CASING FOR A ROTOR OF A TABLETING MACHINE

Abstract

A casing for a rotor of a tableting machine is disclosed. A method for removing excess tableting material from a tableting machine is also disclosed.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A casing for a rotor of a tableting machine, comprising: at least one integrated annular channel; and, suction means with which a rotating air flow can be generated in the at least one annular channel, said air flow being adapted to entrain substantially all of the excess tableting material and remove it from a compression chamber of the tableting machine.

13. The casing according to claim 12, wherein at least one extraction port is assigned to each annular channel, and the annular channel has branch points to intake nozzles and/or intake slots, which serve as local extraction points for the excess tableting material.

14. The casing according to claim 12, wherein the casing is segmented.

15. The casing according to claim 12, wherein the suction means is formed by at least one extraction port, intake nozzles, and/or intake slots.

16. The casing according to claim 12, wherein the at least one extraction port leads into the casing substantially tangentially to a peripheral surface of the rotor.

17. The casing according to claim 15, wherein an extraction port is assigned to each annular channel.

18. The casing according to claim 15, wherein the intake slots are arranged on the inside of the casing at any height, pointing toward the rotor.

19. The casing according to claim 12, wherein the device comprises at least two annular channels arranged one above the other in the casing of the rotor.

20. The casing according to claim 15, wherein negative pressure can be applied to the intake nozzles.

21. The casing according to claim 12, wherein the device is configured to generate the negative pressure by utilizing the Venturi effect.

22. The casing according to claim 12, wherein, in areas around intake nozzles in the annular channel, constrictions occur, which increase the suctioning power as a result of the Venturi effect.

23. A method for removing excess tableting material from a compression chamber of a tableting machine, comprising: generating, with a suction, a rotating air flow in the compression chamber; entraining with the air flow substantially all of the excess tableting material; and, removing the excess tableting material from the compression chamber.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising: providing a tableting machine having a casing, the casing having at least one integrated annular channel, a suction means with which a rotating air flow can be generated in the at least one annular channel, said air flow being adapted to entrain substantially all of the excess tableting material and remove it from a compression chamber of the tableting machine; generating a rotating air flow in at least one annular channel of a rotor casing entraining undesired particles by means of the air flow; and removing the undesired particles from a compression chamber of the tableting machine through at least one intake port.

Description

[0042] The invention will be described in greater detail in reference to the attached set of figures; shown are:

[0043] FIG. 1 a depiction of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular a view of the rotor of a rotary press having a number of rotor casing segments with the integrated annular channel

[0044] FIG. 2 a depiction of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular a view of a segmented rotor casing having an integrated annular channel with a tangential port for exhaust air

[0045] FIG. 3 a depiction of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in particular a view of a complete segmented rotor casing with two integrated annular channels with the two tangentially arranged ports for the exhaust air of the two independent annular channels.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows the rotor (22) of a tableting machine comprising a rotor upper part (19) with an upper punch (18), a die table (16) with dies (21), and a rotor lower part (20) with a lower punch (17). The segmented rotor casing (2) with the integrated annular channel (1) is positioned around the rotor (22). The individually positioned extraction nozzles (4) are attached to the corresponding segment for plug-type connection from the outside. The extraction port (3) is attached substantially tangentially to the annular channel (1) and opens substantially tangentially into the same. A second annular channel (5) is located below the first upper annular channel (1).

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a segmented, closed rotor casing (2) into which two annular channels (1 and 5, not shown) are integrated, each of the ring channels (1 and 5) having a tangential extraction port (3 and 7). The casing segments (10, 11, 12, 13 and 14) are detachably fastened with quick-release fasteners (8) to the lower cam track (not shown) of the tableting machine. The handles (15) are used for removing the segments (10, 11, 12, 13 and 14). On the interior side of the segments, the intake slots (9) are shown, which can be arranged at different heights around the entire rotor.

[0048] The extraction nozzle (4) is preferably designed to be detachable, so that the extraction nozzle (4), which is connected to the annular channel (1) according to the Venturi principle, at least partially frees the tableting machine from dust. FIG. 2 shows the preferred closed, smooth construction of the casing (2) with the integrated annular channel (1). A particularly surprising effect of the invention is clear from FIG. 2, namely that apart from the central extraction port (3), the device does not comprise any further connections, hoses, or tubes, even though the settling dust is removed flexibly from the tableting machine at various different points around the rotor (22). Hose connections disadvantageously are often associated with flow resistance and thus with performance losses, and therefore their avoidance and/or reduction is an essential merit of the invention.

[0049] FIG. 3 corresponds essentially to FIG. 2, with the device shown having a second integrated independent annular channel (5) with its own tangentially arranged extraction port (7) below the integrated first annular channel (1) with the tangential extraction port (3). The second annular channel (5) can be used as needed to improve the extraction performance of the additional extraction nozzles (4). Furthermore, in the production of two-layer tablets it is surprisingly possible to separate the two different compression materials.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0050] (1) first annular channel [0051] (2) segmented rotor casing [0052] (3) tangential extraction port of the first annular channel [0053] (4) extraction nozzles [0054] (5) second annular channel [0055] (6) device [0056] (7) tangential extraction port of the second annular channel [0057] (8) quick-release fastener [0058] (9) extraction slots [0059] (10) rotor casing (segment) [0060] (11) rotor casing (segment) [0061] (12) rotor casing (segment) [0062] (13) rotor casing (segment) [0063] (14) rotor casing (segment) [0064] (15) handle [0065] (16) die table [0066] (17) lower punch [0067] (18) upper punch [0068] (19) rotor upper part [0069] (20) rotor lower part [0070] (21) die, i.e., bore in the die table [0071] (22) rotor