Abstract
The disclosure relates to a capsule closure device for closing two-piece capsules each having a capsule upper portion and a capsule lower portion. The capsule closure device includes a capsule upper portion receiving member and a capsule lower portion receiving member. The capsule upper portion receiving member has a receiving hole and an introduction hole which is arranged coaxially relative to the receiving hole. The capsule upper portion receiving member has at the inner side thereof between the receiving hole and the introduction hole a support shoulder for supporting the capsule upper portion. The capsule upper portion receiving member has at the inner side thereof a ventilation groove, wherein the ventilation groove extends from the receiving hole to the introduction hole.
Claims
1. A capsule closure device for closing two-piece capsules each having a capsule upper portion and a capsule lower portion, the capsule closure device comprising: a capsule upper portion receiving member and a capsule lower portion receiving member; said capsule upper portion receiving member defining a receiving hole and an introduction hole which is arranged coaxially relative to said receiving hole; said capsule upper portion receiving member having an inner side; said capsule upper portion receiving member having a support shoulder for supporting said capsule upper portion at said inner side, wherein said support shoulder is disposed between said receiving hole and said introduction hole; and, said capsule upper portion receiving member defining at said inner side at least one ventilation groove, wherein said ventilation groove extends from said receiving hole to said introduction hole.
2. The capsule closure device of claim 1, wherein said capsule upper portion receiving member defines at least two ventilation grooves at said inner side.
3. The capsule closure device of claim 1, wherein said capsule upper portion receiving member defines three ventilation grooves at said inner side.
4. The capsule closure device of claim 1, wherein said receiving hole extends from a first longitudinal end as far as a second longitudinal end at said support shoulder, wherein said at least one ventilation groove extends as far as said first longitudinal end of said receiving hole.
5. The capsule closure device of claim 1, wherein said support shoulder has a peripheral inner edge; and, said at least one ventilation groove forms an interruption of said inner edge.
6. The capsule closure device of claim 1 further comprising a suction device configured to extract dust particles on the capsule.
7. The capsule closure device of claim 1, wherein said support shoulder is formed by an annular groove in said receiving hole, said annular groove being configured to receive undesired filling material.
8. The capsule closure device of claim 7, wherein said receiving hole includes a second longitudinal section which is adjacent to said annular groove and a first longitudinal section which is adjacent to said second longitudinal section; and, wherein said first longitudinal section of said receiving hole forms a narrowing for clamping of the capsule upper portion.
9. The capsule closure device of claim 8, wherein said receiving hole has a clamping diameter (D.sub.K) at said narrowing; and, wherein said clamping diameter (D.sub.K) is smaller than a basic diameter (D.sub.G) of said second longitudinal section.
10. The capsule closure device of claim 9, wherein the basic diameter (D.sub.G) is constant over an entirety of said second longitudinal section.
11. The capsule closure device of claim 9, wherein said receiving hole defines a clamping diameter (D.sub.A) at said support shoulder; and, said clamping diameter (D.sub.K) is greater than said clamping diameter (D.sub.A).
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a two-piece capsule;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a longitudinally sectioned illustration of a capsule closure device according to the disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a sectioned illustration of the capsule upper portion receiving member;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the capsule upper portion receiving member;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a sectioned illustration of the capsule upper portion receiving member with a narrowing; and,
[0024] FIG. 6 is a sectioned illustration of the capsule upper portion receiving member with a narrowing, without a ventilation groove.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partially sectioned illustration of a two-piece capsule 20, as used, for example, in the pharmaceutical sector or in the field of food supplements and which in the filled state contains an active ingredient preparation. In the ready filled and closed state, it is provided to be swallowed by a person. Various materials, such as hard gelatin, HPMC or the like, may be considered as the capsule material which dissolves after swallowing and releases the capsule contents.
[0026] The two-piece capsule 20 is composed of a capsule upper portion 21 and a capsule lower portion 22, wherein the capsule lower portion 22 is inserted with a lower portion nominal diameter dU into the open side of the capsule upper portion 21 with a larger upper portion nominal diameter DO. The capsule upper portion 21 includes as a conventional construction type a hemispherical cap portion 23 which a cylinder portion 24 adjoins.
[0027] At the open side thereof, the capsule upper portion 21 is delimited by a peripheral capsule edge 25 of the cylinder portion 24. The capsule lower portion 22 is constructed in a similar manner to the capsule upper portion 21 and includes a hemispherical cap portion 26 which a cylinder portion 27 adjoins.
[0028] At the side facing the capsule upper portion 21 and introduced at that location, the capsule lower portion 22 is delimited with a peripheral capsule edge 28 of the cylinder portion 27, wherein in the assembled state of the capsule upper portion 21 and capsule lower portion 22 a portion of the cylinder portion 27 together with the peripheral capsule edge 28 thereof comes to rest inside the cylinder portion 24 of the capsule upper portion 21.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a longitudinally sectioned illustration of a capsule closure device 1 according to the disclosure which includes a capsule upper portion receiving member 2 and a capsule lower portion receiving member 3. A capsule closure arrangement having a capsule upper portion 21 and a capsule lower portion 22 of a capsule 20 is arranged in the capsule closure device 1.
[0030] Empty capsules 20 according to FIG. 1 are delivered in a state in which the capsule lower portions 22 are loosely inserted into associated capsule upper portions 21 in each case. In this state, a single capsule 20 is introduced into the capsule closure device according to FIG. 2 from above in accordance with an arrow 12 in such a manner that it comes to rest inside the capsule upper portion receiving member 2.
[0031] The capsule upper portion receiving member 2 has a receiving hole 4 for receiving the capsule upper portion 21 and merges in the direction toward the capsule lower portion receiving member 3 into a coaxially arranged introduction hole 5. The introduction hole 5 is reduced in terms of its diameter with respect to the diameter of the receiving hole 4 so that at the transition from the receiving hole 4 to the introduction hole 5 a peripheral support shoulder 6 is formed. The support shoulder 6 delimits the receiving hole 4 in a downward direction and is also in the same manner as the introduction hole 5 narrowed with respect to the receiving hole 4. The capsule 20 is introduced in accordance with the arrow 12 into the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 in such a manner that the capsule upper portion 21 comes to rest with the cylinder portion 24 thereof in the receiving hole 5, whilst the peripheral capsule edge 25 of the capsule upper portion 21 rests on the support shoulder 6. The support shoulder 6 has an inner diameter which is reduced with respect to the receiving hole 4 and through which the capsule lower portion 22 can be guided.
[0032] Below the capsule upper portion receiving member 2, the capsule lower portion receiving member 3 is positioned coaxially and includes a receiving hole 13. For example, by means of reduced pressure or the like, the capsule lower portion 22 which protrudes into the introduction hole 5 is pulled out of the capsule upper portion 21 into the receiving hole 13 of the capsule lower portion receiving member 3 in the direction of the arrow 12 until it comes to rest with the downwardly facing cap portion 26 thereof on a shoulder 14 which is reduced in terms of diameter with respect to the receiving hole 13. In this instance, the cylinder portion 27 of the capsule lower portion 22 is supported by the peripheral wall of the receiving hole 14.
[0033] The capsule lower portion 22 is filled with the active ingredient preparation which is not illustrated, whilst it is retained in the capsule lower portion receiving member 3. After completed filling, the capsule 20 is closed by means of the capsule closure device 1 by the capsule lower portion 21 being pressed, for example, by means of a stamp which is not illustrated counter to the direction of the arrow 12 upward through the receiving hole 14 and the introduction hole 5 into the capsule upper portion 21. In this instance, a counter-force is applied to the capsule upper portion 21 for spatial fixing thereof in the direction of the arrow 12, for example, by means of a stamp which is also not illustrated. During the closure operation, the peripheral capsule edge 28 of the capsule lower portion 22 slides radially at the inner side of the peripheral capsule edge 25 of the capsule upper portion 21 into the cylinder portion 24 thereof.
[0034] FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectioned illustration of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 according to FIG. 2. The receiving hole 4 extends along a longitudinal axis 16 of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 from a first longitudinal end 30 as far as a second longitudinal end 31. The receiving hole 4 can be subdivided, in the direction of the arrow 12, into a plurality of sections in a corresponding sequence, namely the first longitudinal end 30, a longitudinal section 32 and the second longitudinal end 31. The first longitudinal end 30 of the receiving hole 4 is formed by an introduction region 35 with a lead-in chamfer 36 for introduction of the capsule 20. The introduction region 35 tapers in the direction of the arrow 12 and merges into the longitudinal section 34. The longitudinal section 34 extends as far as the second end 31 of the receiving hole 4, wherein the receiving hole 4 is constructed in a cylindrical manner along the longitudinal section 34 and has a constant diameter D.sub.1. The second end 31 is formed by a peripheral annular groove 29 on the inner side 11 of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2. The annular groove 29 serves to receive filling material which has been discharged in an undesirable manner. A support shoulder 6 is configured at the annular groove 29, wherein the support shoulder 6 has a shoulder diameter D.sub.A which is smaller than the diameter D.sub.1 of the receiving hole 4 at the longitudinal section 34. When the capsule is introduced into the receiving hole 4, the capsule upper portion 21 comes to rest with its capsule edge 25 on the support shoulder 6. The annular groove 29 prevents the capsule edge 25 of the capsule upper portion 21 from being pressed radially inward by the aforementioned filling material which has accumulated on the support shoulder 6. Formed adjacent to the support shoulder 6 is the introduction hole 5, which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis 16 of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 as far as the hole end 37. At the hole end 37, the introduction hole 5 widens in a funnel-like manner in the direction of the arrow 12 again, whereby the introduction of the capsule lower portion 22 after the filling operation into the introduction hole 5 is promoted. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a plurality of ventilation grooves 9 are formed in the capsule upper portion receiving member 2. The preferred embodiment of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 has three ventilation grooves 9 (FIG. 4). However, the construction of a single ventilation groove 9 may already be advantageous.
[0035] When the capsule 20 is separated, the capsule upper portion 21 is in abutment with the capsule edge 25 thereof flush with the inner side 11 of the receiving hole 4. If the capsule lower portion 22 is pulled out of the capsule upper portion 21, the capsule edge 28 of the capsule lower portion 22 is also in abutment flush with the inner side 11 of the introduction hole 5. In this instance, the capsule upper portion 21 and capsule lower portion 22 delimit an inner space 15. Through the ventilation groove 9, an air exchange between the inner space 15 and the environment outside the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 is enabled. Consequently, during separation and closure of the capsule 20, a pressure compensation takes place so that a reduced pressure or excess pressure which is applied in the inner space 15 can be prevented.
[0036] The ventilation groove 9 is formed on the inner side 11 of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the ventilation groove 9 extends from the introduction hole 5 to the receiving hole 4. In the embodiment, the ventilation groove 9 extends from the introduction hole 5 to the first longitudinal end 30 of the receiving hole 4. Accordingly, the ventilation groove 9 extends as far as the introduction region 35 of the receiving hole 4. Since the introduction region 35 has the lead-in chamfer 36, the capsule upper portion 21 does not abut the inner side 11 in the introduction region 35. The ventilation groove 9 is thus not closed by the capsule 20 in the introduction region 35, whereby a pressure compensation with the environment can take place. In an alternative embodiment of the capsule closure device 1, for effective pressure compensation it may even be sufficient for the ventilation groove 9 to extend merely into the longitudinal section 34. This holds true if the longitudinal section 34 of the receiving hole 4 extends over a particularly wide longitudinal region in the direction of the longitudinal axis 16. The ventilation groove 9 should then extend into the receiving hole 4 at least to such an extent that that end 38 of the ventilation groove 9 which faces away from the support shoulder 6 has a spacing a from the support shoulder 6 that corresponds at least to the diameter D.sub.1 of the receiving hole 4 at the longitudinal section 34.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment the ventilation groove 9 extends through the support shoulder 6 and thereby forms an interruption 8 of the substantially peripheral inner edge 7 of the support shoulder 6. With the interruption 8 of the inner edge 7 of the support shoulder 6, the capsule edge 25 of the capsule upper portion 21 does not abut the support shoulder 6 in an air-tight manner, whereby the earliest possible pressure compensation is ensured.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 according to the embodiment of FIG. 2. The ventilation grooves 9 are distributed in a peripheral direction of the longitudinal axis 16 with a uniform angular spacing. Accordingly, in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the angular spacing of the three ventilation grooves 9 is 120°. It may also be advantageous to construct the ventilation grooves 9 in the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 with a non-uniform angular spacing in the peripheral direction of the longitudinal axis 16.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the ventilation groove 9 extends in the peripheral direction of the longitudinal axis 16 over a width which corresponds to an angular spacing a of at least 15°, preferably at least 30°, advantageously approximately over 40°. The ventilation groove 9 has a depth b, measured radially with respect to the longitudinal axis 16, which corresponds to a range of between 2 and 10% of the diameter D.sub.1 of the receiving hole 4 at the longitudinal section 34. In the embodiment, the depth b of the ventilation groove 9 is approximately 6% of the diameter D.sub.1. The ventilation grooves 9 are preferably of identical construction. The ventilation grooves 9 can be produced, for example, by drilling, milling or erosion.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment variant of the capsule closure device 1 which differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 3 merely in that there is an additional narrowing 40 for clamping of the capsule upper portion 21 in the receiving hole 4. That longitudinal section 34 of the receiving hole 4 which is shown in the preceding embodiment is subdivided into a first longitudinal section 32 and a second longitudinal section 33 adjacent thereto. The first longitudinal section 32 thus extends from the first longitudinal end 30 as far as the second longitudinal section 33, wherein the second longitudinal section 33 is adjacent to the second longitudinal end 31.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the receiving hole 4 includes a narrowing 40 for clamping of the capsule upper portion 21. The narrowing 40 is formed in the first longitudinal section 32 of the receiving hole 4. The narrowing 40 is formed by a reduction in the cross section of the receiving hole 4. The first longitudinal section 32 has a clamping diameter D.sub.K which is smaller than a basic diameter D.sub.G of the second longitudinal section 33. The clamping diameter D.sub.K corresponds to the smallest diameter in the first longitudinal section 32. The receiving hole 4 is constructed in a cylindrical manner in the second longitudinal section 33. The basic diameter D.sub.G of the second longitudinal section 33 is therefore constant. In an alternative embodiment, it may be advantageous to construct the second longitudinal section in a non-cylindrical manner. In such a case, the clamping diameter D.sub.K of the first longitudinal section 32 is smaller than each diameter in the second longitudinal section 33. The clamping diameter D.sub.K at the narrowing 40 is smaller than the external diameter of the capsule upper portion 21, such that the capsule upper portion 21 is clamped by the narrowing 40. As shown in the embodiment, it is advantageous for the narrowing 40 to be formed close to the first longitudinal end 30 of the receiving hole 4, since compression of the capsule edge 25 of the capsule upper portion 21 is avoided. This is necessary in order to ensure process-reliable support of the capsule upper portion 21 on the support shoulder 6 and to secure the capsule upper portion 21 against sliding through into the introduction hole 5. The narrowing 40 therefore lies on the upper longitudinal half, that is, that longitudinal half of the receiving hole 4 which faces away from the support shoulder 6. In the preferred embodiment, the clamping diameter D.sub.K is greater than the diameter D.sub.A of the receiving hole 4 at the support shoulder 6. FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment in which merely a narrowing 40 is formed, without a ventilation groove 9.
[0042] In a development, the capsule closure device 1 according to the disclosure may include a suction device 17 which is indicated only schematically in FIG. 2. The suction device 17 is connected to the one or the plurality of ventilation groove(s) 9 and serves primarily to extract dust particles which are adhering to the capsule 20. In order to clean the capsule 20, the suction device 17 is only switched on when the capsule 20 is already closed again after the filling operation. The capsule content is thereby prevented from being extracted by the suction device 17 from the capsule lower portion 3. In addition, the suction device 17 can also be used to clean the capsule upper portion receiving member 2 in terms of dust particles which are deposited, for example, on the inner side 11 of the capsule upper portion receiving member 2.
[0043] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
