CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capsule filling machine for filling a capsule (20), which comprises an upper capsule part (21) and a lower capsule part (22). Said capsule filling machine comprises a plurality of separate stations for handling the capsules (20) and a capsule separation device (30) and a capsule presence device (40), the capsule separation device (30) and the capsule presence device (40) being integrated into a common station (2).

Claims

1. A capsule filling machine for filling capsules (20), the capsules each having an upper capsule part (21) and a lower capsule part (22), said capsule filling machine comprising: a plurality of separate stations for handling the capsules (20), and a capsule separation device (30) and a capsule presence device (40), the capsule separation device (30) and the capsule presence device (40) being integrated into a common station (2).

2. The capsule filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the capsule separation device (30) comprises an upper capsule part receptacle (31), a lower capsule part receptacle (32) and a vacuum generator (33), the vacuum generator (33) being connected to the lower capsule part receptacle (32).

3. The capsule filling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the capsule presence device (40) comprises a sensor for detecting a presence of a capsule in the lower capsule part receptacle (32).

4. The capsule filling machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the sensor (41) is a capacitive sensor.

5. The capsule filling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the capsule separation device (30) comprises at least one separating pin (34), which is disposed below the lower capsule part receptacle (32).

6. The capsule filling machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the separating pin (34) is configured to move linearly.

7. The capsule filling machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the sensor (41) is disposed at an end of the separating pin (34) that is oriented towards the lower capsule part receptacle (32).

8. The capsule filling machine according to claim 1, further comprising a rotary plate (101), wherein a plurality of stations are disposed along a circumference of the rotary plate (101).

9. The capsule filling machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the separating pin is configured to be moved linearly relative to the lower capsule part receptacle (32).

10. The capsule filling machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the sensor (41) is a capacitive proximity sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a capsule filling machine according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a combined capsule separation and capsule presence station in an initial state;

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the station of FIG. 2 in a pickup position of the lower capsule part;

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the station of FIG. 2 in a separation operation position of upper capsule part and lower capsule part as well as a detection position of the lower capsule part; and

[0016] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the station of FIG. 2 after a separation operation of upper capsule part and lower capsule part is completed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] A capsule filling machine 1 according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0018] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the capsule filling machine 100 comprises a rotating rotary plate 101, on the circumference of which twelve stations are disposed, which are denoted by the numbers 1 to 12. The capsules are delivered to station 1 and separated at station 2, wherein the upper capsule part is separated from the lower capsule part. Furthermore, a presence check of the capsules is performed at station 2. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the capsules are disposed in the capsule receptacles 103, which is described later in detail. In a preferred manner, separation is performed at the station, whereat delivery is also made. Separation can, however, also be performed later.

[0019] At station 3, the empty unseparated capsule is weighed and the upper capsule part is separated from the lower capsule part upon being reinserted and checked for presence, so that the lower capsule part is open to the top in order to carry out a filling process.

[0020] The filling process is then carried out at stations 4, 5, 6 and 7, wherein in each case, e.g., a different bulk material or different filling quantities of the same bulk material is filled at each station.

[0021] The capsule halves are closed again at station 8 and weighed once again at station 9. In so doing, it is determined at station 9 whether the filling of the capsules is sufficient, which is particularly important for drugs.

[0022] Station 10 is a bad capsule elimination station, whereat damaged capsules or capsules that have not been correctly filled are, e.g., removed. At station 11, the capsules that have not been correctly filled are thrown out of the capsule filling machine, and station 12 is a cleaning station prior to new, empty capsules again being received at station 1.

[0023] According to the invention, a combined capsule separation and capsule presence station is provided at the stations 1 and 2 or at station 3. In this case, two functions are combined, namely the separation of the capsules into the upper capsule part and the lower capsule part as well as a presence control at one station. In FIGS. 2 to 5, the functionality of the combined station 2 is depicted.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the initial state of the combined capsule separation and capsule presence station 25. The capsules are still closed, i.e. the upper capsule part 21 is placed on the lower capsule part. The upper capsule part 21 is thereby held in the upper capsule part receptacle 31. The lower capsule part 22 is accommodated in a lower capsule part receptacle 32.

[0025] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the lower capsule part 22 is also still partially disposed in the upper capsule part receptacle 31. In a first step, a vacuum is generated by means of the vacuum generator 33. The capsule separation device further comprises another separating pin 34, which comprises a capacitive sensor 41. The separating pin 34 can be move linearly, which is implemented by means of a drive that is not shown. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the separating pin 34 is thereby moved linearly in the direction of arrow A towards the capsule receptacle.

[0026] In FIG. 3, the vacuum generator 33 is set onto the lower capsule part receptacle 32 so that the vacuum is also present in the region beneath the lower capsule part 22. The separating pin 34 is moved further linearly in the direction of the arrow B until said separating pin 34 comes in contact with the lower capsule part 22.

[0027] Provision is furthermore made for a capsule presence device 40, which comprises a capacitive sensor 41. The capacitive sensor 41 is at a free end of the separating pin 34, which is disposed so as to be oriented towards the lower part 22. As soon as the separating pin 34 touches the lower capsule part 22, the capacitive sensor captures this touch so that it can be ensured that a lower capsule part is disposed in the lower capsule part receptacle 32.

[0028] The vacuum generated by means of the vacuum generator 33 prevails in the hollow space below the lower capsule part 22. As a result, the lower capsule part 22 is suctioned; thus enabling the lower capsule part 22 to release from the upper capsule part 21. This is indicated in FIG. 4 by the arrow C. The upper capsule part 21 is then held fixedly in the upper capsule part receptacle 31.

[0029] FIG. 4 clearly shows the state at which the lower capsule part 22 is separated from the upper capsule part 21.

[0030] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the lower capsule part 22 still moves a short distance downwards; thus enabling a reliable separation between the lower capsule part and the upper capsule part to take place. The vacuum generator is subsequently removed from the lower capsule part receptacle 32 and the separating pin 34 is further retracted in the direction of arrow D further into the vacuum generator 33.

[0031] The unseparated capsule is initially weighed at station 3 and separated after the reinsertion, and the lower capsule part is checked for presence. The lower capsule part is filled with different products at stations 4 to 7. At station 4, the upper capsule part receptacle 31 is separated from the lower capsule part receptacle 32 in order to facilitate a simple filling of the lower capsule part.

[0032] It should be noted that respectively two capsules 20 as well as two separating pins 34 are depicted in FIGS. 2 to 5. A multiplicity of capsules, preferably in a two row arrangement, are normally provided in a capsule receptacle. Accordingly, the required number of separating pins is also then to be provided.

[0033] Hence, a function of the capsule separation and a function of the capsule presence check can be integrated into a common station according to the invention. The capsule presence station is in this case integrated into the capsule separation station. In so doing, a very compact construction results, which, particularly in the radial direction of the rotary plate, does not require any additional installation space. The capsule presence device 40 is integrated here into the separating pin 34; thus enabling the presence of a lower capsule part to be simply and reliably detected.

[0034] The sensors 41 are preferably capacitive proximity sensors. Other types of sensors can, however, be used.

[0035] In addition, the recognition of a lower capsule part that is not present can also be used to point out that a targeted non-filling of the absent lower capsule part takes place at the subsequent stations. As a result, it is particularly possible for the continuous clock frequency of the capsule filling machine to be held intact.

[0036] It should be further noted that lower capsule part sampling can also exclusively be used instead of the previously depicted double functionality of separating the capsules and detecting the lower capsule parts at this station. To this end, the lower capsule parts 22 are already situated in the lower capsule part receptacle 32 and are only briefly touched by the separating pins 34 in order to check for presence.