c Syringe opening 4 Carrier 16 Dry sterilizer 20 Extractor (reverse extractor) 74 Drive switching means (first clutch) 76 Drive switching means (second clutch) 80 Second Driving means (second motor) 84 Sensor (second sensor)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A dry sterilizer for performing dry sterilization of an injection cylinder accommodated in a carrier, a filling and closing machine for plugging an opening of the injection cylinder and filling a drug solution therein, Sampling machine provided at the entrance of the machine, to extract the syringe contained in the carrier, and a carrier transfer means for sending the empty carrier provided in the sampling machine to the carrier transport path,
A syringe manufacturing apparatus comprising: a first driving means for synchronously operating a filling and filling machine and a removing machine; a second driving means for driving a carrier transferring means of the extracting machine; and a carrier driving means for the first driving means. And a drive switching means for switching connection to the second drive means. 2. A sensor for detecting an injection cylinder accommodated in a carrier is provided upstream of the carrier transfer means, and when the sensor detects the injection cylinder, driving of the carrier transfer means is performed by a second drive. 2. The syringe manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device is switched to the first driving device. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an empty carrier previously stored in the drying sterilizer is discharged, the carrier is circulated by operating the second driving means, an injection cylinder is inserted into the carrier, and then sent to the drying sterilizer. The syringe manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.