Gelatin supply device for softgel encapsulation machine

Abstract

Provided is a gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine, the device having multiple spreader boxes provided on a guide having adjustment holes arranged in an arc shape to form multiple gelatin sheets, the device being further provided with a printing unit between the provided spreader boxes to print an information mark on an upper surface of a gelatin sheet while forming the gelatin sheet, the device forming a shell of a capsule by covering the information mark with another gelatin sheet.

Claims

1. A gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine, the device supplying liquid gelatin to a drum in a form of a sheet and cooling the liquid gelatin to mold a gelatin sheet, the device comprising: two spreader boxes supplying the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet; a storage tank where the liquid gelatin is stored; and a transfer hose through which the stored liquid gelatin is transferred to the two spreader boxes, wherein the two spreader boxes are provided to form two gelatin sheets and provided on a guide provided on an upper surface of the drum, and adjustment holes configured in the guide are arranged in an arc shape being concentric with the drum such that the two spreader boxes provided on the guide are moved due to the adjustment holes to adjust a distance between the two spreader boxes, and wherein the two spreader boxes are disposed in the vicinity of an outer circumferential surface of the drum, and an inlet portion is provided in each surface of the two spreader boxes facing each other to supply the liquid gelatin into the two spreader boxes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the liquid gelatin is supplied by an operation of a gear pump from the storage tank to the two spreader boxes.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the two spreader boxes includes: an inner block having an inlet hole through which the liquid gelatin supplied through the transfer hose is supplied into the each of the two spreader boxes; and an outer block communicating with the inlet hole to supply the liquid gelatin and configured with a discharge passage to discharge the supplied liquid gelatin to the outer circumferential surface of the drum.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a printing unit between the two spreader boxes to print an information mark, wherein the information mark is positioned between the two gelatin sheets.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the printing unit is provided on the guide.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the information mark printed on the two gelatin sheets by the printing unit is made of a liquid medicine component.

7. A gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine, the device supplying liquid gelatin to a drum in a form of a sheet and cooling the liquid gelatin to mold a gelatin sheet, the device comprising: at least two spreader boxes supplying the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet; a storage tank where the liquid gelatin is stored; and a transfer hose through which the stored liquid gelatin is transferred to the at least two spreader boxes, wherein the at least two spreader boxes are provided to form multiple gelatin sheets and provided on a guide provided on an upper surface of the drum, and adjustment holes configured in the guide are arranged in an arc shape being concentric with the drum such that the at least two spreader boxes provided on the guide are moved due to the adjustment holes to adjust a distance between the at least two spreader boxes, and wherein each of the at least two spreader boxes includes: an inner block having an inlet hole through which the liquid gelatin supplied through the transfer hose is supplied into the each of the at least two spreader boxes; and an outer block communicating with the inlet hole to supply the liquid gelatin and configured with a discharge passage to discharge the supplied liquid gelatin to the outer circumferential surface of the drum.

8. A gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine, the device supplying liquid gelatin to a drum in a form of a sheet and cooling the liquid gelatin to mold a gelatin sheet, the device comprising: at least two spreader boxes supplying the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet; a storage tank where the liquid gelatin is stored; a transfer hose through which the stored liquid gelatin is transferred to the at least two spreader boxes; and a printing unit between the at least two spreader boxes to print an information mark, wherein the at least two spreader boxes are provided to form multiple gelatin sheets and provided on a guide provided on an upper surface of the drum, and adjustment holes configured in the guide are arranged in an arc shape being concentric with the drum such that the at least two spreader boxes provided on the guide are moved due to the adjustment holes to adjust a distance between the at least two spreader boxes, and wherein the information mark is positioned between the multiple gelatin sheets.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the printing unit is provided on the guide.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the information mark printed on the multiple gelatin sheets by the printing unit is made of a liquid medicine component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a softgel encapsulation machine of the related art;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a softgel encapsulation machine equipped with a gelatin supply device according to the present invention;

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views illustrating the gelatin supply device according to the present invention;

(5) FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views illustrating a state where a spreader box is separated from the gelatin supply device according to the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the gelatin supply device according to the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the softgel encapsulation machine equipped with a gelatin supply device equipped with a printing unit according to the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the gelatin supply device of FIG. 6; and

(9) FIGS. 8A and 8B are views illustrating a soft capsule manufactured by the softgel encapsulation machine of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Hereinafter, a gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) Generally, soft capsules are prepared by heating gelatin to be dissolved and thinly spreading the gelatin such that a gelatin sheet is obtained and used as a shell. The device according to the present invention is described with respect to a softgel capsule or a gelatin sheet. However, the shell of the soft capsule is not limited to a gelatin material.

(12) As described above, the gelatin supply device for a softgel encapsulation machine according to the present invention differs from the conventional softgel encapsulation machine with respect to the structure of the sheet forming portion, particularly, the vicinity structure including the spreader boxes, but most configurations of the conventional softgel encapsulation machine are adopted.

(13) Referring to FIG. 2, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention is also equipped in the conventional softgel encapsulation machine.

(14) The softgel encapsulation machine includes: a sheet forming portion 1 forming a thin film-like gelatin sheet with a gelatin solution; a capsule molding portion 2 molding a capsule with the gelatin sheet; and a liquid medicine supply portion 3 supplying a liquid medicine into the gelatin sheet.

(15) The sheet forming portion is provided with the gelatin supply device having spread boxes (B) to supply liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet. The gelatin discharged from the spreader boxes in the form of a sheet is applied in an adjusted thickness onto each outer circumferential surface of drums D disposed below the sheet forming portion. Then, the gelatin is cooled, sheeted, and supplied to the capsule molding portion.

(16) A shell of a soft capsule manufactured by the conventional softgel encapsulation machine is single-ply. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the gelatin sheet to be put into the capsule molding portion is multi-ply so that a soft capsule having a multi-ply shell can be finally obtained. It is the important point of the present invention that the gelatin supply device has the spreader boxes forming the multi-ply shell.

(17) Accordingly, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention has the following configuration.

(18) In detail, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention includes: the spreader boxes (B) supplying the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet as the gelatin supply device of the conventional softgel encapsulation machine does; a storage tank (not illustrated) where the liquid gelatin is stored; and transfer hoses (H) through which the stored liquid gelatin is supplied to the spreader boxes.

(19) In addition, the two or more spreader boxes are provided in the gelatin supply device to supply the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet onto each outer circumferential surface of the drums of the sheet forming portion.

(20) That is, the spreader boxes are arranged in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surfaces of the drums to directly supply the sheeted liquid gelatin to the outer circumferential surfaces of the drums.

(21) FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views illustrating the gelatin supply device having the spreader boxes according to the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the gelatin supply device having the spreader boxes (B) illustrated in FIG. 1 is replaced with the gelatin supply device of the present invention having the spreader boxes illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

(22) Although the conventional gelatin supply device having the spreader boxes is replaced with the gelatin supply device having the spreader boxes according to the present invention, the softgel encapsulation machine still operates, and the size of the conventional softgel encapsulation machine is maintained. Accordingly, there is no space limitation in accordance with use of the softgel encapsulation machine.

(23) As will be described later, even when forming a multi-ply shell consisting of gelatin sheets, the spreader box structure of the present invention can be employed in an existing space without the need of an additional space.

(24) Although the two spreader boxes for each drum are illustrated in FIG. 2, the number of spreader boxes for each drum is not limited to two, and multiple spreader boxes having the same structure may be arranged in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surfaces of each of the drums of the sheet forming portion.

(25) Next, the spreader boxes will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

(26) Each of the two spreader boxes, i.e., a first spreader box (B1) and a second spreader box (B2), is positioned in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surface of each of the drums by a guide 40. As will be described later, the guide 40 is spaced from the outer circumferential surface of each of the drums (D) and arc-shaped concentric with each of the drums (D). The guide 40 allows a distance between the two spreader boxes (B1) and (B2) to be adjusted.

(27) The first spreader box (B1) and the second spreader box (B2) have the same structure. Hereinafter, the structure of the spreader boxes according to the present invention will be described with reference to the first spreader box (B1) of one of the drums.

(28) The first spreader box includes an inner block 10 and an outer block 20, and is configured with a uniform width outlet between the inner block 10 and the outer block 20 by a machined step.

(29) The inner block 10 is configured with an inlet hole 10a through which the liquid gelatin pumped in the storage tank is supplied by the transfer hose (H) into the spreader box. The liquid gelatin supplied through the inlet hole 10a of the inner block is transferred to a discharge passage 21 configured in the outer block 20. Then, the liquid gelatin is discharged to the outer circumferential surface of the drum in the form of a sheet through the discharge passage and is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum.

(30) The inlet hole 10a is preferably configured in the central portion of the inner block, rather than in the left side or right side of the inner block.

(31) The liquid gelatin supplied through the inlet hole 10a configured in the central portion flows into the central portion of the discharge passage 21 of the outer block 20 without being concentrated on either one of the left and right sides of the outer block 20, and is discharged to the outer circumferential surface of the drum through an outlet 23.

(32) An outlet end 23A of the outlet 23 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the drum. Guide blocks designed to be brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum are provided on opposite sides of the bottom surface of the spreader box, that is, on opposite sides of a portion where the outlet 23 is configured, to ensure a stable mounting state of the spreader box with respect to the drum.

(33) The guide blocks 50 are made of Teflon.

(34) A space is defined between the outer circumferential surface of the drum and the outlet end of the spreader box by the height of the guide blocks 50. Accordingly, the liquid gelatin is discharged to the space in the form of a sheet, applied on the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and cooled, so that the gelatin is formed into a gelatin sheet.

(35) The thickness of the capsule shell is required to be set according to purposes or functions of the capsule product finally produced in the softgel encapsulation machine. Since the thickness of the capsule shell is determined in the process of forming the liquid gelatin into the form of a sheet, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention adopts a configuration capable of adjusting the thickness of the gelatin sheet.

(36) In the related art, Korean Patent No. 10-1580825, a blocking plate is slid up and down to adjust a size of an outlet end through which liquid gelatin is discharged from a spreader box, thereby adjusting the thickness of a gelatin sheet. However, since the blocking plate is slid up and down, configurations thereof are complicated and the use thereof is not simple.

(37) Accordingly, the present invention is to adjust the thickness of the gelatin sheet by means of a simple method. For this purpose, a known gear pump is used for supplying the liquid gelatin from the storage tank to the spreader box.

(38) A gear pump uses the meshing of two gears and displaces fluid confined in teeth of the gears and the space between the gears along an inner surface of a casing by rotations of the gears. A flow rate to be discharged is proportional to the number of revolutions of the gears. Therefore, it is possible to supply the liquid gelatin to the spreader box in a predetermined amount and possible to control the flow rate by the number of revolutions of the gears.

(39) In addition, the drum of the sheet forming portion is controlled in rotation speed.

(40) As a result, the thickness of the gelatin sheet applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum is adjusted by the rotational speed of the drum and the amount of gelatin constantly discharged by the gear pump to the outer circumferential surface of the drum.

(41) That is, in the present invention, the gear pump is used to maintain a predetermined amount of gelatin discharged from the spreader box and applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and the rotational speed of the drum is controlled to adjust the thickness of the gelatin sheet. For example, when the drum rotates at a high speed, a thin gelatin sheet can be obtained. On the contrary, when the drum rotates at a slow speed, a thick gelatin sheet can be obtained.

(42) Next, the discharge passage 21 configured in the outer block will be described.

(43) The discharge passage includes: a first storage 211 where the liquid gelatin supplied through the inner block is transferred and primarily stored in the outer block; transfer passages 213 providing a pathway to transfer the liquid gelatin downward which is stored in the first storage 211; a second storage 215 where the liquid gelatin supplied through the transfer passages 213 is stored; and the outlet 23 through which the liquid gelatin is discharged to be applied on the outer circumferential surface of the drum in the form of a sheet.

(44) The second storage 215 is configured to be smaller in size than the first storage 211. It is preferable that the transfer passages 213 are configured to be narrow and multiple transfer passages 213 are arranged at the end of the first storage 211 so that the liquid gelatin is transferred from the first storage 211 to the second storage 215.

(45) The first spreader box (B1) and the second spreader box (B2) according to the present invention are arranged such that the inner block 10 of the first spreader box (B1) and the inner block 10 of the second spreader box (B2) face each other and each outer blocks 20 of each of the spreader boxes are positioned outwardly. Accordingly, the liquid gelatin is supplied to the spreader boxes through a space (S) defined by the two spreader boxes facing each other.

(46) This is for arranging the two spreader boxes within a limited space, and when disposing the two spreader boxes, a space between the spreader boxes is inevitable. Accordingly, the present invention provides an inlet portion for supplying the liquid gelatin into the spreader boxes by using the space (S).

(47) Since the two spreader boxes is required to be mounted in a limited space, the present invention modifies a structure of the spreader box which has been mainly employed in the conventional gelatin supply device. That is, the conventional gelatin supply device generally employs the spreader box structure having a hollow portion of a predetermined size, but according to the structure, it is difficult to mount two spreader boxes in a limited space. Thus, in the present invention, the spreader box is constituted by the outer block 20 configured with the discharge passage 21 and the inner block 10 as described above, thereby reducing the size of the spreader box and minimizing the size of the device.

(48) The inlet portion includes: the inlet hole 10a configured in the inner block 10; and a mounting means 15 communicating the transfer hose and the inlet hole 10a each other so that the liquid gelatin transferred through the transfer hose is supplied to the inlet hole 10a.

(49) A heater 60 is inserted into the outer block 20 having the discharge passage 21 to induce smooth transfer and discharge of the liquid gelatin.

(50) Next, the guide 40 which is provided to adjust the distance between the two spreader boxes will be described.

(51) Controlling the timing of applying the liquid gelatin discharged from the spreader box to the outer circumferential surface of the drum is required in consideration of a state of the gelatin sheet applied on the drum and cooled. The timing is controlled by adjusting the distance between the two spreader boxes.

(52) In the present invention, the guide 40 is provided, and the spreader boxes are provided at opposite ends of the guide 40 such that the spreader boxes can be moved along the guide 40, thereby adjusting the distance between the two spreader boxes. In other words, at the opposite ends of the guide on which the spreader boxes are placed, multiple adjustment holes 45 are configured to vary the position of the spreader boxes so that the distance between the two spreader boxes is adjusted by placing the spreader boxes to desired adjustment holes. The configuration for placing the spreader boxes to the guide or the configuration for adjusting the distance between the spreader boxes may adopt a known manner other than the manner mentioned above.

(53) It is preferable that the adjustment holes 45 configured in the guide 40 are arranged in an arc shape being a concentric with the drum (D) disposed below. Even though the distance between the spreader boxes (B) is adjusted through the adjustment holes, the distance initially set between the outlet where the liquid gelatin is discharged from the spreader box and the outer circumferential surface of the drum remains the same.

(54) The multiple adjustment holes 45 may be configured and arranged in an arc shape or may be configured into one arc-shaped long slot being concentric with the drum disposed below.

(55) As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the gelatin supply device having the above-described configuration according to the present invention may further include a printing unit (P) between the spreader boxes (B).

(56) As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention produces a soft capsule having a multi-ply shell and provides various information marks printed between the gelatin sheets consisting the shell. That is, it is another important point of the present invention in that the gelatin supply device is capable of printing an information mark while forming the multiple gelatin sheets.

(57) As illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, it is possible to obtain a soft capsule having a multi-ply or double-ply shell, in which an information mark (S2) including lot numbers or characters of the medicine or pharmaceutical company of the medicine is formed and displayed on an inner-ply shell (S1), and in which the information mark is covered by an outer-ply shell (S3) located outside whereby the information mark can be maintained without being damaged.

(58) Accordingly, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention has the following configuration.

(59) In detail, the gelatin supply device according to the present invention includes: the spreader boxes (B) supplying the liquid gelatin in the form of a sheet as the gelatin supply device of the conventional softgel encapsulation machine does; a storage tank (not illustrated) where the liquid gelatin is stored; and transfer hoses (H) through which the stored liquid gelatin is supplied to the spreader boxes. Two or more spreader boxes (B) are provided spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the printing unit (P) is provided between the spreader boxes (B) to print and make the information mark.

(60) The multiple spreader boxes (B) are arranged in a manner maintaining an appropriate distance between the respective spreader boxes (B) in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and directly supply the liquid gelatin to the outer circumferential surface of the drum in the form of a sheet.

(61) The printing unit (P) provided between the spreader boxes (B) prints necessary information on a surface of the gelatin sheet moved along the outer circumferential surface of the drum to make the information mark.

(62) Although the two spreader boxes for each drum are illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the number of spreader boxes for each drum is not limited to two, but multiple spreader boxes having the same structure may be arranged in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surfaces of each of the drums of the sheet forming portion.

(63) In the case the two spreader boxes (B) are provided, the printing unit (P) is disposed between the spreader boxes (B). In the case three or more spreader boxes (B) are provided, the printing unit (P) is preferably disposed between the outermost spreader box (B) and the adjacent spreader box (B). In other words, the spreader boxes and the printing unit are arranged from the outside to the inside in the order: spreader box-printing unit-spreader box-spreader box.

(64) This is because it is preferable that the information mark formed by the printing unit is clearly visible while being covered with a single layer of gelatin sheet on top of the information mark to prevent damage to the information mark.

(65) Considering the configuration of the capsule molding portion of the conventional softgel encapsulation machine, the printing unit (P) is preferably disposed at the inner side of the outermost spreader box (B) because a gelatin sheet supplied by the outermost spreader box (B) is located at the outermost side of a multi-ply shell of a soft capsule.

(66) Referring back to FIGS. 6 and 7, each of the two spreader boxes, i.e., the first spreader box (B1) and the second spreader box (B2), is positioned in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surface of each of the drums by the guide 40. Between the first spreader box (B1) and the second spreader box (B2), the printing unit (P) is also positioned in the vicinity of the outer circumferential surface of the drum (D) by the guide 40.

(67) The guide 40 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the drum (D) and arc-shaped concentric with the drum (D). The guide 40 allows distances between the two spreader boxes (B1) and (B2) and the printing unit (P) to be adjusted.

(68) In the gelatin supply device illustrated in FIG. 2 and described above, the printing unit (P) is additionally provided on the guide 40. The configuration of the gelatin supply device other than the printing unit (P) is the same as that of the gelatin supply device described above.

(69) An operation of the softgel encapsulation machine having the gelatin supply device according to the present invention constructed as described above is achieved as follows.

(70) The softgel encapsulation machine illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is for molding a soft capsule having two-ply shell (S1 and S3) illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

(71) The gelatin liquefying from the gelatin tank is supplied each of the spreader boxes (B) connected to the respective storage tank and a transfer hose, adjusted in thickness from the spreader box (B), and applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum (D) in an adjusted thickness.

(72) Here, a gelatin sheet applied by the first spreader box (B1) disposed at the outer side of the softgel encapsulation machine becomes an outer-ply shell of a soft capsule, and a gelatin sheet applied by the second spreader box (B2) disposed at the inner side of the softgel encapsulation machine becomes an inner-ply shell of the soft capsule.

(73) The printing unit (P) disposed between the first spreader box (B1) and the second spreader box (B2) prints various information on the gelatin sheet, which corresponds to the inner-ply shell (S1) of the soft capsule and is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum by the second spreader box (B2), to make the information mark (S2). Then, a gelatin sheet, which corresponds to the outer-ply shell (S3) of the soft capsule and is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the drum by the first spreader box (B1), covers the information mark S2 formed on a surface of the gelatin sheet, which is the outer-ply shell of the soft capsule and moved along the outer circumferential surface of the drum.

(74) As a result, the two gelatin sheets where the information mark S2 is interposed are transferred along the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and then introduced into the capsule molding portion 2 to mold the soft capsule.

(75) Here, transparent liquid gelatin is supplied to the first spreader box (B1) to form the outer-ply shell (S3) of the soft capsule as a transparent layer so that the information mark (S2) printed on the surface of the inner-ply shell can be more accurately visible.

(76) Since the outer-ply shell of the molded soft capsule protects the shell surface of the molded soft capsule, a printing liquid discharged by the printing unit (P) may contain a liquid medicine component. The liquid gelatin constituting the inner-ply shell (S1) may also contain a liquid medicine component. According to the present invention, a desired liquid medicine component can be stored not only in the capsule but also in the information mark or the gelatin sheet whereby two or more medicine components in one capsule can be realized.

(77) As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.