ROTOR FOR A ROTARY PRESS

Abstract

A rotor for a rotary press comprises a die plate, upper punch seats, and lower punch seats configured to be rotationally driven by a rotary drive. An annular discharge channel is configured to be in a fixed position with respect to the die plate and further configured to collect product residue from at least one of the die plate and the lower punch seat. The discharge channel additionally comprises a removal region where the product residue is configured to be removed from the annular discharge channel A catch element is configured to rotate in sync with the die plate and is guided within the annular discharge channel to convey the product residue collected in the annular discharge channel to the removal region.

Claims

1. A rotor for a rotary press comprising: a die plate defining a plurality of die holes and configured to be rotationally driven by a rotary drive; an upper punch seat configured to axially guide a set of upper punches, wherein the upper punch seat is configured to be rotationally driven by the rotary drive to rotate in sync with the die plate; a lower punch seat configured to axially guide a set of lower punches, wherein the lower punch seat is configured to be rotationally driven by the rotary drive to rotate in sync with the die plate; an annular discharge channel in a fixed position with respect to the die plate, the annular discharge channel configured to collect product residue from at least one of the die plate and the lower punch seat, wherein the annular discharge channel comprises a removal region where the product residue is configured to be removed from the annular discharge channel; and a catch element configured to rotate in sync with the die plate, wherein the catch element is guided within the annular discharge channel and is configured to convey the product residue collected in the annular discharge channel to the removal region.

2. The rotor according to claim 1, further comprising a suction apparatus configured to suction the product residue away from the removal region.

3. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the annular discharge channel comprises a floor located in a plane below a top side of the lower punch seat.

4. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the annular discharge channel is a discharge groove.

5. The rotor according to claim 3, wherein the catch element comprises an elastic material.

6. The rotor according to claim 5, wherein a maximum width of the catch element substantially corresponds to a width of the annular discharge channel.

7. The rotor according to claim 6, wherein a bottom side of the catch element contacts the floor of the annular discharge channel.

8. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the catch element is coupled to the lower punch seat.

9. The rotor according to claim 1, further comprising a covering configured enclose the die plate, the lower punch seat and the annular discharge channel.

10. The rotor according to claim 1, further comprising: a covering configured to surround and enclose a region that includes the rotor; and a vacuum apparatus configured to generate a vacuum within the region enclosed by the covering.

11. The rotor according to claim 2, wherein the suction apparatus comprises a vacuum apparatus.

12. The rotor according to claim 11, further comprising a covering configured to surround and enclose a region including the rotor, wherein the vacuum apparatus is configured to generate a vacuum within the region enclosed by the covering.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained below in greater detail with reference to figures. Schematically:

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment or a rotor for a rotary press with a partially cut-away covering;

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an embodiment of the rotor for a rotary press with a partially cut-away covering;

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of the embodiment of the rotor of a rotary press from FIG. 2; and

[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of the embodiment of the rotor of a rotary press from FIG. 2.

[0025] The same reference numbers refer to the same objects in the figures unless indicated otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The rotor according to the invention depicted in the FIGS. 1-4 is a rotor of a rotary press, in particular a rotary tablet press for pressing a for example powdered product into pellets such as tablets. As shown, the rotor comprises a drive section 10 that is connected to a rotary drive, which is not shown in greater detail in the figures for reasons of simplicity, to rotate the rotor. A die plate 12 is connected to the drive section 10. The die plate 12 has a plurality of sleeve seats 14 into which die sleeves are inserted in the depicted example that then form die holes in the die plate 12. The die sleeves are also not shown in the figures for reasons of simplicity. The die plate 12 has a plurality of radial holes 16 in the perimeter in which lock screws can be inserted to clamp the die sleeves in the sleeve seats 14. This is known per se. In the shown example, the die plate 12 is formed as a closed ring disk. It could however also be constructed of individual ring segments. It would also be conceivable for the die holes to be formed by holes introduced directly into the die plate 12 instead of the removable die sleeves.

[0027] Moreover, a lower punch seat 18 with a plurality of through-holes 20 and an upper punch seat 22, also with a plurality of through-holes 24, is connected to the drive section 10. While the rotor is operating, lower punches are guided axially in the through-holes 20 of the lower punch seat 18, and upper punches are guided axially in the through-holes 24 of the upper punch seat 22. By means of upper and lower control cams of the rotary press, the axial movement of the upper and lower punches is controlled in a manner known per se such that they interact to press the product in the die holes, also in a manner known per se. The rotary drive rotates the die plate 12, the lower punch seat 18, and the upper punch seat 22 in sync during operation.

[0028] At reference signs 26 and 28, a covering of the rotor is discernible in FIG. 1 that is partially cut away for reasons of clarity is formed from two sections and annularly encloses the die plate 12 and the lower punch seat 18 as well as an annularly surrounding discharge channel 30 (FIGS. 2-4). As shown, the discharge channel 30 (FIGS. 2-4) is configured as a discharge groove and is located in the region of the outer edge of the lower punch seat 18 below the lower punch seat. As is clearly discernible in particular in the sectional view in FIG. 3, there is a gap between the outer edge of the die plate 12 as well as the lower punch seat 18 and the upper section 26 of the covering 26, 28. As already explained, the discharge channel 30 bordered by the bottom section 28 of the covering 26, 28 runs annularly. The covering 26, 28 and hence the discharge channel 30 are fixed, i.e., do not rotate when the rotor rotates.

[0029] In FIG. 2, a catch element 32 is also discernible whose shape is adapted to the cross-section of the discharge channel 30. The catch element 32 is fastened to the lower punch seat 18 in the depicted example so that it rotates therewith. During this rotation, the catch element 32 is guided in the discharge channel 30. In the shown example, the catch element 32 is elastic and preferably also lies against the side walls of the discharge channel 30, at least on the floor of the discharge channel 30. In FIG. 1, a suction opening 34 is also discernible in the bottom section 28 of the covering 26, 28 that forms a suction region. In FIG. 2, it is discernible that a suction connector 36, which is not depicted in FIG. 1 for display reasons, is attached to this suction opening 34. A suction apparatus is connected to this suction connector 36 which is not depicted in the figures in greater detail for reasons of simplicity.

[0030] While the rotor is operating, the in particular powdered product is pressed into pellets in the die holes as explained. In so doing, product residue (e.g., dust or powder) inevitably accumulates on the top side of the die plate 12 and on the top side of the lower punch seat 18. Due to the rotation of the die plate 12 and the lower punch seat 18, this product residue first passes radially to the outside due to centrifugal force and then falls downward into the discharge channel 30 under gravity through the explained gap between the outer edges of the die plate 12 and lower punch seat 18 and the covering 26, 28. The movement of the product residue is illustrated in FIG. 4 by the arrows 38. At reference sign 40, a schematically enlarged accumulation of product residue is depicted on the floor of the discharge channel 30. The product residue located in the discharge channel 30 is entrained by the catch element 32 which rotates with the rotor during operation and is in particular transported into the suction region defined by the suction opening 34 where the product residue is sucked out through the suction connector 36 by the suction apparatus, for example to a scrap or recycling container. A slight vacuum can be produced by the suction apparatus within the covering 26, 28 as well that prevents the product residue from passing outward out of the region enclosed by the covering 26, 28. This is however not essential.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0031] 10 Drive section [0032] 12 Die plate [0033] 14 Sleeve seats [0034] 16 Radial holes [0035] 18 Lower punch seat [0036] 20 Through holes [0037] 22 Upper punch seat [0038] 24 Through holes [0039] 26 Covering [0040] 28 Covering [0041] 30 Discharge channel [0042] 32 Catch element [0043] 34 Suction opening/suction region [0044] 36 Suction connector [0045] 38 Arrows [0046] 40 Accumulation