A vacuum capping device and pre-encapsulation system for cartons and similar containers

Abstract

The present application is suitable for the technical field of medicine packaging equipment, and relates to a vacuum stoppering device and a pre-filling system for a cartridge bottle and similar containers, comprising: a lifting stoppering frame and a vacuum sealing frame; a tray for placing the containers is arranged below the vacuum sealing frame, a bottle locking piece for fixing the containers is arranged in the tray, a through hole through which the containers can pass is arranged on the bottle locking piece, a locking part for fixing the containers is arranged at the edge of the through hole, and the bottle locking piece is movably arranged relative to the tray to make the locking part contact or separate from the containers. The present application has the advantages of simple structure and convenient process, the bottle locking piece is arranged to move in the tray to lock the neck of the container, the problem of bottle carrying during the stoppering process can be effectively solved, the running stability of the whole equipment can be effectively ensured, and the production efficiency of the equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pharmaceutical packaging equipment technology, and particularly relates to a vacuum stopper and pre-filling system for cartridge bottles and similar containers. Background Technology

[0002] In the pre-filled automatic filling and capping machine system, the tray system is used for filling, capping, and transporting packaging materials. Among them, the cartridge bottle packaging materials adopt the vacuum capping method. During the vacuum capping process of the cartridge bottle packaging materials, the bottle mouth is easily separated from the sealing device after being pressed together, which is easily caused by the upward lifting force of the sealing device. Once the cartridge bottle is lifted, an alarm will be triggered, the equipment will stop and production will be unable to continue, resulting in a reduction in production efficiency.

[0003] Patent CN208868439U discloses a pre-filling and sealing system suitable for small-batch production, including an unpacking area, a loading and unloading area, and a filling and capping area. An openable and closable isolation component is provided between the unpacking area and the loading and unloading area. The loading and unloading area is connected to the filling and capping area. The loading and unloading area has a first tray track with loading and unloading trays arranged on it. The filling and capping area includes a filling and capping mechanism, a capping mechanism for providing stoppers to the filling and capping mechanism, a filling pump for providing liquid medicine to the filling and capping mechanism, a second tray track, and a moving platform for transferring the second tray track between the first tray track and the filling and capping mechanism. The second tray track is located on the moving platform and has a positioning component for positioning the loading and unloading trays. In this patent, the loading and unloading trays for bottle loading and unloading lack a corresponding bottle-locking structure, which can easily lead to bottle jamming and affect production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, how to prevent bottle-carrying during vacuum stoppering and ensure the production efficiency of the equipment is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by personnel in this technical field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers to solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by the occurrence of bottle-carrying issues during the stoppering process in existing vacuum stoppering devices; in addition, this invention also provides a pre-filling system including the vacuum stopper.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum stoppering device for cartridge bottles and similar containers, comprising: a lifting stoppering frame and a vacuum sealing frame for sealing with the side wall of the container; a tray for placing the container is provided below the vacuum sealing frame, and a bottle locking component for fixing the container is provided in the tray, the bottle locking component is provided with a through hole for the container to pass through, and a locking part for fixing the container is provided at the edge of the through hole, the bottle locking component being movably disposed relative to the tray so that the locking part contacts or separates from the container.

[0008] Furthermore, the locking part is a notch at the edge of the through hole, which is used to engage with the neck of the container to lock the container.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottle locking component has a double-layer plate structure, with corresponding through holes on both plates, and the two plates are movably arranged relative to each other to lock or release the container.

[0010] Furthermore, a drive unit is provided on one side of the bottle locking component.

[0011] Furthermore, the vacuum sealing frame is provided with a vacuum sleeve, and the vacuum sleeve is provided with a bottle stopper receiving part, a first air passage located above the bottle stopper receiving part, and a second air passage located below the bottle stopper receiving part.

[0012] Furthermore, the vacuum sleeve is also provided with a sealing element to prevent air from entering the vacuum sleeve, and the sealing element is used to make sealing contact with the side wall of the container.

[0013] Furthermore, the sealant is made of silicone.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention also provides a pre-filling system for cartridge bottles and similar containers, comprising: a vacuum stopper, a filling device, a bottle conveying mechanism, a transfer device, and a conveying device for conveying the tray as described above, wherein the conveying device is used to move the tray between the transfer device, the vacuum stopper and the filling device, and the transfer device is used to transfer the container between the bottle conveying mechanism and the tray.

[0015] Furthermore, the bottle conveying mechanism has an unpacking area upstream and a bottle receiving area downstream.

[0016] The vacuum stopper and pre-filling system for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided by the present invention have at least the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0017] This invention features a simple structure and convenient process. The bottle-locking component moves within the tray to lock the neck of the container, effectively solving the problem of bottle entrapment during capping. This ensures the operational stability of the entire equipment and improves its production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the solution of the present invention, a brief introduction will be given to the drawings used in the description of the embodiments below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 A top view of a pre-filling system for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 A partial perspective view of a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a side view of the vacuum sealing frame portion of a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 A perspective view of a tray for a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 A perspective view of a vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers placed on a tray, provided as an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 An enlarged view of a vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers in an easily jammed state, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 An enlarged view of a vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention, showing the container being stuck in the tray.

[0026] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a bottle-locking component structure for a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers, provided for another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a bottle-locking component structure for a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers, provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a vacuum stopper device for cartridge bottles and similar containers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Reference numerals: 1-Vacuum stopper applicator; 10-Lifting stopper applicator; 20-Vacuum sealing frame; 201-Vacuum sleeve; 202-Stopper receiving part; 203-First air passage; 204-Second air passage; 205-Sealing element; 30-Tray; 301-Bottle locking element; 302-Through hole; 40-Container; 50-Flange; 2-Bottle conveying mechanism; 3-Transfer device; 4-Unpacking area; 5-Bottle receiving area. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. For example, terms such as “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “rear,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer” indicate orientations or positions based on the orientations or positions shown in the accompanying drawings and are for ease of description only, and should not be construed as limiting the technical solution.

[0031] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a particular order. In the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention, when an element is referred to as "fixed to," "mounted to," "disposed of," or "connected to" another element, it may be directly or indirectly located on that other element. For example, when an element is referred to as "connected to" another element, it may be directly or indirectly connected to that other element.

[0032] Furthermore, the reference to "embodiment" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0033] This invention provides a vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers, applicable to pharmaceutical packaging equipment in the pharmaceutical industry. The vacuum stopper for cartridge bottles and similar containers includes:

[0034] The container includes a lifting stopper rack and a vacuum sealing rack for sealing with the side wall of the container; a tray for placing the container is provided below the vacuum sealing rack, and a bottle locking component for fixing the container is provided in the tray. The bottle locking component has a through hole for the container to pass through, and a locking part for fixing the container is provided at the edge of the through hole. The bottle locking component is movably arranged relative to the tray so that the locking part contacts or separates from the container.

[0035] This invention features a simple structure and convenient process. The bottle-locking component moves within the tray to lock the neck of the container, effectively solving the problem of bottle entrapment during capping. This ensures the operational stability of the entire equipment and improves its production efficiency.

[0036] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] This invention provides a vacuum stoppering device for cartridge bottles and similar containers, applicable to pharmaceutical packaging equipment in the pharmaceutical industry, and in some cases, also applicable to packaging equipment in other fields. In this embodiment, the container 40 requiring vacuum stoppering is a cartridge bottle. Figures 1 to 7 The vacuum stoppering device for cartridge bottles and similar containers includes: a lifting stoppering frame 10 and a vacuum sealing frame 20 for sealing with the side wall of the container 40. The lifting stoppering frame 10 is located above the vacuum sealing frame 20 and can move up and down to complete the stoppering of the container 40. The vacuum sealing frame 20 is used for vacuuming the container 40. A tray 30 for placing the container 40 is provided below the vacuum sealing frame 20. A bottle locking component 301 for fixing the container 40 is provided in the tray 30. The bottle locking component 301 is provided with a through hole 302 through which the container 40 can pass. The edge of the through hole 302 is provided with a locking part for fixing the container 40. The locking part is a notch on the edge of the through hole 302. The notch is used to cooperate with the neck of the container 40 to lock the container 40, thereby preventing the bottle from being stuck during the vacuum stoppering process and affecting production efficiency. The bottle locking component 301 is movably arranged relative to the tray 30 so that the locking part contacts or separates from the container 40.

[0038] In this embodiment, as Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the bottle locking component 301 is an inner clamping plate with multiple independent through holes 302. During the movement of the inner clamping plate relative to the tray 30, the notches at the edges of the through holes 302 engage with the neck of the container 40 to achieve a locking effect; in another embodiment, as shown... Figure 8 As shown, the bottle locking component 301 can also be a double-layer plate structure, with through holes 302 at corresponding positions on both plates. The two plates are movably arranged relative to each other, and can lock or release the container 40 during the process of the two plates moving away from each other or relative to each other; in another embodiment, as shown Figure 9As shown, the bottle locking component 301 is provided with a large through hole 302, and the through hole 302 is also provided with multiple locking parts. During the relative movement of the bottle locking component 301 and the tray 30, one through hole 302 can simultaneously lock or release multiple containers 40.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a driving part (not shown in the figure) is provided on one side of the bottle locking component 301. The driving part can be a handle or a motor, etc., to manually or electrically drive the movement of the bottle locking component 301 relative to the tray 30.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the vacuum sealing frame 20 is equipped with a vacuum sleeve 201. The vacuum sleeve 201 contains a bottle stopper receiving part 202, a first air passage 203 located above the bottle stopper receiving part 202, and a second air passage 204 located below the bottle stopper receiving part 202. The lifting sealing frame 10 adds the bottle stopper to the container 40 at the bottle stopper receiving part 202. The first air passage 203 is used to extract the air in the cavity above the bottle stopper, and the second air passage 204 is used to extract the air in the cavity between the bottle stopper and the container 40. Vacuum needs to be drawn above and below the bottle stopper. If only the air in the cavity between the bottle stopper and the container 40 is drawn, the bottle stopper will be pushed into the container 40 by atmospheric pressure. It may enter the container 40 before the vacuum is completely drawn, resulting in residual air bubbles in the container 40, which affects the vacuum sealing effect and the production efficiency of the equipment.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the vacuum sleeve 201 is also provided with a sealing element 205 to prevent air from entering the vacuum sleeve 201, so as to ensure the vacuuming effect. The sealing element 205 is in contact with the side wall of the container 40.

[0042] In this embodiment, the seal 205 is silicone; in other embodiments, the seal 205 may also be other materials with sealing effects, such as rubber or nylon.

[0043] In another embodiment provided by the present invention, such as Figure 10As shown, container 40 can be a pre-filled syringe (b) or a vial (c) in addition to a cartridge bottle (a). If these containers cannot contain air bubbles after capping, vacuum capping is typically used. Existing vacuum capping methods for pre-filled syringes (b) and vials (c) generally use a flange (50) at the bottle neck. Therefore, during vacuum capping, the vacuum sleeve (201) contacts the flange (50) for sealing. This means the vacuum sleeve (201) is positioned above container 40. After capping and breaking the vacuum, lifting the vacuum sleeve (201) will not result in the bottle being pulled along with the container. Since cartridge bottle a lacks a flange 50 and has a relatively thin mouth, it cannot be sealed directly above the mouth. Therefore, the existing vacuum sealing of cartridge bottle a requires sealing from the side of the mouth. After sealing from the side and breaking the vacuum, the sealing element 205 will still seal with the side wall of cartridge bottle a, resulting in the bottle being stuck when the vacuum sealing frame 20 is raised and lowered. Therefore, the vacuum sealing device provided by the present invention is not only used for cartridge bottle a, but also for containers 40 that require sealing from the side wall for vacuum sealing.

[0044] The vacuum stoppering device 1 described in the above embodiment has a simple and quick working process. By moving the bottle locking component 301 and its through hole 302 within the tray 30, the neck of the container 40 can be locked or released, which can effectively solve the problem of bottle sticking to the container 40 during the stoppering process. At the same time, the vacuum sleeve 201 on the vacuum sealing frame 20 can efficiently evacuate the container 40, ensuring stable sealing. The entire vacuum stoppering device 1 operates stably and has high working efficiency.

[0045] This invention also provides a pre-filling system, including the vacuum stopper 1, filling device, bottle conveying mechanism 2, transfer device 3 and conveying device for conveying tray 30 as described in the above embodiments. The conveying device is used to drive the tray 30 to move between the transfer device 3, the vacuum stopper 1 and the filling device. The transfer device 3 is used to transfer the container 40 between the bottle conveying mechanism 2 and the tray 30.

[0046] Furthermore, the upstream of the bottle conveying mechanism 2 is provided with an unpacking area 4 for removing the outer packaging, tearing the inner packaging, and removing the inner liner, and the downstream of the bottle conveying mechanism 2 is provided with a bottle receiving area 5 for receiving the filled, vacuum-sealed container 40.

[0047] The pre-filling system described in the above embodiments includes a vacuum stopper device 1, which operates simply and quickly. Through the movement of the bottle locking component 301 and its through hole 302 within the tray 30, the neck of the container 40 is locked or released, effectively solving the problem of bottle entrapment during the stoppering process. At the same time, the vacuum sleeve 201 on the vacuum sealing frame 20 can efficiently vacuum the container 40, ensuring stable sealing. The entire vacuum stopper device 1 operates stably and efficiently. All parts of the system work in coordination, and the entire chain of unpacking, filling, stoppering, vacuuming, and transfer improves the production efficiency of the entire pre-filling system.

[0048] Obviously, the embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, but do not limit the scope of the patent. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms; rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing specific embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures made using the content of this specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are similarly within the scope of patent protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum stopper for cartridge-type containers, characterized in that, include: A lifting stopper holder (10) and a vacuum sealing holder (20) for sealing the sidewalls of a container similar to a cartridge bottle (40). The vacuum sealing frame (20) is provided with a tray (30) for placing a cartridge bottle-like container (40) below it. The tray (30) is provided with a bottle locking component (301) for fixing the cartridge bottle-like container (40). The bottle locking component (301) is provided with a through hole (302) through which the cartridge bottle-like container (40) can pass. The edge of the through hole (302) is provided with a locking part for fixing the cartridge bottle-like container (40). The locking part is a notch on the edge of the through hole (302). The notch is used to cooperate with the neck of the cartridge bottle-like container (40) located below to lock the cartridge bottle-like container (40). The bottle locking component (301) is movably arranged relative to the tray (30) so that the locking part contacts or separates from the cartridge bottle-like container (40). The bottle locking component (301) is a double-layer plate structure, with through holes (302) provided at corresponding positions on both plates. The two plates are movably arranged relative to each other to lock or release a cartridge-type bottle or similar container (40). The vacuum sealing frame (20) is provided with a vacuum sleeve (201), and the vacuum sleeve (201) is provided with a bottle stopper receiving part (202), a first air passage (203) located above the bottle stopper receiving part (202) and a second air passage (204) located below the bottle stopper receiving part (202). The vacuum sleeve (201) is also provided with a seal (205) to prevent air from entering the vacuum sleeve (201), and the seal (205) is used to make a sealing contact with the upper side wall of a cartridge bottle-like container (40).

2. The vacuum stopper device for cartridge-type containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottle lock (301) has a drive unit on one side.

3. A vacuum stoppering device for cartridge-type containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seal (205) is made of silicone.

4. A pre-filling and sealing system for cartridge-type containers, characterized in that, include: The vacuum stopper (1), filling device, bottle conveying mechanism (2), transfer device (3) and conveying device for conveying the tray (30) as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveying device is used to move the tray (30) between the transfer device (3), the vacuum stopper (1) and the filling device, and the transfer device (3) is used to transfer a cartridge-like container (40) between the bottle conveying mechanism (2) and the tray (30).

5. A pre-filling and sealing system for cartridge-like containers according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottle conveying mechanism (2) has an unpacking area (4) upstream and a bottle receiving area (5) downstream.

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