Abstract
The disclosure relates to a capsule filling machine for filling two-part capsules each having an upper capsule portion and a lower capsule portion. The capsule filling machine includes a main drive unit for operating the capsule filling machine and at least one capsule segment for conveying the capsules. The capsule segment includes a lower segment portion for receiving the lower capsule portion and an upper segment portion for receiving the upper capsule portion. The lower segment portion and the upper segment portion are constructed to be able to be moved relative to each other. The capsule segment is operatively connected to the main drive unit in such a manner that the relative movement of the lower segment portion and upper segment portion with respect to each other is effected by the main drive unit.
Claims
1. A capsule filling machine for filling two-part capsules each having an upper capsule portion and a lower capsule portion, the capsule filling machine comprising: a main drive unit for operating the capsule filling machine; at least one capsule segment for conveying the capsules; said capsule segment including a lower segment portion configured to receive the lower capsule portion and an upper segment portion configured to receive the upper capsule portion; said lower segment portion and said upper segment portion being configured to be moveable relative to each other; and, said capsule segment being operatively connected to said main drive unit such that a relative movement of said lower segment portion and said upper segment portion with respect to each other is effected by the main drive unit.
2. The capsule filling machine of claim 1, wherein the relative movement includes a pivot movement about a pivot axis of said capsule segment and a translational movement in a direction of the pivot axis.
3. The capsule filling machine of claim 1, wherein said upper segment portion is configured to be pivotably driven about a pivot axis via said main drive unit.
4. The capsule filling machine of claim 1, wherein said upper segment portion is configured to be driven via said main drive unit so as to be able to be moved in translation along a pivot axis of said capsule segment.
5. The capsule filling machine of claim 1 further comprising a rotary table configured to be rotatingly driven via said main drive unit about a rotation axis of said rotary table.
6. The capsule filling machine of claim 5, wherein said lower segment portion is securely connected to said rotary table.
7. The capsule filling machine of claim 2 further comprising a first slotted guiding member configured to, together with said main drive unit, effect the translational movement of said capsule segment.
8. The capsule filling machine of claim 2 further comprising a second slotted guiding member configured to, together with said main drive unit, effect the pivot movement of said capsule segment.
9. The capsule filling machine of claim 7 further comprising: a second slotted guiding member configured to, together with said main drive unit, effect the pivot movement of said capsule segment; and, said first slotted guiding member and said second slotted guiding member being formed on a fixed housing portion of the capsule filling machine.
10. The capsule filling machine of claim 7 further comprising: a second slotted guiding member configured to, together with said main drive unit, effect the pivot movement of said capsule segment; said capsule segment having a guiding arm; said guiding arm including a first connecting link element and a second connecting link element; and, said first connecting link element being configured to cooperate with said first slotted guiding member and said second connecting link element being configured to cooperate with said second slotted guiding member.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a capsule filling machine in an embodiment according to the disclosure with a rotary table and capsule segments arranged on the rotary table;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of the capsule filling machine without stations;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a cut-out perspective view of the capsule filling machine according to FIG. 2;
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a lateral sectioned illustration of the capsule filling machine according to FIG. 2; and,
[0019] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the capsule filling machine according to FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a capsule filling machine 1 according to the disclosure for filling capsules with a filling material. The filling material may be provided in the form of a powder, a granulate, tablets or the like. In this instance, it may be a pharmaceutical preparation, a food supplement or the like. The capsules include a lower capsule portion and an upper capsule portion which is placed thereon; both portions are produced, for example, from hard gelatine.
[0021] The capsule filling machine 1 according to FIG. 1 includes a rotary table 2 and a schematically illustrated main drive unit 4, wherein the rotary table 2 can be driven via the main drive unit 4 in rotation about a vertical rotation axis 3 in accordance with the rotation direction 9 in timed steps. The main drive unit 4 includes at least one electric motor which is operationally connected to the rotary table 2 and which drives it. Preferably, the capsule filling machine 1 can include a control unit 30 which is coupled to the main drive unit. The control unit 30 is also illustrated merely schematically in FIG. 1 with broken lines. A number of capsule segments 5 are arranged on a circumferential region of the rotary table 2 with uniform angular spacing. In the embodiment shown, a total of twelve capsule segments 5 are provided. A different number of capsule segments 5 may also be advantageous. Each capsule segment 5 includes a lower segment portion 6 which is securely fixed to the circumferential region of the rotary table 2 and an upper segment portion 7 which can be pivoted relative thereto. Around the rotary table 2 there are positioned a plurality of processing stations 11 to 22 which are fixed, that is, which do not also rotate with the rotary table 2, and which are not illustrated in detail in FIG. 1. The number of processing stations 11 to 22 corresponds to the number of capsule segments 5 so that, in each rotation position of the rotary table 2 which is timed in angular steps, each capsule segment 5 comes to rest in the access region of one of the processing stations 11 to 22 in each case.
[0022] In an embodiment, the capsule segments 5 contain a plurality of capsule receiving members 8 for receiving the capsules. In the preferred embodiment, each capsule segment 5 contains five capsule receiving members 8. It may be advantageous to also provide a plurality of capsule receiving members 8, in particular ten, preferably twelve capsule receiving members 8. The capsule receiving members 5 are in the preferred embodiment arranged in a linear, straight row. With a high number of capsule receiving members 5, these may also be arranged in two or more such rows.
[0023] The above embodiment of the capsule filling machine 1 includes an insertion station 11 in which initially provisionally assembled empty capsules including a lower capsule portion and upper capsule portion are inserted into the capsule receiving members 8 of the capsule segment 5. During normal operation, there is brought about a separation of the attached upper capsule portion from the lower capsule portion. The next processing station is a removal station 12. Defective empty capsules which have not been separated are removed in the removal station 12.
[0024] After the removal station 12, the upper segment portion 7 is pivoted with the upper capsule portions retained therein with respect to the lower segment portion 6 with the lower capsule portions retained therein. The lower segment portion 6 is guided on the filling stations, in this instance a total of three filling stations 13, 14, 15, which follow the removal station 12. In the filling stations 13, 14, 15, the lower capsule portions which are retained in the lower segment portions 6 are filled with the provided filling material. It may also be sufficient to provide only one or two filling stations.
[0025] After passing through the last filling station 15, the upper segment portion 7 is pivoted back via the stations 16, 17, 18 into the aligned position relative to the lower segment portion 6. In the closure station 18, the capsules are closed by the previously removed or separated upper capsule portions being pushed back onto the filled lower capsule portions and locked. The closure station 18 is adjoined by a plurality of control stations 19, 20. In the control stations 19, 20, capsules are examined and where applicable removed. In a following ejection station 21, the remaining capsules which have been found to be good are ejected via tappets which are not illustrated or other ejection means. Additional examinations of the capsules can also be carried out in the ejection station 21.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows the capsule filling machine 1 according to the disclosure in a perspective illustration without stations. The capsule filling machine 1 includes a base plate 63, to which a fixed housing portion 57 of the capsule filling machine 1 is secured (see also FIG. 4). The base plate 63 can preferably be secured to a table which is not illustrated. The fixed housing portion 57 is formed by a base portion 62, a cylindrical circumferential portion 61 and a covering portion 64. The fixed housing portion 57 is secured via the base portion 62 to the base plate 63. The base portion 62 is connected to the covering portion 46 via the circumferential portion 61. In the embodiment, the base portion 62 is in the form of a circular plate which extends with respect to the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2 in a radial direction. The cylindrical circumferential portion 61 is arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof coaxially with respect to the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2 and extends from the base portion 62 along the rotation axis 3 vertically upwards to the covering portion 64. Since the base portion protrudes radially with respect to the rotation axis 3 over the circumferential portion 61, the base portion 62 forms a collar 65 of the fixed housing portion 57.
[0027] As shown in particular in FIG. 4, the covering portion 64 adjoins the circumferential portion 64. In the embodiment, the covering portion 64 is in the form of a plate and at least partially closes the circumferential portion 61. The main drive unit 4 is secured to the covering portion 64 with the housing 25 thereof. In the covering portion 64 there is provided an opening 66 through which a drive shaft (not illustrated in greater detail) of the main drive unit 4 protrudes and is operationally connected to the rotary table 2 in order to drive the rotary table 2. The rotation axis of the drive shaft naturally corresponds to the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 62, circumferential portion 61 and covering portion 64 are each in the form of individual structural elements which are secured to each other via screw connections. The main drive unit 4 is arranged substantially inside the circumferential portion 61.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the capsule segments 5 are arranged on the rotary table 2. In the embodiment, the lower segment portion 6 of each capsule segment 5 is securely connected to the rotary table 2. Accordingly, a relative movement between the rotary table 2 and the lower segment portion 6 is not possible. The upper segment portion 7 is in contrast movably retained on the rotary table 2 via a guiding arm 58. The guiding arm 58 is in this instance constructed in such a manner that a relative movement 51 (FIG. 3) is enabled between the upper segment portion 7 and the lower segment portion 6.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a first slotted guiding member 55 and a second slotted guiding member 56 are formed on the fixed housing portion 57. The guiding arm 58 engages in the slotted guiding members 55, 56 so that the upper segment portion 7 is operationally connected to the slotted guiding members 55, 56 via the guiding arm 58. The slotted guiding members 55, 56 are constructed in such a manner that the upper segment portion 7 with respect to the lower segment portion 6 carries out a translational movement 53 and a pivot movement 52 (FIG. 3). The relative movement 51 between the lower segment portion 6 and the upper segment portion 7 brings about a release of the lower segment portion 7 in order to fill the capsules which are retained in the lower segment portion 6 with filling material. Accordingly, in order to guide the lower segment portion 6 and upper segment portion 7 apart and together again, no additional drive units are required in addition to the main drive unit 4.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged, cut-out illustration of the capsule filling machine 1 according to FIG. 2. The first slotted guiding member 55 is formed on the circumferential portion 61 of the fixed housing portion 57. The first slotted guiding manner 55 is, as also shown in particular in FIG. 4, constructed in the embodiment as a groove 67. The first slotted guiding member 55 has a height h (FIG. 4), wherein the height h corresponds to the spacing between the first slotted guiding member 55 and the rotary table 2 as measured in the direction of the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2. The height h of the first slotted guiding member 55 changes along the circumference of the circumferential portion 61, whereby the translational movement 53 of the upper segment portion 7 is brought about.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second slotted guiding member 56 is formed on the base portion 62, in particular on the collar 65 of the fixed housing portion 57. The second slotted guiding member 56 can preferably also be in the form of a groove 67 in the same manner as the first slotted guiding member 55. In an alternative embodiment of the capsule filling machine 1, it may be advantageous to also construct the slotted guiding member 55, 56 in the form of a slot or via corresponding projections on the fixed housing portion 57. The grooves 67 provided in the embodiment are in the form of rectangular grooves. Other cross sectional geometries may also be advantageous for the grooves 67. The second slotted guiding member 56 has a radial spacing a with respect to the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2. The spacing a of the second slotted guiding member 56 changes in a circumferential direction of the rotation axis 3, whereby the pivot movement 52 of the upper segment portion 7 is brought about.
[0033] The first slotted guiding member 55 and the second slotted guiding member extend in each case along the fixed housing portion 57 through an angle of 360° with respect to the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2. Consequently, the rotary table 2 can be rotated with the corresponding guiding arms 58 in a stop-free manner through more than 360° with respect to the fixed housing portion 57.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the upper segment portion 7 includes the guiding arm 58. The guiding arm 58 is operationally connected to the first slotted guiding member 55 and the second slotted guiding member 56, whereby the guiding arm 58 brings about the pivot movement 52 and the translational movement of the upper segment portion 7. The guiding arm 58 includes a first connecting link element 59, wherein the first connecting link element 59 engages in the first slotted guiding member 55 on the fixed housing portion 57. The guiding arm 58 includes a second connecting link element 60, wherein the second connecting link element 60 engages in the second slotted guiding member 56 on the fixed housing portion 57. The connecting link elements 59, 60 can preferably be in the form of rollers in order to minimise the friction between the slotted guiding members 55, 56 and the connecting link elements 59, 60.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the guiding arm 58 further includes an upper portion 70, a lower portion 71, a linear guide 72, a pivot arm 73 and a connection shaft 74. The upper portion 70 is secured to the lower side 68 of the rotary table 2 facing the base plate 63. The lower portion 71 is connected to the upper portion 70 via the linear guide 72. In addition, the lower portion 71 is guided so as to be able to be moved in translation via the linear guide 72 with respect to the upper portion 70 in the direction of the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2. The connection shaft 74 has a first end 75 facing the base plate 63 and an end 76 facing away from the base plate 63. The pivot arm 73 is secured at the first end 75 of the connection shaft 74. Accordingly, the pivot arm 73 is securely connected to the connection shaft 74. The connection shaft 73 protrudes with the second end 76 thereof through the rotary table 2, wherein the upper capsule portion receiving member 33 is secured to the second end 76 of the connection shaft 74. Accordingly, the upper capsule portion receiving member 33 is also securely connected to the connection shaft 74. The connection shaft 73 has a pivot axis 54 which corresponds to the longitudinal centre axis of the connection shaft 73. The connection shaft 73 is rotatably supported about the pivot axis 54. The pivot axis 54 can preferably be orientated parallel with the rotation axis 3 of the rotary table 2. The connection shaft 73 can preferably be radially supported on the upper portion 70. The connection shaft 73 can preferably be axially supported on the lower portion 71, in particular also radially supported. The first connecting link element 59 is arranged on the lower portion 71. The second connecting link element 60 is arranged at the end of the pivot arm 73 facing away from the connection shaft 74.
[0036] The relative movement 51 brought about by the slotted guiding members 55, 56 between the upper segment portion 7 and the lower segment portion 6 will be described below.
[0037] The upper segment portion 7 and the lower segment portion 6 overlap, as a result of which an upper capsule portion which is received in the upper segment portion 7 and a lower capsule portion which is received in the lower segment portion 6 are orientated coaxially with respect to each other. The rotary table 2 is rotated via the main drive unit 4 about the rotation axis 3. In this instance, the connecting link elements 59, 60 slide and/or roll along the corresponding slotted guiding members 55, 56. The height h of the first slotted guiding member 55 decreases, whereby the first connecting link element 59 via the lower portion 71 lifts the connection shaft 74 in the direction away from the base plate 63. In this instance, the upper capsule portion receiving member 33 is also raised and is arranged spaced apart from the lower segment portion 6. When the rotary table 2 is further rotated, the spacing a of the second slotted guiding member 56 is reduced. In this instance, the pivot arm 73 is rotated via the second connecting link element 60 which is operationally connected to the second slotted guiding member 56 about the pivot axis 54. The connection shaft 74 and the upper capsule portion receiving member 33 also rotate about the pivot axis 54 with the pivot arm 73. The upper segment portion 7 and the lower segment portion 6 no longer overlap. The lower segment portion 6 is released, whereby the lower capsule portions which are received in the lower segment portion 6 can be filled. According to the same principle, the upper segment portion 7 is pivoted back until it overlaps with the lower segment portion 6 again.
[0038] 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.
